ball park pattern

[sam5570]

I read back thru 01 threads and didn't see anything on how to adjust my deck to get the ball park look on my lawn. whats the trick I have my deck set level now do I need to lower the back or front?

 

[aczlan]

We set ours 1/4" lower in the front. What you want to do is called striping. There are various ways to accomplish that including a full width roller on the back, dragging a chain behind you, etc.

Aaron Z

 

[Buckgnarly]

Same direction every mow, stay on your lines..... it's all about getting the grass to lay down.

My lawn...

 

[Larro Darro]

If you have the time and the fuel, you can get the full checkerboard look by going back across at an angle. The private, not for profit I work for used to do the rec for our county. I logged a lot of hours on the ball fields back then. Before that I did grass at a small nine hole golf course in Jackson County Fl.
Go ahead and try different ways of cutting. The good thing about working with grass, no matter how bad you mess it up, next week you get to do it all over again.

 

[sam5570]

thank's for the reply's i'm gonna lower my deck 1/4 inch in the front and see what happens. I always mow in the same direction don't have much choise the my lawn is.

 

[sam5570]

Same direction every mow, stay on your lines..... it's all about getting the grass to lay down.

My lawn...

buckgnarly that is a fine looking lawn

 

[LD1]

What kind of mower?? RFM? MMM? ZTR?? How many blades??

I wouldnt lower the front. If 3 blade, the middle is usually offset forward, that will make that blade cut lower than the outsides.

Keep it level. You need a stripping kit. As others mentioned, usually just a full width roller, or a rubber flap on the back of the deck. Just something to make all the grass lay down in the direction of travel.

But also....you have to mow straight, and be good at it. Otherwise, if you arent good, it shows up big time.

 

[sam5570]

What kind of mower?? RFM? MMM? ZTR?? How many blades??

I wouldnt lower the front. If 3 blade, the middle is usually offset forward, that will make that blade cut lower than the outsides.

Keep it level. You need a stripping kit. As others mentioned, usually just a full width roller, or a rubber flap on the back of the deck. Just something to make all the grass lay down in the direction of travel.

But also....you have to mow straight, and be good at it. Otherwise, if you arent good, it shows up big time.

thank's I do have a 3 blade system so I set it level. I knew about the striping kit's but thought there might be a way around it. the grass is so green and pretty now it's had so much rain I just thought I would like to try it, when I use my sweeper it gives it that look but don't use it every time.

 

[murphy1244]

Go to the Simplicity web site they have info on that and other ways.Simplicity Striping

 

[sam5570]

Goto the Simplicity web site they have info on that and other ways

thank's murphy i'll check it out.

 

[grandall4]

Striping from above. Not the best photo - I used my iphone This year, I'll use a better camara

My neighbor demonstrates how NOT to fertilize. He did make a nice race track pattern!

 

[azranger]

I use to have a toro 60 inch commercial zero turn, I set the deck at 3inches and mow the same way everytime. Blade tip speed actually makes a big difference I did not use a stripping kit, but they do work.

 

[TomSeller]

Striping from above. Not the best photo - I used my iphone This year, I'll use a better camara <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/lawn-care-landscaping/368220-ball-park-pattern-image-1095538949-jpg"/>

My neighbor demonstrates how NOT to fertilize. He did make a nice race track pattern!

I am with the neighbor. I don't understand why people fertilize their lawns. Then it grows, which requires mowing, a significant amount of fertilizer and herbicide runoff is from excessive treatment of lawns.

 

[LD1]

I am with the neighbor too. Last thing I want is to extend the mowing season and have to do it more frequently. I hate mowing grass. I just hate mud and erosion more. That's the only thing keeping me from using round up as my mower

 

[Gary Fowler]

I am with the neighbor. I don't understand why people fertilize their lawns. Then it grows, which requires mowing, a significant amount of fertilizer and herbicide runoff is from excessive treatment of lawns.

I fertilize mine in hopes of grass growing faster than weeds. I also put on the sprinklers during dry weather to make it grow more. I like to mow with my Ferris mower also so it gives me something to do each week. I think my Ferris is set up to strip but I don't pay much attention to that, just try to get around all my plants and trees. I keep saying I want to count all the stuff I have to mow around and yesterday while weed eating around the pond, I counted 35 pine trees within 100 feet of me which doesn't even get to the "lawn" where all the fruit trees and flowering shrubs are planted.

 

[Bob E]

I can get decent stripes without rollers or anything special just from mowing back and forth ^ v ^ v. That's the way I was taught to mow when I was a kid. It requires extra time spent turning around at the end of each swipe, but it does look nicer. Now a days I do the roundy round, it's more efficient. Less time, Less gas :thumbsup: