Yup. The 2 stroke brush cutter I used originally worked well, though as it dulled, it beat the stalks into submission rather than cut them cleanly. I *was* able to slice through all the weeds in both front and back yards in an afternoon on only about 3/4 a tank of gas.
My friend does not get any joy out of coaxing a small gas engine to life, the way you and I do. She will happily spend 50x the time using a tool she can understand.
She really doesn't have the strength necessary to be effective with a sickle or scythe. Heck, I doubt that *I* do.
Drip torch or propane weed burner. (and a cell phone to call 911)
Have the lot plowed/tilled and raked. Hopefully that'll disrupt the established weeds and she'll be able to stay ahead of whatever comes back.
Of course, showing her this thread and telling her to stop being such a PITA wouldn't be out of line either, but I sense that's not going to work.
Hey, I'm about to cut an electric lawnmower in half. Desperate times require desperate measures. (Right turns are to be made carefully, Left turns can be accomplished at high speed.)
Mmmm. No. I barely got away with the 2 stroke 'whacker the first time.
Yup. That's first prize. A full size rear-tine tiller would work a treat. It wouldn't be admitted onto the property unless it was battery powered.
NOT USING THE RIGHT MIXTURE..Dont use RTU..get the 41% and use 5 OZ per 2 gal tank sprayer. After they're dead, you have to remove all the debris/seeds etc. Dormant seeds are not killed by Roundup..they'll sprout after a good rain. It may take a few cycles to get them all but it will work.
The lady had successfully used mix - it - yourself Roundup for many years against several kinds of weeds. She knows how to do that properly. Several applications later, these weeds still stand. If she has not gotten a counterfeit jug of Roundup, we exhausted the potential of that particular chemical.
I hear as a general rule of thumb that it takes more 'HP' of gas engine to provide the same 'power' as that of a same-rated electric motor under load. I know, it sounds like nonsense on the face of it. I suspect it has something to do with the different torque curves of the two, though I don't know for sure.
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The electric type would be very much quieter and easier for her to use. Most importantly, she *would* use it instead of getting rid of it in a garage sale.
Your calculations are way off. First there is the length of the house wiring from the service entrance to wherever you plug in the extension cord. Then there is the cord itself and loss at connections which are rarely perfect. If the combined total length of the house wiring and the extension is more than 50 feet, you need to get a MUCH heavier extension cord. 14AWG is not going to cut it. Go to a 10 AWG if you want the power at the outlet to arrive at the tool. Unfortunately, your diminuative friend will need a wheelbarrow to move that extension cord.
An electric motor can output more than it's rated HP for a short time if sufficient electricity is available vs. a gas engine which can not generally exceed it's rated HP. If the electricity is not available to support the extra HP, either due to voltage drop from long extension cords or circuit breakers tripping, you won't get any extra HP.
A non-issue. The wiring from service entrance to outlets exceeds NEC ampacity requirements. Rest assured that the outlet in question is capable of 15 A at less than 500 mV drop, 24/7/365.
Good catch, Thanks! Any of these 14 AWG 15 A 50 foot cords will do nicely:
No time to read the whole thread. I'd suggest a weed killer.
I have a gallon bottle of something (I can check if you want me to) with a very easy to pump up sprayer, and it's meant to spray individual weeds. They start to die within 12 hours (even though this stuff is a year or two old), maybe 4 hours, but I let them continue to die for a couple days before I mow the lawn, on the expectation it will go back to the main plant and damage it, maybe kill it.
P&M. Don't reply to newsgroup only because it's a busy week and I wont' see it. Remove nopsam to email.
Yes, another person mentioned two specific chemicals which are real possibilities. I told my friend about them and she was appreciative.
I might not have mentioned this, but my friend is competent with the 'concentrate' version of Roundup and has used it successfully on other plants.
These particular plants are nothing like I've ever seen before because they remain upright after many applications of properly mixed Roundup.
The supposition is that she has a counterfeit bottle of Roundup or that other chemicals would be better suited to these plants.
Sorry. My address is munged. I've replied to the group for the sake of continuity.
It seems (after reading 80+ posts), you have multiple problems. Most have been discussed, but let me go over them again and add my solutions too.
First, you're making your "friends" problem yours. You bought her a mower and she sold it. Did she give you the money? If she didn't, sheis USING you.
Second, she is too lazy, too dumb, or high maintenance to do the work herself, so again, she is USING you.
Third, if she isn't giving you sex, she is USING you and you get nothing.
Fourth, there are many solutions to the weed problem, but she don't want to hear them because you are EASY.
Fifth, the weeds can be plowed under, a herbicide applied and new grass planted. But I am guessing she doesn't want to do that. I guarantee that will work.
Sixth, if she is such a bitch as to complain about a little noise to correct a problem, and you cater to her whims, you are as bad as she is and you both deserve each other.
Seventh, if you aren't willing to listen to the wonder ideas presented to you on this NG, then call in a professional. I'm guessing she doesn't want to do that.
My only other suggestion is...............DUMP HER and find a new friend that won't use you to correct a problem that she obviously doesn't want fixed.
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