Striping! Gotta love it!!

[BHLC]

One of today's, bad angle but you get it

 

[TaskForceLawnCare]

One of today's, bad angle but you get it

Angle looks fine and just as important it looks like the fastest way to mow that property.

 

[BHLC]

It is the easiest way but doesn't show as well

 

[djdicetn]

Ok......striping question for those in this thread(strictly ZTR mowing). I "hear" some say "mine just stripes naturally" without a striper flap, roller or chains and I think......hmmmmm....gotta be a reason why a Bobcat, Dixie Chopper, etc. stripes "out of the box" and say a Toro, Gravely, etc. doesn't. Could it be deck design, blades used, mulching kits................OR............c'mon fess up........could it remotely/possibly be the "pitch of the deck" when it was leveled???? I'm referring to what is commonly called "heeling the deck"...aka.....getting the blade tips east/west the same height on both sides of the deck(to level the deck) and the front blade tips facing north(at the front) higher(usually 1/4") than the southern blade tip(at the rear). The "conventional" deck leveling calls for a "regular pitch" where the front is 1/4" LOWER than the rear to have the leading edge of the blade cut the grass. Now my Gravely manual mentions a potential better cut when "heeling the deck" but states it requires more engine power pitched that way. It does not elaborate further nor does it imply any "connection" to "striping" lawns. But for some reason I am suspicious that inherently if the back edge of the deck is the lowest point to "contact" remaining/already cut grass blades.....isn't it "possible" that the edge of the deck itself would ever so slightly "bend the remaining grass blades" and therefore produce a striping efect????? If the Bobcat, Dixie Chopper, etc. came from the assembly line/dealer with the deck "heeled" that would explain the "natural striping effect" now wouldn't it. Otherwise, I'm all ears as to what makes them "special". Now my Gravely "naturally" leaves a "path indication' with evidence of the tire tracks on each side(looks like a professional cut but I would NOT consider it a "striping effect"). I just purchased a mulching kit that I am installing over the Labor Day weekend to futher improve the lack of any clippings evidence. The only thing left that I desire to accomplish is to be able to produce striping effect "when I want to". That being said, the "flaps" on the back of the deck are kinda "permanent" so unless you went through a lot of trouble removing/replacng them you would "stripe all the time", the Gravely hex striper roller kit can be raised/lowered, but it is "pricey" and I could always look into a chain striper setup. I am VERY curious(since the Gravely manual mentions it) that if I change my deck pitch from "conventional" to "heeled" I may get a decent striping effect without additional expense(of course that would still be kinda "permanent" too, unless I change the pitch back and forth...also a lot of trouble). I will more than likely purchase the Gravely hex striper(best all-around solution to striping when wanted) before I retire in October...but thought I'd stir up a debate about whether "heeling your deck" will stripe your lawn or not(and it may explain why some ZTR's do it "naturally"). What are everybody's thoughts on this?????????

 

[TaskForceLawnCare]

All that might work i couldn't tell you, since all our decks are even and some of the stripes are from my walk behind mower pictured below. It takes a few things to all fall into place. We use high lift blades occasionally use gator blades depending on conditions. Blade velocity is another factor along with deck design and how it's baffled. Then there's cutting height i never cut below 4"s it helps the wind velocity created by the deck lay the grass over after it cuts it.

 

[BHLC]

On Toro's YouTube channel they advise to pitch the deck forward to achieve a vacuum affect on the grass... I don't use toro. My ferris ztr has a rubber stripe flap that simply lays the grass over, it works best at 3 1/2", my bobcat on the other hand says to keep the deck level, it is just that! It stripes better than both my ferris's ever could.

 

[BHLC]

August 31 2013

 

[TaskForceLawnCare]

 

[BHLC]

<img src="http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16893"/>

<img src="http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16894"/>

Those look great! I just realized my pictures are terrible!

 

[TaskForceLawnCare]

I literally just use my iPhone, lol. Plus i try to stripe in an East or West direction so they light will help the stripes show up