How To Make A Lawn Striper
I’m thinking about getting a striping kit for my Toro time master mower and although it strikes very well, just kind of curious about how much better it could be if I had a striping kit. Before I spend 200 on the Toro version, I decided to try a DIY build or preface this post by saying I’m certainly not an engineer, so if you have some ideas on things I could do to improve this, it’s kind of just a prototype right now to see if it would work for me, so go and leave those in the Комментарии и мнения владельцев below if you have any ideas.
Step 1: Sizing The PVC Pipe
I started out with three inch PVC pipe and of course the proper end caps that go on to that as well. You’ll need to measure how much space you have between the back wheels of your mower. Then measure this out on your PVC pipe and cut it to size.
Step 2: Drill A Hole
From there you’ll need to drill a hole in the center of your center cap so you can put the bolt through. Before I found the final brackets that I was going to use, I was testing it out with conduit.
Step 3: Tightening The Bolt
You can use 7/16 hex bolts because one of its end is threaded so that can be tightened down. The other end is smooth so that it will spin freely on the bracket. I put the threaded end of the bolt through the end cap, and then put a lock washer on and a nut. Tighten that down from the inside.
You’ll need to hold the end of the bolt while you tighten the one on the inside of the cap. Once I found the final brackets that I wanted to use, I used washers as spacers to hold the bracket as tightly as possible while still allowing it to spin freely for the top portion.
I put a pin through the existing holes in my mower. You don’t have any existing holes in your mower, you could definitely find a spot to drill them.
Step 4: Creating Spaces
I found a couple rubber spacers lying around and I use these to create some space between the bracket and the holes in my mower. Without this, it would have been rubbing metal on metal and I definitely did not want that.
Step 5: Fixing
Then attach the bracket as closely to the rubber spacer as possible and put the pin in to hold it in place. This also makes it easily removable when I don’t want to use the striping kit. I fill the pipe with sand put the caps on tightly attached it back to the mower and now it’s time to find out how it works.
Here is a video about DIY Lawn Striper vs Toro Lawn Striper:
Conclusion
I hope that gives you some ideas on maybe doing a build. If you’re wondering how to make lawn striper, the only issue that I’ve had with it so far is that I’m really not able to back up and that’s something that I do quite often. So I’m gonna have to figure that out.
If there’s going to be a way that I can do that or not, otherwise it’s working pretty well. So I’m going to continue to work with this a little bit and see if it’s going to be an option for me that works long term.
DIY Lawn Striper – What It Does and How to Make Your Own?
A DIY lawn striper is essentially something that gives your lawn that striped appearance that you often see on baseball fields and sometimes golf courses and football fields.
While you might think that this look is due to the grass being cut at different heights or simply that there are two different kinds of grass that are growing there, this is actually not the case.
Building a DIY yard striper can allow you to achieve that same look for your own yard, and you don’t have to stick with stripes either, you can do swirls, checkerboard patterns or anything else you want.
The way that lawn stripers work is that they cause the grass to lie down in specific directions. When the grass is lying away from you, it catches more sunlight and looks lighter in color. When the grass is lying towards you it is easier to see the shadows underneath making it look darker in color.
Even simply mowing in one direction will sometimes give the faint impression of lines, but a lawn striper is something that will go behind the mower and smooth the grass to lay in a specific direction.
How to Make a Lawn Homemade Lawn Striper
The first step to your DIY lawn striper is knowing the width of your mower, so take a measuring tape and measure the distance from the outside of one wheel to the outside of the other.
Whichever option you choose to go with for your homemade grass striper you will want it to be as close to this width as possible. A good DIY lawn striper for zero turn mowers should be attached as close to the mower as possible in order for the striper to turn with the mower more easily.
Perhaps one of the simplest and most popular DIY lawn stripers is the sand-filled PVC option. Cut a piece of PVC – a 2″ wide should be fine – to be the same length as the measurement of the width of the mower. Then drill holes in two end caps that will fit your PVC, placing bolts with washers on them into the holes from the outside of the end caps inward and attaching them on the inside with nuts.
Attach one of the end caps to your PVC and then fill it with sand, attaching the other end cap once that is done. Connect your new lawn striper to your mower by tying ropes or small chains to the bolts on the ends of the sand-filled PVC and fastening the other ends to the hitch on the back of your mower. As you mow the weighted PVC will be dragged along behind you, smoothing the grass down in the direction you are mowing in. Here is a video with detailed instructions.
Other options for making a DIY yard striper can be anything from weighing down one side of a rubber welcome mat and attaching that to your mower or even breaking the handle off of long brooms or mops like you might see at a store and attaching those. With endless options you can choose from you are almost bound to have something on hand that will work for you.
How to Use a Homemade Grass Striper
Even if you already know how to build a lawn striper, or already have a homemade grass striper, you could still no doubt use some helpful tips as to how to use it. The first thing to remember is that in order for the grass to ‘lay’ in a certain direction the grass has to actually be tall enough to bend over.
Short grass will never show stripes as well because they don’t have enough top and tend to bounce back to sticking straight up. As a rule of thumb, if you plan on striping your lawn, keep your grass at around 2″-3″ for the best effect.
When doing straight lines, go off of the grass and onto the sidewalk or path in order to turn so that the edges of your design look tidy. Also, try to keep your wheels going straight by using the line of the row next to you as a guide.
If you have a tree trunk or other obstacle that you have to mow around, mow generally until you get to it and then mow around it on the side where the grass has not been cut. Then when you turn and come back the other way simply resume the same line that you were following before you deviated so that your lines will still be perfectly straight.
Cool-season grasses tend to be healthier at a taller height and bend well, staying the way you want them too much better than warm-season grasses sometimes do. Lastly, healthy thick grass will show stripes much better than thin and sickly grass, so make sure that you fertilize and take good care of your lawn.
Allison Cartwright has been writing professionally since 2009. Cartwright has published several eBooks on craft and garden-related subjects. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas.
How do I make stripes in my lawn myself?
Making stripes in your lawn is fairly simple, but it does take a bit of patience if you want a professional-looking result. To start, you should mow the lawn about a week before you plan on making the stripes.
This will allow the grass to settle into the soil and become even, which will make for a more uniform stripe. Once your lawn is mowed and ready to go, you will want to attach a roller to the back of your mower so that you can create the stripes.
Be sure to attach the roller evenly on both sides of the mower to ensure a level stripe. You can then begin mowing the lawn and creating your stripes. When making the stripe, be sure to mow in lines that are parallel to each other and overlap the lines as you mow.
As you mow, the roller will push the grass down and create a stripe. You can also choose to vary the direction of the stripes or to mix up the pattern, depending on the look you are going for. Once all of your stripes are complete, the final step is to step back and admire the finished product!
What is a striper on a lawn mower?
A striper on a lawn mower is a feature or attachment used to help create stripes in freshly cut grass. It helps to create a uniform and aesthetically pleasing pattern in your lawn. The attachment works on a pivot system, using wheel-attached rollers to leave a stripe behind them as the lawn mower passes through.
The rollers rotate and pass over the grass blades when pulled, pushing the blades to one side and allowing the machine to pass over them in the same direction. The result is a striped pattern that develops as the mower passes over the turf.
When the wheel-attached rollers are angled differently, one can create different patterns – some of the most common patterns are the checkered, dizzying, and wavy patterns.
Why does my lawn not Stripe?
The most likely explanation is that your mower blades are not properly adjusted for mower deck height and lift. If the blades are too low, the turf will not be stripped properly. Additionally, you may need to adjust the sharpness of your mower blades, as dull blades can result in dull stripes.
Another potential issue is that your mower may be leaving clumps of grass behind, which can interfere with a neat stripe. In addition, the type of grass you have installed may not stripe as easily as other varieties.
Lastly, make sure to keep your lawn watered and fertilized to ensure the grass remains healthy and grows in a neat and even pattern that can be easily striped.
How do you stripe a lawn without a striping kit?
Striping a lawn without a striping kit requires a bit of extra effort but can be accomplished with a little creativity. Begin by mowing the lawn to create a flat surface and get rid of any uneven clumps.
Make sure to leave a bit of extra length for the stripes to remain visible once mowed. Once the lawn is mowed, create a pattern of diagonal or parallel lines with a roller, broom or rake. You can use an old rake, roller, or broom to create the lines, or you can use a hose to spray the pattern onto the grass and use the broom or rake to shape the pattern.
To make sure the pattern is straight and uniform, use stakes and rope to create a guideline. Once the pattern is made, go over it again with the roller or broom to make sure it’s as smooth and even as possible.
Finally, mow the lawn again, making sure to follow the desired pattern. With a little time and effort, you can create a professional looking striped lawn without the aid of a striping kit.
Why do people stripe lawns?
People stripe lawns for a number of reasons, mostly aesthetics and practicality. On a practical level, stripes in the lawn help direct traffic, longitudinally along your property, as people walk, mow, and play games.
This reduces compaction and wear and tear of your grass.
Striping also adds visual interest to your lawn and adds a professional, manicured look. Additionally, striping patterns can easily be changed, to create a different, unique look in your lawn. People will often use complementary colors to enhance the look of the stripes; this can easily be done with different colored mowers or spray paint.
Finally, striping your lawn may reduce the amount of time it takes you to mow; research suggests mowing in a uniform direction could reduce mowing time by up to half.
How To Build a DIY Lawn Striper
Lawn stripers work by laying the grass down in a specific direction – leading to a different appearance when you look at it from a particular direction. The way the grass lies reflects light or creates shadows, meaning you can create any pattern on your lawn.
Whether you want to create checkers, swirls, or stripes on your lawn, you can make DIY lawn striper kits at home. DIY lawn stripers are as effective as store-bought lawn striper kits but come at a lower cost.
Simple PVC Pipe DIY Lawn Striper
Let’s start with a simple DIY PVC lawn striper. It is the simplest, requiring a few materials – some of which you can find lying around your house.
- At least a 2” wide PVC pipe
- Two end caps to fit the pipe
- Hooks
- Plastic ties
- A long wire
- Sand or gravel
- Start by cutting the pipe to the same length (or slightly smaller) as your lawn mower back wheels. Measure the distance between the outside of each back wheel for the best results.
- Drill two holes in the end caps. This is where the plastic ties will go. Fasten the plastic tie on the inside of the cap, leaving a part of the tie on the outside.
- Attach an end cup to one side of the PVC pipe, then fill the pipe with sand or gravel.
- Close the other end of the PVC cap
- Attach two hooks on the same side of the PVC pipe. Determine the distance between the hooks based on the distance between the parts on your mower where you will tie the striper.
- Tie the filled PVC pipe to the back of your mower. Keep it about an inch or two above the ground, as this is closer to the desired height of striped grass. Also, keep it as close as possible to the mower to make for easier turns when making corners.
You can make your simple DIY lawn striper more sophisticated using bolts, brackets, nuts, and washers instead of plastic ties and long wires.
Here are the steps to make your DIY homemade lawn striper kit that lasts longer:
- Cut your PVC pipe the same size as the width between the back wheels of your mower.
- Drill holes at the center of your end caps. The holes should be the size of the bolts you will use.
- Insert the bolt through the end cap. Add a bolt nut on the inside and tighten. You may add a washer for extra grip. Alternatively, you can use a threaded rod 3” longer than the PVC pipe.
- Fill sand in the pipe and lock the other side of the pipe.
- Attach the DIY striper kit to your lawn mower. To attach the striper to the lawn mower, you may use simple ties, as we mentioned before, or you can use an L-bracket for a longer-lasting solution.
- Find an L-bracket the same size as the bolt or threaded rod you are using. You may drill the holes yourself too. Start by placing a spacer on the bolt or threaded rod to protect it from wear; add a flat washer followed by the L-bracket, another flat washer, a lock washer, and a nut. Tighten the nut and repeat for the other side.
- Mount the lawn striping kit to your mower
Tip: Use a drill to drill holes on your mower if it does not have existing holes where you can hang your homemade lawn striper.
DIY Lawn Striper From a Broom
The PVC pipe striper is the most popular DIY lawn striping kit, but there are other options you could explore, one being a broom. Attaching a broom head to your lawn mower makes for an easy homemade lawn striper with the additional benefit of sweeping off any clippings your lawn mower leaves behind.
When choosing a broom for your lawn striping needs, find one with the softest bristles to avoid the risk of damaging grass blades as you mow. The broom head should also be the same length as the back wheels of your lawn mower.
To mount the broom head to your, you can use a hitch mount with bolts. Use some washers to reduce the amount of wear. Alternatively, you may use door hinges to attach the broom to your mower.
If you don’t want to attach your broom to the mower, you can pull a push broom (soft-bristled) with light pressure to strip your lawn in the desired pattern. This is a great idea if you have a smaller lawn.
DIY Lawn Striper From a Rubber Mat
Another great homemade lawn striper solution is using a rubber mat, similar to those found on your doorstep. A rubber mat carries the traction to lay the grass in your mowing direction.
To make the rubber DIY lawn striping kit, you will need:
- A rubber mat (the mat should be thick enough to lay the grass without damaging it and flexible enough to allow you to turn the mower without breaking the mat or stopping your lawn mower)
- A flat piece of metal or stainless steel
- Screws or bolts and nuts
Start by attaching the rubber mat to the stainless steel piece to hold it together. Then, attach the metal piece to the mower using bolts.
Final Thoughts
You can choose one of these easy and affordable DIY lawn stripers to get that baseball or football field look on your lawn without spending so much on commercial lawn stripers. Experiment with other tools or materials available around your home, as long as they mimic lawn stripers.
Hello! My name is Chris, and I am the founder of Yard Floor. When I was a toddler, my family had a lush green lawn. I was at the center of caring for and maintaining this lawn and even proceeded to take an associate’s Degree in landscaping. I am here to share my years of experience with you – be it repairing your mower/tractor or caring for your lawn.
Lawn mower with striper
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Lawn mower with striper
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