How to get stripes

[jac233]

I purchased a new JD 72" 960m this year.

When I had a crew cutting it for me, they used Hustler mowers and always had nice stripes when done.

I didn't see the same results when I got my mower this year so I then added the rubber flap striping kit by JD. Still didn't look like the landscape crew; I asked them if they used striping kit and they do not.

I've heard a million theories on this, but nothing seems to work. I even have the rubber flap in its lowest position. It shows some slight striping but not much different than w/o the flap.

Any ideas on what I'm doing wrong or is it just have to do with the deck physics? Meaning air flow, etc? I can't imagine why the rubber flap wouldn't give similar results than the landscape crew when essentially you are just pushing the grass down in opposite directions when you make a pass.

I'm lost...

 

[bertsmobile1]

Height and type of grass makes a massive difference to the ability to create stripes although I have never understood the US obsession with striping,

 

[threegun]

I mow at 4 inches or more on my tall fescue using a home made wobble roller for stripes. You need to have enough height to lay the grass over. I mow on a 45 degree to lot shape. I will do two consecutive mowing in the same direction and the next two at a 45 crossing the the originals. Makes a nice deep checker board when the sun is right, but no matter where the sun is you can always see stripes. Occasionally I will mow with the lot shape to add another layer makes more of a diamond shape checker then a square.

 

[Darryl G]

Yeah my guess would be cutting too short or not consistently running in the same place and direction. I usually alternate between 3 different patterns and run the same track and direction on each of them as I alternate between them. Over time it tends to "burn them in" and make them more pronounced. I don't use a striping kit. Follow the light green stripes, not the dark ones or you will "erase" them.

 

[7394]

Height and type of grass makes a massive difference to the ability to create stripes although I have never understood the US obsession with striping,

I hear ya Bert. Sometimes I am just happy I got it all mowed. Nothing fancy, just clean.

 

[Darryl G]

Grass stripes in my region whether you want it to or not so you have to just go with it.