Whatever you feel like thread.

[Shenandoah MF1760]

What brand did you get? Who did you buy it from?

I got the Ryobi, same as the one in the picture.

HP means High Performance in this case (I guess).

I got it from Home Depot, as they have a Veteran discount.

 

[WinterDeere]

Is Fescue a bad thing for Winter coverage?
I just bought a 50# bag of what I thought was Bermuda yesterday but got Fescue. I'm undecided as to whether to take it back, or give it a try.

My experience is all perennial tall fescue, and what I can say about it is that it takes a very long time to germinate and sprout. It's one tough grass once it does, but it's not the kind of thing that's going to sprout up in a week. Around here, most sellers label the germination time on tall fescue at 4 - 6 weeks.

We will use a mix of a few tall fescues for overseeding established lawns, but never on bare dirt. When planting a fresh lawn, we'll usually use 80% tall fescue with 20% annual rye, such that the rye sprouts up quick and protects the fescue seed while it takes a long time to germinate.

I would think it's probably a poor choice for winter coverage in Georgia, but that's only a guess based on my experience in PA. I'd ask a local seller or turf pro. If you can get thru to the grounds crew at any local golf course, those guys will usually steer you right. Just keep in mind they work stupid-early hours, so they're mostly off the course before it opens in the morning.

 

[Torvy]

I once heard that, of the major US cities, Boston has the widest spread between typical summer highs and winter lows. Others have refuted that, and I really don't know the truth, only what I've heard reported elsewhere. Personally, I'd think the Philly northern 'burbs must be up there, as we see everything from -5 to +105 F, albeit not every year.

From a basic meteorology standpoint, I suspect this is false. Temperatures in locations on large bodies of water tend to be moderate. Water changes temperature more slowly than air.

For example, we lived in a suburb of Milwaukee about 20 miles inland. Our summers were about 10 degrees warmer than the city and our winters were 10 degrees colder. That's just with Lake Michigan. The ocean would potentially have a greater impact.

I'm no expert, but did take some college meteorology courses. Whatever US city holds this distinction is most assuredly an inland city without a large body of water.

 

[Torvy]

I got the Ryobi, same as the one in the picture.

HP means High Performance in this case (I guess).

I got it from Home Depot, as they have a Veteran discount.

There is a 'right size' for these. In my experience Ryobi is inconsistent. Some things are great, others are junk. Never tried their mower.

Wife bought a Greenworks mower/trimmer combo when we had a 1/2 acre place in Longview. Too much lawn. The same mower on 1/3 acre in DFW was perfect. I prefer my Honda, but the electric was way easier to maintain. Daughter has the electric one now in DFW on a very small lot. Perfect for her and her husband.

The trimmer was crap. My Echo battery one is 10x better than the Greenworks. Chainsaw is stout, too.

 

[WinterDeere]

Whatever US city holds this distinction is most assuredly an inland city without a large body of water.

That makes sense. They certainly see more daily swing. At some point of long time constants, the effect of water trends toward zero, but I don't think the few cold weeks of either summer or winter are long enough to see that on the scale of an ocean. Maybe not even against a Great Lake, per your observation.

 

[4570Man]

I don’t know what city holds the actual record but the difference in the record high and low in Bozeman Montana is 159 degrees apart. The record difference in Boston is 122 degrees apart.

 

[WinterDeere]

I don’t know what city holds the actual record but the difference in the record high and low in Bozeman Montana is 159 degrees apart. The record difference in Boston is 122 degrees apart.

Yeah, I think the claim is dubious, WRT Boston. However, just to be clear, it wasn't about record high/low. I think the claim was specifically the summer high temp minus the winter low temp, averaged over many years. IOW, what is the max and min temps you see in a typical year?

Even so, I'd be surprised if Boston takes the cake. I wish I can remember where I read that particular claim, but it was too long ago to remember the source, now.

 

[ArlyA]

We have put our Ego zero turn battery mower away for the summer. If anyone would like to see a review on how it works, let me know and I'll start a thread about that in the spring.

 

[Richard001]

We have put our Ego zero turn battery mower away for the summer. If anyone would like to see a review on how it works, let me know and I'll start a thread about that in the spring. View attachment 1855313

Curious, what does the mfg, say about battery charge and storage. This summer I bought the Hart rider mower, and the batteries can be removed from the mower, but they can not be charged when not in the mower. I plan on removing the batteries and storing them inside my house. What is your plan ?

Richard

 

[Grumpycat]

Curious, what does the mfg, say about battery charge and storage. This summer I bought the Hart rider mower, and the batteries can be removed from the mower, but they can not be charged when not in the mower. I plan on removing the batteries and storing them inside my house. What is your plan ?

Richard

EGo says to store the batteries where they won't freeze.

And that the battery will automatically self-discharge to 50% after 30 days. Newer EGo batteries I have have not self-discharged, so perhaps they are using LiFePO4 now?

 

[4570Man]

Yeah, I think the claim is dubious, WRT Boston. However, just to be clear, it wasn't about record high/low. I think the claim was specifically the summer high temp minus the winter low temp, averaged over many years. IOW, what is the max and min temps you see in a typical year?

Even so, I'd be surprised if Boston takes the cake. I wish I can remember where I read that particular claim, but it was too long ago to remember the source, now.

I live in Crossville TN. The recorded low was -25 and the record high was 105. Both of those were recorded almost 100 years ago. A more average year would be a few days close to zero and a few days at 90 or a little over.

 

[ArlyA]

Let me add
-------------------------------
EGO batteries automatically discharge after 30 days without use to reach 30% charge, which is the optimal storage capacity. If you're storing the battery for a month or longer, you should fully recharge it before using it again. Store them inside where they are warm and see minimal temperature fluctuations.
------------------------------------
I will pull them out and put in basement.

 

[WinterDeere]

I will pull them out and put in basement.

I assume the old wives' tale about concrete discharging car batteries wouldn't apply, different tech. But did anyone ever settle that decades-old debate, whether there was even any truth in it? Smells like Mythbusters must've hit this one, but I don't remember ever seeing it.

 

[EddieWalker]

Is Fescue a bad thing for Winter coverage?
I just bought a 50# bag of what I thought was Bermuda yesterday but got Fescue. I'm undecided as to whether to take it back, or give it a try.

For Bermuda seed to germinate, it needs the temps to be in the 80's. You can get away with planting it in the Fall if you have enough time for it to establish itself before it goes dormant, but the best time is in the Spring to Summer just before it rains.

Bermuda Seed is freakishly expensive. It's also so small that it's hard to see. Just about every sack of seed is full of filler, and maybe 25% seed.

If you buy hulled Bermuda Seed, it will germinate faster, but it's even more expensive, and smaller.

The biggest challenge with Bermuda Seed is spreading it so it covers as big of an area as possible.

 

[Runner]

For Bermuda seed to germinate, it needs the temps to be in the 80's. You can get away with planting it in the Fall if you have enough time for it to establish itself before it goes dormant, but the best time is in the Spring to Summer just before it rains.

Bermuda Seed is freakishly expensive. It's also so small that it's hard to see. Just about every sack of seed is full of filler, and maybe 25% seed.

If you buy hulled Bermuda Seed, it will germinate faster, but it's even more expensive, and smaller.

The biggest challenge with Bermuda Seed is spreading it so it covers as big of an area as possible.

So funny how what is considered desirable grass in one area is a weed in others. I've got Bermuda grass invading my fescue lawn more every year. This year I'm planning on spraying with Bayer Bermudagrass Control to try to get rid of it.

We've had a couple of really hot/dry summers lately that took their toll on the fescue, so the Bermuda is moving in.

 

[WinterDeere]

So funny how what is considered desirable grass in one area is a weed in others.

My first house, age 23, was surrounded by beautiful stone-walled gardens. The prior owner was a married couple, and the wife was seriously into gardening.

I moved in mid-summer, and by fall the gardens were a mess of neglected flowers and weeds. So I start pulling stuff, not really knowing what the heck I was doing.

I happen to catch a neighbor, best friends with the prior owner and also into gardening, and ask her what's what. Her answer was about the same as yours, "a weed is anything you don't want". That did not help with my confusion or frustration, at all.

 

[EddieWalker]

So funny how what is considered desirable grass in one area is a weed in others. I've got Bermuda grass invading my fescue lawn more every year. This year I'm planning on spraying with Bayer Bermudagrass Control to try to get rid of it.

We've had a couple of really hot/dry summers lately that took their toll on the fescue, so the Bermuda is moving in.

Where I'm from in CA, everyone was against Bermuda grass. Now that I've been in TX awhile, I think we all confused crabgrass with Bermuda. But I could be wrong.

Bermuda is considered the best grass from growing horse quality hay. It holds protein better then the other grasses. For a lawn, it spreads out with runners, it greens up early in Spring and stays green into early Winter. Golf courses all use it because you can mow it super short and still have great coverage. For mowing, all you need is a decent set of blades, and they last a long time.

 

[Grumpycat]

I assume the old wives' tale about concrete discharging car batteries wouldn't apply, different tech. But did anyone ever settle that decades-old debate, whether there was even any truth in it? Smells like Mythbusters must've hit this one, but I don't remember ever seeing it.

I believe concrete is a heat sink which is bad for battery and gasoline storage.

Couple of times over the decades I left a car battery on bare concrete within a month or two the battery froze, cracked case, leaked. A simple board underneath has not produced this result.

Have left gas cans on concrete and got more condensate inside than with another gas can nearby not on concrete.

 

[WinterDeere]

I believe concrete is a heat sink which is bad for battery and gasoline storage.

Couple of times over the decades I left a car battery on bare concrete within a month or two the battery froze, cracked case, leaked. A simple board underneath has not produced this result.

Have left gas cans on concrete and got more condensate inside than with another gas can nearby not on concrete.

There might be some truth in what you're saying, but I think there's something beyond that, as well. We left our boat's battery sitting on concrete in a heated garage one winter, ca.1989, and it was dead to the world by spring. Would never take a charge again, had to be replaced.

I can say with 100% certainty it never froze, but the garage was cool, probably 45 - 55F all winter. It likely got a blast of cold air here and there, when the doors were open, but we didn't leave the doors open overnight or all day. I'm fairly sure it never froze.

But of course a sample of one isn't anything scientific, for all we know that battery was on its way out, anyway. The only reason it stuck with me is that, multiple people from other boat owners to the guy who sold us the replacement battery, told us it was from storing it on a concrete floor.

 

[ArlyA]

Back to a Ego zero steer mower review. Got the machine out and the OEM batteries were down to about 80% while the aftermarket 2 were 100% dead and not take a charge. The company who sold them on Amazonie were gone and I could not write a review of them, or send them back. They were close to one year old. Have now mowed twice this spring using the 4 OEM batteries and I am reminded just how nice this unit is to use. Did order 2 more batteries and blades for it.