Lawn Mower Design, How can it be improved?
tom_key
17 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (21)
mikie_gw
17 years agoRelated Discussions
How can I slow down a Huqvarna all wheel drive lawn mower?
Comments (0)My sister has MS. Cutting the lawn is one of her few pleasures. I just bought a new Husqvarna all wheel drive lawnmower. The speed appears to be properly adjusted for an able bodied person but it goes too fast for her to keep up with it. Is there a way to slow it down somehow? Thanks in advance!...See MoreHow can I improve on my kitchen design?
Comments (15)If that's a major walkway from the garage/mudroom/laundry I'd keep the fridge as originally drawn. You can move the stub wall back 12", and the pantry's front wall back a few more, to gain aisle space, and make the island 102" rather than 106" to gain 4" more, then have seating on three sides. The art niche would be narrower, so if you already own a special piece for that space, this suggestion might not work: If the goal of moving the fridge to the top wall is so that you won't see it from the great room, then buehl's suggestion would work much better than that option. I like the extra storage she has under the island, but I forgot to include it in my drawing. If you want to keep the extra oven, I'd still suggest tucking it in the top corner, invisible from the great room. You'll probably just use it for the side dishes while the turkey is in the range oven (or vice versa), so I'd put in on the periphery. And BTW, I'd love to have an extra oven, so I vote to keep it. ETA, and unless you have a really unpleasant view from the window, I'd suggest making it larger. I missed the window and seating questions the first time. : /...See MoreHow to improve lawn, weeds taking over.
Comments (5)I think you might be safe ignoring our typical warnings for summer applications of anything. How often do you get temperatures above 85 in the summer? If your temps typically run in the high 70s to low 80s, then you can do what you want. You have what the rest of us would consider to be fall type weather while we're suffering in more heat. The white flowered plant is Dutch white clover. The yellow flowered plant is black medic. Between the two of these weeds, I would much rather live with the clover. At least it becomes dense and looks fairly lush. Black medic just looks scrappy. To eliminate these completely requires something like Weed-b-Gon Chickweed, Clover, and Oxalis Killer. If you think you can get rid of these organically then you'll have a future of internal conflict with reality. The mix you are using with vinegar will kill the tops of many plants, but only rarely kills the root. Plus it works best on hot sunny days...which you don't really get up there on the lake. I am a 100% organic fertilizer kind of guy and have been for 15 years. At the same time I see the value to having a nice lawn with no weeds. What you might consider is using the chemicals one or two times up front to get rid of them, then follow that up with a grass "densification" program to help keep weeds out in the future. Reseed the thin areas with Kentucky bluegrass. KBG is the kind of grass that will spread to fill in thin areas in the future. In your area it may go through the summer with only rainfall. Otherwise, it may go dormant in the summer dry spell and/or heat, such as it is in Racine. Fall is generally the time of year to reseed northern grasses. In your case you might start toward the end of July and get good results. My organic fertilizer of choice is alfalfa pellets (rabbit chow). I like it because it is available at every feed store in my area, and it works. You might find that something like soybean meal, corn gluten meal, corn meal, cottonseed meal, or Milorganite is more available to you. Certainly Milorganite is available in Racine!! The application rate for all of these is 15-20 pounds per 1,000 square feet. You might be able to get a discount on a pallet for your acreage. If you live in an affluent area and want to keep your lawn up to their standards, it's going to cost you some money....See MoreHow long should a lawn mower last?
Comments (76)OK, 1st of all let’s not assume either of us live in the same country or share the same currency here. My data is accurate. Here’s what I am seeing when I go to homedepot.ca (CDN Currency). Cheapest model is a Ryobi 18V 13” mower ($238 CDN), most expensive mower is a Toro 60V 22” mower ($1,148 CDN). I could not find a single replacement battery for the Ryobi but a 2-pack is $148 CDN, so let’s put the value at $386 CDN which converts to $290 USD. The Toro battery is $581 CDN so that puts us at $1,729 CDN or $1308 USD. Again, in both situations I would want to buy a replacement battery in case I can’t finish mowing my lawn before the battery dies and to get 4 years out of the mower, or more ideally. If I go to homedepot.com the cheapest mower is a Sun Joe 28V 14” mower ($176) and the most expensive is a Makita 18V x2 21” mower ($849). If I add the replacement battery again it’s $149 (this was not available at Home Depot but I did find it on their website (40V not 28V). But again if you wanted to get 4-5 years out of it you are investing $325 for the Sun Joe 14”. The Makita batteries are $219 putting the price up to at least $1,068, but in this case you are just maxing out the 4-bay battery system, to have an equivalent backup you should actually buy 6 which would bring you up to $1,506. So in both cases the battery powered mowers really range from $290 and $1308 or $325 to $1506. So let’s round it off at $300 - $1,400 to get 4-5 years out of battery powered mowers. All I’ve invested in a gas mower is $453 USD for the mower $4.50 for oil and $7 for gas. 5 years from now I doubt my costs will be much more than about $550 USD but let’s say they are $650 USD, that’s still really cheap and I didn’t have all that stalling and bogging down. The cost of batteries are also going up as there is considerable costs to manufacture them, and 18V batteries just don’t give you enough power for most people....See Morelbpod
17 years agordaystrom
17 years agotom_p_pa
17 years agoroadbike
17 years ago1saxman
17 years agomowers
17 years agoroadbike
17 years agotom_p_pa
17 years agomackey
17 years agoshahidmkarwar_gmail_com
12 years agotrickyputt
9 years agoHU-383741807
5 years agossewalk1
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agotomplum
5 years agoMule Meat
5 years agossewalk1
5 years agoMule Meat
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agossewalk1
5 years agoRobert Dempsey
5 years ago
Related Stories
LANDSCAPE DESIGNGet Along With Less Lawn — Ideas to Save Water and Effort
Ditch the mower and lower your water bill while creating a feast for the eyes with diverse plantings and gathering places
Full StoryGREAT HOME PROJECTSHow to Replace Your Lawn With a Garden
New project for a new year: Lose the turfgrass for energy savings, wildlife friendliness and lower maintenance
Full StoryBEFORE AND AFTERSSee 6 Yards Transformed by Losing Their Lawns
Wondering whether a turf lawn is the best use of your outdoor space? These homeowners did, and they found creative alternatives
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGN15 Great Ideas for a Lawn-Free Yard
End the turf war for good with hardscaping, native grasses and ground covers that save water and are easier to maintain
Full StoryEARTH DAYThe Case for Losing the Traditional Lawn
Work less, help the environment and foster connections by just saying no to typical turf
Full StoryLANDSCAPE DESIGNCalifornia Says Goodbye to the Sprawling Ornamental Lawn
New state rules will effectively limit turfgrass to 25 percent of the landscape in most new and renovated yards
Full StoryINSPIRING GARDENSLawn Gives Way to a More Natural Lakeside Garden
Meadow grasses, beach pebbles and driftwood replace turfgrass in a nature-friendly landscape on Lake Washington’s shore
Full StoryGRASSESHow to Rock a Lawn
Weekend Project: The key to healthy grass begins with the soil. If turf works for you, here’s how to fix it and keep it looking its best
Full StoryMOST POPULARMeet a Lawn Alternative That Works Wonders
Carex can replace turfgrass in any spot, is low maintenance and adjusts easily. Add its good looks and you’ve got a ground cover winner
Full StoryTHE ART OF ARCHITECTUREDesign Practice: 11 Ways Architects Can Overcome Creative Blocks
When inspiration remains elusive, consider these strategies for finding your creative muse
Full Story
fedexjetinspector