Mowing the strip

[Dai Fledermaus]

Our club field, perhaps the width of a football pitch but not as long, is currently cut by a club member using his own ride on mower. He makes a charge for this service, which excludes fuel and any repairs to his machine, but as we're relatively small in number, the club is finding it a struggle to fund this, not insignificant, cost without a large  increase in membership fees next year. 

So, the answer might be for the Club to buy its own mower, not a ride on job, but a self propelled petrol one capable of mowing a decent size strip instead of the whole field, which is what I suspect most other clubs do.  We would not be able to keep the machine on site for security reasons, the local scrotes would have it away in next to no time, so it would need to go in your average hatchback or estate car. 

I'd be interested to know what sort of machine is used in your club and are there any safety or other issues around Club members using it. 

[Robert Cracknell]

I use to have to mow large areas of leisure grass and I found the best option was a large petrol powered Flymo. It did not pick up the grass rather it chopped it fine to mulch the existing lawn. It didn't leave any clumps like other rotary mowers,  particularly if the grass was wet and was easy to keep sharp. Cutting height was simply spacers above the blade. Mine cut short enough for models. Sure, you don't get any stripes but you don't have boxes and boxes of grass to empty either.

I bought the mower (20" cut) at an auction of non collected items at a local garden machinery repairer for £20.

[john davidson 1]

We have two mowers , a small rotary petrol self propelled used as a standby and which takes about an hour to cut the strip and could go in a hatchback ,kept in the unlocked shed. Our main mower is a secondhand ride on , we are able to keep it under a tarp on site as security is not an issue . 

 Our previous strip was hard by the road and too accessible, ride on mower  stolen , electric fence stolen, other items burnt, shed broken into repeatedly and finally  set alight. Farmer knew who the scallies were and told the police but no avail. The were finally done for other offences, young lads from a village two miles away so I feel for you.

We are all trusted to be sensible when using it,three or four usually can use it

 

Edited September 4, 2023 by john davidson 1
addition

[Mike T]

We've ended up with 6 this year!  Started off with an ex-Parks Department Victa self-powered walk-behind which we've had for 20 years.  Last year our secretary sourced four damaged repairable push and self-powered mowers for a nominal sum and got them working.  This year, another member sourced and gifted us a ride-on, which is fun, but proving a bit temperamental.  All are stored on site in a low 'shed' cobbled together, again by our Secretary (top bloke!) and covered with tarps.

 

Mowing has been a nightmare this year as the combination of a lot of rain and a bit of sun has meant that we are constantly mowing, sometimes without getting any flying in between!

Edited September 4, 2023 by Mike T

[Ron Gray]

OK so our situation is a bit unique in that we 'own' the lease for the full size airstrip that adjoins our tarmac one and we are therefore responsible for the upkeep of the grass. Our mowing fleet consists of a Fergie tractor towing a 3 gang mower, a Zero turn ride on 3 gang mower and another Zero turn rotary mower for the rough stuff. There are a bunch of volunteers (The Cutting Crew) of about 8 club members and we need 3 to cut the grass once a week (1 spotter for Full Size, and 2 on 2 of the mowers). The volunteers have had to go through an instruction procedure to make sure they know how to operate the various machines. Cutting takes up to 2 hours but the result is a well maintained runway for the full size guys and a very nicely manicured area of grass alongside the tarmac strip for those who prefer the green stuff.

 

The cost of running and maintaining these mowers is quite high although we do the servicing ourselves but when you add in the diesel, oil, filters, blade sharpening etc it soon mounts up. We share out the cost between our model flying club members and the resident full size 'planes, of which there are 7.

 

All of the mowers are housed in a locked 40' container.

 

The work that the Cutting Crew put in is certainly worth it

 

 

[Brian Cooper]

We have two ride-on mowers which are securely stored in a container. 

 

One of our members loves to cut the grass, and he does a great job..... So we let him get on with it. 

 

The picture was taken during a wet spell when the ground was too soft to support the mowers. 

 

[J D 8]

   We have a ride on that has done a good job. This year though we have had to put up a multi strand electric fence to keep badgers from digging up the field [ they made a heck of a mess last spring ]   We did used to have sheep graze the field😁 limiting the amount of mowing.

But now with the fence and recent good growing weather having a job to keep up with the cutting.

  Sheep are not all dumb, a couple have learned that when we are there and the fence is off they dive through the strands for a quick nibble.

[Steve Colman]

Please forgive me for posting this here but the timing is perfect.

 

[GrumpyGnome]

Ride on mower bought with the (not inconsiderable) grant money from a local wind farm.  This replaced the second had mower the  club previously bought.  We had previously bought a trailer, as we have no secure storage.  New mower fits perfectly.

Takes under a gallon of petrol per cut, which the club pays for.

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

2 hours ago, Dai Fledermaus said:

Our club field, perhaps the width of a football pitch but not as long, is currently cut by a club member using his own ride on mower. He makes a charge for this service, which excludes fuel and any repairs to his machine, but as we're relatively small in number, the club is finding it a struggle to fund this, not insignificant, cost without a large  increase in membership fees next year. 

So, the answer might be for the Club to buy its own mower, not a ride on job, but a self propelled petrol one capable of mowing a decent size strip instead of the whole field, which is what I suspect most other clubs do.  We would not be able to keep the machine on site for security reasons, the local scrotes would have it away in next to no time, so it would need to go in your average hatchback or estate car. 

I'd be interested to know what sort of machine is used in your club and are there any safety or other issues around Club members using it. 

 

Been cutting grass for a living for years, there's lots of good second hand mowers for sale on facebook market place and similar, big a cut as you can afford and self driven, you dont need all the bells n whistles, that's just expense when it breaks down. Regular cuts pay dividends, fields good to fly from and less growth to tackle.

[Adrian Smith 1]

I have my own ride-on for this purpose and is stored at the farm where my workshop is. I have noticed that this year I have had to cut the strip at least once a week which is a testament as to how much rain there has been. Most previous years during the summer I can get away with sometimes 2-3 weeks without having to mow it. 😒

[Dai Fledermaus]

Thanks everyone for your feedback, lots of food for thought here. 

[J D 8]

3 hours ago, J D 8 said:

   We have a ride on that has done a good job. This year though we have had to put up a multi strand electric fence to keep badgers from digging up the field [ they made a heck of a mess last spring ]   We did used to have sheep graze the field😁 limiting the amount of mowing.

But now with the fence and recent good growing weather having a job to keep up with the cutting.

  Sheep are not all dumb, a couple have learned that when we are there and the fence is off they dive through the strands for a quick nibble.

  I did suggest that we have a sheep open day to get on top of the problem but members have now got used to not having their visiting cards/tokens on the strip.🐑

[Mike T]

When negotiating our field the farmer assured us that it was strictly sheep only and would never have cattle on it.  We rejoiced.  Problem is, sheep feeding on lowland pasture produce surprisingly large deposits - and plenty of them.  Mowing exposes the sweeter part of the leaf, which attracts them to the runways...

[Cuban8]

20 hours ago, Dai Fledermaus said:

Our club field, perhaps the width of a football pitch but not as long, is currently cut by a club member using his own ride on mower. He makes a charge for this service, which excludes fuel and any repairs to his machine, but as we're relatively small in number, the club is finding it a struggle to fund this, not insignificant, cost without a large  increase in membership fees next year. 

So, the answer might be for the Club to buy its own mower, not a ride on job, but a self propelled petrol one capable of mowing a decent size strip instead of the whole field, which is what I suspect most other clubs do.  We would not be able to keep the machine on site for security reasons, the local scrotes would have it away in next to no time, so it would need to go in your average hatchback or estate car. 

I'd be interested to know what sort of machine is used in your club and are there any safety or other issues around Club members using it. 

The flying field is at the very heart of any club, no field no club. Smaller clubs may well struggle to maintain a largish area either through getting the manpower to do the work or finance a proper maintenance programme. How many members have financed  your  current arrangement? It's very good of your member to take on the responsibility, hard graft and use of his machine - you say that fuel and maintenance are excluded from what you pay - surely he doesn't cover that himself out of his own pocket?

How much do your members value and put a price on their flying from a decent surface? I'm not saying that it applies to your club, I know nothing of it, but I'm amazed at how parsimonious some clubs are, and getting stuff done on the cheap at all costs is a priority - unfortunately making life harder for those tasked with the jobs.  Many years ago at a club that no longer exists, I recall sitting in on a heated argument over the cost of a cheap V quality padlock for a gate.....laughable, but very true.

Horses for courses (if you see what I mean) and a matter of scale - my own club of around 90 members enjoys a superbly maintained field and that does not come at a shoestring cost. We've invested in quality equipment to do as much of the work from within the club as our 'groundsman' club member can comfortably manage, and we've engaged contractors to cut hedges and trees etc where that sort of work would be beyond the scope of us.

We have a nearby farmer come in annually to cut the long grass surrounding the flying area for hay which he's more than happy to take away and use for his animals.

As for sheep as a cheap way of keeping the grass down, my god, no no no. We had that thirty years ago and were glad to see the back of those animals .....their droppings stink to high heaven and pervade everything, shoes, models, cleaning rags, cars the lot.

 

[Dai Fledermaus]

1 hour ago, Cuban8 said:

The flying field is at the very heart of any club, no field no club. Smaller clubs may well struggle to maintain a largish area either through getting the manpower to do the work or finance a proper maintenance programme. How many members have financed  your  current arrangement? It's very good of your member to take on the responsibility, hard graft and use of his machine - you say that fuel and maintenance are excluded from what you pay - surely he doesn't cover that himself out of his own pocket?

How much do your members value and put a price on their flying from a decent surface? I'm not saying that it applies to your club, I know nothing of it, but I'm amazed at how parsimonious some clubs are, and getting stuff done on the cheap at all costs is a priority - unfortunately making life harder for those tasked with the jobs.  Many years ago at a club that no longer exists, I recall sitting in on a heated argument over the cost of a cheap V quality padlock for a gate.....laughable, but very true.

Horses for courses (if you see what I mean) and a matter of scale - my own club of around 90 members enjoys a superbly maintained field and that does not come at a shoestring cost. We've invested in quality equipment to do as much of the work from within the club as our 'groundsman' club member can comfortably manage, and we've engaged contractors to cut hedges and trees etc where that sort of work would be beyond the scope of us.

We have a nearby farmer come in annually to cut the long grass surrounding the flying area for hay which he's more than happy to take away and use for his animals.

As for sheep as a cheap way of keeping the grass down, my god, no no no. We had that thirty years ago and were glad to see the back of those animals .....their droppings stink to high heaven and pervade everything, shoes, models, cleaning rags, cars the lot.

 

 

[Dai Fledermaus]

Our club currently has 20 members, almost all of a certain age, and like other clubs, our number has dwindled in recent years. The club pays £70 per cut, going up to £80 next year apparently. In addition to this, the clubs pays for his fuel for the mower and any parts or  repairs like replacing drive belts etc. 

I don't think the Club is being parsimonious or unreasonable in exploring other options and it might well be that we have to live with the present arrangement, but I thought it worthwhile finding out how other clubs manage. 

[Zflyer]

WE have an ancient ride on and a self propelled walk behind. Both kept on site. A couple of the members cut the strip and the pits area at least once a week.

Fuel costs are absorbed and a couple of members are excellent mechanics.

[Richard Acland]

We have our own sit on mower which is operated and maintained by one member. He also has a trailer so that it can be taken off site during the winter running  costs are provided by club funds. He takes great pride in maintaining our strip and despite offers of help is happy to  carry on. We are eternally grateful for his efforts.

[Bruce Collinson]

We’re 60 and pay a professional contractor I think £60 per cut.   We had the price checked earlier in the year and it is a competitive rate as we are slightly remote.   The previous club/site had its own ride-on operated by one member who enjoyed mowing.

 

BTW, I may want a ride on for home so if anyone trips over a good used John Deere or Kubota or Husquvarna within striking distance of Leeds/Harrogate I’d be pleased to hear of it.

 

Bruce.

[Cuban8]

18 hours ago, Dai Fledermaus said:

Our club currently has 20 members, almost all of a certain age, and like other clubs, our number has dwindled in recent years. The club pays £70 per cut, going up to £80 next year apparently. In addition to this, the clubs pays for his fuel for the mower and any parts or  repairs like replacing drive belts etc. 

I don't think the Club is being parsimonious or unreasonable in exploring other options and it might well be that we have to live with the present arrangement, but I thought it worthwhile finding out how other clubs manage. 

In no way was a suggesting you had a club full of scrooges - blimey, at £70 per cut that's not a small amount to finance, although I suppose it depends on how often the work is done.

At that rate for my club the cost would be high and estimating that for say half of the year we often get the field cut twice a week, and with the exception of the winter months, the remaining time varies from weekly to bi-weekly. Depends on ground and weather conditions throughout the year and how that affects the grass growing.

At seventy quid a cut that's something like three grand a year, not including fuel and maintenance and the thank you payment to our member who gives up many hours of his time for us. With our club numbers that'd be around the forty quid per member mark so about half of club subs, would not be unreasonable for the result that we get. True costs annually are nowhere near that after our period of past investment.

We've gradually increased our subs over the last decade and the club portion is now about eighty quid - the money has been invested in mowing equipment and groundworks etc to make the job easier. It's certainly paid off, and is a credit to various members and in particular, our long serving club sec, who has been a prime mover in pushing the club forward.

Edited September 6, 2023 by Cuban8

[Adrian Smith 1]

I just add couple of photos to my previous post here. My ride-on (Atco 30H) was bought 3-4 years ago and I do all the maintenance such as oil change, plug and air filter. Blade and belt is serviced by the distributor locally. The main no-nos for a long life for the belts is definitely no mowing when wet and not trying to cut too much in one go. The belts seem to last around 3 years by and large.

 

 

 

You see what I mean about the tunnel effect at the moment when flying!

 

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Does it not do straight lines Adrian ? Nice mower though. 😉

[extra slim]

1 hour ago, john stones 1 - Moderator said:

Does it not do straight lines Adrian ? Nice mower though. 😉

There are fuselages at our club not as straight!

[GrumpyGnome]

Lol. Our chairman mows our strip with beautiful straight lines, and concentric circles on our control line area.......... he was less than pleased with the accuracy of a 'substitute' mower a couple of summers ago.