more efficient at trim + blow

[Seascape]

Dont happen much ,,, but Im with Jack 110% on this one.If a trimmer gets to an area before a mower than fine,,if not,,oh well. As far as anything laying around not getting mulched through a mower,, if you pace it good (not to fast anyhow) youll toss your debri in such a manner that it wont be noticable really. Backwards,and NO GAURDS is the only way. Our gaurds come off and go straight in the dumpster. As far as getting stuff thrown back on you,,its just the way it is. Let it dry than knock it off. Its not that big a deal. Poor trimming is though.

Mike

[Phillip Baker]

Guards

Hey thanks Mike I thought for a min i might be the only one taking the guards off man they get in the way, and the more I think about it i'm gonna try going backwards but i dont think i can go left handed, is that your technic?

[justmjc]

Mow, then trim where you missed with the mower, then edge, then blow off. It's really not difficult, just keep moving and you will get faster and faster at doing it.

[Easy Way Lawn Care]

phil

My formula starts at 15,000 sq feet and goes up from there. I can do 15,000 sqr feet by myself in 30 to 35 complete. Most yards under 15,000 sqr feet ironically take about the same amount of time 25 to 35 minutes one man (I don't do much under 15,000 sqfeet, so the last sentence may not be accurate just what I have found). I found that the smaller the yard is actually slower then a bigger yard because of the detail work required. (slower in sqr feet per minute). I did a mobile home double lot last year and that took me as long as a 15,000 sqr foot yard because of the detail work and the fact I couldn't get any production out of my mower. Too factor in for two people I take the time and multiply it by .40 meaning a second man will save about 40%. I think a third man would get in the way on a 7,000 sq ft lawn. My post was titled "formula to make bidding jobs easier" if you search for it you should find it. Its a novel, but it gives a good example that may answer your question.

[Phillip Baker]

3 man crew

Cool, I'll search for it...and as for the third man he doesn't get in the way if you work it like this, 1st man hits the back yard, 2nd man takes the front, 3rd man edges, weed eats, who ever finishes first gets the blower and starts blowing off, on the small yards that is, the fastest we did a yard last yr was 9 min, but i had made a bet with the guys, anyway i had to buy lunch that day. Most of the time we avg 15 min on the residential lots. Thats using a 21" in the back yard and a 33" on the front most of the time! :p

[Seascape]

I am right handed and trim backwards right handed. i have a left handed employee who struggles dearly timming forward or backward. I dont know if its he is left handed or what. And 3 yrs now i can not put him on a trimmer. i just cant figure him out,, and neither can he. We cant figure out how to train him to trim. He can only trim moving forward and i dont like his results.

mike

[Easy Way Lawn Care]

phil

If you dont find the post by title search for all posts under "Easy Way Lawn Care" if you have any questions about it e-mail me (title the e-mail "lawn formula"). also I made an error in my last post second man time is time multiplied by .60 not .40. And I modified the formula just a bit since the post. Nothing major just adjusted the sqr ft per minute multiplier. My formula is not cut in stone and needs some work any imput would be nice.

[btammo]

It only makes sense to walk in the direction that the head is turning....counterclockwise you would walk "backwards". best technique, best results.

[fishinagin]

I am a new member. I find it funny that I posted a question on the equipment forum on curved shaft trimmers with no responce. I trim first and think it is unprofessional to throw your trimmings into a flower bed or hard surface. Also find is is very unproductive to walk backwards. Curved shafts may not be as strong but if you only use them to trim a lawn they still hold up well enough for there atributes. If we ever get a manufaturer to reverse the engine rotation of a straight shaft we would have the machine to have.
Has anyone ever noticed the MORONS in the trimmer brochures don't know what the heck they are doing?

[Jack D.]

Hello Mr. Fishinigan, I do not believe there are any straight shafts that spin clockwise, Ryobi used to have one but it may be discontinued. Regardless, trimming from left to right, or backwards becomes second nature w/practice. I suggest you train yourself or you employees to this method from the start as breaking bad trim habits become more difficult w/time. Once proficient, you should find no decrease in productivity & there is the added benefit of being able to reverse your pattern for the edge so landscape beds can be completed in an unbroken cycle.

[Phillip Baker]

Jack, The more I think about the more I feel it would work both ways, we do go forward but I dont believe we are any less effecient than going backward, I do agree with you on the fact that edging would be more eff. by going backward, but we use stick edgers as I dont feel the weedeater makes as nice an edge as a blade so that solves that problem there....we do flip the weed eater over to run along flowerbeds and that usually warrents traviling backwards but the weedeater is inverted then. so Im gonna try going backwards as you suggest but merley to sample, I think iv'e been going forward to long to change.

[Maddog]

I run the trimmer like Jack does. Right to left. I have found that it doesn't throw the trimmings into the flower beds and makes it for me to clean up at the end. It only took a short time to get use to going backwards but it seems to go quick now.

There is an exception to this. I have found that if i trim from left to right on chain link fences it goes quicker and doesn't get jerked as much if the string catches the fence now and then.

[floridalawncare]

i like sharps idea on this one. stick edge, first, mow, string trim, then blow off. that's if i'm by myself. if i'm with the crew, sometimes where three man, mostly two. we'll do the same order, with two men doing the same. if three, then we'll start the third man mowing, while the others follow same proceedure, then the unucky one will start weedeating while the other starts mowing. if weedeating (string trimming,) is not finished by the time the mowers are done, then one wil start trimmming and the other start blowing. when trimming is done, we all finish blowing off. then we commense spraying or any addittional work (hedges etc.) outside of the mowing and trimming.

[Phillip Baker]

Chain Link

Some of my properties have 200" of chain link which equals 400' if you gotta do both sides, I know walking foward is better in that application because of the amount of trim line being ate up. I use .095 in my weedeaters.

[hunter]

always take the guards off our trimmers and we have always walked backwards while trimming. Most houses only take about 10-15minutes edging and trimming. And we always use a stick edger. Hate seeing those wide edges on sidewalks because someone can't keep their string from flatting out with trying to edge with a string trimmer.