Roun & Round or Back & Forth ?

[PineRidge]

<font color="blue"> and he rides around mowing with the loader WAY up in the air about as far as it will go. I guess he's doing this for a better view, but he sure looks goofy. Good thing his land is mostly flat or he'd be tipping over with that loader way up there scraping the stars </font>

Have a neighbor with an old Massey that does the same thing. Always looks like he's reaching way up high to grab something.

We always pulled to loader off for mowing duties, it only takes a couple of minutes to split it from the tractor in our case.

 

[tillboy2001]

Most I'll do is remove the bucket so it's not so wide and I can squeeze through some trees and get closer to the fence, but I have a feeling the loader might never come off this tractor! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[EastTexFrank]

That's how I do the pastures, except that I make a couple of round and round passes first around the perimeter to get some turning room.

As for the yard, it depends on what part I am cutting. Some areas lend themselves to up and down and others are best cut round and round. I do try to change the direction of the cut though. Works for me.

 

[dooleysm]

Years of mowing my parents lawn with a self-propelled walk behind mower led me to the conclusion that back and forth is quicker than round and round. The experiments were as scientific as possible, for a grade school kid. It would take me over 2 hours in 2nd gear if I went round and round and could get it done about 15-20 minutes faster going back and forth.

I haven't had near the experimentation time with my tractor yet, but it takes so long to turn around at the end of a row, that round and round seems like the easier, quicker way to do it.

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( FWIW, I think taking longer by going round and round vs. back and forth is an illusion. I believe it would take approx. the same amount of time. )</font>

Yor'e welcome to come mow my land with both a 5' and a 10' mower, and try the spiral on both, then straight cuts on both. The geometry of the 10' deck sticking out on either side of the tractor, as oposed to the 5' deck trailing the tractor, and being longer than wide, makes a big difference ont he spiral cut. You lose more cut width spiraling it. course my 10' mower is 3pt.. a drag mower may not behave the same way.

Soundguy

 

[Bowhunter]

Sorry, I was speaking from my personal experience with MMM's and failed to look at the big picture. When I bush-hog my food plots I use the back and forth method.

 

[Eric_in_Ohio]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Sorry, I was speaking from my personal experience with MMM's and failed to look at the big picture. When I bush-hog my food plots I use the back and forth method. )</font>

I have a Fish and Wildlife degree. This doesn't apply to mowing grass really, but with the reference to food plots, I thought maybe I could contribute a little.

As far as bush hogging and field work with food plots/wildlife habitat...we were instructed to start in the middle and mow back and forth working toward the outside. Or start in the middle and mow back and forth out to one side, then go back to the middle and mow out toward the other side.

The reason for this is if you start on the outside and mow in spirals, whatever wildlife that might be bedding/hiding in the grass tends to keep working toward the middle to escape the machinery. When you finally get close enough to the middle and they run out of cover, you run the chance of the critters hopping out in front of you and ending up as mulch. With the back and forth method from the middle out, you tend to push them out to the outside where they can safely escape and return to the habitat later.

Again, this mainly applies to wildlife habitat and food plots, not so much to lawns. It's just another point of view that may not have been thought about.

Great forum, great people....thanks for all the wonderful ideas and info!

 

[skivt]

I run three loops around the outside and then go back and forth like davido. I go right down the middle than go 4 or 5 strips over. I go 4 to five over because it makes for a less sharp turn and no three point turns. Every week I put my strips in a different direction.

I can't wait for my new mower deck to arrive. It is a 54" MMM with 6, mulching blades. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[skivt]

Eric,

Welcome to TBN.

Skivt

 

[edski]

I try to only mow the ~2 acres around the house. About half of this is orchard and we have a number of mature trees, a shed, other plantings,etc. It's a nightmare of an obstacle course.

I take a zen, stream of conciousness approach, wherever the mower leads me. Spiral around a tree, slingshot off to another, slalom thru the orchard, as fast as I can go without thinking.

Mostly I try to knock down the tall stuff so the neighbors don't think the place is abandoned.

Cheers, edski

 

[Bowhunter]

Welcome to TBN Eric. That is a good point about wildlife having a chance to move away from the machinery. I don't think we want to know how many fawns and rabbits end up in haybines each spring when hay is cut.

I also have a degree in wildlife mgmt., although I don't work in that field any longer.

 

[Eric_in_Ohio]

Really...where did you go to school? I graduated Hocking College in southeastern Ohio in 1999. I'm glad my brother in law bought a 91 acre farm. I don't work in the field either, and now I can finally put that knowledge to use! lol. I have 2 food plots going already (1 in Whitetail Institute Imperial Clover, 1 in Mossy Oak Biologic Premium Perennial) I'm getting ready to put 4 more in next week. The seed should be here Monday. I can't wait!

 

[Bowhunter]

B.S. in Forestry (major Wildlife Mgmt) from Purdue in '92.
I have 3 acres of Trophy Blend clover, 1 acre of Alfa Rack, and 1/2 acre of Buck Forage oats currently. I have plans to clear a couple more acres and plant them, but don't have the time this spring. It's amazing how much time babies take. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Do you know if 3D Environmental Services in Cincy is still in business? I worked for them for a couple of years right after college.

 

[Eric_in_Ohio]

I couldn't tell ya. I've never heard of them. I searched the Yellow Pages on Yahoo and didn't find anything...

My seed came Tuesday. I tilled up two of my new plots again today (Wednesday) and planned on seeding them Thursday morning. We received severe thunderstorms and torential downpours this evening. Now I'm looking at a few more days until I can get back out there again /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

I can't wait to get my stand of Power Plant and Extreme off to a good start!