To mow...or not to mow

[Ronstar]

I still mow at age 68. About 30,000 ft total. Walk out basement house - so I push mower the back - about 5,000 sf. Rider mower the rest. I have a sprinkling system that keeps the grass growing, so I mow about twice a week. I’ve never considered having anyone else mow our grass.

 

[DaveInMi]

I mow about 2.5 acres, 2 homesteads once a week. I acquired a used Cub Cadet with a 25 hp Kohler engine and a 50" deck. It takes about 4 hours.
I also bushhog about 3 acres of trails and a meadow on my place about once a month. I have a Kubota L3901 and a 6' Land Pride rotary cutter for that. I bushhog other properties for money.

 

[Route246]

I mow and hand wash and wax our vehicles at 66. I mostly do it for cardio. Hand washing and waxing vehicles are especially good for cardio. I could afford a gardener and detailer but then I would lose my cardio. Maybe someday.

 

[DrRoy]

I mow 1/3 acre flat with a propelled walk behind. When we travel I have a neighborhood kid that does it for $30/hr. It takes some time to pick up the sticks and whatever else falls in the grass from large trees.

 

[Andre1969]

I'm on about 6.5 acres. I hit whatever I can with the the lawn tractor. Anything else, I just let grow, or hand trim every once in awhile.

I've thought about treating myself to a lawn service every once in awhile. My neighbors across the street are on 5 acres, but I'd guess that the mow-able (minus trees, forest, driveways, pools, structures, etc) are similar. One day I was chatting with the wife, and asked about their service. She said it's $225 every time they come out. At first I was a bit shocked, but she said that was for EVERYTHING. They have guys ride around on those big zero turn mowers, and also have guys do trimming/edging, and even walk around with blowers to clear any clipping that end up on the driveway/sidwalks/etc.

So at the end of the cut, the place looks like it's about to be featured in the Cavalcade of Model Homes or something. Still...$225 per cut. And, they come out every week. I don't pay that much attention to how early in the year they start, or when they finish up for the season, but even if it was half a year, that's almost $6,000 per season!

I've been keeping track, and in contrast, I cut my own yard a whopping 8 times last year. I'll do one half of the yard one day, and then do the other half another. Usually takes about 95-115 minutes per side.

 

[Sanstar]

DH is first up for mowing and whacking our 6,700 sg ft lot. I’m second. The heat this August has been brutal so even though lot is small, couple of water breaks are essential. We use a lithium powered battery lawnmower, whacker and edger.

PSA: The local news reported several house fires originating in the garage caused by lithium batteries. Did I mention the heat this summer[emoji29]Consistent with airline ban of lithium batteries in luggage. So, we charge batteries the night before mowing. Unplugged otherwise and added a smoke alarm to garage.

 

[old medic]

4628 sq ft is just 1/10th of an acre. -ERD50

We have about 110,000 Sq Ft. 54 in zero turn makes quick work of it. thankfully my brother takes care of most of it. He borrowed my weed eater like 3 years ago... and I ain't run it since...

 

[frayne]

72 here, ~4500 sg. ft. yard and still mow using an EGO self propelled walk behind mower and actually enjoy mowing except on the extremely hot days. Takes an hour and half to mow, trim, edge and blow everything off. Also everything is battery powered so no more messing with gas and inhaling hydrocarbons. Also weed and feed fertilize lawn four times a year, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day, plus hit with crabgrass preventer twice in January and February. I have one of the nicer lawns in the neighborhood.

 

[Jerry1]

PSA: The local news reported several house fires originating in the garage caused by lithium batteries. Did I mention the heat this summer[emoji29]Consistent with airline ban of lithium batteries in luggage. So, we charge batteries the night before mowing. Unplugged otherwise and added a smoke alarm to garage.

They make bags to charge and store batteries that protect against explosion.

https://www.amazon.com/COLCASE-Fireproof-Explosionproof-Charging-198x150x135mm/dp/B0719H46PF?th=1

 

[Aerides]

I think a lot of this question depends on where you live. Down here in S.Fla, my sister and I begged our Dad for years to give it up (on a small suburban lot). They moved a few years ago to a SFH in a 55+ with lawn service, he now remarks how nice it is not to have to mow every week in the summers (95f/95h).

When we first came to the US in the 80's, Dad brought his powered push mower with him - the corporate move included all expenses so we brought literally everything with us. He told us recently how that mower which cut grass like butter back home was nearly useless on the St. Augustine lawn in florida. I remember we had to go shopping at Sears for a new one in the first few months after arriving, now I know why!

 

[eytonxav]

Stopped mowing last year after extending backyard patio and installing synthetic turf. Best thing I ever did. In our neighborhood the tiny front yard mowing is included as part of HOA fee.

 

[misanman]

We have a 1 acre lot and I still enjoy mowing every 5 days at age 77. Having a Scag Patriot zero turn helps make it fun.

 

[frank]

77 here and mow a .75 acre yard with a cub cadet I bought in 09. still move snow with a snowblower. won't give it up until I have to. good exercise and I like doing the repairs myself. it is one of the things that keep me active. I also have a small garden which I like and it supplies fresh vegetable, but I am not very good at it. the way I see it is how much good it does for you and if you have the time.

 

[Sanstar]

They make bags to charge and store batteries that protect against explosion.



https://www.amazon.com/COLCASE-Fireproof-Explosionproof-Charging-198x150x135mm/dp/B0719H46PF?th=1

Thanks, Jerry! I’ve got one on order.

 

[aaronc879]

We have 1/3 acre that I still mow with a push mower. It takes about an hour to do the whole thing and is a good workout. I skip my walk on days I mow. Luckily for me, it is perfectly flat. I try to mow in the morning before it gets too hot.

The morning dew makes mowing in the morning impractical IMO. Therefore I wait until late evening when the lawn is the driest and the temp has started going down. It is still quite warm most of the Summer at that time but it's the best overall time to do for me. Cutting wet grass is bad all around and it's hard to clean the mower after.

 

[aaronc879]

We have a 1 acre lot and I still enjoy mowing every 5 days at age 77. Having a Scag Patriot zero turn helps make it fun.

Glad i'm not your neighbor. I hate the ones who mow so often that you can't even tell where they mowed and where they didn't. Add in the noise of a gas powered rider and they belong in the bad neighbor thread. I try to go 2 weeks or more between mowings most of the year and use a battery powered self propelled mower so it's nice and quiet. I hate noise pollution and excessive mowing with a very loud mower is among the biggest offenders.

 

[Andre1969]

77 here and mow a .75 acre yard with a cub cadet I bought in 09. still move snow with a snowblower. won't give it up until I have to. good exercise and I like doing the repairs myself. it is one of the things that keep me active. I also have a small garden which I like and it supplies fresh vegetable, but I am not very good at it. the way I see it is how much good it does for you and if you have the time.

Has your Cub Cadet been a good mower? My uncle and I went in halves and bought a Cub Cadet with, I believe, a 42" deck, back in late 2016. It replaced a tractor we had gotten from Sears in 2010, which was pretty much shot.

Our Cub Cadet was pretty good, up until last year. One of the pulleys pulled clean through the mower deck. Luckily, a local repair shop was able to weld it back together. The guy there was a bit shocked at how cheaply built they are these days...he said the mower deck wasn't much more than sheet metal. They also changed the oil, replaced the battery, replaced the blades, etc, for around $600 or so. That was the first serious money I think we've had to put into it, so not too bad, I guess. The guy at the shop said the starter was also getting a bit weak, and that was probably around a $200 repair. Although, when that time comes, I wonder if it's something I'd be able to do myself.

We also have an old 1969 Montgomery Ward tractor, that was built by Simplicity. Granddad bought it new. I brought it up with the guy at the repair shop, asking him if he could work on something like that, and, well, he politely declined. He also said, DON'T expect anything modern to last nearly as long as that old Simplicity, either.

In the interests of full disclosure though, I do remember Granddad rebuilt the engine in that Simplicity, at some point. And, starting around 1986, it also became more of a "backup tractor". Granddad bought a Hechinger tractor from the estate of one of Grandmom's friends after she died, and then bought a new 1990 Montgomery Ward, just before he died. The newer ones cut better, and could go faster, but weren't near as rugged/durable as that old Simplicity.

 

[Winemaker]

I still mow my yard and a rental, but stopped mowing Mom's last year after selling the house last June. I'm 65. I have been talking about pulling up the sod on the hilly part and planting some shrubs or flowers there, as it irritates my knee when I mow there.

 

[Gumby]

The morning dew makes mowing in the morning impractical IMO. Therefore I wait until late evening when the lawn is the driest and the temp has started going down. It is still quite warm most of the Summer at that time but it's the best overall time to do for me. Cutting wet grass is bad all around and it's hard to clean the mower after.

I agree about the dew and try to avoid mowing if it is heavy, which means I do sometimes have to wait until the evening. But often the night is dry enough that I can mow in the morning.

 

[Aerides]

Glad i'm not your neighbor. I hate the ones who mow so often that you can't even tell where they mowed and where they didn't. Add in the noise of a gas powered rider and they belong in the bad neighbor thread. I try to go 2 weeks or more between mowings most of the year and use a battery powered self propelled mower so it's nice and quiet. I hate noise pollution and excessive mowing with a very loud mower is among the biggest offenders.

Here in S.Fla suburbia almost everyone has lawn service, which includes a weekly mow in the summer. And everyone is on a different schedule. I can hear a big noisy commercial rider "next door" pretty much every day of the week. Behind, next door, across the street, etc., all different days! But it's fast with a crew, most of them take maybe 20 minutes each house and then they are done.

 

[Gumby]

Many of my neighbors, who are generally younger and almost all of whom have a smaller lawn than me, have lawn services. Those guys are quick and efficient, and they know enough not to start too early in the morning. In my experience, 8am is the earliest, and I've usually already been up for 3 hours by then.

 

[FindingForward]

Glad i'm not your neighbor. I hate the ones who mow so often that you can't even tell where they mowed and where they didn't. Add in the noise of a gas powered rider and they belong in the bad neighbor thread. I try to go 2 weeks or more between mowings most of the year and use a battery powered self propelled mower so it's nice and quiet. I hate noise pollution and excessive mowing with a very loud mower is among the biggest offenders.

I can deal with mowers no problem - it's nothing compared to the ear shattering leaf blowers. I hate those things! I'm at wit's end in my neighborhood. Every single home around me has lawn services that come every single week - all on different days. So at least 4-5 days a week, 52 weeks a year, I have to hear those loud lawn blowers that come through loud and clear through closed, locked windows when I'm on the phone, trying to read, nap, etc.

No use trying to move - as urban environments aren't for me and I'd face this in any suburban neighborhood. I wish they'd outlaw lawn blowers.

 

[Venturer]

I'm 72 and have 1/2 acre lot that is all hill front to back. Istill have my John Deere 42" cut rider stored under my back deck. I keep it hooked to a battery maintainer but haven't mowed with it for 2 years. We pay $40. per mow because my COPD makes me get out of breath if I even try to walk from back to front of yard. So even when I did mow I would have to trim around my DW's flower beds and weedeat then blow so I would have to walk it to do that, so the $40. every 2 weeks is a deal for me. I have thought about selling the JD but can't bring myself to do it. I do still hook it to my pull behind areator twice a year and then use it to put overseeding
grass & fertilizer in the fall.

 

[38Chevy454]

I'm my own lawn guy, now getting close to 60, and mow my 2.5 acres myself. Have a big 60 inch zero turn and can do just the mowing in about 1.5 hours. Add in another 0.5 hour for some edging trimming and blowing, and takes about 2 hours total. Sitting on the zero turn is not much work and can be done even in hot weather. Occasionally DW mows and she takes longer since she goes slower than I do. My yard is mostly fat and not many trees or other obstacles to mow around so it mows pretty easy.

 

[pacergal]

DH still mows, has a self propelled electric mower we bought last year. It makes it a bit easier. Fairly flat yard, but do have an incline on the back.
However, we do not water in the summer, except for the flower and veggie plants, so the grass is brown and dead. He mows occasionally to cut the weeds, since he doesn't like the weed wacker
So to actually mow green grass, it is usually only Sept/Oct and again April-June. He mows front and back on different days, his back can't handle much more than that. I keep suggesting we pay some one else, but he is not ready to give it up yet at 66.