Cutting exsesivvly tall lawns

[Red Barchetta]

Reason I ask - I am looking at this property (for invesment purposes) that is about 300 miles away from where I live. - I have seen the house and it's really not in too bad a shape (needs work before anyone could "Move In" but nothing I can't handle myself) - but the lawn - that I am unsure of how to take care of - no way will a standard lawn mower do the job - lawn is about waist heigh!
What tool would I use to cut something that tall?

(At this point I probibly won't do it till the spring anyway, but what do I use?)
Easy answer is to call a landscaper - but I have plenty of time on my hands, just need to know how......

[Grimey]

my advice would be a to weed-eat the hell out of it, then rake all the grass up, then take the lawn mower to it to make it look pretty.

Just a thought.....I take no responsibilities for broken anythings while doing this.

[Faustus]

Its obviously the only way.

That being said don't they have special mowers to cut really high grass? Maybe you could find somewhere to rent one of those.

[MackemX]

I'd take the easy option and get someone else to do it , like I do because I'm lazy

[b1tchm4gn3t]

bush hog

[drjtech]

I'd recommend a DR Power Brush Mower (aka Brush Hog). You might be able to rent one locally.

http://www.drpower.com/



-drj

[thecoalman]

If it's small lawn a weed whacker or even a hand held scythe. If you wait until it dries out good during the winter (if you live where the grass sies off during the winter) you may even be able to do it with a decent lawnmower, just do a little bit at a time. If it contains any larger material like small diameter trees they make brush clearing attachments for the larger weed whackers, essentially a saw blade....

If it's a large lawn go with the brush hog as drjtech suggested.

[smearbrick1]

A hay bailer?

If you aren't able to procure a hay bailer, you could use a bush hog. This would work so much easier than a standard weed eater. It would also cut the lawn to a standard height. With a weed eater, you don't have the best height consistency.

[ZAPPER]

BURN BABY BURN! (Maybe, maybe not)

Bush hog sounds like overkill and can't get into the tight spots

A brush mower could be rented I guess, a weed wacker or a wheeled line trimmer could do the trick but you will have to gather the hay.

I would just attack it with a good lawnmower with a sharp blade and the deck raised to the highest position. Go slowwww and easy, let the engine stay reved up. The biggest concerns would be hidden objects and uneven ground. Once you got a lap around the place only cut half width laps and if you have a side discharge machine make sure that it is shooting out onto the pass that you have already mowed. After you manage to get it all knocked down let it dry out for a couple of days and then mulch the hell out of it again at the highest setting to help spread out the clippings ( if you are not one of the freaks that bags ) The thing about keeping the deck high is to help avoid the supprise rock, brick, tree root and to get a feel for any areas that might scalp down to the dirt. If you leave the grass high it will stand a better chance of recovering and also be able to poke through the heavy clippings. Once you have managed to get the clippings spread or gathered, then start to lower your deck a notch or two every time you next mow until you get it down to the hight that you like.


If you don't mind cutting four feet at a time you could bag it the first time and start a compost pile out back and use the compost to fill in little holes in your lawn or in your garden? I only collect clippings when there are leaves (Too damb lazy to do it every time, and my machine is built for it, commercial job)

[thecoalman]

( if you are not one of the freaks that bags

I've always found that quite amusing, makes no sense unless the grass is really high and there's giant clumps of it.

[ZAPPER]

( if you are not one of the freaks that bags

I've always found that quite amusing, makes no sense unless the grass is really high and there's giant clumps of it.

It is not for everyone. Some turfs do better if you bag and if I was going to throw a party I would bag just to keep it from getting tracked in and out of the house. I got a Walker brand mower that has a built in grass catcher, but I only collect it 3 or four times a year (mostly fall cleanup) My biggest problem is what to do with the clippings. I tried a compost pile and the damb thing got so huge that I couldn't manage it without a frontend loader. Now I just dump it in a straight row next to the garden and spread it over the garden area once a year. It ain't really composted, I think it is called the lasanga method. The other problem is that most of what I do collect is slow to go Magnolia leaves and Pine needles. High acid, good for tomatoes, bad for the rest of the garden excecpt that it helps keep moisture in when used as mulch.

[Red Barchetta]

Actually, because it is such a small lot - I think out of all suggestions, pluss my own thoughts, combined with speaking to aquantaicies that are professional landscapers.
Without spending the $$ for a pro (the idea is to do it all my self) the most reasonale corse of action seems to be to wait till spring (I intended to anyway) - weed-wack the S*!T out of it, rake that, cut with a standard mower set to the highest posable length setting with no catcher attached - then re-adkust the mower to the loength I really want, go over it again, but this time with a catcher......

BTW - Also needed, outdoor electical wiring, no problem doing it my self (proved that by doing outdoor wiring, pluse re-wiring the whole house literally where I actually live) - but Not sure if this town will even sell me a permit for electrical work (I know some towns you HAVE to be a licensed electrican to even get the prmit to do electrical work) - again I KNOW I can do it, and not to state, but to federal code - I electrical licenense = I don't have one, but I'll 95% guarentee you that I know more about home electricity than those that do.
If that town will not allow me to do my own electrical work - well the WORST they can do is fine me - it just might be worth painh the fine (but if the will sell me a pemit, I'll buy it - if not I intend to do all the work myself anyway - fines are less $$ than contractors!!!)

[ZAPPER]

@Red

As far as I know, If you are the homeowner you can pull the permit and do the work in most places. When you call for inspections the inspectors may be tougher on your work than they would be towards a locally known contractor, but hey, if it meets code you are good to go.


As I got to thinking about it there are some areas that may require that the permit be pulled by a licensed contractor. I think that this is called the "Good old boy" system. You see, very little of the actual hands on stuff is ever done by the guy that holds the ticket, it's mostly labors and subs anyways. You may have to "hire" one of these guys to pull the permit for you. (Reads as kickback) There are actually ones that will pull the permit, let you do the work and check it out before you call for an inspection, but I would guess that their price is right about the amount of the fines that you could get if you didn't. imagine that.

[MackemX]

I just paid £150 and got all my gardening done recently that would have took me at least 2 weeks . I doubt I would have even managed to get it into the condition it is now anyway due to being just one person whereas they had 5 for a day. They also had all the tools and equipment and experience

well worth the money

[lordsmurf]

bush hog

That's the one.