aaronfitzy
Well-known member
My lawn no longer consists of grass...its mainly buttercups now! lol..
The damn buttercups are taking over!
- Thread starter aaronfitzy
- Start date
aaronfitzy
Well-known member
one more pics...
heh
heh
toggleswitch
Well-known member
Wait till the pansies take over.
PICS! PICS!
PICS! PICS!
vintagesearch
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2006
- Messages
- 554
i miss having a lawn mower we have no grass all cement here well no
aaronfitzy
Well-known member
yeah
I don't know if I could live in a place that has no lawn. I have about 1 acre that I do with the push mower, I enjoy the exercise...although it is self-propelled. After using a 20 year old John Deere push mower that required at least 10 minutes to start, I went out and bought the Craftsman with the Honda equipped engine...I couldn't be happier!
Aaron
I don't know if I could live in a place that has no lawn. I have about 1 acre that I do with the push mower, I enjoy the exercise...although it is self-propelled. After using a 20 year old John Deere push mower that required at least 10 minutes to start, I went out and bought the Craftsman with the Honda equipped engine...I couldn't be happier!
Aaron
That looks to be the same engine as on my Lawnboy. 3 years now and not a problem so far.
Mowing the lawn is my main stress reliever. I always look forward to doing it.
Mowing the lawn is my main stress reliever. I always look forward to doing it.
sudsmaster
Well-known member
The Honda mower motors are excellent. I have a Yard Machines push mower, with a Honda motor. It also has a non-magnetic stainless deck. Sweet. The motor starts up every time without fail, unless I forget to set the choke or fill it with gas ;-).
aldspinboy
Well-known member
I did the lawn today since the weather have been crazy in Philadelphia, from the big storms we had this year there is LOTS of moisture in the ground and the grass is very wild this year seems every
three days you have to cut it.
I have a Yardman mower i had for 7 Yrs rear propelled well it needs a new starting string and the blade needs to be sharpened and the handle bars needs attention.
Otherwise it has a Briggs & Straton low emission low noise motor that is in great shape.
My little lawn.
three days you have to cut it.
I have a Yardman mower i had for 7 Yrs rear propelled well it needs a new starting string and the blade needs to be sharpened and the handle bars needs attention.
Otherwise it has a Briggs & Straton low emission low noise motor that is in great shape.
My little lawn.
aldspinboy
Well-known member
Pic 2. You have Buttercups i have these little buggers.
aldspinboy
Well-known member
Pic 4. Here is the mower do you think i should keep it and get it fixed ? or buy a new one i am use to the machine i like it.
Darren k.
Darren k.
toggleswitch
Well-known member
Darren,
I swithced to an electric one which was just a tad more money to buy than ONE bill I received from having my gasoline one fixed/serviced/maintained.
No filter, no gasoline, no oil, no spark plug. Quieter, less polluting (locally) and less of a maintenance issue.
I had used both electric and gasoline as a teenager and didnt really care which type I had.
I swithced to an electric one which was just a tad more money to buy than ONE bill I received from having my gasoline one fixed/serviced/maintained.
No filter, no gasoline, no oil, no spark plug. Quieter, less polluting (locally) and less of a maintenance issue.
I had used both electric and gasoline as a teenager and didnt really care which type I had.
aldspinboy
Well-known member
Steve... that cord bothers me thou i mean i guess i could have one such a small yard compared to my house i grew up with.
And i like self propelled models got to thank that one out the electric is less maintenance.
Washers, lawnmowers, vacuums aaaaaaaaaaaaaah lol
Thanks steve.
Darren k.
And i like self propelled models got to thank that one out the electric is less maintenance.
Washers, lawnmowers, vacuums aaaaaaaaaaaaaah lol
Thanks steve.
Darren k.
CORDLESS ELECTRICS
I have had cordless electrics for well over ten years at both houses a couldn't be more pleased. When I had the gas mower my clothes would even smell so badly of gas fumes I had to come in and change after mowing the yard. I used to have corded type electrics but the cord can be a hassle to deal with if you have a lot of obstacles to mow around. Overall the electrics are cheaper to buy and maintain much cheaper to run, and certainly better for the environment and safer to use and have around.
I have had cordless electrics for well over ten years at both houses a couldn't be more pleased. When I had the gas mower my clothes would even smell so badly of gas fumes I had to come in and change after mowing the yard. I used to have corded type electrics but the cord can be a hassle to deal with if you have a lot of obstacles to mow around. Overall the electrics are cheaper to buy and maintain much cheaper to run, and certainly better for the environment and safer to use and have around.
Buttercups
Reminds me of the old joke about Mother Nature, the golfer, her buttercups and her pussy willows. I had no idea those were butter cups. My whole life I thought it was clover. I have an electric mower. In the old days I used a 2 cycle Lawn Boy and later years a Black and Decker single blade electric. Peter gave me his dad's old Craftsman Electric that looks like an electrified gas mower. Its dependable nearing 20 years old, mows through anything and yes the cord's a drag but so is running out of gas before you're finished mowing the lawn.
Reminds me of the old joke about Mother Nature, the golfer, her buttercups and her pussy willows. I had no idea those were butter cups. My whole life I thought it was clover. I have an electric mower. In the old days I used a 2 cycle Lawn Boy and later years a Black and Decker single blade electric. Peter gave me his dad's old Craftsman Electric that looks like an electrified gas mower. Its dependable nearing 20 years old, mows through anything and yes the cord's a drag but so is running out of gas before you're finished mowing the lawn.
maytagbear
Well-known member
I no longer mow, (wish I did!)
My landlord, G-d bless him, is, shall we say "casual" about mowing here? If I had the room, I would have bought a very nice Sunbeam mower at the Habitat ReStore a few weeks ago.
I prefer electric mowers. They always start. They are (the ones I have had) quieter than gasoline mowers. Less upkeep, as well.
The front lawn and devil strip/tree lawn are tiny, and an electric would serve nicely. A higher power electric string trimmer could serve, if a person had the patience.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
My landlord, G-d bless him, is, shall we say "casual" about mowing here? If I had the room, I would have bought a very nice Sunbeam mower at the Habitat ReStore a few weeks ago.
I prefer electric mowers. They always start. They are (the ones I have had) quieter than gasoline mowers. Less upkeep, as well.
The front lawn and devil strip/tree lawn are tiny, and an electric would serve nicely. A higher power electric string trimmer could serve, if a person had the patience.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
I think that IS a picture clover up there. That was last year's battle for me, and I won. I'm waiting for a picture of buttercups. If those are a type of clover too, with the little tiny yellow flowers that open and close depending on the lighting, then yeah, I can relate and I'm planning on nailing them with weed & feed this weekend. They've never been a problem before, however this year they are all over the front lawn and entirely out of control. But not for long. Heh heh.
I got a Homelite 24v cordless electric mower for cutting the grass as moms house. It's been very dependable now for 3 years.. I put it in the basement during the winter and leave it plugged in. She has a fair sized front and back lawn. If the grass gets too long it does get sluggish but still manages, otherwise it works well. The only real gripe I have with it is that the wheels are a little narrow and it's a tad heavy compared to the all plastic Black and Decker cordless mowers so it squishes the grass down under the wheels and doesn't always mow them that well .. the Homelite has a metal deck.. I think Sears sells it as well under their Craftsman cordless name.
sudsmaster
Well-known member
And now for something completely not different:
I'm called Little Buttercup — dear Little Buttercup,
Though I could never tell why,
But still I'm called Buttercup — poor little Buttercup,
Sweet Little Buttercup I!
I've snuff and tobaccy, and excellent jacky,
I've scissors, and watches, and knives;
I've ribbons and laces to set off the faces
Of pretty young sweethearts and wives.
I've treacle and toffee, I've tea and I've coffee,
Soft tommy and succulent chops;
I've chickens and conies, and pretty polonies,
And excellent peppermint drops.
Then buy of your Buttercup — dear Little Buttercup;
Sailors should never be shy;
So, buy of your Buttercup — poor Little Buttercup;
Come, of your Buttercup buy!
I'm called Little Buttercup — dear Little Buttercup,
Though I could never tell why,
But still I'm called Buttercup — poor little Buttercup,
Sweet Little Buttercup I!
I've snuff and tobaccy, and excellent jacky,
I've scissors, and watches, and knives;
I've ribbons and laces to set off the faces
Of pretty young sweethearts and wives.
I've treacle and toffee, I've tea and I've coffee,
Soft tommy and succulent chops;
I've chickens and conies, and pretty polonies,
And excellent peppermint drops.
Then buy of your Buttercup — dear Little Buttercup;
Sailors should never be shy;
So, buy of your Buttercup — poor Little Buttercup;
Come, of your Buttercup buy!
Cordless mower
I used to have a cordless BD mower-bought it from a demo at Home Depot in Manassas Va some years back-over 12 yrs ago.Was great for mowing my townhouse lawn--and the neighbors?Was fun to use.When I moved to Greenville-the lawn at the house was too much for the BD-the plastic deck just couldn't hold up to the sand,pine cones,pine straw,etc.Just eroded it away over the blade.I think cordless mowers have an advantage over corded models-the power source-batteries-is right at the motor-no power loss thru the extension cord.That little BD mower was able to "bush hog" its way thru tall grass my freinds gas mower couldn't cut thru without stopping its motor(Craftsman 5 Hp gas)The cordless one only ran for 20min in that condition-usually runs for over an hour.Now for my lawn I had to go back to gas-a 22Hp 48" John Deere tractor,and a 22"John Deere gas mower.Both work well.Think I will need to swap out and sharpen their blades.Have a new set handy for each.
When I have read reviews on the Homelite mowers-many users complained the charger blew out the mowers batteries if left plugged in.I left the BD ones charger plugged in over the winters with no problems.The deck gave out before the battery.If you have abrasive soil,pine cones,pine straw,etc-a plastic deck mower is not for you.Use a metal deck.I am a little nervous about having a plastic deck between me and a steel sword spinning at 3600RPM!
I used to have a cordless BD mower-bought it from a demo at Home Depot in Manassas Va some years back-over 12 yrs ago.Was great for mowing my townhouse lawn--and the neighbors?Was fun to use.When I moved to Greenville-the lawn at the house was too much for the BD-the plastic deck just couldn't hold up to the sand,pine cones,pine straw,etc.Just eroded it away over the blade.I think cordless mowers have an advantage over corded models-the power source-batteries-is right at the motor-no power loss thru the extension cord.That little BD mower was able to "bush hog" its way thru tall grass my freinds gas mower couldn't cut thru without stopping its motor(Craftsman 5 Hp gas)The cordless one only ran for 20min in that condition-usually runs for over an hour.Now for my lawn I had to go back to gas-a 22Hp 48" John Deere tractor,and a 22"John Deere gas mower.Both work well.Think I will need to swap out and sharpen their blades.Have a new set handy for each.
When I have read reviews on the Homelite mowers-many users complained the charger blew out the mowers batteries if left plugged in.I left the BD ones charger plugged in over the winters with no problems.The deck gave out before the battery.If you have abrasive soil,pine cones,pine straw,etc-a plastic deck mower is not for you.Use a metal deck.I am a little nervous about having a plastic deck between me and a steel sword spinning at 3600RPM!
lordkenmore
Well-known member
"And now for something completely not different:"
Going a little off topic, these lines from HMS Pinafore strike me as quite relevant in today's world:
I grew so rich that I was sent
By a pocket borough into Parliament.
I always voted at my party's call,
And I never thought of thinking for myself at all.
I thought so little, they rewarded me
By making me the Ruler of the Queen's Navee!
Going a little off topic, these lines from HMS Pinafore strike me as quite relevant in today's world:
I grew so rich that I was sent
By a pocket borough into Parliament.
I always voted at my party's call,
And I never thought of thinking for myself at all.
I thought so little, they rewarded me
By making me the Ruler of the Queen's Navee!
sudsmaster
Well-known member
I had a little Black and Decker corded mower. It worked relatively well, and the handle could be switched from side to side, which helped a lot in tight spaces. But when I started planting rose bushes and then a tree in the middle of the rather small front yard, the cord became unmanageable. I sold it on Craigslist and got a gas MTD with a B&S flat head motor. That was an OK mower, but when I saw a stainless deck model with the Honda mower, I got that one instead. It works better - quieter, easier to start, and more efficient (uses less gas).
An electric mower might well be able to cut through thick stuff better than a gas one, because electric motors develop full torque immediately. But one also risks burning up the windings on the motor if it stalls too much.
I don't mind using gas yard equipment. In addition to the mower, I have a gas hedge trimmer (Echo), gas string trimmer (4 stroke Ryobi), gas rear tine tiller (MTD), gas chipper shredder (Patriot with Tecumsah motor), and gas chainsaw (Poulan). The string trimmer takes attachments - I have pole pruner saw, hedge trimmer, mini tiller, and edger attachments for it. Very useful. The string trimmer, hedge trimmer, and chainsaw, all replaced electric versions, which just couldn't keep up with the tasks.
An electric mower might well be able to cut through thick stuff better than a gas one, because electric motors develop full torque immediately. But one also risks burning up the windings on the motor if it stalls too much.
I don't mind using gas yard equipment. In addition to the mower, I have a gas hedge trimmer (Echo), gas string trimmer (4 stroke Ryobi), gas rear tine tiller (MTD), gas chipper shredder (Patriot with Tecumsah motor), and gas chainsaw (Poulan). The string trimmer takes attachments - I have pole pruner saw, hedge trimmer, mini tiller, and edger attachments for it. Very useful. The string trimmer, hedge trimmer, and chainsaw, all replaced electric versions, which just couldn't keep up with the tasks.
sudsmaster
Well-known member
Ralph,
You might have oxalis, which is a very pernicious and difficult to eradicate weed.
I wage a constant battle against it here, it gets in everything, flower beds, lawns, vegetable gardens, even potted plants and container trees. It puts out both seeds which it ejects forcefully when the pods are dry, and also little bulblets from which multiple plants can form.
Oh, and it has cute little yellow flowers. LOL.
You might have oxalis, which is a very pernicious and difficult to eradicate weed.
I wage a constant battle against it here, it gets in everything, flower beds, lawns, vegetable gardens, even potted plants and container trees. It puts out both seeds which it ejects forcefully when the pods are dry, and also little bulblets from which multiple plants can form.
Oh, and it has cute little yellow flowers. LOL.
The BD mower did have a breaker that would shut it off if the going got too hard.The motors are pretty tough-but gas motors are tougher in that regard-you can't "burn them out"the gas motor just stops if the going gets too tough.And yes the breakdown torque of the electric motor is great than the same HP gas one.Te soil where I live isn't very good for grass-so whatever grows,I just make it the same height.How is the Poulan chainsaw doing for you-for some its the worst chainsaw machine out there-frequent motor repairs and the bars wear out quickly.(even if the oil system works)Dealt with that at a tool repair place-got to the point the place would not repair Poulan tools.The former Poulan owners would then buy a Sthil.I have two electric chainswas-someone gave them to me-A McCulloch and a BD.When I cut down a small tree a few years ago--my Milwaulkee Sawzall did a better job!Just put in "The Big Ugly" wood cutting blade and it hacked down the tree with no problem.The tree was about 6 in thick.and hardwood.
Is this it? (pronounced sink-foil)
"Sulfur cinquefoil is a perennial that spreads by seed and also reproduces vegetatively via new shoots emerging from the edges of its woody root crown. Over time, the stems sprouting from the central woody crown separate into individual plants, thereby expanding the population vegetatively. Plants can live up to 20 years in this way. The woody root crown renders mowing an ineffective control measure; the roots send up new shoots after mowing.
"Sulfur cinquefoil begins growth in early spring, bolts and buds by May, and flowers from early May to July. Seed set is usually between mid-July and August and leaves often senesce in August but then green up again in the fall and continue to grow until an extended frost. Sulfur cinquefoil can self-pollinate and seedlings quickly mature into flowering plants."
"Mowing is not effective. It can increase the population size by stimulating crown-sprouting and can spread the infestation if plants are already in seed. Digging is effective for small populations if the soil is moist and loose enough and if the majority of the woody root is removed. Repeated cultivation is also effective over time. Several herbicides are effective but may require repeat treatment and a suitable surfactant."
http://www.kingcounty.gov/environme...ds/weed-identification/sulfur-cinquefoil.aspx
"Sulfur cinquefoil is a perennial that spreads by seed and also reproduces vegetatively via new shoots emerging from the edges of its woody root crown. Over time, the stems sprouting from the central woody crown separate into individual plants, thereby expanding the population vegetatively. Plants can live up to 20 years in this way. The woody root crown renders mowing an ineffective control measure; the roots send up new shoots after mowing.
"Sulfur cinquefoil begins growth in early spring, bolts and buds by May, and flowers from early May to July. Seed set is usually between mid-July and August and leaves often senesce in August but then green up again in the fall and continue to grow until an extended frost. Sulfur cinquefoil can self-pollinate and seedlings quickly mature into flowering plants."
"Mowing is not effective. It can increase the population size by stimulating crown-sprouting and can spread the infestation if plants are already in seed. Digging is effective for small populations if the soil is moist and loose enough and if the majority of the woody root is removed. Repeated cultivation is also effective over time. Several herbicides are effective but may require repeat treatment and a suitable surfactant."
http://www.kingcounty.gov/environme...ds/weed-identification/sulfur-cinquefoil.aspx
Rich, you are probably right about Oxalis. I'm eradicating that all the time in areas besides just the lawn, but this type is a bit different. Lower growing, a reddish tint to the leaves, and way smaller flowers.
I think what has happened is that with the huge but diseased Mulberry tree gone from the parking strip, better than 50% of the front lawn is now in full sun. It probably took a season with the tree gone for the Oxalis to wake up from a very long dormancy. The formerly shaded area of lawn has been in shock from the sun and thinned out, so the Oxalis is going to town.
Again, not for much longer if I can help it.
I think what has happened is that with the huge but diseased Mulberry tree gone from the parking strip, better than 50% of the front lawn is now in full sun. It probably took a season with the tree gone for the Oxalis to wake up from a very long dormancy. The formerly shaded area of lawn has been in shock from the sun and thinned out, so the Oxalis is going to town.
Again, not for much longer if I can help it.
sudsmaster
Well-known member
I've seen the low growing reddish tinted leaf Oxalis as well here. I'm not sure if it's a stunted version of the taller plant, or a different species. But it's just as bad ;-).
You can try Round-Up on the Oxalis, but of course that will kill the grass as well. Poison Ivy/Brush killer works also, and I've had to use that on more stubborn weeds (like Baby Tears), as well as on english ivy sprouts and volunteer sprouts from a very determined almond tree root stock.
Weed-B-Gone is supposed to kill Oxalis and leave the grass intact, but so far I've had limited luck with it.
I usually hand pick the stuff out of the citrus tree containers, but it's a never ending challenge.
You can try Round-Up on the Oxalis, but of course that will kill the grass as well. Poison Ivy/Brush killer works also, and I've had to use that on more stubborn weeds (like Baby Tears), as well as on english ivy sprouts and volunteer sprouts from a very determined almond tree root stock.
Weed-B-Gone is supposed to kill Oxalis and leave the grass intact, but so far I've had limited luck with it.
I usually hand pick the stuff out of the citrus tree containers, but it's a never ending challenge.
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