Lawnmowers ...

dickm · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 9:13 pm Post subject:

Got a fairly modern Hayter 56, which is great, but also still have one of the old pale green Harriers last made in about 1975. Not original, but bought as a motorless deck for £5, fitted with a Briggs engine and a grass box from the "civic amenity site" in Newport Pagnell, and still going strong after another 20 years. Makes the modern ones look a bit plastic.....
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Dick M

eggflan · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:21 pm Post subject:

I was keeping an eye out for a Haytor myself , if new this lawnflite shanks would have been way out of my price range at nearly £1000 .

I got lucky last spring with a lawnflight strimmer for £70 , it is an older model P705 and still runs like new with its kawasaki engine Wink

I think late winter/spring are the best times to get a bargain when it comes to gardening tools, during the summer months prices are way too high ..
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Steve Jones · Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 12:53 pm Post subject:

Anybody got any comments regarding Toro mowers, I'm basically after a small 16" or there about because at some of my customers I can't get access with my 21" machine.

I was after a Hayter 41 but I've been to the local dealer this morning to pick up some service spares and he has a Toro 43cm recycler for sale ( second user ) with alloy deck in very good condition.

Any thoughts ?

Steve Smile

eggflan · Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 2:34 pm Post subject:

Steve , one of my neighbours has a Toro mower its the one that leaves the clippings rather than collects , his lawn has improved a lot since he started using it and it apears very well made Wink

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Steve Jones · Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 3:36 pm Post subject:

Many thanks for that eggflan, this machine I've viewed this morning has the option of collecting or leaving the clippings behind so I'm now going to have to give this some serious thought.

Anybody started cutting up your way yet ? There's a few out round here already and I've had 1 or 2 customers on the phone, but I wont be starting till about the end of the month.

Regards

Steve

eggflan · Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 7:32 pm Post subject:

dickm · Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:44 pm Post subject:

Well, our neighbour got his mower out today and cleaned it, but the grass is still cowering under the soil saying "tell me when the snow has gone" Confused

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matt · Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 9:52 pm Post subject:

Am I allowed to ask about scarifiers/lawn rakes in this thread? A large section of our lawn has a lovely soft bed of moss but, as soon as the warm weather arrives, it goes brown and look quite bad. I have used an electric lawn rake in the past but not for a few years since. I seemed reasonably successful at the time - I had a huge mound of moss and a bald lawn. The grass recovered but the moss has crept back over time. I'm thinking I should get an electric scarifier and clear it out once a year?

eggflan · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 1:22 am Post subject:

Steve Jones · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 8:51 am Post subject:

Matt,

Personally I wont scarify a customers lawn unless they have it treated first because if you scarify an untreated lawn, as well as removing the living moss you are also spreading the spores ready for it to regenerate again.

I don't use feed and weed combined, the product I use is this for moss, they have a separate weed control and a separate lawn food product. I buy it in big bags enough to treat 400sq/m at a time, the weed control is also very good, I apply it with a Scotts evengreen drop spreader. Customers really like this product because it doesn't scorch the lawn and it makes it a really nice dark green for quite a few weeks after treatment. Unfortunately I don't have any before and after pics yet, this is something I'll be doing this year to add them to my website which is still under development.

I treated my own lawn yesterday with their lawn food just to give it a bit of a boost at the start of the season.

I've got no connection with Scott's, I'm just a happy, and have several happy customers.

Steve Very Happy

Apologies to eggflan for taking his original thread off topic

matt · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 9:53 am Post subject:

Many thanks. I will. Spend some time considering the options.

stevebuk · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:34 am Post subject:

i never use anything with moss killer in it as the chances of getting it wrong are too great DAMHIKT Laughing

ifyou leave the grass at about 25mm, aerate and scarify at least once a year you shouldn't have a problem.
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jlawrence · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 9:56 pm Post subject:

When it comes to moss you need to look at the reasons why it's there in the first place. Moss tends to like compacted surfaces, lack of light (ie shade), wet.
If you can, remove the reason why you've got the moss. Otherwise it'll just keep coming back regardless of what you use to treat it.
Most moss treatments shouldn't harm the grass at all. All I ever apply for moss now is chelated Iron - it'll turn the moss black, then scarify it out. You will need to over seed after removing the moss - so you might want to wait until it's a bit warmer. As per normal the best moss killer has been withdrawn - Diclorophen is the best I've used.
It is important to aerate a surface to keep moss at bay.
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Paul Chapman · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:18 pm Post subject:

jlawrence · Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 10:47 pm Post subject:

stevebuk - if you follow the instructions on the product you'll be fine, but don't be tempted to apply a little extra.

Paul, you could add some sand to your fork holes to help aid drainage.
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