Message Board: Cricket: [CLOSED] size of mower

23rd Nov 2009 by mark pembroke Last edited 23rd Nov 2009

im am looking to update our mower and would like some advise on best cutting width. ideally i would like to use to cut the playing strip and the square , so bigger the better. look forward to any comments, mark

23rd Nov 2009 by bath

Idealy cut the square, what else ?

23rd Nov 2009 by Dapstar James

How many strips/ ft wide is the square? Is it true and level or a little mountainous like the new forest pitches I see round my way? If it's really true, and a square say 90 ft to 140ft you'd be looking for a minimum of a 24" to 30" for your square unless you've got time to burn, but bear in mind the wider it is, the less able it is to cope with undulations and with this comes the increased risk of blade damage. Minimum of 6 blade cylinder too. For the strip, really you'd need a lesser width (12, 14, 18") depending on how many strips are in use at any one weekend, and more blades (10 -12) to really get down to 4mm match day cut height and get down into any hollows there may or may not be. Out of season my trusty 15y/old Honda HRB475 rotary does the job a treat at 18mm. Hope this helps you out mate. One man went to mow...

23rd Nov 2009 by mark pembroke

thanks James, great help, square is about 10 strips wide and is very true level wise. I was thinking of a 20/21 inch mower. Space is tight in garage hence the thinking behind the one mower for both jobs. mark

23rd Nov 2009 by pacman75cricket

Ideally would think for cutting a square 24-42inch mower.

For strips 18-20inch mower

23rd Nov 2009 by Dapstar James

No problem Mark, - In that case I'd go with as decent a 20" as I could get. Depending on what your club can afford (butter up the treasurer!), then the better branded machines generally will get really down low for their working width. 5-6 mm, some down to 3-4mm with a better quality thinner bottom blade on them. - In fact, on here (Used Machinery tab), there is a perfect example (it's not mine, honest!). - A 21 inch Llyods Paladin with a 9 blade on it which might be worth a look at if its in great working order and near by yourself. Should put you in the right direction. Cheers Mark

24th Nov 2009 by Sumomosr Last edited 24th Nov 2009

Welcome to the PC community James.

But please advance your calendar to the 21st century.

"...you'd need a lesser width (12, 14, 18")... "

12 inch or 14 inch wide mowers of 10-12 bladed reels ??

The Paladin is an excellent mower Mark (P.S. Welcome to you too) - for the actual wicket.
20 - 22 inch machines are most favoured for this task. eg. The Ransomes Certes is 20", the Paladin is 21" and the J.Deere is 22 inches. All happily used by cricket groundies the world over. But 12 inches???

Cutting the square a 24 inch machine gives an aesthetically pleasing stripe. 30 & 36 inch mowers likewise, to a lesser degree. These are better used for mowing the outfield.

GOGGA

24th Nov 2009 by Sumomosr

P.s Mark: One mower, two jobs? No! Look after your wicket mower - for mowing wickets.

GOGGA

24th Nov 2009 by Dapstar James

Point Taken Sumomosr! Thanks for the welcome.

I agree with you in principal that perhaps a 14" is ridiculous in the age of 200 ft squares with 6 strips being prepped any one weekend but I'm going off an experience of the occasional shall we say less than level square that needs a smaller mower to get down in the hollows left by years of inadequate, uneven amateur top dressing and less than ideal subsoil structure left by perhaps the degradation of forest tree's grubbed out to make way for a square and outfield. Not every club has a 100% square so to get a 20" to cut evenly on some of these lower league squares you'd be cutting in 6 or 8 different directions! For those of us blessed with a a perfect plateau then I agree whole heartedly with a certes or similar and would edit my comments accordingly to be more in line with the conventional "21st Century" view!

"In that case I'd go with as decent a 20" as I could get."

definitely agree that two mowers are needed on a square though, even if it means losing the small antique cast roller in the garage to make way for it.

24th Nov 2009 by barry glynn

If it is uneven as you say James, I cant see what difference it would make using a narrow mower. You are still going to come across peaks and troughs even with a 14" and it would take forever to cut a wicket let alone a square. Also if you got a decent 24 " to cut the square with, they are quite heavy and it would eventually help to flatten it out. 2 mowers are a must as long as you can afford them, if not at least a decent 20 " that can cut low enough, say 5 mm minimum I would have thought

24th Nov 2009 by Chris Thornton

A fairly interesting thread on an awful wet and windy day, (like the last 30 or so, actually)
As last season started I was left with just a 20 inch Super Certes to cut a 20 pitch square at 8mm and to cut out each pitch to 4mm ish. this went on for 12 weeks and was a serious ball ache. Eventually in June I got a 27 inch Dennis and I was then very happy until August when a drive belt snapped on the Dennis!!
Ideally Mark you need two machines on a square and I would suggest 20 inch is ideal for pitches and a wider machine for the square. Then in time address levels to cure the problem of unevenness.
Regarding cutting a square with a narrow mower might I suggest "blocking" the pitches IE cutting each pitch in one direction. Just cut one down the edge then move to the next one and cut it in the opposite direction then move back to the first pitch and work your way along the square. Sounds complicated and time consuming but it ain't and saves having to get the shading straight every 18 inch. Also looks superb I M O
Chris

"He not busy being born is busy dying"

24th Nov 2009 by barry glynn

Yeah I block cut mine, looks good and as Chris says, eleviates the accurate striping and gives a small roll down the line of the wicket effectively

24th Nov 2009 by MAVO Last edited 24th Nov 2009

Not sure i agree with you on them last 2 comments chaps.
How come most grounds in england on tv you see will have their square "striped"up?
Probably because it looks better aesthetically and it takes less than half the time of "blocking"as you put it!

My pitch and surrounding square striped up before a county game last season.

24th Nov 2009 by pacman75cricket

Think shading can still be seen when pitches are cut down, so cut in pitch widths, for aeshetics do like stripes as Mavo, so may warrant striping for major fixtures especially @end of season.

24th Nov 2009 by MAVO

yeah that is true pacman,shading can be seen sometimes when pitch cut down but usually gone by matchday.The above pic has lines in from powerbrush on the pitch,the sun was behind so the missed bits showed up!I did manage to mow them out!

24th Nov 2009 by Andy Matthews

theres one big problem with MAVO's method and thats you can cut all the square beautifly but if you just get a slight wobble on one stripe then it sticks out like a sore thumb and thats the only stripe your eyes are drawn to. I always cut in pitch width stripes

26th Nov 2009 by Philmort

By definition, Aesthetics are in the eye of the beholder, so stripes or blocking, a matter of opinion.
Sorry, MAVO, if the mower cuts once in each direction it can only take a little longer to block, not more than twice as long, unless you mow alternate blocks 22yds apart!

Proud to serve grassroots cricket

27th Nov 2009 by barry glynn

Yep
You only walk about 2yards more each length when you block cut.
Also, isnt making the lie of the grass to go in one direction, thereby making it easier to brush it up during pitch cutting?

27th Nov 2009 by jlawrence

I would have thought during the playing season that blocking must be a right royal pita.
I'd be constantly stopping to avoid tracks being prep'd, tracks coming out, and actual tracks in use.
So much less hassle to just cut line of play.

Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.

27th Nov 2009 by g cutter

hi pal
i would have thought that a 24in to cut the wicket out and a 30in to cut the square and a 36in to cut outfield other to that if your club can aford a set of gang mowers or a good running ex golf triple cutter would do the job there again you would need a fair spaecous stor to get the gear in!!
good luck!

27th Nov 2009 by bath

Whats wrong with putting a mower down a track under prep JL ? unless it is soaking of course.

30th Nov 2009 by jlawrence

Bath, problem isn't down a track. If you're blocking then you'd be going across the track and that will show up if you do it to a track under prep.

Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.

30th Nov 2009 by bath

Jon, i think they mean to cut one track one shade and the one alongside another. I dont think they mean to block shade the square like you might the outfield.

30th Nov 2009 by yasin patel

Hi, all you cricket groundsman, just asking how many times have you been able to spike your square from November up to now with all this rain cos up in Yorkshire its been pouring non stop.unable to get on it

30th Nov 2009 by jlawrence

Bath, That's what I call striping though. You can vary the width of a stripe but it's still a stripe.
In order to create blocks you have to cut across line of play.

Now I'm confused - can someone confirm what it is they mean by blocks.

Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.

30th Nov 2009 by bath

I cant say that i have seen a square cut in blocks, but that does not mean that some are.
Vasin, spiker is locked away for the time being. Far to wet, to get on the square anyway, here in central southern England.

30th Nov 2009 by MAVO Last edited 30th Nov 2009

Yeah it is Bath,went to have a look at my square earlier,and water was squeezing up!...will have to wait a while i think before you come and spike it,shame coz it be nice to get the roots down rather than sat near the surface drowning!!
JL i think "blocking"is to cut a whole pitch at square cutting height one direction going down the next pitch in opposite direction,you are effectively "striping"but the band is much wider or pitch width!!??

30th Nov 2009 by barry glynn

Jon
By blocking I mean cutting not across the line of play but down it. But in the same width as a single wicket.

I supposedly have a trailer groundsman coming this week but hopefully I can put it off, far too wet. Will need 3 dry days in a row at lease before I can spike. This is typical of whhat I mean about the agro involved in hiring equipment and not having access to your own. Probably only going to spike twic and need to do it when the conditions are right, not just when I have hired it.

30th Nov 2009 by Andy Matthews

Yasin I am also in yorkshire and no chnce of spiking at the moment still too wet, managed to cut square last thursday with a rotary when a couple of strips were still a little too wet but the square had wanted cutting for over a fortnight and with the forcast of yet more rain I had to bite the bullet, but by being careful I didnt make a mess. As for big stripes heres mines from side on

30th Nov 2009 by jontaylor

Hi Andy,
I cut our square just East of you on Sunday afternoon with a Hayter Ambassador 2 cylinder mower. Fairly light 10 blade machine.
No damage at all (unlike the football pitch that the guys had played on in the morning!)

The ciderman rolls

30th Nov 2009 by Andy Matthews

Jon I haven't been up since the weekend so I dread to think what the football pitch looks like, it doesn't encroach as much as when they had 2 pitches but no doubt they will have deciced to do the warm up's on the cricket outfield as usual, footballers there a complete waste of time

30th Nov 2009 by jontaylor

Hi Andy,
Lucky for us the men's football touchline is our long straight boundary these days. They don't warm up off the pitch, so they just wreck their own surface.
Shame the worms don't show as much respect for our outfield.....

The ciderman rolls

1st Dec 2009 by mario

Haven't been able to get any type of machine down to the square since the end of September hence no spiking!

Now it's sub-zero!

I know no boundaries.

1st Dec 2009 by bath

Wellcome back Ken, where ya bin ?

1st Dec 2009 by mario

Slipped a disc in my back so have been lying low, which for me, isn't difficult!!

I know no boundaries.

1st Dec 2009 by barry glynn

Ooh, slip disc, not nice - hope its on the mend.
I live in dread of doing that, having had a similar prob years ago. I lift those loam bags very carefully!

2nd Dec 2009 by Chris Thornton

Hi J L Ive been off the M B for a couple of days so will explain what I meant when I said "Blocking"
Quite simply it (for me) is cutting each pitch in the same direction across it's width in the direction of play. Then the next pitch in the opposite way so that when finished the square is stiped but the stripes are pitch width! Simples!!

"He not busy being born is busy dying"

3rd Dec 2009 by jlawrence

ok, that makes sense. I do that now and again just to make the square look a little different - you can get bored with small stripes.
I managed to get my squares spiked once around the beginning of Nov. It's that wet at the moment that it'll take 3 or 4 days of dry weather before I can even get the spiker out to the square. Outfield is desperate for a trim but again it'll have to dry a lot more first.
At least this weather gives me chance to give the machines a good clean and service.

Of course there's no bounce, bend your back and put some bloody effort in.

3rd Dec 2009 by mario

Absolutely same situation up here Jon except I've been unable to do any spiking this back end.

Raining again today with 6 degrees Centigrade in the garage, so the maintenance can wait a bit longer!!

So it's Bargain Hunt, the BBC News followed by Doctors then perhaps the History Channel - if I don't nod off!!

I know no boundaries.

3rd Dec 2009 by barry glynn

Lol Mario
Just settling down to Bargain Hunt myself! Also will be nodding off!
Too wet down here too, spent 2 hours on a chainsaw this morning, thats enough for me today!

4th Dec 2009 by Andy Matthews

Bllody ell lads daytime TV, for heavens sake get a dog and give yourself a reason to get out of the house and while your out see if you can spot any ancient trees in your area, they need registering at the woodland trust to help protect them, i am off to measure one now.

Heres the reason I spotted it.

4th Dec 2009 by barry glynn

Hate dogs cos they cr*p over my outfield given a chance.
Not mad about trees either cos they drop leaves all ovver my outfield

4th Dec 2009 by Barry Pace

Reckon Barry's after a lifetime honourary membership of GOGGA...

Global Warming?... Pass me my thermals.......

4th Dec 2009 by barry glynn

Why do all dog lovers think everyone else is going to love their dog slobering all over you and trying to sh*g your leg?

4th Dec 2009 by paul kelsey

Barry
A mate of mine is not knocked out with his dog at the moment, took it for a walk swallowed a golf ball now £1150 out of pocket.

4th Dec 2009 by barry glynn

£1150!!! Why? Surely a lethal injection cant cost that much?

4th Dec 2009 by paul kelsey

Barry
Now everybody really knows you do hate dogs big time

4th Dec 2009 by barry glynn

Good, hopefully local people round here will get to hear of it too( actually they all know it already I think)
In the summer, despite of the polite notices saying please keep your dogs on a lead, someone brought their dog in the ground, let it run around peeing and dumping everywhere and then sauntered off down the towpath with it back on the lead!
I scooped up the pile of poo his little darling had done, put it in some paper, ran down the towpath after him, tapped him on the shoulder, placed the paper in his hand and said " I think you forgot this"

4th Dec 2009 by Barry Pace

Aaww thats nice... wrapped like a christmas present ROFL

Global Warming?... Pass me my thermals.......

4th Dec 2009 by mario

Barry Glynn a.k.a. The Turdinator!! LOL

I know no boundaries.

4th Dec 2009 by barry glynn

Been called half of that before

5th Dec 2009 by yasin patel

had window of opportunity last week couple days with no rain. as our ground is on slight slop and slightly dryer. got my toro greens out had a go no riping of soil wala spiked my square 3.half inch depth.next try 2 weeks from now

6th Dec 2009 by vid

Yasin - what????? Is that a private text speak or something??

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