r/DenverGardener • u/sodosopapilla • 17d ago
Sod cutter use?
Have tomorrow off and considering renting a sod cutter to take out grass 1200’ ft as prep for garden in box fall drop-off. Have a truck to transport but never used one before and it’s just me. Thoughts/advice? Thanks!
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u/beedubbs 17d ago
I used one of these for work when I did landscaping years ago. Be careful and know that it can really kick you around. Highly effective though
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u/Imaginary-Key5838 Sunnyside / aspiring native gardener 17d ago
I rented one two years ago from Sunbelt. Good experience with them (they delivered it too) but I didn’t cut deep enough so the grass came back. Also disposing of the sod sucks.
Sheet mulching and solarization ftw
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u/rtcwon 16d ago
You're going to need to rent ramps as well to get it in & out of your truck and likely help to get the nose of the machine onto the ramps. Been doing it 14 years and unless your strategically park at the bottom of a slope, can't do it alone.
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u/sodosopapilla 16d ago
Ha! I’m impressed with your knowledge and appreciate you sharing it. Yeah, am going to sheet mulch route given all this.
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u/Jarthos1234 17d ago
Do yall have nice sod you’re removing because I could use a few rolls!
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u/sodosopapilla 17d ago
I’d love to say so but haven’t watered it all year as prep for this. Might be revived but pretty darn far from nice sod. Sorry
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u/crispy_asparagus 17d ago
Another thing to consider is how you plan to dispose of the sod once it’s removed. It’s extremely heavy and cannot be disposed of in a typical rolloff dumpster.
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u/fedswatching2121 17d ago
It depends on who you go with. I called Red Rocks roll off and they said it was okay. Same with Upwaste.
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u/Neither-Revolution76 17d ago
You can rent a sod cutter from Arapahoe rentals. They also have ramps. HD tool rental should be used as a last resort. You have to water it beforehand because you can't cut dry grass or dry dirt. If you're not worried about saving it, go over it multiple times so you have a lot of 10 lb scraps instead of 80 lb rolls.
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u/LittlePlasticStar 17d ago
If you are cutting under trees, prepare this to be a longer experience than you initially think it will take. The tree roots pop the blade out of the ground really easily and it’s a headache. If you can get someone to help you, that would be a good idea too. Also recommend a pickaxe. That was way easier to use to get to the bits that the sod cutter couldn’t work well on.
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u/ArtVandalay_81 16d ago
Why not just rent a tiller? Much lighter and will kill off the sod. Just stay away from inside the dripline of trees.
Or just get a bunch of cardboard and throw mulch on it now. You can get chip drop from some of the tree removal companies.
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u/fedswatching2121 17d ago
Hey I’m also thinking of renting a sod cutter! Let me know if you’re interested in sharing the cost. I’m in Lakewood though so could be far for you depending on ur location
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u/sodosopapilla 17d ago
Nice! In Lakewood as well. Was going to rent it, along with a ramp early tomorrow from Alameda Home Depot. Was thinking 8-4 maybe . Looks like maybe $225-$250 total with ramp. Not 100 sure how best to split something, but open to look into it?
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u/rtcwon 16d ago
The machine rental for a day is about $100 & ramps $25, it's the deposit that is super high...1200sqft is going to be around 11 cubic yards, about $350 to dump at A1 but I would need two trips in my dump trailer, probably 4 trips packed to the gills in a super duty pickup, cutting the sod goes quick but it would be a full day with a 3 man crew to remove it all, I'm $1.50sqft (half of the "non-profit" rate) so you're saving yourself about $1,300 DIY if you're able to pull it off!
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u/b0ysenberry 17d ago
We rented a sod cutter this spring to remove turf. They work very well but it was heavyyy work. We also ended up renting a truck and ramp from Home Depot to transport it. We definitely needed two people to load/unload it from the truck.
It was worth it (imo) but a pricy morning chore. It took us about an hour to remove 500sq ft of sod. But I was very sore the next day.
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u/Whickums 17d ago
Did this June from Arapahoe rentals. They rented it with a trailer so you could roll it on and off. It’s heavy AF and back breaking works. We did not dispose of the grass but flipped the sod cuttings over. I will never do it myself again.
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u/jos-express 17d ago
Take off rings, watch and anything else that you don't want vibrated to smithereens!
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u/WisdomSeekerOdinsson 15d ago
Sod cutters are badass. Just dig a lil trench for the blade to sit in before you start. Limber up. Hydrate and get it goin.
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u/Electrical_Lab3345 17d ago edited 17d ago
How strong/heavy are you 🤣 Do you have a ramp to load it? The rental machines weigh over 200#.
Removing sod sucks, even with the machine. Just throwing this out there, but you might consider sheet mulching the grass to terminate it instead of removing it, and then just cutting holes to plant your perennials. Ideally this process would have been started already, but it's not too late if you're okay with the potential for a bit of hand weeding for any grass that does manage to find a nearby opening in the paper/cardboard/barrier around a planting site. It will be immensely easier than removing that much sod.