Lawn Mower engine?

michael30t

Can you mow your yard in the rain without damaging the engine (or anything else) on your lawn mower?
I mow my yard weekly, however it has been raining on my day off for the last two weeks, So today I mowed my lawn between bursts of rain because I was afraid that the rain may somehow mess up my mower...am I just being dumb, or is this something that could happen?
Thanks in advance for any answers

PS. im not sure if this is the right section i should be asking in...it is just what Y!A suggested

Answer
It won't hurt your lawn mower to cut the grass in the rain. I wash mine with a hose and high pressure nozzle and then start it up. Let the heat from the engine dry it out and I've never had a problem. It is not good for the grass to mow it when it is wet. It will make it turn brown. Good luck and Happy mowing.

What's wrong with my lawn mower ?

Chuck

My push lawn mower kept spitting grass and the grass receiving bag is not even full, what cause this problem ?

Answer
Check and ensure that the hole or chute to your bag is not stopped up.
Also, are you cutting your grass when it is wet? That is a huge problem with grass catchers.
Is there anything under the lawn mower body that may be stopping the grass clippings from going into the grass catcher?
Maybe you are trying to cut grass when it is too high.
Best of Luck,

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Which is the best lawn mower that will cut the grass and make it mulch?

Miss Shi-S

Answer
We have a Honda self propelled mower that mulches very well. It has a double blade setup, so the grass is actually cut twice as the blade passes through it. Additionally, the mower will bag cut grass.

When mulching grass, the grass can't be too wet or too tall. You also have to be sure that the blades are good and sharp. This makes the cuts finer and the grass looks better if the cuts are clean on the grass blades. If the grass is very tall or wet, bagging is good because the blades can become overwhelmed buy these factors, and then your cutting job looks bad.

It's important to keep the underside of the mower deck cleaned up, too. Build up affects how the blade works and in turn how well your mulching feature works.

Mulching grass is smart. You are returning organic matter to the soil, conserving water and saving landfill space from grass clippings. Further, you're saving yourself work.. bagging grass and then carrying those heavy bags is a pain!

What's the best mower for cutting wet grass?

anise_lein

Yes, yes, I know! The best option of all is to wait until it dries. We can't. We would be waiting nine months. ;) Basically, the rainy season has begun in the Pacific Northwest, and there is no way to count on it stopping for any length of time until next July. It will be raining literally every single day. Given that, has anybody found that some mowers do better than others in wet grass?

Answer
I agree with the reel mowers, which are still quite available, as in this line here:

http://www.mclanemower.com/reelmowers.asp

I use a high-vacume, bagging, rotary (standard) mower with at least 5hp to lift the heavy grass. I like the Honda's and have 9 seasons on the last 2 I purchased. This tip is from their website:

"Move slowly across the lawn. To reduce the volume of clippings that might cause the mower to bog down, it may be necessary to raise the cutting height. It also may be necessary to turn the mower over and scrape off the packed-on clippings that accumulate under the mower deck housing."

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

How to Mow in the Wet Grass?

aaronrreag

OK, so I mow lawns for a job. I'm only seventeen, but I have 12 and every now and then it seems like I may have to mow in the wet grass. My mower will, Clog, Shut off, and Leave Skippers. One time I mowed this guys grass while he was on vacation. The one day it was a little wet. I didn't think it looked to bad when I left, but when he came back two days later he saw dead grass and so he raked it which revealed skippers. He was ticked!! What should I do? Are there certain mowers that will NOT leave skippers when it's wet? I think it put small ruts in the yard to.
Also, sometimes my mower will leave skippers even when the grass is dry. And I make sure my blades are sharpened every few weeks.

Are there some Pro lawn people that could help me out here? I have some more questions I think too. lol

Answer
The unfortunate thing is when you have to mow when it's wet. The best thing to do in that case, is to raise the deck at least 2 notches to keep the grass from clogging the mower. You may not be able to prevent skippers, but it may help.
If you are leaving skippers when it's dry, you may be mowing too fast and missing spots. Mowing too fast, especially if you are using a riding mower, will cause skippers.

Edit: It's all well and good to tell this young man not to mow when it's wet - that's common knowledge. However; in practicality that's pretty hard to do when you have a full book of clients that want their lawns mowed. It's not that easy to change days because of rain. Although it's not ideal, every lawn care company that mows, mows in the rain or when it's wet. Unless it's flooded.

How do I keep grass from building up under my lawn mower deck?

HAWKEYE

I currently owm a Simplicity Landlord mower.

Answer
Don't mow grass. Hehe.

Ok, really now, the advice to not mow wet grass is very good. Also, don't let it get too long before you mow. Additionally, you can spray it with something (though the non-stick vegetable spray is a new one on me.) Try some of the teflon spray you can get at the nearby HomeDepot. Lastly, if you are having a lot of trouble, try raising the mower deck a little bit.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

what would happen to my lawn mower if I would to use while it was raining?

best lawn mower wet grass image

MO21

I was cuting grass when it started to sprinkle.I kept going and it kept sprinkling.Finally i decide to stop because i thought it was going to start raining.But what would have happen if i would kept going and my lawn mower would got wet?

Answer
Nothing really, grass tends to stick to the under-body of the mower when it is wet and this will in-turn slow the blade resulting in an unclean cut and a general loss of power.

How to get rid of the grass smell of a lawn mower?

tech-80

I recently got a riding lawn mower and our garage has started to smell like decomposing grass. I currently use a mulching plug. I just cleaned off all the grass on the bottom of the mowing deck and i think it helped. I just don't want to have to hand clean the deck every month.
Any tricks to help get rid of the smell and/or the grass?

Answer
The trick to get rid of the decomposing grass smell, is to get rid of the decomposing grass, hehehe.

A good sprayer will do the trick...one on a 'wand', so you don't have to bend over to clean out under the deck. The more pressure you can put out with the sprayer, the better. Then let the deck 'air dry' before you put it away in the garage.


Grass tends to stick more, when it's wet. So, another trick is to mow only when it's dry. Since grass has water in it, you don't want to wait too long between mowing either, especially when you're using a mulching blade/plug. A good rule of thumb to follow when mowing, for a healthy lawn, is to cut no more than 1/3 of the length of the grass off. I'd recommend 1/4 when using the mulching system. This lets your 'mulched' grass come out finer, and is more easily 'absorbed' back into the lawn as fertilizer. If your grass is 4 inches high, then cut only 1 inch off, etc. This means you'll be mowing more often, but you'll get a much better look, and a healthier lawn. If you cut too much off at once, the lawn can actually go into 'shock', and the grass will turn a bit brown, or 'tan' color along the edges of the grass blades. (means your lawn won't look as green).

Have Fun

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What's the best mower for cutting wet grass?

best lawn mower wet grass image

anise_lein

Yes, yes, I know! The best option of all is to wait until it dries. We can't. We would be waiting nine months. ;) Basically, the rainy season has begun in the Pacific Northwest, and there is no way to count on it stopping for any length of time until next July. It will be raining literally every single day. Given that, has anybody found that some mowers do better than others in wet grass?

Answer
I agree with the reel mowers, which are still quite available, as in this line here:

http://www.mclanemower.com/reelmowers.asp

I use a high-vacume, bagging, rotary (standard) mower with at least 5hp to lift the heavy grass. I like the Honda's and have 9 seasons on the last 2 I purchased. This tip is from their website:

"Move slowly across the lawn. To reduce the volume of clippings that might cause the mower to bog down, it may be necessary to raise the cutting height. It also may be necessary to turn the mower over and scrape off the packed-on clippings that accumulate under the mower deck housing."

Does an electric cordless lawn mower work as well as a gas powered one?

Anna

I am needing a new lawn mower and with the price of gas, I was wondering if the electric ones are any good. I can't imagine having a cord attached, so I would want a rechargable one.

Answer
In the right circumstances a cordless will work fine. No, they're not as powerful as gas, and if you have a really large area to cut, one charge won't do it. You can buy extra batteries though they're not cheap. I have a 24v cordless and am very happy with it. It's light and easy to push. It's quiet enough that I can cut the lawn without making the neighbours close their windows. I cut about 100' x100' on one charge unless the grass is wet or too long. It cuts over small branches in the lawn with no trouble. I'd be using a lot of extension cord to reach all the areas with a corded one, and I hate the noise of gas ones, futzing around with fuel, and yanking on the cord.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Can I mow the lawn when its wet with an electric mower?

best lawn mower wet grass image

Kris B

It has been raining everyday for the past two weeks and the lawn is getting pretty tall, I have an electric lawn mower and want to mow but not sure if mowing when the lawn is wet from the rain is a good idea.

Answer
It's not a good idea to mow a wet lawn, regardless of what kind of mower you use. When cutting a wet lawn, the grass is "torn" rather than cut and it encourages disease. Better to wait until it's dry. I know you want to get out and cut that tall lawn, but, it's best to wait. But, if you HAVE to cut it, it shouldn't hurt you because the electric source is wherever the plug is.

Is it true that mowing wet grass will ruin the mower?

julliana

It has rained for 3 days and today it stopped. But it is supposed to rain tomorrow and the next day and then I have to work after that, so I'd rather mow it now while I have some time and the rain has stopped. But I've heard it is bad to mow wet grass .Is that true?

Answer
It will dull the blades, and dull blades will tear the grass rather than cut it. Tearing the grass isn't good for the grass.

In addition, what has been removed will clump on top of your lawn instead of dispersing throughout the lawn (green manure) if you have a mulching mower. If not, if your mower has an attachment that collects lawn clippings, it simply won't work.

Leave the mowing until the grass is dry. It will actually help your lawn, and in more ways than I've outlined above. Longer grass means longer roots, so that you don't need to water as frequently. That makes the grass itself stronger and healthier. As well, longer grass shades out sprouting weeds, again, for a healthier lawn.

The ideal length of grass in a lawn is 3 - 4", and when you mow, you should never remove more than 1/3 of the length of grass.

Just wait, you lawn will be fine.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

How to get rid of the grass smell of a lawn mower?

best lawn mower wet grass image

tech-80

I recently got a riding lawn mower and our garage has started to smell like decomposing grass. I currently use a mulching plug. I just cleaned off all the grass on the bottom of the mowing deck and i think it helped. I just don't want to have to hand clean the deck every month.
Any tricks to help get rid of the smell and/or the grass?

Answer
The trick to get rid of the decomposing grass smell, is to get rid of the decomposing grass, hehehe.

A good sprayer will do the trick...one on a 'wand', so you don't have to bend over to clean out under the deck. The more pressure you can put out with the sprayer, the better. Then let the deck 'air dry' before you put it away in the garage.


Grass tends to stick more, when it's wet. So, another trick is to mow only when it's dry. Since grass has water in it, you don't want to wait too long between mowing either, especially when you're using a mulching blade/plug. A good rule of thumb to follow when mowing, for a healthy lawn, is to cut no more than 1/3 of the length of the grass off. I'd recommend 1/4 when using the mulching system. This lets your 'mulched' grass come out finer, and is more easily 'absorbed' back into the lawn as fertilizer. If your grass is 4 inches high, then cut only 1 inch off, etc. This means you'll be mowing more often, but you'll get a much better look, and a healthier lawn. If you cut too much off at once, the lawn can actually go into 'shock', and the grass will turn a bit brown, or 'tan' color along the edges of the grass blades. (means your lawn won't look as green).

Have Fun

What is the difference between propelled, electric and gas Lawn mower?

lilfinevin

I am looking to purchase a lawn mower with a collector and have no clue what the differenc is in each of the 3 types that seem to be out there.

Answer
Self-Propelled means that there's a mechanism that helps the mower go forward when you push on the handle. It reduces the work you have to do in pushing that SOB all over your lawn...which is nice, but doesn't make it completely without effort, either.

Electric mowers can come in two flavors: Corded, and battery-operated. Legend says that the battery operated ones have come a long way. We had one 10 years ago, and you had to REALLY keep up on your lawn, or the battery-op mower just couldn't hack through the grass, especially in the early summer when it rains a lot and the grass goes insane. Corded ones have plenty of zip and power, you just have to make sure you don't run over the extension cord. We never had a collection bag on ours, so I don't know about that part of it. You also never have trouble starting one up, and you don't have to tinker with stupid stuff like spark plugs or small engine repair. Or gasoline, for that matter. They also tend to be lighter, weight-wise.

Gas lawn mowers are what most people have...these are small engines that run on gas, so you'll have to keep that around. Most of them have collection bags which will need to be emptied two or three times per mowing, even in a small yard like ours. They still require maintenance; my hubby isn't very handy (ok, he's a handyman's idiot), and I know nothing about small engines, so I have to take my mower to someone competent to have the blade sharpened and engine tuned and the whole thing lubed and such.

Ask your neighbors if they know anyone who does lawn mower maintenance and then ask the mower guy if he has mower recommendations. We took ours in and he said, "A Snapper? I never see those things in here!" We took that as a good sign. Hubby was dumb enough to mow wet grass and then not clean out the underside, so it solidified into a concrete mass and the blade wouldn't turn. Don't do that.

Consumer Reports seems to like the following mowers:

Gas-powered push models:
Lawn-Boy 10640
Cub Cadet 11A-18MC

Corded electric push models:
Black & Decker MM875

Cordless electric push models:
Black & Decker CMM1200

Self-Propelled Models:
Toro Recycler 20333
Toro Recycler 20332
Toro Recycler 20330
Craftsman 37435
Lawn-Boy 10641
Craftsman 37624

Good luck!!

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

Grass stains on concrete driveway; how do I get them out?

best lawn mower wet grass image

James R. R

Recently mowed wet grass and later parked lawn mower in driveway just long enough to leak all over concrete. Simple dishwashing soap and hot water don't seem to do the trick.

Answer
pressure washer, TSP and water, Muradic acid

What do I do about grass clippings?

Cat Woman

My lawn mower does not have a mulch feature. I know that it is not good to leave big mounds of clippings from overgrown or wet grass on your lawn since it would smother the grass. But if I mow my lawn a second time, spreading the clippings out that way, it looks fine. Is that okay, or should I rake it up, given that my mower does not "mulch." And....if it must have a mulch feature, is that something that can be added to my mower? I have both a riding mower and a self-propelled push mower.

Answer
mowing the second time will probably work fine-as long as you don't have 'rows' of clippings left....even then you can let dry a bit then take a fan type rake and turn it over and use it to fan out the piles....clippings left on the lawn will help add needed nutrients....you can check with a mower repair shop about adding a mulcher to your exising mower but easiest way would be to just add a mulching blade
good luck!

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What do I do about grass clippings?

best lawn mower wet grass image

Cat Woman

My lawn mower does not have a mulch feature. I know that it is not good to leave big mounds of clippings from overgrown or wet grass on your lawn since it would smother the grass. But if I mow my lawn a second time, spreading the clippings out that way, it looks fine. Is that okay, or should I rake it up, given that my mower does not "mulch." And....if it must have a mulch feature, is that something that can be added to my mower? I have both a riding mower and a self-propelled push mower.

Answer
mowing the second time will probably work fine-as long as you don't have 'rows' of clippings left....even then you can let dry a bit then take a fan type rake and turn it over and use it to fan out the piles....clippings left on the lawn will help add needed nutrients....you can check with a mower repair shop about adding a mulcher to your exising mower but easiest way would be to just add a mulching blade
good luck!

what would happen to my lawn mower if I would to use while it was raining?

MO21

I was cuting grass when it started to sprinkle.I kept going and it kept sprinkling.Finally i decide to stop because i thought it was going to start raining.But what would have happen if i would kept going and my lawn mower would got wet?

Answer
Nothing really, grass tends to stick to the under-body of the mower when it is wet and this will in-turn slow the blade resulting in an unclean cut and a general loss of power.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers