Check your Gmail tomorrow! I'll send an email and I refer to this post. The answer? Bagging all the time. It's also the best option for fescue for me. Grtz
I've always, made a outline, depending how many beds an where placed, maybe even two outlines too bring it out, but I never chute towards a house or vehicles, " depending " but I run over lawns 2 times maybe 3, different heights
I’m a one man crew and have picked up a lot of speed by reducing or even eliminating the need to use my blower after a cut, as you have described. Professional work does need to hit a standard but exactly how the results are achieved is up to you. High lift blades, regular weekly service, shoot blocker, straight lines and pay attention, I get more customers each year.
I've only done this for 10yrs. So ofc they are more people with experience over me. However, It's inevitable about grass being in the garden bed. I shoot it into the yard always, but when I mow, I turn off the yard on the side walk to keep a uniform straight line and not with all the swerves he has displayed. Grass and debris will get on the sidewalk and driveways as long as the sun rises. Point being, it's inevitable. And the blower has to be used regardless for a clean look. So why waste all that extra time and sacrifice the integrity of the lines in the yard to avoid getting grass where it already has to be cleaned
Edge last and it won't stain the concrete when you run over your edges with the mower especially on rainy days. Also, it's about four passes on your fourth pass, you can shoot it any way you want and it won't hit nothing. Those shoot blockers really make life easy. I want to add one to my mower soon. Also, the last perimeter pass is definitely a must! It cleans up your turnaround marks
Dude , some of us have been mowing a lot longer then most . I’ve also worked with many large n small lawn companies and have been self employed . Here’s a different method and I even do this when I work alone . Mow the whole perimeter with the discharge pointing into the yard but with a entire pass & maybe 2 passes if it’s a corner house or just some Yuge yard like we have in Texas . Then I’ll begin on one side and then depending where the sun rises n sets I’ll go up & down while making sure to properly over lamp the deck and make my turns towards the end so I don’t have to worry if I cleared the whole area and for front yards I’ll return to the middle and mow in a checkerboard pattern and ya won’t have to mow the whole part of the ends and you’ll ensure several things . The clippings get shredded into a fine matter , the lawn doesn’t develop ruts especially if ya learn how to change up your pattern at every property . Yet mowing isn’t what I do first by the way , I edge and flat top first and blow all of those clippings into the yard and even hedge clippings which they were needed would be done before ya use the weed eater so ya can have em get hit with the weed eater as ya walk counterclockwise in the beds so ya can edge and hit the clippings causing em to come onto the turf . I also use blades that leave the clippings into a fine particle and I never use a straight blade that comes with the mower . It’s a little extra time but ya reduce picking up stuff and hauling it off and later having to go to a landfill . The plus side to where your at is y’all probably get plenty of rain , but the folks in Texas have less rain and more heat . I do the same process even with leaves present and you’ll have less to mess with . My first stand on mower was a Great Dane Surfer 60” . I still have Er lol .
Neighbors lawnmower guy, blasts my cars with wet, 7am clippings.....doesnt give AF. w....t....f!!!!!!!!!!!!! so I appreciate the people who have some consideration for others and their clients
These types of videos are priceless to solo folks like myself that never were part of a crew. Thank you! Sometimes in small yards and with an average to dirty driveway and the right customer I will come onto the concrete just to avoid the turn on the turf. I'm using a mulch kit so the tire marks on the driveway are the biggest downside but worth it to me. I'm also very low volume compared to you so a little extra cleanup for me doesn't hurt much.
I’m solo too, most of my yards are untreated so there’s a bunch of crabgrass and nutsedge. I use the driveways and streets to dry the grass and then blow the partially dried grass aft the lawn has been mowed. I do a two pass perimeter; my 72” lazer blows grass across 3 lanes. @brianslawnmaintence I now know how you guys mow so many lawns in a day. “Efficiency of movement “ awesome video bro.
Brian, been watching you from Toledo for about 4 years now, appreciate your advice, I'm struggling with my new stand-on, on small properties and scalping xD. I have had the technique of shooting clippings onto the lawn for 10 years though, solid advice!
Hey! Fellow Ohioan here brotha! So one thing to avoid scalping when cresting an incline, if possible lift the deck up a little bit then let it back down once you’re past the crest! Idk what mower you have or if you can but that’s what I do On my scag VRide2
Brian we find mulching is the best especially here in maryland. We have little if any clippings on the sidewalk, driveway and street. We've been Mulching for 31 years and never have a mess to blow except when we edge. Here in maryland the counties complain about the landfills being filled up. So we only mulch its good for the grass, landfills and the environment
Sometimes instead of putting the chute flap down at the end of s stripe, i'll keep it open and just 3 point reverse into the next stripe. I tell my new guys to do this if they don't want to take the time to use the chute blocker (takes four seconds one handed holding button down)
Great little tip (and video!). Before UA-cam, this is stuff you had to learn on your own, so it's nice to see things like this help ones who need it. I would add, make sure you blow your clumped up clippings that tend to accumulate when your chute blocker is closed. I try to always avoid grass on walks and driveways and streets, but when you do, there can be lots of clumps down your mow line the side the chute blocker is on. I would much rather blow the clippings in the lawn than on a sidewalk cos grass sticks and can turn the concrete green.
My usual practice is two perimiter passes in a clockwise direction before switching to back and forth. This keeps most of the grass in the lawn. Then, I'll clean up with the leafblower.
I was interested in your comments about the direction of the cuts. I can see as a pro where time is of the essence, the need to control the direction of the discharge to make cleanups faster. However, I was brought up a pro ball field grounds keeper whose rule was to only go in the same direct every 5th cut; this reduces wear and tear on the same spots of the lawn especially where you turn around. So I change my direction from up and back one week, to left and right the next, and then diagonally in one direction and then a 90-degree different diagonal the following week. It may sound crazy but it reduces the wear on the lawn and eliminates forming permanent ruts. I realize a pro wouldn't have the time or where with all to do such elaborate cutting but for us weekend warriors it really makes for a nice lawn. You can see the difference after the first year of alternating the cutting routes.
I alternate every week between horizontal, vertical and diagonal. On some yards and to lose long clippings, I'll do a horizontal combined with a vertical. Always do a perimeter cut first and at the beginning of season when yards are growing 6" a week, I do 2 perimeter trips to avoid throwing clippings in beds and on drive and street. Scag Tiger Cat 52" with a chute. 25 yards and 5 apartment buildings on my own and not a lot of time to walk around with a blower. Great tips Brian and hope everyone has a great summer.
I have now applied various advice with my Honda 2417 ride-on mower, especially turning. With damp weather I had traces every now and then. past tense now. I now do 15990ft² in about an hour, with collection tray. It's those little things that make the difference.
Without mentioning you also demonstrated working the chute blocker without stopping and maintaining a straight line...that takes some practice and skill! Nice work!
That grass barely grew. What do you do when the grass grows nearly an inch a day like now in Pa? The grass here is 8-10 inches in a week. Clippings are inevitable. Especially when I put my chute blocker down. It leaves major loads of clumped clippings. I’m double of not triple mowing this time of year.
Honestly same rules still apply. Will it look like the lawn we did? Nope. But it’ll reduce your clippings on sidewalks and driveways by 50%, and I’ll take that ant day of the week.
I'm in pa too. Realistically when we're cutting 6 inches off of the lawn , if I avoid the sidewalk and driveway with my chute blocker I will be blowing clumps all day. Sometimes it's worth blowing onto the sidewalk and driveway to allow the sun to dry out the clippings for easier dispersion. I do cut the way Brian is showing but the only thing I avoid blowing grass on is the beds and cars. I would rather blow off concrete than blow clumps that are all over the lawn.
I'd try selling cuts every 3-4 days instead of weekly if that's the case. Sell it as a discount. If you cut biweekly for 60 dollars sell every 3-4 days for 35 dollars. I live in alabama. So our prices are definitely different. Our minimum cut is 0 dollars
two perimeter passes to get the clippings inside the lawn... then Ido my stripe cuts, then just one more perimeter pass at the end to clean up. drastically cuts down on road and driveway clippings!
I make two rounds of the perimeter shooting discharge away from edge, from that point on I go the opposite and shoot discharge towards perimeter, I always do circles because it's faster then back and forth.
Excellent video Brian! Attention to detail is the hallmark of a professional. Quality is about optimizing the outcome in the most effective way. I really appreciate the educational objective of your videos Brian.
You need to watch out for your Pivot marks. Your inside tire wasn’t Rotating when you turned back. Go back around your Perimeter to cover up those Pivot tire marks
I go around the lawn (mulch block installed), discharge side towards lawn 2-3 times around...before I'll go the other direction, next pass, to pass over previous clippings and slice them up again...😅 My neighbor, cuts next to my driveway, often discharged on to it...argggg!
Brian. Me as a small solo operation take many tips and tricks from every video I have come across from you not just from what you may be going over/saying. But by watching your videos first without any sound only going off the title then with sound. I've Found I'm answering my own questions and still taking something from the video. Awesome! Keep it up.
mow diagonally alternating each cut, craft your turns to blow away from beds, make your permitter pass last, if grass is not wet you can blow grass of sidewalk and driveways with a pass with the mower.
Very good technique for speed and efficiency. That's the way I do it. Thanks for reinforcing it. It makes good sense and brings out professionalism in the work.
I understand what you're saying. I mow away sidewalk,street and etc. Just a note, some Cities can fine you if you're blowing into the streets. I've even heard of a state fining a property resident if they have dandelions in their yard. I live in Kansas and they fine you if you blow into the street. Great video though.
Great video Brian, that exmark looks like a wright stander . We dumped our wright mowers now running toro grandstands . Guys love the platform comfortable ride. Wrights platform keeps your ankles in a tough position.
Chute blockers are the best time saver's we don't have them on the mowers we use so we have to do 2 or 3 perimeter passes to keep clippings away from beds, sidewalks and driveways me myself start my patterns on the 3rd pass in and blow the grass in until my clean up pass and leave out on my second perimeter pass towards the driveway or the edge of the yard on wet day's so i don't mess up the pattern.
I always do a perimeter pass but mostly after I finish everything on the interior. Every golf course I've worked at called this a "cleanup" and it was performed on every tee box, putting green and fairway to eliminate the turn lines. Some lawns I'll do a perimeter sweep first to deter grass being cut and thrown onto sidewalks and landscape areas when I'm turning. But like you said the finish cleanup really does wrap up the service with a nice bow.
I always do the same as you said, also I make a perimeter pass 1st and also finish with a perimeter pass. Regardless how I cut, presidential, horizontal, diagonal same process.
You still have to blow the driveway and sidewalks off from the edging debris. Your grass grows so little in a week that I don't see what difference it makes whether you get grass clippings on the hard surfaces or not. Our grass here will grow 3 inches in height with a 1 foot tall seed stalk. Every week. It's called Bahia and it takes a completely different method of cutting to end up with a showcase lawn.
Oh yes, EVERYONE has a chute blocker, haha. How about some tips for the folks that do not have that convenient tool mounted on their mower? That would be more helpful IMO. But really, it is just mindfulness. Make your movements so the grass doesn't go where you don't want it to. Then another video explaining how sometimes all this stuff you are doing to 'save time' isn't actually saving time because it truly takes 30 seconds to grab the blower and blow off that area of concrete. The landscape beds are an actual challenge without the chute blocker, not the pavement. Most crews have a blower and the practice is very quick.
Great camera man good job Mr.Robb and keep your help Brian busy it's nice of you to let Brian explain things in your videos and name your business after him such a great guy to the special needs people like Brian
Makes sense .....im still pushing a mower . But thank God it has rear bag ....but this tip helps . I'm learning . Thanks for taking time to make this video. Question ...that ride on mower ....what make would recommend, Looking to buy one use d or tractor ride on .... Thanks in advance
I was today years old when I learned all these new words. I love it!!! Everything have their own “language”. Example I just watched couple of guys playing call of duty it was like a whole new world. They had their language and their strategy. Watched car dealers speak of the market mind blown. Watched someone talk about heloc mind blown as well. ❤️❤️❤️when someone has a interest in something their passionate about I love listening. Sorry I’m just so mind blown and happy. Lol
Ive been saying for 10 years i need to get a chute blocker for my scag but its a pain in the ass to get it put on. Ive never had an issue really until just this year with a lady that has the normal flower beds in front but then in the middle of her yard a tree with mulch around it. It is impossible to not throw clippings in. Im either going to have to just push mow her front yard or put a cover around the tree evey time. Point of the story, i need a chute blocker.
we got a zero turn stand on this summer and I l ove it, at first it was a bit to get used to using my muscles in a different way, and getting used to the controls which are so touchy, anyway I have 3 acres to mow and i wanted a stand on because it helps work my legs instead of sitting down, and walking the yard woujld be impossible hilly and to much to mow, I would tire way before it was done. in fact the only way to mow the steep hill, I would say it is a 5 or so grade perhaps? is to do it backwards, and it is fun to be able to whip around, (as lng as I hold on lol) I sometimes have to remind myself to hold on, when I do the whips anyway, this mower has been wonderful it has decreased the number of passes compared to my ride on mower. so I get done faster, what took 45 minutes now takes only about 25 minutes, and I can mow areas I couldnt do with a ride on, (this mower I have is very wide which helps alot)
I mow at 2.5-3.5 just depends on how the grass is cutting I also don't do what most zero turn guys do and run wide open if it's skipping grass yes they will skip grass with new blades too doesn't matter too much what blades you got on em out here in South ga least in my yard I slow down and take it easy I also open my chute up all the way and just let it sling the grass that 10-15 feet it's going to sling it out there
I notice you aren't tracing the rear wheels over the same track with each pass. Is that by design to limit impression on the lawn? Now thinking I've been making a mistake by tracing my tracks.
It’s complicated. We do a full perimeter pass if it makes sense but to save time I’ll run the inside perimeter till I get up front then stipe that out first so my helper can edge it then I run to my outside line, go alone the back up the other side then start striping the back. Once it’s striped out it’s back to the trailer no final perimeter pass. Or… I’ll engage the blades to do a preliminary blow off the driveway, or sidewalks then trailer load and grab a blower for just the edges
I have lawn tractor and u can definitely notice even with mutch plug we’re the clippings go And saves so mutch time not having to pick up clipping when done I have neighbors After they mow the grass is evereryyy we’re lol 😂 Those people I just mower there lawn for free I’m nice lol 😂 saves me looking at there lawn mess
There must have been some dummies that mowed the customers lawn before I cut it or before I gave a bid because the occasional customer would walk me around the lawn and point out very obvious things like: don’t blow grass into the ac unit, don’t kick rocks into windows etc etc. After several years I learned to sense the perfectionist customer and I’d raise my bid to higher than normal because I found that the perfectionist customer was almost always a big pita. One of those perfectionist customers I gave a high bid to even called me back wanting me to mow his lawn but asked me “are you sure that you want to stick with that high bid”? I replied with yes.
This may be a dumb question, do you blow the clippings in a pile and rake/bag them up? I cut a few rental yards for my father-in-law and just have a bagger on my mower (tractor style). The lawns aren't that big. Just wondering because I'd maybe like to expand to mowing yards other than his. Thanks...love the vids btw.
I’m sorry man but this video is not realistic. Yes , I agree close the shoot and don’t blow clipping everywhere. On a lawn that’s actually being cut with longer grass than your leaving grass clumps whenever the shoot is closed. After you make a pass with it closed you will need to make a pass on outside line again to disperse those clumps OR use a blower anyways. Also you would still need to blow off driveway and sidewalk because clipping still get on them, that is if your actually cutting anything. As far a starting from right to left , all you need to do is a 3 point turn starting to the right and backing up to the left so your parallel with the flower bed. Sure Mayb that takes a whole second longer but it’s still the same outcome. One more thing I noticed is you don’t do 3 point turn when doing your lines. You do a zero turn every week then you will leave rut’s in lawn from turning in the same spot over and over. Thanks for video but not realistic
On the first yard why didn't you make a complete outline around the landscape then start striping? Kinda mess up the stripes when you gotta mow around the landscape then line back up the stripe
What happens when you mowe the grass with a zero turn starting in the middle and going outward in circles? Does this practice tend to wear out the deck belt more than the regular method? Thanks
This was great, but more complex than it needs to be. Just point at which side the mower discharges and instruct to not mow in that direction. 60 seconds?
What you can do also if you have no shoot blocker is turn away from the beds by going opposite way towards where you already cut then back up and go back in it works with the driveway sidewalks might make a video of it so stay tuned
If your mower discharges on the right side, make right turns on your perimeter passes. If it discharges on the left, make left turns on your perimeter passes.
Ok so a full mulch kit on the deck solves all those issues. Secondly edging the hard surface after mowing will make blowing faster. Keeps the weight of a z turn off the dirt kicked up by the blade. Border everything then stripe the center
I'd like to know why i go through 5 gallons of gas a day, when my buddy can make one tank last 3 or 4 days?! I've got to make up 45 lawns, solo, this weekend. Florida rain😢. Liked and subbed..
![How To Properly Maintain A Zero Turn Mower! [Don't Skip These Items!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Y90u1HALq8g/mqdefault.jpg)
How do you guys approach mowing a lawn and controlling clippings?!
Check your Gmail tomorrow! I'll send an email and I refer to this post.
The answer? Bagging all the time. It's also the best option for fescue for me.
Grtz
Without shoot damper ya gotta k, turn properly.
Only way
Always turn with chute inward. Even if it means a lot of backing up
I've always, made a outline, depending how many beds an where placed, maybe even two outlines too bring it out, but I never chute towards a house or vehicles, " depending " but I run over lawns 2 times maybe 3, different heights
On sensitive properties, a recycler kit.
I’m a one man crew and have picked up a lot of speed by reducing or even eliminating the need to use my blower after a cut, as you have described. Professional work does need to hit a standard but exactly how the results are achieved is up to you. High lift blades, regular weekly service, shoot blocker, straight lines and pay attention, I get more customers each year.
I've only done this for 10yrs. So ofc they are more people with experience over me. However, It's inevitable about grass being in the garden bed. I shoot it into the yard always, but when I mow, I turn off the yard on the side walk to keep a uniform straight line and not with all the swerves he has displayed. Grass and debris will get on the sidewalk and driveways as long as the sun rises. Point being, it's inevitable. And the blower has to be used regardless for a clean look. So why waste all that extra time and sacrifice the integrity of the lines in the yard to avoid getting grass where it already has to be cleaned
My clients refuse weekly service. Makes mowing their lawns a pain.
Edge last and it won't stain the concrete when you run over your edges with the mower especially on rainy days. Also, it's about four passes on your fourth pass, you can shoot it any way you want and it won't hit nothing. Those shoot blockers really make life easy. I want to add one to my mower soon. Also, the last perimeter pass is definitely a must! It cleans up your turnaround marks
Dude , some of us have been mowing a lot longer then most .
I’ve also worked with many large n small lawn companies and have been self employed .
Here’s a different method and I even do this when I work alone .
Mow the whole perimeter with the discharge pointing into the yard but with a entire pass & maybe 2 passes if it’s a corner house or just some Yuge yard like we have in Texas . Then I’ll begin on one side and then depending where the sun rises n sets I’ll go up & down while making sure to properly over lamp the deck and make my turns towards the end so I don’t have to worry if I cleared the whole area and for front yards I’ll return to the middle and mow in a checkerboard pattern and ya won’t have to mow the whole part of the ends and you’ll ensure several things .
The clippings get shredded into a fine matter , the lawn doesn’t develop ruts especially if ya learn how to change up your pattern at every property .
Yet mowing isn’t what I do first by the way , I edge and flat top first and blow all of those clippings into the yard and even hedge clippings which they were needed would be done before ya use the weed eater so ya can have em get hit with the weed eater as ya walk counterclockwise in the beds so ya can edge and hit the clippings causing em to come onto the turf .
I also use blades that leave the clippings into a fine particle and I never use a straight blade that comes with the mower .
It’s a little extra time but ya reduce picking up stuff and hauling it off and later having to go to a landfill . The plus side to where your at is y’all probably get plenty of rain , but the folks in Texas have less rain and more heat .
I do the same process even with leaves present and you’ll have less to mess with .
My first stand on mower was a Great Dane Surfer 60” . I still have Er lol .
Neighbors lawnmower guy, blasts my cars with wet, 7am clippings.....doesnt give AF. w....t....f!!!!!!!!!!!!! so I appreciate the people who have some consideration for others and their clients
These types of videos are priceless to solo folks like myself that never were part of a crew. Thank you! Sometimes in small yards and with an average to dirty driveway and the right customer I will come onto the concrete just to avoid the turn on the turf. I'm using a mulch kit so the tire marks on the driveway are the biggest downside but worth it to me. I'm also very low volume compared to you so a little extra cleanup for me doesn't hurt much.
Careful! Grass stains on the concrete is no joke
🙏🙏
I’m solo too, most of my yards are untreated so there’s a bunch of crabgrass and nutsedge. I use the driveways and streets to dry the grass and then blow the partially dried grass aft the lawn has been mowed. I do a two pass perimeter; my 72” lazer blows grass across 3 lanes. @brianslawnmaintence I now know how you guys mow so many lawns in a day. “Efficiency of movement “ awesome video bro.
Brian, been watching you from Toledo for about 4 years now, appreciate your advice, I'm struggling with my new stand-on, on small properties and scalping xD. I have had the technique of shooting clippings onto the lawn for 10 years though, solid advice!
Hey! Fellow Ohioan here brotha! So one thing to avoid scalping when cresting an incline, if possible lift the deck up a little bit then let it back down once you’re past the crest! Idk what mower you have or if you can but that’s what I do On my scag VRide2
Brian we find mulching is the best especially here in maryland. We have little if any clippings on the sidewalk, driveway and street. We've been Mulching for 31 years and never have a mess to blow except when we edge. Here in maryland the counties complain about the landfills being filled up. So we only mulch its good for the grass, landfills and the environment
I would love to get a mulching kit on our mowers, I always wonder how they’d perform with our grass type
Sometimes instead of putting the chute flap down at the end of s stripe, i'll keep it open and just 3 point reverse into the next stripe. I tell my new guys to do this if they don't want to take the time to use the chute blocker (takes four seconds one handed holding button down)
Yes on the perimeter pass we call it cleaning it up or cleanup! 👍🏻
Actually my new lawnmower gets delivered this week. They will show me how to use my mower, but not how to mow. Thanks for the tips!
Great video for homeowners who have commercial mowers. 👍
Great little tip (and video!). Before UA-cam, this is stuff you had to learn on your own, so it's nice to see things like this help ones who need it. I would add, make sure you blow your clumped up clippings that tend to accumulate when your chute blocker is closed. I try to always avoid grass on walks and driveways and streets, but when you do, there can be lots of clumps down your mow line the side the chute blocker is on. I would much rather blow the clippings in the lawn than on a sidewalk cos grass sticks and can turn the concrete green.
Amen! And great tip.
My usual practice is two perimiter passes in a clockwise direction before switching to back and forth. This keeps most of the grass in the lawn. Then, I'll clean up with the leafblower.
I was interested in your comments about the direction of the cuts. I can see as a pro where time is of the essence, the need to control the direction of the discharge to make cleanups faster. However, I was brought up a pro ball field grounds keeper whose rule was to only go in the same direct every 5th cut; this reduces wear and tear on the same spots of the lawn especially where you turn around. So I change my direction from up and back one week, to left and right the next, and then diagonally in one direction and then a 90-degree different diagonal the following week. It may sound crazy but it reduces the wear on the lawn and eliminates forming permanent ruts. I realize a pro wouldn't have the time or where with all to do such elaborate cutting but for us weekend warriors it really makes for a nice lawn. You can see the difference after the first year of alternating the cutting routes.
I think most people alternate patterns every cut....
I alternate every week between horizontal, vertical and diagonal. On some yards and to lose long clippings, I'll do a horizontal combined with a vertical. Always do a perimeter cut first and at the beginning of season when yards are growing 6" a week, I do 2 perimeter trips to avoid throwing clippings in beds and on drive and street. Scag Tiger Cat 52" with a chute. 25 yards and 5 apartment buildings on my own and not a lot of time to walk around with a blower. Great tips Brian and hope everyone has a great summer.
Time is money. Got good tips saving time by blowing grass in. The blocker helps.
I have now applied various advice with my Honda 2417 ride-on mower, especially turning. With damp weather I had traces every now and then. past tense now.
I now do 15990ft² in about an hour, with collection tray.
It's those little things that make the difference.
Never had to worry about grass clippings . Why because I used something you don’t use it’s called a grass catcher very simple !
Without mentioning you also demonstrated working the chute blocker without stopping and maintaining a straight line...that takes some practice and skill! Nice work!
Thanks sir! 🙏
We mow with mulching kit's in the south. I would ware my arm out with a shoot blocker.
This is when a set down rear discharge would come in handy.Only one ive ever seen was a Grasshoper mower.
That grass barely grew. What do you do when the grass grows nearly an inch a day like now in Pa? The grass here is 8-10 inches in a week. Clippings are inevitable. Especially when I put my chute blocker down. It leaves major loads of clumped clippings. I’m double of not triple mowing this time of year.
Dang that’s crazy.
Honestly same rules still apply. Will it look like the lawn we did? Nope. But it’ll reduce your clippings on sidewalks and driveways by 50%, and I’ll take that ant day of the week.
I'm in pa too. Realistically when we're cutting 6 inches off of the lawn , if I avoid the sidewalk and driveway with my chute blocker I will be blowing clumps all day. Sometimes it's worth blowing onto the sidewalk and driveway to allow the sun to dry out the clippings for easier dispersion. I do cut the way Brian is showing but the only thing I avoid blowing grass on is the beds and cars. I would rather blow off concrete than blow clumps that are all over the lawn.
Yea grass here in pa is weird even if you don't get rain like it can grow 2 inches a day or it wouldn't grow at all
I'd try selling cuts every 3-4 days instead of weekly if that's the case. Sell it as a discount. If you cut biweekly for 60 dollars sell every 3-4 days for 35 dollars. I live in alabama. So our prices are definitely different. Our minimum cut is 0 dollars
Always do a cleanup pass.
Perimeter passes at the start are a must. Turning with the discharge away from the house. Chute blockers.
two perimeter passes to get the clippings inside the lawn... then Ido my stripe cuts, then just one more perimeter pass at the end to clean up. drastically cuts down on road and driveway clippings!
Thanks Brain great tips my son began is lawncare business last year.
I make two rounds of the perimeter shooting discharge away from edge, from that point on I go the opposite and shoot discharge towards perimeter, I always do circles because it's faster then back and forth.
Chris here with Quality Lawn Services. We always do a finish perimeter pass!
Excellent video Brian! Attention to detail is the hallmark of a professional. Quality is about optimizing the outcome in the most effective way. I really appreciate the educational objective of your videos Brian.
Great video Brian. I now know how you mow so many in a day/week. 👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Thank you I have had to pay attention to that as I have moved to the Midwest from Idaho where we bagged everything
You need to watch out for your Pivot marks. Your inside tire wasn’t Rotating when you turned back. Go back around your Perimeter to cover up those Pivot tire marks
I go around the lawn (mulch block installed), discharge side towards lawn 2-3 times around...before I'll go the other direction, next pass, to pass over previous clippings and slice them up again...😅
My neighbor, cuts next to my driveway, often discharged on to it...argggg!
Brian. Me as a small solo operation take many tips and tricks from every video I have come across from you not just from what you may be going over/saying. But by watching your videos first without any sound only going off the title then with sound. I've Found I'm answering my own questions and still taking something from the video. Awesome! Keep it up.
I like it Steve!
Good, Thx
Great video Brian!! Yes I finish up with a edge pass cleans up those hooks from turning around.😂
I’ve a rear discharge Grandstand. I always stop with the front on driveways or terrasses. Almost nothing to blow after mowing; sometimes I don’t.
mow diagonally alternating each cut, craft your turns to blow away from beds, make your permitter pass last, if grass is not wet you can blow grass of sidewalk and driveways with a pass with the mower.
It does help to hear it again, thanks.
Very good technique for speed and efficiency. That's the way I do it. Thanks for reinforcing it. It makes good sense and brings out professionalism in the work.
I'm doing it rite, thank you sir,don't have a shoot blocker though 👍☕️☕️✌️
I use a cub cadet mulching mower. Ain’t gotta worry about which way the clippings go.
I use the mulch kit so no problems with clippings. I also don't do this for a living either.
I understand what you're saying. I mow away sidewalk,street and etc. Just a note, some Cities can fine you if you're blowing into the streets. I've even heard of a state fining a property resident if they have dandelions in their yard. I live in Kansas and they fine you if you blow into the street. Great video though.
Great video brother 👍
Great video Brian, that exmark looks like a wright stander . We dumped our wright mowers now running toro grandstands . Guys love the platform comfortable ride. Wrights platform keeps your ankles in a tough position.
Chute blockers are the best time saver's we don't have them on the mowers we use so we have to do 2 or 3 perimeter passes to keep clippings away from beds, sidewalks and driveways me myself start my patterns on the 3rd pass in and blow the grass in until my clean up pass and leave out on my second perimeter pass towards the driveway or the edge of the yard on wet day's so i don't mess up the pattern.
It would drive me crazy to have different stripes on my lawn. Thanks for the tips though.
I always do a perimeter pass but mostly after I finish everything on the interior. Every golf course I've worked at called this a "cleanup" and it was performed on every tee box, putting green and fairway to eliminate the turn lines. Some lawns I'll do a perimeter sweep first to deter grass being cut and thrown onto sidewalks and landscape areas when I'm turning. But like you said the finish cleanup really does wrap up the service with a nice bow.
damn that took literally 1minute and 14 seconds to mow the front lawn mind blown🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
@ 9:49 the grass is growing like crazy? Haha. Come to PA youll see crazy growing grass
I always do the same as you said, also I make a perimeter pass 1st and also finish with a perimeter pass. Regardless how I cut, presidential, horizontal, diagonal same process.
I forgot to mention I run qwikchute chute blockers on my mowers
You still have to blow the driveway and sidewalks off from the edging debris. Your grass grows so little in a week that I don't see what difference it makes whether you get grass clippings on the hard surfaces or not. Our grass here will grow 3 inches in height with a 1 foot tall seed stalk. Every week. It's called Bahia and it takes a completely different method of cutting to end up with a showcase lawn.
Oh yes, EVERYONE has a chute blocker, haha. How about some tips for the folks that do not have that convenient tool mounted on their mower? That would be more helpful IMO. But really, it is just mindfulness. Make your movements so the grass doesn't go where you don't want it to. Then another video explaining how sometimes all this stuff you are doing to 'save time' isn't actually saving time because it truly takes 30 seconds to grab the blower and blow off that area of concrete. The landscape beds are an actual challenge without the chute blocker, not the pavement. Most crews have a blower and the practice is very quick.
Mulch kit on one machine and blocker on another.
Perimeter pass are situational, too. Tall and wet, do 2 then mow as usual.
Great camera man good job Mr.Robb and keep your help Brian busy it's nice of you to let Brian explain things in your videos and name your business after him such a great guy to the special needs people like Brian
Makes sense .....im still pushing a mower . But thank God it has rear bag ....but this tip helps . I'm learning . Thanks for taking time to make this video.
Question ...that ride on mower ....what make would recommend,
Looking to buy one use d or tractor ride on ....
Thanks in advance
When. I am at a client house and I do that. I also use the mower to clean off the sidewalk and driveway.
Brian, love the content. Kept forgetting to subscribe til today. Keep up the great work and tips.
Love your channel. Always great tips for homeowners and commercial guys.
About to take the plunge into my first ever zero turn for residential use only. Your channel has really helped me along this journey.
I was today years old when I learned all these new words. I love it!!! Everything have their own “language”. Example I just watched couple of guys playing call of duty it was like a whole new world. They had their language and their strategy. Watched car dealers speak of the market mind blown. Watched someone talk about heloc mind blown as well. ❤️❤️❤️when someone has a interest in something their passionate about I love listening. Sorry I’m just so mind blown and happy. Lol
Love the videos Brian learned a lot.
Ive been saying for 10 years i need to get a chute blocker for my scag but its a pain in the ass to get it put on. Ive never had an issue really until just this year with a lady that has the normal flower beds in front but then in the middle of her yard a tree with mulch around it. It is impossible to not throw clippings in. Im either going to have to just push mow her front yard or put a cover around the tree evey time.
Point of the story, i need a chute blocker.
we got a zero turn stand on this summer and I l ove it, at first it was a bit to get used to using my muscles in a different way, and getting used to the controls which are so touchy, anyway I have 3 acres to mow and i wanted a stand on because it helps work my legs instead of sitting down, and walking the yard woujld be impossible hilly and to much to mow, I would tire way before it was done. in fact the only way to mow the steep hill, I would say it is a 5 or so grade perhaps? is to do it backwards, and it is fun to be able to whip around, (as lng as I hold on lol) I sometimes have to remind myself to hold on, when I do the whips anyway, this mower has been wonderful it has decreased the number of passes compared to my ride on mower. so I get done faster, what took 45 minutes now takes only about 25 minutes, and I can mow areas I couldnt do with a ride on, (this mower I have is very wide which helps alot)
Love your shirts 🇺🇸
That one handed control is gonna take me some time.
"They" say for stripes you should start in the middle of the lawn (after the outline pass) so your stripes wont veer off all the way through.
I mow at 2.5-3.5 just depends on how the grass is cutting I also don't do what most zero turn guys do and run wide open if it's skipping grass yes they will skip grass with new blades too doesn't matter too much what blades you got on em out here in South ga least in my yard I slow down and take it easy I also open my chute up all the way and just let it sling the grass that 10-15 feet it's going to sling it out there
I’m just starting out, I have a 42’ John deer 110 and soon to be a weed eater
What more equipment should I look into getting as a beginner.
wow! that was fast!
I notice you aren't tracing the rear wheels over the same track with each pass. Is that by design to limit impression on the lawn? Now thinking I've been making a mistake by tracing my tracks.
It’s complicated. We do a full perimeter pass if it makes sense but to save time I’ll run the inside perimeter till I get up front then stipe that out first so my helper can edge it then I run to my outside line, go alone the back up the other side then start striping the back. Once it’s striped out it’s back to the trailer no final perimeter pass. Or… I’ll engage the blades to do a preliminary blow off the driveway, or sidewalks then trailer load and grab a blower for just the edges
Your videos are very instructive and I appreciate that there is no profanity. 👍
🙏
Mulching decks make this a lot easier lol
Great info.
A guy that collects watches doesn't know clockwise from counterclockwise. 😂😂😂😂Just ribbing ya !
🤣
I have lawn tractor and u can definitely notice even with mutch plug we’re the clippings go
And saves so mutch time not having to pick up clipping when done
I have neighbors
After they mow the grass is evereryyy we’re lol 😂
Those people I just mower there lawn for free I’m nice lol 😂 saves me looking at there lawn mess
Hi Brian. Another awesome video. Thanks for the tips. Keep up the good work.
Hey Brian! Can't wait to meet you at LAL this year! Got my tickets in August! 💪
Sweet!
There must have been some dummies that mowed the customers lawn before I cut it or before I gave a bid because the occasional customer would walk me around the lawn and point out very obvious things like: don’t blow grass into the ac unit, don’t kick rocks into windows etc etc. After several years I learned to sense the perfectionist customer and I’d raise my bid to higher than normal because I found that the perfectionist customer was almost always a big pita. One of those perfectionist customers I gave a high bid to even called me back wanting me to mow his lawn but asked me “are you sure that you want to stick with that high bid”? I replied with yes.
This may be a dumb question, do you blow the clippings in a pile and rake/bag them up? I cut a few rental yards for my father-in-law and just have a bagger on my mower (tractor style). The lawns aren't that big. Just wondering because I'd maybe like to expand to mowing yards other than his. Thanks...love the vids btw.
Mulch it Baby! 30 yrs and 52,000 Lawns serviced
With the exception of one zero turn, I noticed you made semi-three point zero turns to not damage the turf.
Running the mower near the edge of the cement pushes the sprinkler heads down, possibly going to damage sooner or later
I’m sorry man but this video is not realistic. Yes , I agree close the shoot and don’t blow clipping everywhere. On a lawn that’s actually being cut with longer grass than your leaving grass clumps whenever the shoot is closed. After you make a pass with it closed you will need to make a pass on outside line again to disperse those clumps OR use a blower anyways. Also you would still need to blow off driveway and sidewalk because clipping still get on them, that is if your actually cutting anything. As far a starting from right to left , all you need to do is a 3 point turn starting to the right and backing up to the left so your parallel with the flower bed. Sure Mayb that takes a whole second longer but it’s still the same outcome. One more thing I noticed is you don’t do 3 point turn when doing your lines. You do a zero turn every week then you will leave rut’s in lawn from turning in the same spot over and over. Thanks for video but not realistic
On the first yard why didn't you make a complete outline around the landscape then start striping? Kinda mess up the stripes when you gotta mow around the landscape then line back up the stripe
My mower can never make lines that straight. Good steering mechanism on that mower
What happens when you mowe the grass with a zero turn starting in the middle and going outward in circles?
Does this practice tend to wear out the deck belt more than the regular method?
Thanks
Thanks brother, I'm starting my solo lawn business and this video is 🔥
I’ve yet to run into this problem with my walker 😆
Great video man
This was great, but more complex than it needs to be. Just point at which side the mower discharges and instruct to not mow in that direction. 60 seconds?
What you can do also if you have no shoot blocker is turn away from the beds by going opposite way towards where you already cut then back up and go back in it works with the driveway sidewalks might make a video of it so stay tuned
That works great if the grass is not very tall. My grass grows super fast and there's a ton of discharge.
How do you handle that???
Double cuts if needed but same process honestly as we shared
If your mower discharges on the right side, make right turns on your perimeter passes. If it discharges on the left, make left turns on your perimeter passes.
Ok so a full mulch kit on the deck solves all those issues. Secondly edging the hard surface after mowing will make blowing faster. Keeps the weight of a z turn off the dirt kicked up by the blade. Border everything then stripe the center
I'd like to know why i go through 5 gallons of gas a day, when my buddy can make one tank last 3 or 4 days?! I've got to make up 45 lawns, solo, this weekend. Florida rain😢. Liked and subbed..
Brian why don’t you run the left tire down the sidewalk on your perimeter pass?
I agree , very good tip on keeping clippings off the side walks ...
Brian a season vet knows this stuff well any vet that takes pride in his or her work