Lawn service ruining lawn with their mowers

[Anonymous]

Reseeded myself about a 6-8 weeks ago. With lots of watering, the grass looks better than ever until our lawn service comes and mows with their giant stand-on commercial mowers. They create ruts and damage the grass when they turn, plus the cut is very uneven. The times I’ve asked for the clippings to be bagged, they have to use a standard push-behind mower and it looks a thousand times better with no damage. Even cuts, no ruts.

Am I out of line to tell them not to use the giant mower? Total lot is about 7500 sq ft, with grass maybe half of that so a standard suburban yard. Or do I just need to find another service?

[Anonymous]

You may have to pay higher price. Are you willing to do that? Time is money for them.

[Anonymous]

Find a service that only uses push mowers and see the price. If it's equivalent switch.

[Anonymous]

OP you sound like a “lawn guy” and while it’s not for me, I don’t judge.

You’re going to need a lawn company that really leans in to your specific instructions or you’re going to have to do it yourself with increasingly specific, sometimes archaic tools.

Stop worrying about what is reasonable and lean in. Leap into the abyss. Is it unreasonable to fly to a conference about grass seed? Idk, I’ve seen some pretty compelling videos about root depth.

Are you into robots and/or AI at all? Maybe you can go all in on that. Can your robotic mower be responsive to weather conditions? I don’t see why not!

You’re a lawn guy. Let your authentic, neurotic self bloom (in a tidy bed, obviously, not in the grass!). You could be a lot of things that are worse.

Try not to nuke the rest of us too much please thank you.

[Anonymous]

What a bizarre response ^

OP, I’d ask them to use push mowers. They’ve done it before. If that doesn’t work for them, find new service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reseeded myself about a 6-8 weeks ago. With lots of watering, the grass looks better than ever until our lawn service comes and mows with their giant stand-on commercial mowers. They create ruts and damage the grass when they turn, plus the cut is very uneven. The times I’ve asked for the clippings to be bagged, they have to use a standard push-behind mower and it looks a thousand times better with no damage. Even cuts, no ruts.

Am I out of line to tell them not to use the giant mower? Total lot is about 7500 sq ft, with grass maybe half of that so a standard suburban yard. Or do I just need to find another service?

Ask them to use push mowers instead. Or better yet, mow your own yard. That's a tiny yard and you could push mow it easily in 30 min.

[Anonymous]

I've never seen stand-on mowers on such a small plot. This company is messing with you. Switch to another, they don't deserve your money.

[Anonymous]

I watched a lawn company totally rip up my neighbors lawn. He had a hill on his front yard and even 2 years later it’s all wonky and grass doesn’t grow there. The lawnmower ripped it up and then it eroded next time it rained since there wasn’t grass.

I would just hire a company that uses push mowers. Or mow your own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've never seen stand-on mowers on such a small plot. This company is messing with you. Switch to another, they don't deserve your money.

Almost every company uses them in Arlington. They can do yards much much faster.

[Anonymous]

If you have time to reseed your own lawn, then you have time to mow it once a week. 7500 sq ft is a tiny lawn. Buy a lawn mower, take an hour to mow your lawn. Stop being lazy and cheap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've never seen stand-on mowers on such a small plot. This company is messing with you. Switch to another, they don't deserve your money.

Almost every company uses them in Arlington. They can do yards much much faster.

PP you replied to. Interesting. I live in Bethesda. Landscapers use push mowers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have time to reseed your own lawn, then you have time to mow it once a week. 7500 sq ft is a tiny lawn. Buy a lawn mower, take an hour to mow your lawn. Stop being lazy and cheap.

Reseeding takes an hour, once. Mowing takes an hour every week.

Not sure how not mowing your own lawn and paying a service is cheap.

[Anonymous]

A whole hour!?!

[Anonymous]

Sounds like you need a different service.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the poster that said...just cut it yourself. My lawn is 7500 sq/ft and takes about 40 minutes. You said your entire lot is 7500 sq feet so it should take you less than 30 minutes. Mowing your own lawn is decent exercise. Get your steps in!