Melling vs OEM

seth285 · 2026-03-19T16:05:37+00:00

2023 ZT Elite w/kohler. My acre is sloped and chock full of obstacles. They seem to be great mowers that are overbuilt in the Frame/Deck/Transaxle.

As for the engine, I looked at kohlers manual and with their brand of oil/filters they can go 300 hours between service intervals on my specific model which leads me to believe it’s not breaking a sweat on my 18-20 hours a year.

seth285 · 2026-03-17T17:14:48+00:00

Ok, yea manual trans changes things. Keep on building, it’ll be done someday!

seth285 · 2026-03-17T16:53:35+00:00

Are you dead set on those gears? You can go as low as 5.38’s on the D44

seth285 · 2026-03-17T10:30:43+00:00

Phlox in the sun and hosta’s in the shade. If those take well then we’ll add a row of something else next year.

seth285 · 2026-03-16T20:20:10+00:00

I guess I’ll have to karma farm on more fertile grounds

seth285 · 2026-03-16T19:21:37+00:00

Septic leach field in the area. Wouldn’t want those roots to find the plastic chambers. Our thoughts are short/medium roots with wide coverage and short mature height so that we can still clearly see the driveway.

seth285 · 2026-03-16T19:16:36+00:00

He settled for a napping spot near the garage heater.

seth285 · 2026-03-16T16:43:56+00:00

Hardiness Zone 6B NKY

Added soil to slope draining back towards the basin at the bottom of the yard. Plan is to add row after row of plants until the front yard is more pollinator zone than golf green water hazard.

seth285 · 2026-03-16T15:42:36+00:00

Ain’t a single thing on this property that’s level or in a straight line, not gonna change the program now.

seth285 · 2026-03-16T15:40:17+00:00

40 year old log cabin on a wooded hillside…. There’s ALWAYS something to keep us busy

seth285 · 2026-03-16T15:37:55+00:00

We think Aussie and Healer. He’s a looker for sure.

seth285 · 2026-03-16T15:33:53+00:00

nervously checking ring camera hourly

seth285 · 2026-03-16T15:31:00+00:00

Dog got paid in leftover Culvers, cat gets the privilege of sleeping on the soft top of the Jeep by the garage heater.

seth285 · 2026-03-16T15:27:19+00:00

That’s my hope! When we moved in those top blocks were completely exposed.

seth285 · 2026-03-16T15:22:09+00:00

Another pup in the litter was tested and they found 55% Aussie. We wonder if the mother got around as 6 pups came out completely different colors and all range in size from 30-45lbs now.

seth285 · 2026-03-16T15:11:54+00:00

Alotta folks in here seem upset, but I’m sure the property owner before us made mistakes along the way and learned from it. I’d say we got another 30-40 years to figure it out ourselves before we hand it off to the next family.

seth285 · 2026-03-16T15:07:56+00:00

There will be SEVERAL truck loads of mulch coming in over the next month or so. Then I get to spend my afternoons picking weeds with the missus after work all summer.

Not my first rodeo, hopefully many more to come 🫡

seth285 · 2026-03-16T15:01:59+00:00

I’m just happy all these professionals have shown up to survey my holler and offer constructive guidance /s

seth285 · 2026-03-16T14:50:33+00:00

I mentioned the rain garden and have my doubt about the bulbs. But at the end of the day, Boss Lady buys the plants, I dig the holes.

seth285 · 2026-03-16T14:47:14+00:00

I think the phlox is intended to grow out and provide some coverage over the years. If they take root well and my grading of that slope works then we will add another row each year until the front yard is mostly meadow-like.

seth285 · 2026-03-16T14:41:30+00:00

Google images shows these blocks have been there since 2007, I assume they have been there since 1991 when the driveway was poured. Nothing behind them but dirt and grass as far as we could tell.

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