zero turn for clean up?

[Cutler tree]

I was a a buddies house on friday taking down a 5o ft maple. I went up in the bucket and removed the leads that were growing into two other maples then i tied in a rope notched and dropped it. We bucked the firewood and chipped the brush then he hopped on his Bad boy zero turn with the turbine in the bagger line and got done in about 5-10 minutes what would have taken us at least 30 minutes and probably an hour. It was also a better quality clean up got 99% of the sawdust. I'm looking at one tomorrow. my question is does anyone else use a mower for clean up, or seen or heard of it before?

 

[Blakesmaster]

I was a a buddies house on friday taking down a 5o ft maple. I went up in the bucket and removed the leads that were growing into two other maples then i tied in a rope notched and dropped it. We bucked the firewood and chipped the brush then he hopped on his Bad boy zero turn with the turbine in the bagger line and got done in about 5-10 minutes what would have taken us at least 30 minutes and probably an hour. It was also a better quality clean up got 99% of the sawdust. I'm looking at one tomorrow. my question is does anyone else use a mower for clean up, or seen or heard of it before?

I've heard of guys using this and am personally debating a purchase of one in the future. Not only to help the "finished product" aspect but to also make raking easier for lawns that have gone un-mowed for a week or two. Run the mower over before work commences and after the work is done. I assume you will go through mower blades quite a bit quicker than a landscrape outfit though.

 

[Slvrmple72]

Just dont miss a big branch stuck in the dirt! We will premow jobsites to expedite cleanup. Green branches arent as tough on mower blades as dead... up to a point! You buy a zero turn might as well go into lawncare. My buddies been wearing two hats for years profitably.

 

[tree md]

I have one word for you: STEINER!!!

 

[sgreanbeans]

I have one word for you: STEINER!!!

Oh lord!

 

[Bigus Termitius]

---

Oh lord!

Here we go again....I just hope it doesn't work like "beetlejuice." The break has been refreshing.

 

[Cutler tree]

my dads a steiner dealer

But I'm like a little birdie cheap cheap cheap. I found a 62 inch white with a bagger\vac system for $1250 and as far as lawncare maybe but I'm awful with a weed wacker

 

[the Aerialist]

Anything that saves time on the job is worth it...

... my question is does anyone else use a mower for clean up, or seen or heard of it before?

Well Cutler, if your Dad's a Steiner dealer I would think it would be a no brainer. Kinda pricy though, but you do get what you pay for. I've considered getting the lawn sweeper implement for my 430 Max, but I may go with a stand alone lawn vacuum / leaf shredder / chipper. I don't expect much out of the chipper, but it claims to take 3" branches and it might be handy for the small stuff. I don't even have a mower deck for my Max.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

They also work good for dragging brush to the chipper, you just have to run the numbers and see if it is worth it to carry the machine on the budget, and haul it to jobsites. They are also good for scalping the lawn first so dragging and course raking is easier. Lawn purists do not want to run over twigs with sharp blades.

 

[indiansprings]

I got a couple of Bad Boy mowers, the deck is sure tough enough to take it, they are 1/4 solid plate steel top and sides. Their heavy duty spindles are tough enough as well. In the boys lawn business they have hit rebar, survey stakes, even a log chain. No issues except farked blades. The 35hp CAT diesel will drag a bunch to the chipper, it has a built in receiver hitch on the back and front, it can pull a 12' trailer that is loaded with a substantial amount of weight. At the factory they told us about a guy that removed all the gauge wheels and was lowering the deck to the ground and blading his driveway with the deck.lol
They are a tough, tough mower.

 

[Cutler tree]

ok i got one

I bought the white it's a 91 with a 20hp motor. a 62" deck thing looks pristine and runs well. it didn't quite pick up like the badboy but I have some mods in store, were gonna level the deck, go with a "high lift" blade, and build a boot of rubber around the deck. maybe we will swap out pullies on the turbine. next question is how would you drag brush with it?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

I bought the white it's a 91 with a 20hp motor. a 62" deck thing looks pristine and runs well. it didn't quite pick up like the badboy but I have some mods in store, were gonna level the deck, go with a "high lift" blade, and build a boot of rubber around the deck. maybe we will swap out pullies on the turbine. next question is how would you drag brush with it?

Use a section of rope to choke the load and tie it off the the back of the mower, if you can put a utility hitch on the back of the mower, you can tow a light trailer and stack brush on it. This works well with long drags that would need extensive raking of twigs.

 

[TreEmergencyB]

Use a section of rope to choke the load and tie it off the the back of the mower, if you can put a utility hitch on the back of the mower, you can tow a light trailer and stack brush on it. This works well with long drags that would need extensive raking of twigs.

I know a guy that does that, works good!

 

[WolverineMarine]

As far as getting the twigs and crap collected..what do you think about a sweeper attatchment for a mini skid? I have to say 60% or more of my time is spent raking and cleaning up and is far and above the most taxing on your body especially at the end of the day when you are tired from busting you butt all day..I need some ideas other than buying a mower..

 

[Blakesmaster]

I need some ideas other than buying a mower..

Mexicans?

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

As far as getting the twigs and crap collected..what do you think about a sweeper attatchment for a mini skid? I have to say 60% or more of my time is spent raking and cleaning up and is far and above the most taxing on your body especially at the end of the day when you are tired from busting you butt all day..I need some ideas other than buying a mower..

If all you do is removals, then the sweeper may be worth while, but I've seen them mess up a lawn pretty good. Using the loader bucket vs tarps may help with reducing the workload. Maybe look at the rakes you are using, I have foundd that eh cheap ones are flimsey and less efficient then sturdier varieties.

 

[WolverineMarine]

If all you do is removals, then the sweeper may be worth while, but I've seen them mess up a lawn pretty good. Using the loader bucket vs tarps may help with reducing the workload. Maybe look at the rakes you are using, I have foundd that eh cheap ones are flimsey and less efficient then sturdier varieties.

I DO do a fair amount of removals...prolly 60% or better of the work I get..I use those really slick rakes from treeman supply..I mean they do a great job but I mean there has got to be a better way to skin the cat here...I saw something like a flexible steel tined broom looking thing mini skid attatchment on youtube that looks like it would work pretty good..when we spend average close to 4 hrs on any given job on say like a dead ash b/c they just turn to toothpicks even if you're carefull rigging them down..I rarely bomb anything out unless I am specifically told I can so there isnt just a mess left when it hits the ground but obviously b/c of the potential lawn damage and then repair..

 

[no tree to big]

I DO do a fair amount of removals...prolly 60% or better of the work I get..I use those really slick rakes from treeman supply..I mean they do a great job but I mean there has got to be a better way to skin the cat here...I saw something like a flexible steel tined broom looking thing mini skid attatchment on youtube that looks like it would work pretty good..when we spend average close to 4 hrs on any given job on say like a dead ash b/c they just turn to toothpicks even if you're carefull rigging them down..I rarely bomb anything out unless I am specifically told I can so there isnt just a mess left when it hits the ground but obviously b/c of the potential lawn damage and then repair..

hey PM prentice110 see if he will get pics of his broom for his mini in action that thing is bad azz a dead elm I did with him left one hell ova mess on a gravel drive it prob would have taken an hour or better to pick up/rake by hand, with the broom attachement it was less then 5 min