Every year I have some kind of lawnmower horror story. I've snapped multiple bolts on decks leading to riding mowers falling apart mid-ride, hit a metal spike some idiot buried and nearly mowed myself in half, almost slid off a bank on a zero turn, etc. It's genetic. My grandmother caught two different mowers on fire and had similar problems.

I've got a tiny yard (less than half an acre and not all grass). Last year I went and bought an electric psuhmower. For the first time ever, no horror stories. Zero hassle. I sharpened the blades this season when I got it out of storage, charged the batteries and bam, back to cutting.

(04-23-2019, 12:23 PM)Benton Wrote: Every year I have some kind of lawnmower horror story. I've snapped multiple bolts on decks leading to riding mowers falling apart mid-ride, hit a metal spike some idiot buried and nearly mowed myself in half, almost slid off a bank on a zero turn, etc. It's genetic. My grandmother caught two different mowers on fire and had similar problems.

I've got a tiny yard (less than half an acre and not all grass). Last year I went and bought an electric psuhmower. For the first time ever, no horror stories. Zero hassle. I sharpened the blades this season when I got it out of storage, charged the batteries and bam, back to cutting.

Zero Turn mowers are nice, but if your grass is a little wet, forget it..Lol Tokyo Drift baby!!  I bought a small farm about 2 years ago and ended up getting a small JD tractor with a mower deck and front loader. Best thing I did. Front lawn I do by push mower, momma wants country club grass for the world to see, but the back yard is my domain!  I am that typical guy that will move a pile of dirt from over here to over there just to play with my "tractor"!  I have 9 acres and I'm trying to get the wife onboard with letting me get a couple of mules. I have always had this fascination with mules, even as a kid. She is having none of it!! Oh well, now that I have 6 dogs, I won't have time for my mules...

I hate mowing season because mines less mowing more weed eating. So much hillside fence line and just stuff to weed eat around it's 2 full days of it...Thankfully you cant see my house and yard from the road so I let it get a little higher than most lol.

My first house had 3.5 acres. I imagined my kids playing games and riding bikes to take advantage of all that space. Instead they only used very little of the yard and it was just a pain in the ass to mow it all.

(04-23-2019, 01:26 PM)sandwedge Wrote: Zero Turn mowers are nice, but if your grass is a little wet, forget it..Lol Tokyo Drift baby!!  I bought a small farm about 2 years ago and ended up getting a small JD tractor with a mower deck and front loader. Best thing I did. Front lawn I do by push mower, momma wants country club grass for the world to see, but the back yard is my domain!  I am that typical guy that will move a pile of dirt from over here to over there just to play with my "tractor"!  I have 9 acres and I'm trying to get the wife onboard with letting me get a couple of mules. I have always had this fascination with mules, even as a kid. She is having none of it!! Oh well, now that I have 6 dogs, I won't have time for my mules...

Man, I used to love mowing with my zero turn. I'd get off work at 6, grab a beer and jump on it and cut 3 acres in less than an hour. But the yard had this hill where that was pretty much a cliff on one side where the state cut through to put a road in. About feet feet straight down. And every time I'd get too close (especially after a couple beers). And like you said, the grass was a little wet and it just went sideways. 

Never been into mules, but I have been to Mule Days, a celebration of all things mules about an hour from here. I'm pretty jealous of those acres, though. Miss my three.

(04-23-2019, 01:58 PM)Synric Wrote: I hate mowing season because mines less mowing more weed eating. So much hillside fence line and just stuff to weed eat around it's 2 full days of it...Thankfully you cant see my house and yard from the road so I let it get a little higher than most lol.

If no one can see it get some goats.  A green alternative that is constantly mowing and eating weeds for you while fertilizing at the same time. 

why in the world would anybody like being outside doing yard work

(04-24-2019, 11:55 PM)seahawkscheat Wrote: why in the world would anybody like being outside doing yard work

My ex wife would rather ride the lawnmower than clean inside the house because she could work on her tan.

(04-25-2019, 12:55 AM)fredtoast Wrote: My ex wife would rather ride the lawnmower than clean inside the house because she could work on her tan.

This just solved a mystery of mine. When driving home from work it is usually women out mowing in that 11 mile stretch coming home. Now I know why.

(04-24-2019, 11:55 PM)seahawkscheat Wrote: why in the world would anybody like being outside doing yard work

I work from home. To me, it's like parole. I know I'm going back inside to do a stretch, so I live it up out in the yard. Just today I sat stuff on fire (leaf and limb, baby!), slung some blade (mowed) and had a PI (drank a beer in my driveway after). Was living it up!

There is NO WAY in hell I'd ever consider pushing a mower in our yard (about 3/4 of an acre all on a hill so zero turn is out) So...I got the old woman to realize we needed a riding mower.. It's a Craftsman T93000 (T3000 for most of us), basically the same tractor minus the wheel weights..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1jtzf80Nv4
Three years on I've had zero issues with it other than the deck support did slip off this year, but I fixed that problem.
One thing I NEVER use in a small engine is regular unleaded gas, instead I always buy alcohol free gas. Alcohol is not good for small engines. It'll condense and leave water in the tank over time.. Alcohol free gas cost more, but it's not like I'm riding the mower cross country or anything.. I go through about 8 gallons a years so that's not really a problem..  I finally installed mulching blades this year so I no longer have to rake clippings.
A few years ago I build a cart to drag things around the yard, mostly brush, etc..That was the best thing I ever built to save time and effort..wheels from an old wheelchair..

Had some fun today.. I left a piece of rope in the yard I'd forgotten about. I tried to mow around it instead of shutting the mower down and moving it, but the vacuum created under the deck sucked the rope up under things and tightly wrapped itself around one of the blade spindles and slammed everything to a halt. The rope was also tied to a piece of log I'd used to throw the rope across a section of the lake to the dock to dislodge a tree I'd cut on the shoreline so it came flying right toward me. Luckily it missed and hit the side of the deck, but damned sure put the fear of things flying into me..  It took me about 2 hours to get the rope out from under the deck. I had to take off one blade and cut the rope into about 20 pieces.. FUN FUN FUN!  No more rope to be left in the yard henceforth  LOL 

(06-17-2019, 02:42 AM)grampahol Wrote: Had some fun today.. I left a piece of rope in the yard I'd forgotten about. I tried to mow around it instead of shutting the mower down and moving it, but the vacuum created under the deck sucked the rope up under things and tightly wrapped itself around one of the blade spindles and slammed everything to a halt. The rope was also tied to a piece of log I'd used to throw the rope across a section of the lake to the dock to dislodge a tree I'd cut on the shoreline so it came flying right toward me. Luckily it missed and hit the side of the deck, but damned sure put the fear of things flying into me..  It took me about 2 hours to get the rope out from under the deck. I had to take off one blade and cut the rope into about 20 pieces.. FUN FUN FUN!  No more rope to be left in the yard henceforth  LOL 

Similar thing happened to me last week but with a steel cable dog leash. I was pissed. I knew it was there but thought I was in the clear. Had to get wire cutters out and snip off pieces at a time. Sucked.

(06-07-2019, 12:58 PM)grampahol Wrote: A few years ago I build a cart to drag things around the yard, mostly brush, etc..That was the best thing I ever built to save time and effort..wheels from an old wheelchair..

That sure looks solid.  2 inch thick lumber and angle iron. Do you have any kind of bearings for the axels?

"I AM THE LAWNMOWER KING...  I CAN DO ANYTHING!!"

(04-25-2019, 12:55 AM)fredtoast Wrote: My ex wife would rather ride the lawnmower than clean inside the house because she could work on her tan.

I thought for sure you were going to say "ride a lawnmower instead of me".

Though riding you might've made her want to landscape...

(04-12-2019, 10:58 AM)sandwedge Wrote: Just some friendly advice from your uncle Wedge....  You haven't seen expensive yet, if you're thinking the mower is going to set you back!!LMAO
Wait til the remodeling season comes and your wife gets the bug!

(04-12-2019, 11:06 AM)HarleyDog Wrote: Damn Pinterest! My wife get's that bug often.

I maintain that HGTV has caused more work for men than any other event in the last 25 years. Women watch that shit and get all kinds of ideas for "projects". The only problem is, their projects usually turn out to be asking the husband to purchase, fix, remodel, or redo something. My wife actually suggested to me that we start flipping houses. She thinks that Tarek and Christina can flip a house in half an hour and make $100k, so why can't we? I quickly put the kibosh on that one.

Every time I hear shiplap I die a little inside

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(06-07-2019, 12:58 PM)grampahol Wrote: A few years ago I build a cart to drag things around the yard, mostly brush, etc..That was the best thing I ever built to save time and effort..wheels from an old wheelchair..

That's a nice build, on that yard trailer.  If those wheel chair wheels ever fail at some point, you can find ones designed for that specific purpose at any agri-supply center, at very reasonable prices.