Mowing like a killer
Picture an experienced landscaper making the same weekly mistake of mowing over a shallow stump. Every week he clears it so he keeps ignoring the rule about only mowing over grass. Then last week he somehow fails to clear the stump.
Now he has to call the boss to explain the accident and get a new mower brought in. Remember that mistakes like this can get you fired. Not only are you wasting the boss’ time, the whole deal can be extremely costly.
Let’s start with the mangled mower blade which has to be recycled and costs something like C$20-30 to replace. Second we get to the shaft which holds and spins the blade. When your mower hits a fixed object, like a stump, the blade gets bent as it embeds in the fixed object. As that happens, the shaft also gets stopped mid-flight and it can bend. Sometimes the bending is hard to detect and the mower will work for a while with minor vibrations. Usually the bend is obvious and the vibrations are intolerable. This makes the mower unusable as our careless landscaper found out.
Brutal cost
Now, a new shaft costs hundreds of dollars in parts and labour; and the mower is never the same even with a new shaft installed. That’s assuming that a new shaft in even available considering the post-COVID supply chain problems. And with inflation, the shaft will most likely cost more than before.
This is why a simple mistake by an experienced landscaper can get any boss upset. The extra costs are brutal. We need workers to create profits with good, quality work.
What you can do
Cocky, experienced landscapers must be reminded just like new workers to not take any chances. Mow only over grass and recall that mowing should be stress-free. Don’t force the machine into tight spots, don’t run it through tree wells and only run it over grass.
Another option for new landscapers is to take my quick and easy online course to see what mangled mower blades look like and how dangerous it is to stop your mower blades on a fixed object, mid-flight.
It sounds simple and obvious but only mow over grass.
