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Thread: Lawn Mowing Who catches

  1. #1
    Member Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden's Avatar
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    Default Lawn Mowing Who catches

    I was just wondering who catches these days had a real estate chick today complain about a job i did the grass was waiste high and i did advise her on completion that it was waiste high and stringy grass and wasnt cutting very welll more bendiing then cutting but i had run over it three times and that its hard to make a yard that high neat. Any way she rang today saying it looks like a mess could i give it another try so i did and rang her asking her to meet me there so she could look at it. Any way she replies as long as the clippings are gone thats fine. I said to her ive beeen mowing for her agency for 18 months and never ever ever taken clippings away what are you on about. Any way she tried to tell me i must have been taking them away before and i said no i pay good money for machines that mulch so i dont have to take them away.

    Any way can people please advise if they catch or mulch or combination most people in townsville mulch only the jims boys are the only ones i see catch.

    when i had machines that could catch i doubled the price if they wanted it caught and i thought i was still better off not catching it. Its three times the amount of work if you do catch.
    Last edited by administrator; 11-02-2011 at 09:37 AM.
    Tender Lovin Lawn and Garden Care
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  2. #2
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who catches

    I catch. I think it gives a better finish. I have some feral lawns we mulch but only a few. I did try mulching but gave up on it. Just on the real estate job you could have tried slashing it down low then raking then mowing to finish. I find that works well with the long stuff
    Cheers

    Bluey
    Adelaide Home & Garden Solutions
    http://www.ahgs.com.au


    "Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching."

  3. #3
    Member courty's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who catches

    All mine are catch except for two commercials that I can mulch,the residentials just wouldn't have it(and nor would I if I was paying the bill).
    "I'm not alone cause the tv's on yeah,I'm not crazy cause I take the right pills.... everyday" Jimmy Eat World

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  4. #4
    Member Of Forum jas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who catches

    I have always caught the grass, especially thru summer.

    I don't see the sense in mulching, The grass just grows to fast and to thick at this time of the year.I don't need it to make it even harder then it already is. Its just easier to catch.

    I use a ride-on with a catcher aswell.

    I might do a couple trips to the tip a day at the moment but its free!

    I only mulch thru winter, to save fuel,because then I hardly need to go to the tip.

    jas

  5. #5
    Member geoff1969's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who catches

    about 70 percent mulch - 30 percent catch .. ive got other contractors in my area where its mulch only or find some one else . was talking to women at local tip awhile ago and she claims when it comes to contractors dumping green waste such as clippings its down by 80 percent ...

  6. #6
    Member SouthCoast Walker's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who catches

    Combination of the two here, all my rural stuff gets mulched, nice lawns I catch with the walker or mulch with the Toro 21" can't see any difference with the Toro as it mulches so well it looks like its been bagged.

    If it was waist high they have to be reasonable.
    South Coast Mowing & Gardening Services
    www.southcoastmowing.com

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Who catches

    i'm like the Australian cricket team [ very rarely catch anything ]actually i tell people i mulch and if they want the grass caught they will have to ring someone else
    Anything Ian says may or may not be garbage, it may also be his own opinion or it may not be his opinion at all, it may just be something he felt like stating anyone following his advice does so at their own risk and may be doing something Ian would actually advise against.
    And if you don't like what Ian has to say use the ignore function if you don't know how ask i will gladly tell you

  8. #8
    Senior Member Scooby Steve's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who catches

    All my ride-on work has the ride-on throwing it out the side. Push/self propelled mowers would be approx 70% catch, 30% mulch and that figure would reverse in winter.

    Some customers around my area hate you to mulch in spring time they say it leaves to much grass around and the kids bring it in the house while playing outside but in winter i can get away with it sure saves a lot of time, spreads the weeds though.

  9. #9
    Senior Member PaulG's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who catches

    I use the catcher for all the lawns I do. It's a pain though in Summer when customer only want you to come every three weeks. Kikuyu here is growing 4 to 5 inches in two weeks at the moment and these are what most of my jobs are.

  10. #10
    Member Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who catches

    how much do you charge for catching then.
    Tender Lovin Lawn and Garden Care
    We do everything for your lawn and garden with tender loving care
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  11. #11
    Member Tender Lovin Lawn&Garden's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who catches

    Quote Originally Posted by Bluey View Post
    I catch. I think it gives a better finish. I have some feral lawns we mulch but only a few. I did try mulching but gave up on it. Just on the real estate job you could have tried slashing it down low then raking then mowing to finish. I find that works well with the long stuff
    They would winge and ***** big time about the bill if i did that subbed one of there yards once to another contractor when i told them what the contractor charged me they went bizurck and said they wouldnt pay that the job was only worth a third of that charge.
    Tender Lovin Lawn and Garden Care
    We do everything for your lawn and garden with tender loving care
    find us on facebook under Tender Lovin Lawn and Garden Care

  12. #12
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who catches

    Well I guess you answered your own question then. If they don't like the cost of a proper job don't ***** about the finish for a cheap one. I would be explaining that fully to them.
    Cheers

    Bluey
    Adelaide Home & Garden Solutions
    http://www.ahgs.com.au


    "Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching."

  13. #13
    Dedicated Member Cranbourne Lawnmowing's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who catches

    I always charge as if I'm catching except for one real estate job. (I've told them if you want me to catch it will cost at least $35 more.)

    Most lawns I catch as always have but have found I'm starting to mulch more and more. This time of year if the clients don't want to pay for more regular mowing then there is more clippings and I'm not taking them away for free. Also so many clients are on such regular mowing schedules that catch or mulch they cant tell the difference. The ones I mulch I do tell them that though and their happy as long as it looks good. I don't charge any less though.

    Hope that all made sense. I finished early today and have had a few coldies to many.

  14. #14
    Member Andy B's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who catches

    I catch most of mine, charge extra to take clippings away. I reckon it gives a better finish and apart from the lifting the catcher prefer to do it rather than blowing over the yard afterwoods.

    Like most things you adjust to the lawn and the client or tell them to get someone else. There's advantages in both, and some I mulch the front catch the back and some the opposite.

  15. #15
    Senior Member Bluey's Avatar
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    Default Re: Who catches

    Yep I charge $6 per chaff bag to take away extras.
    Cheers

    Bluey
    Adelaide Home & Garden Solutions
    http://www.ahgs.com.au


    "Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching."

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