# This one's for MasterMech



## Ashful (Jul 16, 2013)

I think you need a pair of these for _your _golf course!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/10/golf-hovercraft_n_3574445.html


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## Jags (Jul 16, 2013)

To heck with golf.  I wanna go play on one of these.


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## bogydave (Jul 16, 2013)

That's now on my list of wants


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## Jags (Jul 16, 2013)

bogydave said:


> That's now on my list of wants


A hovercraft will run on snow too.


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## Pallet Pete (Jul 16, 2013)

Jags said:


> A hovercraft will run on snow too.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I thought they hovered ! LoL 

Pete


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## MasterMech (Jul 18, 2013)

I like it!  Carts do create plenty of visible wear and tear on a course, the wetter the season, the worse it gets.

Now if only I could get a top-dresser and a sprayer mounted on a hovercraft.....


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## Jags (Jul 18, 2013)

MasterMech said:


> and a sprayer mounted on a hovercraft.....


 
Drip the spray into the lift prop and bingo - you are a sprayer.


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## MasterMech (Jul 18, 2013)

Jags said:


> Drip the spray into the lift prop and bingo - you are a sprayer.


Calibration is going to be a beyatch.


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## Jags (Jul 18, 2013)

MasterMech said:


> Calibration is going to be a beyatch.


 
Your Per Acre amount can be regulated by ground speed.


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## Ashful (Jul 18, 2013)

Speaking of spreader calibration, the gate stop on my Herd M-12 slipped two weeks ago, while putting down some 14-0-0 w/Allectus. Unfortunately, I did not notice until I dropped 1.5 bushels of material in a single pass of about 100 feet. Got a nice 15' wide x 100' long brown stripe in my front lawn, now!

Gotta figure out if I can re-seed in August, or if I need to put something down to neutralize what's there, first.


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## MasterMech (Jul 18, 2013)

Joful said:


> put something down to neutralize what's there, first.


 
Water. Lots of it.


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## begreen (Jul 18, 2013)

> Speaking of spreader calibration, the gate stop on my Herd M-12 slipped two weeks ago, while putting down some 14-0-0 w/Allectus


 
Read up on the long term effects of imidacloprid. It is persistent and not good for honey bees at all.

"A high acute risk to honey bees was identified from exposure via dust drift for the seed treatment uses in maize, oilseed **** and cereals. A high acute risk was also identified from exposure via residues in nectar and/or pollen."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imidacloprid_effects_on_bees


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## Ashful (Jul 18, 2013)

Hmm... will have to look into that begreen.  The target insect is sod worm, which was killing large patches of my lawn when I moved in two years ago, I got nothing against honey bees.  Used Mallet in early June last year, but was advised by the distributor to switch to Allectus and delay until end of June this year.  I usually stick to what they recommend, but will have to ask more questions when the time comes for my sod worm control, next June.


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## begreen (Jul 18, 2013)

If there is clover in the lawn I'd be concerned about the uptake and distribution via the clover flower. Bees love clover.


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## MasterMech (Jul 18, 2013)

begreen said:


> If there is clover in the lawn I'd be concerned about the uptake and distribution via the clover flower. Bees love clover.


If he's worried about sodworms.... I'm sure he's zapped the clover long ago.   I know I did, dog is allergic to bee sting and it was one area of "lawn improvement" that came "spouse approved".


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## Ashful (Jul 18, 2013)

I probably had an acre of clover when I moved in, but now it's down to just a square foot scattered here and there. Within another year or two, I'll be 100% free of the stuff.

Lawn control is a war. In every battle, unfortunately, some good men are lost to friendly fire. You can only try to minimize the losses. I will look into finding a more bee-friendly treatment before the next application.

<-- somewhat allergic to yellow jackets, but does okay with a single bee sting


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## begreen (Jul 18, 2013)

I gave up that battle a long time ago. Lawns out here are brown in the summer anyway, so I don't do anything but mow it in spring and fall.


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## charly (Jul 18, 2013)

MasterMech said:


> Water. Lots of it.


Friend of mine is a grounds keeper here at The Altamont Orchards golf course... Busy job.... I was once connected, worked for SV Moffett, commercial turf Equipment.. I rebuilt and sharpened many bed knife and reel on the big fairway Jac units... I use to love setting the reels after the rebuild to cut a single sheet of paper all the way across... Our smaller place years ago, that's what I cut our lawn with, a push reel mower... Had the best looking lawn on the block... I use to cut it in two different directions during one mow.. Neighbor use to say I need a hole marker flag for the front lawn.. Used a lot of Jerry Baker ideas, soap and water, ammonia and water dilution for instant nitrogen, beer, what ever the lawn needed..Hose end sprayer worked wonders. I was chemical free because of my dogs.. Short lawn made it hard for the weeds to establish themselves... sorry to get off track here


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## MasterMech (Jul 18, 2013)

Charly,

I know what you mean with setting the reels.  Kinda like setting greens reels to mow at .120" and watching them leave perfection behind.  Even better if I'm in the seat!


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## charly (Jul 18, 2013)

MasterMech said:


> Charly,
> 
> I know what you mean with setting the reels. Kinda like setting greens reels to mow at .120" and watching them leave perfection behind. Even better if I'm in the seat!


Yes I remember using a gauge bar with a screw in the middle with an integral washer on the head of the screw.. Used that on the toro green's mowers..  I forget how short they were set but wow, .120 is just under an 1/8th inch..


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## Ashful (Jul 18, 2013)

charly said:


> ... Short lawn made it hard for the weeds to establish



You sure on that?  I cut my tall fescue pretty high (4.25"), and watch the neighbors short-cut lawns go brown in July, while mine stays green.


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## charly (Jul 18, 2013)

I had a timer for my water,, use to water from 4 am -6am.. Lawn always had a good drink keeping it that short..When I say short, 2 inches.. Yes without a good water program that could certainly happen..Cutting with a reel mower was less stressful on the grass blade as well, cutting like scissors verses a single blade just tearing the top off.. Another reason it stayed good looking while cut short.. All those golf courses would be brown in July,, that's why they use reel mowers...treats the grass good! Plus they aerate the soil as well.


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## Ashful (Jul 18, 2013)

charly said:


> I had a timer for my water,, use to water from 4 am -6am.. Lawn always had a good drink keeping it that short..When I say short, 2 inches.. Yes without a good water program that could certainly happen..


 
Ah... watering. I think we're talking about lawns of a vastly different scale, charly! At the recommended 1 inch rainfall per week, during our typical dry spell (late June thru mid-August), I'd be burning thru 100,471 gallons of water per week.  That's roughly five typical in-ground pools... per week!

I only know these numbers because I once did look into extending our automatic sprinkler system (gardens) to do the lawn.  I was quickly talked out of that idea.


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## MasterMech (Jul 19, 2013)

charly said:


> I remember using a gauge bar with a screw in the middle with an integral washer on the head of the screw..​


 
We have a similar setup for fairway units but the greens units are set with a similar tool that instead of a button head screw, has a dial indicator installed.

Regarding the grass....

Water is the key.  Joful, you're doing it right, cut high (with the right grasses) and weeds don't stand a chance.  Charly's approach works too (short height, mow frequently) but you have to have water available or the lawn will go dormant real quick cutting at 2".  I usually cut mine 2.75" to 3" (Bluegrass/Ryegrass mix) and don't have to water until it climbs over 90 deg on a consistent basis.


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## charly (Jul 19, 2013)

Joful said:


> Ah... watering. I think we're talking about lawns of a vastly different scale, charly! At the recommended 1 inch rainfall per week, during our typical dry spell (late June thru mid-August), I'd be burning thru 100,471 gallons of water per week.  That's roughly five typical in-ground pools... per week!
> 
> I only know these numbers because I once did look into extending our automatic sprinkler system (gardens) to do the lawn. I was quickly talked out of that idea.


Before we moved out of the city we had metered water where I had this short long... I was watering for 4 hours a day until we got the water bill! Then cut it back to 2...  Out here on the farm the only thing that gets watered is the garden, soaker hoses and I just lift the lawn hydrant arm,, all gravity fed from our spring fed pond including the house... People before us had dairy cows and used the same water system and never ran the spring fed pond dry... it's a half acre pond.  So the water is free now, no meter and no well pump needed..  Picture shows about half of the pond...


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## Jags (Jul 19, 2013)

So...If I want to make my grass brown out (so I don't have to mow)....?  Just asking.


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## begreen (Jul 19, 2013)

Cut it to 1/2" inch!  Brown is good.


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## Pallet Pete (Jul 19, 2013)

begreen said:


> Cut it to 1/2" inch!  Brown is good.


Or you plant a mullberry so it will kill your grass and make a yard full of wine. 

Pete


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## Ashful (Jul 19, 2013)

Pallet Pete said:


> Or you plant a mullberry so it will kill your grass and make a yard full of wine.



No wine here, but I do have white Mulberry schnapps in the works.  More importantly, I just figured out why I can't keep that patch of my yard alive!


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## begreen (Jul 19, 2013)

Gotta plant me some mulberries.


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## Pallet Pete (Jul 19, 2013)

Joful said:


> No wine here, but I do have white Mulberry schnapps in the works.  More importantly, I just figured out why I can't keep that patch of my yard alive!


We had to take ours down because as much as we liked the mulberries it ruined everything. The grass died off in a circle around the tree every year and smelled like rancid wine for a couple months. I wish we had more land so I could re plant one farther out from the house ! We do miss the berries.

Pete


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## Ashful (Jul 20, 2013)

We had a huge, perhaps 5 feet DBH, mulberry on the property line when we moved in.  It was surrounded by more wild raspberry than grass, and the large (12"+) surface roots made it tricky to mow around it.  Unfortunately, it was taken down to make way for a neighboring driveway.


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