How do you mow waist high grass?

[pennwalk]

I have been wondering how the guy next door who is building a huge new house was going to mow the waist high grass which has a healthy salting of football sized rocks. I couldn't imagine how to do it safely without screwing up the equipment. But it was just a matter of time before one of the neighbors complained to the Township and this guy got a notice. Well today I found out. You rent a compact with a mid-mount mower from the New Holland dealer, raise the deck up a bit and have at it. No worries. Unless you are the New Holland dealer. Sounds pretty rough over there but the rocks don't seem to be flying too far. The good thing is that when he gets around to mowing it again in October the football sized rocks will be softball sized. You know, neighbors can be pretty entertaining.

Chris

 

[GaryM]

I wonder how much the damage deductable is on a rental unit like that?

 

[Jimbrown]

Well I just open the gate and the cows and horses eat it. Not that there is any wasit high grass any where in the county.

 

[Dallas_Lilly]

Jim that can be said for the whole state of AZ - Even a good year

 

[roxynoodle]

Well, a friend of mine who sadly suffers mental problems had managed to grow 6 foot high grass. She figured that since she had ag zoning no one could do anything about it. Of course several people called the health department. She called me and asked how I got rid of it here. I said, well, I have never had grass get to 6 feet tall! In my horse pasture it has gotten to about 2 feet maybe twice in years with a lot of rain. That was mowable as long as I went slow. I figured the only way she was getting rid of grass that tall was with a rotary cutter. I told her I didn't have one yet, that she should rent a tractor with one or see if she could pay a neighbor (had to figure they would be more than happy to get rid of it). Another friend came over with his tractor and cutter and it is down now. So I recently learned it is possible to grow a "lawn" 6 feet high in Ohio. We have had excessive rain this summer! I never actually saw it with my own eyes because I didn't want to, but she is 5'10" and said it was taller than her.

 

[MrJimi]

Well, a friend of mine who sadly suffers mental problems had managed to grow 6 foot high grass. She figured that since she had ag zoning no one could do anything about it. Of course several people called the health department. She called me and asked how I got rid of it here. I said, well, I have never had grass get to 6 feet tall! In my horse pasture it has gotten to about 2 feet maybe twice in years with a lot of rain. That was mowable as long as I went slow. I figured the only way she was getting rid of grass that tall was with a rotary cutter. I told her I didn't have one yet, that she should rent a tractor with one or see if she could pay a neighbor (had to figure they would be more than happy to get rid of it). Another friend came over with his tractor and cutter and it is down now. So I recently learned it is possible to grow a "lawn" 6 feet high in Ohio. We have had excessive rain this summer! I never actually saw it with my own eyes because I didn't want to, but she is 5'10" and said it was taller than her.

Pictures would be real nice right about now
Jim

 

[firemanpat2910]

VERY CAREFULLY !!!! or as you said with rented equipment. I cut some 4 to 5 ft grass and you just drive slow and be careful. A FEL would help but I don't have one. I literally had to stand up a few times to see where I was going. Depending on how much land you are cutting raise bush hog as high as possible and cut once then drag or rake and cut again. Watch out for wild life I had a deer scare the snot out of me when she jumped out in front of me.

 

[Highbeam]

Oh yes, 6 feet is easily mowed with a rotary cutter. More than once I have been eye high to weeds from the tractor seat. This mowing does require more frequent cleaning of the radiator screen. A healthy dose of rocks means you have to go slower and keep your loader bucket low enough to feel out the tall rocks.

One side benefit is that the wildlife, rats and mice, seem to thrive in the deep grass. Great fun to watch them run for their lives. A healthy flock (actually called a murder) of crows gathers round to eat the diced wildlife.

 

[daTeacha]

My answer is slowly. I just mowed along the ditches today for the second time this summer. I use my old 109 Cadet, upgraded to a 12 hp engine and a 44 inch deck from an auction that isn't really intended for this tractor, but it fits and work just fine. I just use the hydro to move about 1 mph or so, and it just eats the roadside weeds. First pass is with the deck set high, second one it's down to lawn height.

 

[Bird]

We've got a number of weeds in this part of the country that can reach 6' in height, but the only "grass" I can think of that gets that tall is Johnson Grass. I've cut Johnson Grass that was well over 6' tall with a hay mower/conditioner to bale it for hay. And I've mowed Johnson Grass that was that tall with a 5' brush hog. But at least I had no rocks to contend with.