Thoughts and Ideas for Landscape in DFW Metroplex
WalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
2 years ago
last modified: 2 years ago
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Reel mower dealers in DFW metroplex?
Comments (7)ajones, I think this post will answer your question... posted by: ggoyeneche on 07.10.2006 at 07:20 pm in Lawn Mowers Forum McLane 20" and 25" used a fixed cutting bar and rotate the reel in or out relative to the cutting bar. The reel bearings are supported by two bearing plates which pivot on bolts toward the rear of the frame, The front bolts tighten in slotted holes in the side frames. By moving the front of the bearing plate up or down, the reel is positioned further or closer relative to the bed knife. Before you loosen or change anything, scribe match marks on each side frame along the bearing supports. This will allow you the get back to your starting point. I prefer to backlap by hand with Clover compound, starting with a medium-coarse grit (#120) and finishing with a fine (#280). McLane sells a backlapping attachment for power backlapping ($90) but I don't recommend. The actual rotating of the reel takes about 5 minutes by hand and 2 minutes with the engine, so you only save a few minutes. Preparation, setting, and clean up will take you an hour or so. Trimmer and Tru-Cut tap the end of the reel and sell a crank handle which threads into the reel. Although McLane only sells something similar for their 17", you can use a large pair of vise-grip pliers to grab the sprocket and spin the reel. Start by adjusting the reel so that it is just barely making contact with the knife. Make sure that you are even all the way across. Tighten up and then spread the coarse Clover across each reel blade. Now start to turn the reel backward (hence term backlap) for a couple of minutes. If you are no longer making contact, move the reel closer another few thousands and repeat. Next wipe off all compound, reset to slight contact, and apply fine Clover. Crank the reel, check and reset as required, and then wipe clean. Now you need to clean the reel and bedknife thoroughly of any compound. Suggest you use spray solvent and a garden hose. Use a brush with the solvent to ensure you remove everything. Make sure you don't point your water stream directly at the bearings. Now you need to set do a final set of the reel to the bedknife. Move the bearing plates until you almost have contact. In this case you don't want metal to metal, but rather want .002 or .003 clearance. When you've got it right, tighten up. Now take strips of newspaper and be sure that each reel blade cuts like a scissors at three or four points against the bedknife. Done properly this should be good for one or two seasons of homeowner use, unless you have a very sandy and abrasive environment. You shouldn't have to get an actual regrind of the reel and bedknife for 5 years or so. When you do get reground, make sure you get a "relief grind" on the reel. Good day, Dan...See Morelarge bag of sphagnum moss in DFW area?
Comments (10)David- I am also considering doing a small side business to see if that's something I want to do before I get too crazy. I looked for your email address but didn't see it. I'm not sure if it had to do with changes that Garden Web is going through. I am trying to find the most cost effective method for growing trees in the container as well. Al's mix calls for more pine bark and less perlite (or others) I might go in that direction to cut down cost on turface, etc esp when I have to grow many trees. Cedar fibers seem to be very attractive alternative to peat moss (5 dollars for 40lbs or 1.5 cubic feet which is somewhat tightly packed in but fluffy and light when opened) I do not have many 5g rootmaker container. They are more of for personal use but I have 75 rootmaker 1g container that I am going to transfer to from rootmaker tray (18 cell that is (3.125" x 3.125" x 4"- fits in 10x20" flat tray). I have no intention of selling trees in the rootmaker container so I will repot them to larger container, probably 3 or 5g Sunleaves white grow bag for sale. They are pretty cheap. I do have those accelerator starter pots as well but a bit messy due to more holes all around. Not sure which one is better at this point. Everything will get transferred to cheap containers for sale. I am all about developing proper root system at least right at the beginning. I think it is okay to grow in the larger regular containers as long as they are sold quickly. I think the large or rather right word 'medium' sized pine bark is fine for 5g or larger. I mixed them with fine pine bark mix and it seemed to drain fast. I have seen this mix at some nurseries. You just have to make sure no fine particles are in the mix. That's probably the key. Where do you get perlite that cheap? I need plenty for seeds to grow in. it would be 50/50 of perlite and screened pine bark (or cedar fiber-another experiment) Which coconut fiber product did you get? I looked at CocoChoice website and I see that they have choices. I have no idea what to get since I've never bought one. How much are they? I emailed them where I could find them up here. Thanks for letting me know about this. It sounds like good alternative to peat moss. I'd be happy to give you montezuma cypress seeds but they all are in the fridge undergoing cold moist stratification but I will get you some next fall if you want. I would love to have Monterrey oak acorns. I looked everywhere for them but I only saw little trees. I have one growing in the backyard. It will be years before I get some acorns from it. I wouldn't also mind Texas Ash and Texas native Bigtooth maple seeds if you ever come across them down there. I can also give you Mexican Blue oak acorns and possibly Canyby-Shumard hybrid oak acorns. It looks like Shumard oak and it seemed to stay green well into late December. They are located in Marble Fall. In 2005 when it was 21*F there during early December and we went there for Christmas. I noticed this red oak with green leaves while pretty much all other red oak have turned brown or lost leaves. Hopefully, they will have plenty of acorns by Thanksgiving... I am sure I missed something. It's hard to keep my thoughts together when I have 2 years old daughter running wild in the house....See MoreSpend for pool landscaping?
Comments (13)So I didn't put a bunch of detail in the original post, but basically the $4000k bid is for about 40 3-5 gal plant/shrubs, sod,bedding plants, mulch and some flagstone pathway from the pool through the sideyard to the front driveway. Looking through the line items, it is probably a fair price for what's involved I assume. the $28K bid came from a very comprehensive landscaper who basically proposed redoing all of our landscaping in the front, back, and side yards. It is an incredible plan, just so far beyond the scope of what we asked for or would ever spend that it caught us completely off guard. He realized in the meeting that he overshot quite a bit i think. He is extremely nice and very professional - if I were planning to spend $30k on landscaping, I would definitely spend it with him. so like most folks above we are now doing a bit of DIY analysis of figuring out what to contract out (like the flagstone work and basic sod just to get the dirt covered up) and what we'll do ourselves like the shrubs and plants....See MoreCactus in DFW
Comments (14)Contrary to popular belief, cacti do not grow well in sand, only a small amount would and the ones that do would still grow better in soil. cactus mix that you buy at the store has no sand, it is very earthy. the wood and large bits of moss they put in the there is a nuisance and most people take it out, especially if you are trying to grow from seed because of the high humidity in your plastic bag or whatever you are using. in my opinion %33 sand %33 seedling soil mix no wood %33 perlite or somewhere around there is the best option for the columnar cacti i have worked with if you are growing from seed (you then cover the top with a very thin layer of sand if you want to completely avoid fungi issues). if you are not growing from seed then normal soil mix would be best probably or seedling mix because there won't be large chunks of wood near your roots holding moisture and causing the threat of rot...See MoreCelery. Visualization, Rendering images
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoWalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a thanked Celery. Visualization, Rendering imagesWalnutCreek Zone 7b/8a
2 years ago
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