For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1907156
Flintstone wrote:We've already had the astroturf conversation. :eye:


We put cheapo Astro turf on our mahoosive patio when we learned just after the house build was finished that we were expecting twin grandsons so we could have inflatable pools , awnings toys for the formative crawling years . Very good it was too though it had to be anchored down with garden furniture during the gales.

Now they’re rising six it’s being rolled up and stored in the garage to make room for their bikes and wheeled stuff ….,,,,. :wink:
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By kanga
#1907180
Sooty25 wrote:..

Astroturf it.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-61043514

"Council cut artificial grass on roundabout"

' ..South Somerset Council apologised and said officers should hand pick weeds.

In a statement it said: "Additional training will be provided.

"We are committed to protecting our environment."..'
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By Charliesixtysix
#1907241
Paultheparaglider wrote:Nice mower @Charliesixtysix . I use a slightly smaller version.

As you know, Flint should also get a roller mower - not a robot mower. But, will he listen?

Image



That is one very nice shiny new Trimax - impressed :thumleft:
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By Paultheparaglider
#1907256
The Trimax is only nine months old now @Charliesixtysix . The build quality and performance is really impressive.

I bought the Kubota tractor pulling it back in 2007, and it has proved to be faultless. I'm probably tempting fate by saying that, but it really has been a gem.
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By Paultheparaglider
#1907291
@PeteSpencer ,

Prior to getting my Trimax, I was using a set of Ransomes Hydraulic 5 gang mowers. They produced a lovely 11ft stripe, and float beautifully over the undulating bits of my ground that the rigid Trimax doesn't. They could cut most of my 4 acres or so of grass in just over an hour. They really are a fabulous bit of kit. I still have mine as I can't bear to get rid of them. The quality of cut is amazing in the right conditions.

However, they did not disperse the clippings as well as the Trimax. Further, my grass grows really fast, and the gangs don't perform well on long grass. And dandelion and other type weeds that shoot up virtually overnight don't leave a clean finish at certain times of the year.

They have well over 30 fiddly grease points that need greasing every 8 hours. Bottom blades need setting to the cylinders every four hours. I spent more time servicing them than I did cutting with them. Add on at least 15 to 20 minutes to clean them off with a compressor and air gun plus brushes after each use.

The Trimax has 4 grease points on the rollers. I grease them every 6 to 8 hours of cutting time - takes 2 minutes max - which conveniently matches the hours to refuelling the Kubota. The 4 spindles are maintenance free. Five minutes to clean after use.

Adjusting the height of cut takes 5 minutes, compared withat least half an hour for the gangs. And then getting five units matched properly on the gangs can be a real pain.

Plus, when I back the Trimax up over the fallen leaves in Autumn it mulches them to nothing. The gangs can't do that.

I love those gangs, but I can't see me switching back.
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1907300
Flyin'Dutch' wrote:Ww need to move.

I need a garden big enough or those toys!


No you don't, you really don't. Trust me ;

Big gardens are killers........................
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By PeteSpencer
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1907302
@Paultheparaglider

You're right about long grass: Persuading the group (we have a grass-cutting rota) to do just one extra cut per month in the growing season is a pain, but it sure prevents the usual two hours for the six acres of our strip turning into a four hour repeated unblocking nightmare.

We nearly lost the Fergie two years ago when 50 years of neglected grass clippings in the radiator matrix caused it to overheat and seize up.

Fortunately we have 'Frank' who loves that tractor like a son and who rebuilt it in the hangar with his mate for £2K.

And to protect against recurrence Frank fitted a temp gauge to the rudimentary dash….,

Fit for another 70 years now............. :wink:

Adjusting and sharpening the gangs is a labour of love, but one of our members (Licensed aircraft engineer-Ex KLM) is well up for the task and saves us a bomb.

Biggest gotcha/aka mower blade killer is stones thrown up by farm machinery on the crop fields literally abutting the strip :
Last edited by PeteSpencer on Mon Apr 11, 2022 8:08 am, edited 2 times in total.
By Paultheparaglider
#1907306
@PeteSpencer ,

I have a 2.3m Sitrex finishing mower that I used before I bought the gangs. To be honest, that would be a better type of mower for your strip than your gangs. It doesn't leave nice stripes, and it isn't brilliant at distributing clippings, but it really does give a good quality cut. It can handle long grass very well, and if you take the extra time to back up over the clippings, it mulches them to a very fine finish. Maintenance is very easy, especially compared to gangs.

My grass grows too fast for it to give me the finish I want, but this or something similar would make for a really great airstrip mower.

Here is a link. Mine is the SM230. You can get the same machine branded as Fleming.

https://www.sitrex.com/index.php?action ... rodotto=54

They aren't as good as the roller mowers, but they are much cheaper.

Worth a thought when the time comes to refurbish your gangs.