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+--- Thread: The Super Official Homeowners Thread (/showthread.php?tid=11347)
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Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - Ryan T - 05-05-2017
I'm still old school; John Deere riding mower and Stihl gas trimmer.
Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - WRXtranceformed - 05-06-2017
Believe it or not the Fiskars push reel mower (no gas no electric) has worked pretty darn well! I feel like an ole grandpa pushing that thing around the yard. The only thing it doesn't really knock down is tall weeds; wifey likes to pull those by hand because she doesn't like using weedkiller chemicals on the lawn. Or I just do a quick pass with the B&D electric weedeater
Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - Apoc - 05-06-2017
The push reel mower is what we have. It's fine, but there's so much better. If I let the lawn go three weeks, there will be significant weed whacking involved. I'd rather just do one pass and be done with it.
Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - ViPER1313 - 05-06-2017
As MM's resident cheapskate, I would be very hard pressed to spend $550 on something that seems so severely limited when you can pick up mint gas self-propelled mowers for $100 on Craigslist all day long. My B&S self propelled has given me no hassle over 7 years, is easy to find maintenance items for, and cost half what one of those battery powered mowers goes for. I just don't see the pro of spending double to get something less functional - what am I missing?
Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - Sully - 05-06-2017
I very very briefly looked into starting a landscaping business using e-mowers. Obviously it would use the Green "gimmick" to try to acquire customers.
But isnt a brand new gas self propelled like $300 max in the store? And they last forever with practically no maintenance.
I'm not saying I wouldn't go electric especially for small less used things where the gas goes bad by the time you need it again and it's 2 stroke so you need to mix like a chainsaw or something. But it would have to preform only marginally worse than a gas counter-part. I just wonder the price vs performance and convenience factor
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Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - Apoc - 05-06-2017
Not sure what's severely limited or less functional about it if you can cut your whole yard on one charge. It's worth it to not have to deal with gas, spark plugs, winterizing, fumes, and priming/yanking to start. Also, my wife mows the lawn about 30% of the time and she's afraid of gas mowers (we had one back in nova). I'm not going to discourage that habit.
I just got back from HD with the same model Justin has. I'll report back at some point this weekend on it.... just need to decide if I want to try and mow the lawn after the Kentucky Derby and a few mint juleps.
Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - Sully - 05-06-2017
As long as it does the whole yard, that's fine but it costs twice as much as it's gas counter part.
We've had a mower for like 7 years and I don't think we've ever changed the spark plug, definitely haven't winterized it and i only fill the gas tank like every 3 times i now. It is also primerless and only requires more than one pull the first start of the season. Oh and I think I changed the oil once for the hell of it. Sure it could use it again but I don't really care to be bothered with it at this point.
Electric also has the same dangerous part (the giant spinning heavy sharpened piece of metal) although maybe someone wouldn't want to deal with the noise
I want to like e-equipment but I just don't see it being any easier than gas especially for a mower.
My comment about less functional was directed more towards chainsaws and such. That's where I could see electric being a benefit. Chainsaws always leak fluids when they sit and they are used (by the average homeowners) very infrequently which means the fluids sit or leak out. So electric could be a nice and easy. I'm just not seeing it with the mower no matter how hard I try. If they were a little closer in price, I would probably go with either one. And I guess they're closer to Honda prices but you can definitely get a mower for closer to $300.
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Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - Apoc - 05-06-2017
I have an electric chainsaw, weed whacker, hedge trimmer, and hedge trimmer on an extension pole.... but I live in a city and not on a farm. :dunno:
Can you accomplish much of the same result for less? Yes... but at some point in life, unless you're a cheapskate, you don't mind not optimizing every dollar.
Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - JustinG - 05-06-2017
Sully Wrote:But isnt a brand new gas self propelled like $300 max in the store? And they last forever with practically no maintenance.
The honderp I was scoping out at Home Depot was $400.
I fully expect this to last just as long as my gas.
Plus, i am banking on when this one dies, the kids in the neighborhood will be old enough to enjoy money. Thus my yard will then be mowed for $20-30 every couple of weeks.
Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - Apoc - 05-06-2017
So, yeah, the thing is pretty nice. I won't bother repeating everything Justin said, but it's pretty much true. I always hated that our rotary mower didn't mulch, so you either had to rake or just deal with it. This thing does a pretty good job tearing crap up so you don't have to worry about. I'd say the sound is about the same as a desk fan on high; a bit more if you're using the self-propelled (motor whine). The adjustable speed is nice - I definitely didn't think it would be as useful as it is. One handed height adjustment is pretty awesome. Overall, pleased with the purchase.
Here are a few pics. The uneven parts of the yard is because my lawn is still recovering (see last page) and is at about 70% coverage. The actual mow is even.
![[Image: 18279063_10154335929086744_8627163005366...e=5987680A]](https://scontent.fsnc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/18279063_10154335929086744_8627163005366040410_o.jpg?oh=f29bdac00d33381ea9737d4d4bd849b3&oe=5987680A)
![[Image: 18278137_10154335929341744_2638743614860...e=5983FB5D]](https://scontent.fsnc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/18278137_10154335929341744_2638743614860995851_o.jpg?oh=02e1f712eabd6de780e44595657872ae&oe=5983FB5D)
![[Image: 18319023_10154335929571744_3509089906188...e=5988C2E3]](https://scontent.fsnc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/18319023_10154335929571744_3509089906188400598_o.jpg?oh=e43f5abf2d876eb13c58f96cf300f822&oe=5988C2E3)
Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - ScottyB - 05-08-2017
Apoc Wrote:It's worth it to not have to deal with gas, spark plugs, winterizing, fumes, and priming/yanking to start.
don't forget noise and filters.
my next mower will be electric. i mowed yards for money as a kid, worked a landscaping crew in college, did the gas thing the whole way through and currently as well. if electric isn't obnoxiously $$$ the next time i buy, and our yard isn't huge, its worth it to me to get away from the small engine crap and all the unhealthy PITA stuff that comes with it.
Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - Apoc - 05-08-2017
P.S. - Looks like I had just under 50% charge left after doing front and back yards.
My biggest regret about this purchase is I forgot to click through my Alaska Air mileage shopping site, so I missed out on free miles.
Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - WRXtranceformed - 05-08-2017
I'm not opposed to getting an electric powered mower for all of those same reasons above. Honestly though if I'm at the point of wanting to drop a few hundred more for another mower in the future I'll probably just pay someone here to do it regularly.
I did pick up a fertilizer spreader though and plan to do that this weekend. Wifey is the one with the green thumb and has been doing a ton of research into what to use on lawns, when to do all that, etc. With how often you are supposed to fertilize bermuda grass down here, I ran some numbers from some quotes we got and a big "savings" cost of DIY lawnwork seems to be when you buy a cheap bag of fertilizer and spread it yourself. Those "ChemLawn" companies have to make a killing on each service based on what they charge and frankly so many of them use such a hodgepodge of chemicals that our kids when we have them would probably develop developmental disorders just running around in the backyard in their bare feet.
Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - Apoc - 05-08-2017
I thought about a lawn service, but I enjoy mowing the lawn (now) and it gives us something to do outside with our kid.
I use a hand spreader that was left by the previous owners to spread grass seed and weed/feed. It's not as fast or even as a push model, but our yard isn't that big.
The current bane on my existence is moles. I've had decent success with castor oil pellets, but it's definitely not full proof. Not gonna lie though, I take a sick pleasure if seeing mole hills in the neighbors yard after I've successfully driven them from ours. :lol:
Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - WRXtranceformed - 05-08-2017
Apoc Wrote:I thought about a lawn service, but I enjoy mowing the lawn (now) and it gives us something to do outside with our kid.Moles! That's crazy. That seems like a pretty humane way to deal with them. Our big issue here is copperheads. This is prime season for them, there are reports all over the neighborhood facebook page about people seeing them in their yards, kids seeing them near their playsets, etc. A guy up the road was bitten and had to run to the hospital for anti-venom. One of our neighbors actually found one behind the glass / screen of her sealed in fireplace! They are something to watch out for as they will not bother you if you leave them alone but will strike if they feel cornered or if you don't see one and step on it.
I use a hand spreader that was left by the previous owners to spread grass seed and weed/feed. It's not as fast or even as a push model, but our yard isn't that big.
The current bane on my existence is moles. I've had decent success with castor oil pellets, but it's definitely not full proof. Not gonna lie though, I take a sick pleasure if seeing mole hills in the neighbors yard after I've successfully driven them from ours. :lol:
I grew up on a farm with all manner of stuff that would bite / mess you up (snapping turtles were what you had to mostly watch out for) so to me they are just another thing you have to be aware of as you live in an area close to nature. Even though it's hot and somewhat uncomfortable I usually do yard work in thick knee high wader boots just in case. A fang from a bigger snake would probably penetrate long pants / jeans pretty easily
Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - ScottyB - 05-08-2017
WRXtranceformed Wrote:With how often you are supposed to fertilize bermuda grass down here, I ran some numbers from some quotes we got and a big "savings" cost of DIY lawnwork seems to be when you buy a cheap bag of fertilizer and spread it yourself. Those "ChemLawn" companies have to make a killing on each service based on what they charge and frankly so many of them use such a hodgepodge of chemicals that our kids when we have them would probably develop developmental disorders just running around in the backyard in their bare feet.
we have, and/or are currently trying to fight this battle. our bermuda grass grows pretty well but its the weeds coming in during the spring/fall that are total killers...they die off during the summer but the seasonal battle gets worse every year. i've tried using pre-emergent weed control/fertilizer from a seed spreader and the results just sucked - probably because i'm not doing it right. we hired a Scott's lawn service to do our front and side yards and we leave our back yard untouched for exactly the exposure reasons you mentioned with kids and our veggie gardens.
the results have been so much better than me trying to do it that its been "tolerable" to just pay someone. that said, i still need to do something with the back yard because its getting overtaken by weeds and garbage moving in from other yards.
YMMV, just get really good at figuring out when, and how much to apply that stuff on your own with consideration to rains and moisture, because i think some of that stuff can't get too wet too soon or it won't work, or something like that.
The Super Official Homeowners Thread - ViPER1313 - 05-08-2017
The trick to spreadable lawn weed killers is you need to do it when the when the lawn is wet. Do it early AM when the lawn is covered in dew or run a hose over it right before spreading. It's also way more effective in the fall. Don't cheap out, buy Scotts or a higher quality product. I did my yard last fall and did not have a single weed this spring; blew me away.
Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - Ryan T - 05-08-2017
ScottyB Wrote:WRXtranceformed Wrote:With how often you are supposed to fertilize bermuda grass down here, I ran some numbers from some quotes we got and a big "savings" cost of DIY lawnwork seems to be when you buy a cheap bag of fertilizer and spread it yourself. Those "ChemLawn" companies have to make a killing on each service based on what they charge and frankly so many of them use such a hodgepodge of chemicals that our kids when we have them would probably develop developmental disorders just running around in the backyard in their bare feet.
we have, and/or are currently trying to fight this battle. our bermuda grass grows pretty well but its the weeds coming in during the spring/fall that are total killers...they die off during the summer but the seasonal battle gets worse every year. i've tried using pre-emergent weed control/fertilizer from a seed spreader and the results just sucked - probably because i'm not doing it right. we hired a Scott's lawn service to do our front and side yards and we leave our back yard untouched for exactly the exposure reasons you mentioned with kids and our veggie gardens.
the results have been so much better than me trying to do it that its been "tolerable" to just pay someone. that said, i still need to do something with the back yard because its getting overtaken by weeds and garbage moving in from other yards.
YMMV, just get really good at figuring out when, and how much to apply that stuff on your own with consideration to rains and moisture, because i think some of that stuff can't get too wet too soon or it won't work, or something like that.
We bought a cheap bag of fertilizer from Southern States about 4 years ago that was full of weeds. My entire yard was covered in dandelions, I've been fighting it off ever since and just this year have it down to around 20-25 left. My neighbor pays the Scotts people to come treat her yard, so for the last few years I just wait till they come treat her yard, ask her what they put down, then go buy it on my own and put it down with my broadcast spreader. Beginning this year though I just downloaded the Scotts app. It asks you some general questions about your yard and where you live, then tells you what to put down and when. My yard looks better this year than it ever has.
I've had somewhat limited success with the pre-emergent stuff, but the best I've found is to get the Ortho Weed-B-Gone liquid concentrate. Just mix a few capfuls with a gallon of water in a sprayer and walk around your yard and spray your weeds. Mine are pretty limited and spread out so that's what I do. If you've got a lot you can just walk around and spray the entire yard, it won't hurt the grass.
Another great thing to do every couple years is aerate your yard. Do it shortly after a rain when more rain is expected. Yard looks like shit for a week or so but it really comes back a long stronger. Also not a bad time to oversees your yard, as long as you haven't spread a pre-emergent or weed control product within the past 30-60 days. Also, if your going to take the time to do it, get a plug aerator and not a spike.
Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - ScottyB - 05-09-2017
awesome thanks guys, i'll have to look into this better
Re: The Super Official Homeowners Thread - Beej - 05-09-2017
Don't get me wrong, I'm a DIY type (too much for my own good sometimes), but +1 for the lawn chemical service. After a few years of guessing what/when/how much of the random bag to put down...they just do a much better job. I think I was paying at least $50 for the supplies I was guessing I needed where now I pay like $75 for each time they come out.