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Paul
25-11-2008, 09:37 PM
Hi All,
it amazes me to see how many fellow contractors have a ute with 4 mowers and no clippings?I hardly see anyone with a ute/trailer with lawn clipping bags etc?
I have gotten new customers because they want me to use a catcher and they havnt had many quotes that will..I get sick of carting bags around but i like the leaf/clipping free look.
I mulch mow in winter cause lawns are shorter unless the lawn is thatchy then i use a catcher..I Always catch and remove in spring/summer .

Whats everyone else do and why?

Elitemow
25-11-2008, 10:20 PM
Hi Paul.....Mulch as much and as often as you can I reckon....A Mulching mower or even the Honda with a mulching plug does the trick.
Spring is a little different...mulching lush lawns tends to leave a bit of a mess so catching would be best at this time . But if you talk your clients into cutting the lawn a little higher and encourage stronger thicker growth then you still could get away with the mulcher....Any time saved means you get home to the beer fridge quicker...and less tip trips....

Cheers
Mark (Hoey) :wave-hi: :wave-hi:

Bluey
26-11-2008, 08:15 AM
Hi Paul.....Mulch as much and as often as you can I reckon....A Mulching mower or even the Honda with a mulching plug does the trick.
Spring is a little different...mulching lush lawns tends to leave a bit of a mess so catching would be best at this time . But if you talk your clients into cutting the lawn a little higher and encourage stronger thicker growth then you still could get away with the mulcher....Any time saved means you get home to the beer fridge quicker...and less tip trips....

Cheers
Mark (Hoey) :wave-hi: :wave-hi:

Yep I agree with Mark. I try to get as many as possible to mulch. I have some who don't want to do it so I catch those and take them to the worm farm man. I even mulch my own lawn at home. If I have to catch I always ask the client if I can use their green waste bin as well. Saves them money anyway as I charge extra to take the clippings away.

Mowjoe
26-11-2008, 02:09 PM
In my case it depends on the type of grass. If you mulch couch grass for example you tend to leave clumps of cutting behind especially if the grass is a little damp. I usually catch those.
Buffalo on the other hand is a very good grass to mulch and it also helps to thicken up the growth.
Most of the time it depends on the customers and what they prefer.
But you are right Paul, I wish I new what the trick is to not having any grass in the ute, I usually end up with about 10 bags each day in the peak period. Thankfully I can dump them at the local landscape supplier on the way home for free. :wave-hi:



http://www.indmowing.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=24&page=2&pp=15&highlight=grass+clipping

Bgs
26-11-2008, 04:14 PM
I too would like to know the secret to having no grass in the ute, I saw a ute the other day with a small zero turn ride on two pushys a tool box and sprayer all squeezed in neatly with no room for anything else where do they put the grass.

I try to mulch as many lawns as I can or ask the customer if I can put the grass in a compost bin garden bed ect.

I now leave the trailer at home unless I am doing a garden clean up but every night I unload a full ute I recycle a fair bit myself and what I cant recycle goes into the trailer and when its full i do a run to the tip.

don't these guys have customers with palm trees after grass palm fronds is what I collect the most

If you don't pick up any green waste tells us your secrets :wave-hi:

Stripes
26-11-2008, 04:40 PM
I mulch as much as I can, but I still catch my nicer lawns and have to catch when cylinder mowing. When mulching I use the big backpack blower to disperse the bits of clippings and it comes up spotless! If its wet, I will catch and put the clippings in the clients green bin. The few clients I have that dont want me to use their green bins, I will take their grass away, then put it in the next clients green bin ;)

mowjoman
27-11-2008, 06:48 AM
All the clients I catch want the grass left there so they can use it in thier gardens when it dries out. I'm lucky I guess.
Just a thought but what if you offer to build them a compost heap and educate them on how good clippings are in the garden (once they've dried out). To your advantage you could make some $ outa it. If they dont want to spread the clippings themselves then you could spread the last visits clippings before you mow, at an extra charge of course :i dunno:

DAJ
27-11-2008, 09:11 AM
I mulch where ever possible ,saves heaps of time and the Husqvarna mulch mower i have does a great job.I only have 2 customers that want the grass picked up and it goes in there green bins. :wave-hi:

Dinoz
27-11-2008, 01:33 PM
I mulch all bar 2-3 of my lawns. It's a bit trickier in spring with the extra growth, but I find a combination of setting the mower a little higher and maybe double cutting some areas does the trick. I prefer to do this than use the catcher and have to dispose of the clippings.

m287j
27-11-2008, 08:15 PM
As all of our clients are on weekly or two weekly year round the grass never gets that long so we mulch every property.

The only problem with mulching is it increases the level of weeds in the lawn i have noticed, this we treat as part of our regular maintenance anyway.

holdenhead
14-12-2008, 01:19 AM
Gotta love green waste bins. I have a ute with 2 mowers, Tool box and a ride on on it. I don't own a trailer but have one that I can use whenever. I mulch all the lawns that I can. I mow a few feral lawns too. They are a quick run over no catcher. I tell these people I will mow it but it's only when I'm in the area and no catching. These seem to be my best money makers. Not regular as others tho.