what should I use to cut my small lawn?

dan_Tallahassee_FL – posted 15 June 2005 16:27

I recently laid Amerishade St Augestine in my 350 sq ft, fenced-in, back yard. This is a semi-dwarf cultivar that is supposed to be kept from 1″-3″. It seems like too small of an area to purchase even the smallest of rotary mowers. I looked into manual rotary mowers and line trimmers (weed eaters) for the task because it just seemed more attuned for the task. What are your suggestions for the tools and methods to maintain this *small* yard. Thanks,Dan

tallahassee lassie – posted 16 June 2005 12:45

Hello neighbor! I would use a weedeater. How is the amerishade working out?

Katie

dan_Tallahassee_FL – posted 16 June 2005 15:31

Hey, a member from Tallahassee! Good to see!So far so good, only been down a week. Got it from Espisito’s.

I had read (somewhere on these forums) that it is critical to mow with a sharp blade, with the risk of chewing up the blades of grass. Would I run into this problem with the seemingly dull cord of a weedeater?

Thanks for the reply,Dan

dan_Tallahassee_FL – posted 16 June 2005 15:35

Oh, and by the way, if a weedeater IS recommended, are there any specific models I should be looking for?

Dan

cohiba – posted 17 June 2005 06:31

I would not use a weedeater. The dullness of the string and the inability to get an even cut would turn me off. Also, why would you use a “weedeater”? Wouldn’t a “turfeater” or a “St.Aug-eater” be more appropriate? Seems like its time for a crafty inventor to come up with somthing.I’m sorry I got off the subject a little.

It seems to me that you are the perfect candidate for one of those robotic mowers. It seems the big problem with those things is people ripping them off when you aren’t looking. In a fenced in yard, you would be golden. Also you could mow as much as you wanted. Your back could look like your livingroom….all the time.

Sometimes small is better…………..

dan_Tallahassee_FL – posted 17 June 2005 10:33

Thanks Cohiba!I had figured someone was bound to tell me not to use a “truf-trimmer”. I didn’t realized there were robotic mowers. This is deffinately something I will be looking into. Thanks for the great help!

Dan

tallahassee lassie – posted 17 June 2005 10:46

That’s odd… I had always thought that the weedeater was sharper than the mower because of the higher RPM and the smaller width of the trimmer string. I make it a point to mow my little pieces of Palmetto St. Augustine with the weedeater to avoid the shredding that my mower causes. My rotary mower cuts my centipede perfectly but shreds the Palmetto. Maybe I should sharpen my mower blade…

Katie

cohiba – posted 17 June 2005 17:48

Katie,

If you get an exceptable quality of cut, by all means, don’t stop. I was speaking in general terms. But the sharp blade is a must. Particularly on those coarse, warm season grasses. A sharp blade can mean the difference between getting a disease and dodging the bullet.

Food For Thought….Take Care……….

Texas Jones – posted 19 June 2005 15:04

I would have to say a reel mower is your bag. Then, use the weed-eater to get the areas around the fence. Read more about them here:

http://www.reelmowerguide.com/