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String trimmer replacement heads
Brooklyn1 wrote:
On Fri, 17 Jun 2011 06:31:14 +0000 (UTC), Nad R wrote: wrote: I have a 2 cycle gas string trimmer. I finally wore out the bang-on-the-ground string trimmer head. Pretty much fell apart from being smashed on the ground to get it to feed new string, which it rarely did. I see you can get either bump and feed or heads that take fixed lengths of string. Are there bump and feed units that work or should I go with one of the units that take short lengths of string. Any recommendations welcome. I use the unit almost exclusively for lawn edging. thanks in advance... I prefer the fixed length strings edging. The fixed length systems require far less cussing. Takes less than a minute to change. Can take a greater variety of string. I buy a huge spool of string the last for years. Agreed on all points http://www.amazon.com/Swisher-22-Inc...f=pd_sbs_ol_13 I bought locally for hundred bucks less three years ago. I must were safety googles this thing can throw rocks. That looks like it can do some serious weed whacking. I strongly suggest purchasing string trimmers from an authorized dealer that does maintenence/repairs on premises. I have the GT 225i, light weight with plenty of power: http://www.echo-usa.com/prods_list.asp?Category=TRIMMER I have the Rapid Loader head, trouble free. I've been using the same jumbo spool of line for several years, during winter I nip off lengths with a pair of dikes, make bundles secured with a rubberband... put one in a pocket and head out: http://www.echo-usa.com/videos/?cat=howto&id=25 How to choose a string trimmer: http://www.echo-usa.com/videos/?cat=howto&id=19 Do not litter spent string, it's unsightly and a danger to critters that may become entangled or eat it. I do not recommend string trimming around trees/shrubs, the string will cut the bark and eventually kill the plant. I bought an Echo SRM-2200 about 25 or 30 years ago. It was the smallest one Echo made at the time with a straight shaft and would take a metal blade. I might should have bought the 2500, but it's hard to complain; the 2200 is still going strong. It uses .095" nylon line, but usually I use it with a metal blade. I found a 8" lawnmower blade that fits it and I love it. I hope I never bend it or lose it because I have no idea what it's supposed to fit and I'm unlikely to ever find another one. I have the proper weed blades and brush-cutting blades, but the lawnmower blade works better on anything up to 1/2" saplings. One good thing about using a metal blade is you can tell *exactly* how close you are cutting -- and get right up to tree trunks or fences without damaging them. With a string cutter, you usually can't do that. (but if you do accidentally hit something with a metal blade you do a lot more damage that with a nylon string) I've also started mixing fuel in a 500ml pop bottle using a syringe to measure the oil. That way the fuel is always fresh. I only mix a gallon or two of fuel if I'm gonna be doing a lot of chainsaw work -- and I don't do much of that anymore. -Bob |
String trimmer replacement heads
On Fri, 17 Jun 2011 23:25:44 -0500, zxcvbob
wrote: Brooklyn1 wrote: On Fri, 17 Jun 2011 06:31:14 +0000 (UTC), Nad R wrote: wrote: I have a 2 cycle gas string trimmer. I finally wore out the bang-on-the-ground string trimmer head. Pretty much fell apart from being smashed on the ground to get it to feed new string, which it rarely did. I see you can get either bump and feed or heads that take fixed lengths of string. Are there bump and feed units that work or should I go with one of the units that take short lengths of string. Any recommendations welcome. I use the unit almost exclusively for lawn edging. thanks in advance... I prefer the fixed length strings edging. The fixed length systems require far less cussing. Takes less than a minute to change. Can take a greater variety of string. I buy a huge spool of string the last for years. Agreed on all points http://www.amazon.com/Swisher-22-Inc...f=pd_sbs_ol_13 I bought locally for hundred bucks less three years ago. I must were safety googles this thing can throw rocks. That looks like it can do some serious weed whacking. I strongly suggest purchasing string trimmers from an authorized dealer that does maintenence/repairs on premises. I have the GT 225i, light weight with plenty of power: http://www.echo-usa.com/prods_list.asp?Category=TRIMMER I have the Rapid Loader head, trouble free. I've been using the same jumbo spool of line for several years, during winter I nip off lengths with a pair of dikes, make bundles secured with a rubberband... put one in a pocket and head out: http://www.echo-usa.com/videos/?cat=howto&id=25 How to choose a string trimmer: http://www.echo-usa.com/videos/?cat=howto&id=19 Do not litter spent string, it's unsightly and a danger to critters that may become entangled or eat it. I do not recommend string trimming around trees/shrubs, the string will cut the bark and eventually kill the plant. I bought an Echo SRM-2200 about 25 or 30 years ago. It was the smallest one Echo made at the time with a straight shaft and would take a metal blade. I might should have bought the 2500, but it's hard to complain; the 2200 is still going strong. It uses .095" nylon line, but usually I use it with a metal blade. I found a 8" lawnmower blade that fits it and I love it. I hope I never bend it or lose it because I have no idea what it's supposed to fit and I'm unlikely to ever find another one. I have the proper weed blades and brush-cutting blades, but the lawnmower blade works better on anything up to 1/2" saplings. One good thing about using a metal blade is you can tell *exactly* how close you are cutting -- and get right up to tree trunks or fences without damaging them. With a string cutter, you usually can't do that. (but if you do accidentally hit something with a metal blade you do a lot more damage that with a nylon string) I've also started mixing fuel in a 500ml pop bottle using a syringe to measure the oil. That way the fuel is always fresh. I only mix a gallon or two of fuel if I'm gonna be doing a lot of chainsaw work -- and I don't do much of that anymore. -Bob I don't think those thin plastic pop bottles are very safe for storing fuel. They do make one and two liter approved fuel bottles, which are what are typically hauled into the woods with chainsaws. I mix 1 gallon of 2 cycle at the start of the season; I use it in my echo string trimmer, mantis tiller, echo leaf blower and my chain saw... I usually go through two gallons a season, if I notice I'm running low towards the end I get miserly with the string trimming and leaf blowing rather than mix another gallon... I don't do tilling at the end of the growing season and any chainsaw work can wait until the end of winter/early spring, much easier chainsawing while it's cold, when the leaves are off and bugs didn't wake yet, as soon as trees bud out the forest can get steamy hot, not the time to do hard labor in and around wooded areas. My push mower is 4 cycle, I usually use 4 gallons of gas each season but only buy 2 gallons at a time... whatever is left at the end goes into my automobile. My two tractors use diesel, about 10 gallons a week, I have a thirty gallon storage tank that I keep filled from 2 five gallon cans that I fill in town. I don't use enough diesel nor are the few pennies a gallon savings worth it to buy bulk, they won't deliver less than 250 gallons, that would be over $1,000 a fill up... diesel here now is $4.30/gal at the pump, bulk would save me about 12¢/gallon, not really worth it... the growing season here is short, a bulk delivery would take me over two years. And at the beginning of this season diesel was 30¢/gal more at the pump, with a bulk fill at that time I would have been screwed. With this volatile oil economy I don't think it pays to stock up on fuel, I'm not a gambling man. I go into town at least once a week anyway so no biggie to stop for diesel. |
String trimmer replacement heads
Brooklyn1 wrote:
On Fri, 17 Jun 2011 23:25:44 -0500, zxcvbob wrote: [snip] I've also started mixing fuel in a 500ml pop bottle using a syringe to measure the oil. That way the fuel is always fresh. I only mix a gallon or two of fuel if I'm gonna be doing a lot of chainsaw work -- and I don't do much of that anymore. -Bob I don't think those thin plastic pop bottles are very safe for storing fuel. They do make one and two liter approved fuel bottles, which are what are typically hauled into the woods with chainsaws. [snip] I don't store gas in the pop bottle, I mix a half a liter and pour the whole thing in the fuel tank. -Bob |
String trimmer replacement heads
Brooklyn1 Gravesend1 wrote:
I don't think those thin plastic pop bottles are very safe for storing fuel. They do make one and two liter approved fuel bottles, which are what are typically hauled into the woods with chainsaws. I mix 1 gallon of 2 cycle at the start of the season; I use it in my echo string trimmer, mantis tiller, echo leaf blower and my chain saw... I usually go through two gallons a season, if I notice I'm running low towards the end I get miserly with the string trimming and leaf blowing rather than mix another gallon... I don't do tilling at the end of the growing season and any chainsaw work can wait until the end of winter/early spring, much easier chainsawing while it's cold, when the leaves are off and bugs didn't wake yet, as soon as trees bud out the forest can get steamy hot, not the time to do hard labor in and around wooded areas. My push mower is 4 cycle, I usually use 4 gallons of gas each season but only buy 2 gallons at a time... whatever is left at the end goes into my automobile. My two tractors use diesel, about 10 gallons a week, I have a thirty gallon storage tank that I keep filled from 2 five gallon cans that I fill in town. I don't use enough diesel nor are the few pennies a gallon savings worth it to buy bulk, they won't deliver less than 250 gallons, that would be over $1,000 a fill up... diesel here now is $4.30/gal at the pump, bulk would save me about 12¢/gallon, not really worth it... the growing season here is short, a bulk delivery would take me over two years. And at the beginning of this season diesel was 30¢/gal more at the pump, with a bulk fill at that time I would have been screwed. With this volatile oil economy I don't think it pays to stock up on fuel, I'm not a gambling man. I go into town at least once a week anyway so no biggie to stop for diesel. Of course it saves to stock up ones fuel, not so much on money as time. Seems each year fuel prices go up on average. I have two five hundred gallons above head storage tanks. One for diesel and one for regular gas. They last about one year. I wait until fuel prices are low for the year, typically end of summer when the driving season is about over with. Also with diesel for tractors is that they have no road tax added to the pink colored fuel. Diesel in bulk is about fifty cents cheaper than the gas station and cheaper than regular gas because of paying less in taxes. But one does pay a delivery fee, but still cheaper than the gas station. The down side is my next fill-up will be around $3,500 dollars for the year. I do not use as much diesel as regular but top off both tanks for delivery. I also pre buy my propane for the year also in the spring when propane is the lowest for the year, this year propane will cost me about $2,000 dollars for heat, cooking and hot water. This saves me about ten percent over pay as you go. During the summer it now cost me around five gallons a week just to mow my six acre lawn with my ExMark mower. I should get goats instead. -- Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan) |
String trimmer replacement heads
On Sat, 18 Jun 2011 14:13:24 +0000 (UTC), Nad R
wrote: Brooklyn1 Gravesend1 wrote: I don't think those thin plastic pop bottles are very safe for storing fuel. They do make one and two liter approved fuel bottles, which are what are typically hauled into the woods with chainsaws. I mix 1 gallon of 2 cycle at the start of the season; I use it in my echo string trimmer, mantis tiller, echo leaf blower and my chain saw... I usually go through two gallons a season, if I notice I'm running low towards the end I get miserly with the string trimming and leaf blowing rather than mix another gallon... I don't do tilling at the end of the growing season and any chainsaw work can wait until the end of winter/early spring, much easier chainsawing while it's cold, when the leaves are off and bugs didn't wake yet, as soon as trees bud out the forest can get steamy hot, not the time to do hard labor in and around wooded areas. My push mower is 4 cycle, I usually use 4 gallons of gas each season but only buy 2 gallons at a time... whatever is left at the end goes into my automobile. My two tractors use diesel, about 10 gallons a week, I have a thirty gallon storage tank that I keep filled from 2 five gallon cans that I fill in town. I don't use enough diesel nor are the few pennies a gallon savings worth it to buy bulk, they won't deliver less than 250 gallons, that would be over $1,000 a fill up... diesel here now is $4.30/gal at the pump, bulk would save me about 12¢/gallon, not really worth it... the growing season here is short, a bulk delivery would take me over two years. And at the beginning of this season diesel was 30¢/gal more at the pump, with a bulk fill at that time I would have been screwed. With this volatile oil economy I don't think it pays to stock up on fuel, I'm not a gambling man. I go into town at least once a week anyway so no biggie to stop for diesel. Of course it saves to stock up ones fuel, not so much on money as time. Seems each year fuel prices go up on average. I have two five hundred gallons above head storage tanks. One for diesel and one for regular gas. They last about one year. I wait until fuel prices are low for the year, typically end of summer when the driving season is about over with. Also with diesel for tractors is that they have no road tax added to the pink colored fuel. Diesel in bulk is about fifty cents cheaper than the gas station and cheaper than regular gas because of paying less in taxes. But one does pay a delivery fee, but still cheaper than the gas station. The down side is my next fill-up will be around $3,500 dollars for the year. I do not use as much diesel as regular but top off both tanks for delivery. I also pre buy my propane for the year also in the spring when propane is the lowest for the year, this year propane will cost me about $2,000 dollars for heat, cooking and hot water. This saves me about ten percent over pay as you go. During the summer it now cost me around five gallons a week just to mow my six acre lawn with my ExMark mower. I should get goats instead. I'm missing something... if you use about 5 gallons a week to mow six acres why are you buying 500 gallons of diesel at a pop? I mow about ten acres with about 10 gallons but can't see how buying bulk would benefit me. I mow at most once a week and the growing season here is from about early June through early October, but there are weeks in the beginning and end when I don't need to mow or it's too wet to mow.... and most years there's a short drought lasting 3-4 weeks when the lawn doesn't grow enough to mow. So if I mow 15 times a year that's maximum... that's about 150 gallons of fuel. And during winter I use 5-8 gallons to plow my driveway. What are you doing with 500 gallons of diesel on just 6 acres? |
String trimmer replacement heads
Brooklyn1 Gravesend1 wrote:
On Sat, 18 Jun 2011 14:13:24 +0000 (UTC), Nad R wrote: Of course it saves to stock up ones fuel, not so much on money as time. Seems each year fuel prices go up on average. I have two five hundred gallons above head storage tanks. One for diesel and one for regular gas. They last about one year. I wait until fuel prices are low for the year, typically end of summer when the driving season is about over with. Also with diesel for tractors is that they have no road tax added to the pink colored fuel. Diesel in bulk is about fifty cents cheaper than the gas station and cheaper than regular gas because of paying less in taxes. But one does pay a delivery fee, but still cheaper than the gas station. The down side is my next fill-up will be around $3,500 dollars for the year. I do not use as much diesel as regular but top off both tanks for delivery. I also pre buy my propane for the year also in the spring when propane is the lowest for the year, this year propane will cost me about $2,000 dollars for heat, cooking and hot water. This saves me about ten percent over pay as you go. During the summer it now cost me around five gallons a week just to mow my six acre lawn with my ExMark mower. I should get goats instead. I'm missing something... if you use about 5 gallons a week to mow six acres why are you buying 500 gallons of diesel at a pop? I mow about ten acres with about 10 gallons but can't see how buying bulk would benefit me. I mow at most once a week and the growing season here is from about early June through early October, but there are weeks in the beginning and end when I don't need to mow or it's too wet to mow.... and most years there's a short drought lasting 3-4 weeks when the lawn doesn't grow enough to mow. So if I mow 15 times a year that's maximum... that's about 150 gallons of fuel. And during winter I use 5-8 gallons to plow my driveway. What are you doing with 500 gallons of diesel on just 6 acres? Ten acres of lawn and I though I was insane :) I have over twenty five acres of land. Six is just for the lawn. I use a little more than half as much diesel as regular gas. The delivery truck carries both fuels in a divider tank. Saves on delivery cost just to top off the diesel for the winter and fill the near empty regular gas tank. Less water gets in the tank when full during winter. The John Deere is a small 4300. Comes in handy, five foot tiller, front loader, snow blower, plow and blade. I hope some day I can afford a mini hay bailer. The regular gas is also used for my pickup truck. 500 gallons of regular gas is about 40 gallons a month. I use more gas for my lawn mower during the summer than I use for my truck. Also I hate sitting at a gas station filling up and carrying all those fuel containers. I just drive the lawn mower, pickup truck or tractor behind the pole barn and fill up. I only need a one gallon jug for the chain saw :) It can come in handy when the apocalypse shows up. That power outage a few years ago that took out the entire mid west. Did not bother me. Plenty of gas for the generator. The lines at gas stations were also closed because they had no power for the pumps. Those gas stations that had power had long lines. http://www.nadrhel.com/Summer.html -- Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan) |
String trimmer replacement heads
On Sat, 18 Jun 2011 19:42:50 +0000 (UTC), Nad R
wrote: Brooklyn1 Gravesend1 wrote: On Sat, 18 Jun 2011 14:13:24 +0000 (UTC), Nad R wrote: Of course it saves to stock up ones fuel, not so much on money as time. Seems each year fuel prices go up on average. I have two five hundred gallons above head storage tanks. One for diesel and one for regular gas. They last about one year. I wait until fuel prices are low for the year, typically end of summer when the driving season is about over with. Also with diesel for tractors is that they have no road tax added to the pink colored fuel. Diesel in bulk is about fifty cents cheaper than the gas station and cheaper than regular gas because of paying less in taxes. But one does pay a delivery fee, but still cheaper than the gas station. The down side is my next fill-up will be around $3,500 dollars for the year. I do not use as much diesel as regular but top off both tanks for delivery. I also pre buy my propane for the year also in the spring when propane is the lowest for the year, this year propane will cost me about $2,000 dollars for heat, cooking and hot water. This saves me about ten percent over pay as you go. During the summer it now cost me around five gallons a week just to mow my six acre lawn with my ExMark mower. I should get goats instead. I'm missing something... if you use about 5 gallons a week to mow six acres why are you buying 500 gallons of diesel at a pop? I mow about ten acres with about 10 gallons but can't see how buying bulk would benefit me. I mow at most once a week and the growing season here is from about early June through early October, but there are weeks in the beginning and end when I don't need to mow or it's too wet to mow.... and most years there's a short drought lasting 3-4 weeks when the lawn doesn't grow enough to mow. So if I mow 15 times a year that's maximum... that's about 150 gallons of fuel. And during winter I use 5-8 gallons to plow my driveway. What are you doing with 500 gallons of diesel on just 6 acres? Ten acres of lawn and I though I was insane :) I have over twenty five acres of land. Six is just for the lawn. I use a little more than half as much diesel as regular gas. The delivery truck carries both fuels in a divider tank. Saves on delivery cost just to top off the diesel for the winter and fill the near empty regular gas tank. Less water gets in the tank when full during winter. The John Deere is a small 4300. Comes in handy, five foot tiller, front loader, snow blower, plow and blade. I hope some day I can afford a mini hay bailer. The regular gas is also used for my pickup truck. 500 gallons of regular gas is about 40 gallons a month. I use more gas for my lawn mower during the summer than I use for my truck. Also I hate sitting at a gas station filling up and carrying all those fuel containers. I just drive the lawn mower, pickup truck or tractor behind the pole barn and fill up. I only need a one gallon jug for the chain saw :) It can come in handy when the apocalypse shows up. That power outage a few years ago that took out the entire mid west. Did not bother me. Plenty of gas for the generator. The lines at gas stations were also closed because they had no power for the pumps. Those gas stations that had power had long lines. http://www.nadrhel.com/Summer.html Okay, that's 500 gallons of gas, not diesel... and I assume your mower is gas. My 8' mower is a rear finishing mower on my tractor, my smaller tractor has a 54" belly mower for close work... both diesel. When I bought my tractors I had planned on tilling the 4 acre hay field at the rear of the property for some sort of crops so ordered a 5" rear tiller, but I soon realized that it was all I could do to take care of what I already had without adding more work, so I shit canned the tilling idea... never even tried it, still sits in my barn, brand new. Except for the lawn around the house, my wildflower meadow, and the wooded areas everything else was in hay. After watching them bring in that last crop I decided that haying was not for me, too much labor, needs too many pricy implements, and it leaves the land looking raped, all ugly stubble and lots of ruts... so I decided to just mow the hay. I mow before it can go to seed so each year I have more turf grass and and less hay. Hay is very dirty, buggy, and I think just plain ugly. I don't mind mowing, my tractor has a cab, A/C, AM/FM Stero-CD player... has more extras then most luxury cars, even HEPA filtered air and cruise control. Only thing I plan to add is a loud air horn, for warning critters. As far as I'm concerned I found myself the best retirement spot on the planet, and I never have nothing to do... my brother retired to a condo in florida and he's bored to tears... he phoned just two hours ago whining about how it's so hot and humid that by 9 AM all he can do is stay indoors and look out the window at nothing. |
String trimmer replacement heads
Brooklyn1 Gravesend1 wrote:
Okay, that's 500 gallons of gas, not diesel... and I assume your mower is gas. My 8' mower is a rear finishing mower on my tractor, my smaller tractor has a 54" belly mower for close work... both diesel. When I bought my tractors I had planned on tilling the 4 acre hay field at the rear of the property for some sort of crops so ordered a 5" rear tiller, but I soon realized that it was all I could do to take care of what I already had without adding more work, so I shit canned the tilling idea... never even tried it, still sits in my barn, brand new. Except for the lawn around the house, my wildflower meadow, and the wooded areas everything else was in hay. After watching them bring in that last crop I decided that haying was not for me, too much labor, needs too many pricy implements, and it leaves the land looking raped, all ugly stubble and lots of ruts... so I decided to just mow the hay. I mow before it can go to seed so each year I have more turf grass and and less hay. Hay is very dirty, buggy, and I think just plain ugly. I don't mind mowing, my tractor has a cab, A/C, AM/FM Stero-CD player... has more extras then most luxury cars, even HEPA filtered air and cruise control. Only thing I plan to add is a loud air horn, for warning critters. As far as I'm concerned I found myself the best retirement spot on the planet, and I never have nothing to do... my brother retired to a condo in florida and he's bored to tears... he phoned just two hours ago whining about how it's so hot and humid that by 9 AM all he can do is stay indoors and look out the window at nothing. Sounds like we have a similar retirement plan. Yeh, that tiller was a waste of money for me also. I rarely use it. My land is like divided into three parts, six acres for my yard and home, six acres of woods and the rest is the hay field. Twelve years ago when I moved out of the city. I let the farmer I bought the land from bale the hay. At the time I had no equipment to take care of the land. The farmer now is in his seventies and I am now able to take care most of it. One exception still is I do not have a bailer and have that hired out. I want a mini bailer that makes 20 pound bales instead of the forty pound bales. A mini bailer cost about sixteen thousand and cannot afford one at this time in my half pay retirement years. The ExMark 48 inch deck commercial lawn mower is fast and I have the optional bagger. The grass with the hay makes excellent compost. It takes about three hours to mow six acres, occasionally an extra hour to bag the grass. I use noise canceling headphones listening to Lady Gaga with my iPod and the wind to cool me off. One hour a week for edging the ditches and around the house. The tractor has no cab, no stereo and no heater. Used to turn the compost, haul the hay, remove snow from the driveway and paths. I do not work my hide off, just two hours in the morning after breakfast to water and feed the animals. Two to three hours after lunch to do the yard work. I clean up, make dinner and watch tv or read a good book ( Math or physics ). When it rains, I go to the gym and shopping afterwards. I absolutely love where I live. I hated the city! -- Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan) |
String trimmer replacement heads
On Sun, 19 Jun 2011 02:54:25 +0000 (UTC), Nad R
wrote: Brooklyn1 Gravesend1 wrote: Okay, that's 500 gallons of gas, not diesel... and I assume your mower is gas. My 8' mower is a rear finishing mower on my tractor, my smaller tractor has a 54" belly mower for close work... both diesel. When I bought my tractors I had planned on tilling the 4 acre hay field at the rear of the property for some sort of crops so ordered a 5" rear tiller, but I soon realized that it was all I could do to take care of what I already had without adding more work, so I shit canned the tilling idea... never even tried it, still sits in my barn, brand new. Except for the lawn around the house, my wildflower meadow, and the wooded areas everything else was in hay. After watching them bring in that last crop I decided that haying was not for me, too much labor, needs too many pricy implements, and it leaves the land looking raped, all ugly stubble and lots of ruts... so I decided to just mow the hay. I mow before it can go to seed so each year I have more turf grass and and less hay. Hay is very dirty, buggy, and I think just plain ugly. I don't mind mowing, my tractor has a cab, A/C, AM/FM Stero-CD player... has more extras then most luxury cars, even HEPA filtered air and cruise control. Only thing I plan to add is a loud air horn, for warning critters. As far as I'm concerned I found myself the best retirement spot on the planet, and I never have nothing to do... my brother retired to a condo in florida and he's bored to tears... he phoned just two hours ago whining about how it's so hot and humid that by 9 AM all he can do is stay indoors and look out the window at nothing. Sounds like we have a similar retirement plan. Yeh, that tiller was a waste of money for me also. I rarely use it. My land is like divided into three parts, six acres for my yard and home, six acres of woods and the rest is the hay field. Twelve years ago when I moved out of the city. I let the farmer I bought the land from bale the hay. At the time I had no equipment to take care of the land. The farmer now is in his seventies and I am now able to take care most of it. One exception still is I do not have a bailer and have that hired out. I want a mini bailer that makes 20 pound bales instead of the forty pound bales. A mini bailer cost about sixteen thousand and cannot afford one at this time in my half pay retirement years. The ExMark 48 inch deck commercial lawn mower is fast and I have the optional bagger. The grass with the hay makes excellent compost. It takes about three hours to mow six acres, occasionally an extra hour to bag the grass. I use noise canceling headphones listening to Lady Gaga with my iPod and the wind to cool me off. One hour a week for edging the ditches and around the house. The tractor has no cab, no stereo and no heater. Used to turn the compost, haul the hay, remove snow from the driveway and paths. I do not work my hide off, just two hours in the morning after breakfast to water and feed the animals. Two to three hours after lunch to do the yard work. I clean up, make dinner and watch tv or read a good book ( Math or physics ). When it rains, I go to the gym and shopping afterwards. I absolutely love where I live. I hated the city! I never liked living in cities, was like living in a fish bowl... but for earning a good income cities have rural areas beat... so that's how I can afford this hobby farming lifestyle. If you put mulching blades on your mower you won't have clippings to deal with, and your lawn areas will benefit greatly. I also enjoy the four seasons, I wouldn't want to need to mow all year. I also tried living in other areas, Carson City, Nevada had no lawns but it was too arid, and northern Idaho was, well like sci fi isolation. And California would be fine except for so many pretentious plasticy transients. |
String trimmer replacement heads
On Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:06:51 +0000 (UTC), Nad R
wrote: Brooklyn1 Gravesend1 wrote: If you put mulching blades on your mower you won't have clippings to deal with, and your lawn areas will benefit greatly. I want the grass clippings. I want the vast amounts of compost. The first five years my lawn had large cracks in it and hard as a rock. I am not rich by any means, the land was cheap, one gets what they pay for. I can easily get three times what i paid for it today even in this down market. I built my home with the help of my brother the carpenter. Over time and aerating the lawn, the yard is looking great, no cracks, softer soil and thick grass. I am now robbing Peter the lawn to pay Paul the garden area that is in bad shape. currently using raised beds. I think in about five years I can do away with raised beds. The soil is improving over time. Key item is "organic material" no chemicals that can kill off microbes or worms. When it rains on my lawn the birds have a feast :) If one bags the grass early in the spring and late fall one can dramatically reduce the weeds in the yard. Mulching the grass will only help spread those early weeds like dandelions and other weeds. I hot compost them. I do not bag the grass during the summer, especially when the grass itself starts to seed. My personal break is over and back to trimming :) I've been working on my little creek. I had it reshaped and lined with stone to stem erosion, and now the vegetation has retuned, looks better than before. I've been trying all sort of plants promoted as deer/rabbit resistant, some are and some ain't. I tried a couple of foxglove and so far so good. I also planted a lilac bush by my utility pole, attempt to soften it: http://i51.tinypic.com/n32dty.jpg http://i55.tinypic.com/k1xks8.jpg Poison: http://i55.tinypic.com/2rz292q.jpg http://i52.tinypic.com/2hh0why.jpg Toxic: http://i56.tinypic.com/9sv7k8.jpg http://i51.tinypic.com/117h02g.jpg Used to be hay, now keeps me busy mowing: http://i54.tinypic.com/2vk0qxt.jpg |
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