Grass troubles...

Joc · Oct 5, 2015

Kush where you at :fish:

Why dont my dang mower cut a leaf? Its not a high end fancy smancy mower but lays down a real nice cut. Cub cadet 42" zero turn. Ive had it for 3-4 years and have noticed leaves have immunity when I drive over them. Just spits them out the side or bull dozes them to the point they roll off the sides of deck and leaves trails. Got mulch plug and mulching blades but it looks like **** when you try to use the plug.
Yard is some of the thickest sod ive ever seen and cut it with deck all the way up.

Any idea why leaves cut up? Anyone else ever had this problem with cutting grass during the fall?

al1tonyota · Oct 5, 2015

Post a video? Got a pic of the blades/deck?

Joc · Oct 5, 2015

Nah i dont have any visual aids right now but basically it will fling the leaves out the side if one is lucky enough to make it in the deck and may get cut in half before its flung back out.
All I can figure is I might need to raise the front of the deck. right now its level is that the problem?

al1tonyota · Oct 5, 2015

Level could have some effect on it, cutting the yard with the deck all the way up seems like the grass would be to tall/thick? Seems like it wouldn't pull a vacuum under the deck like it's supposed to without the ground being close to it? Does the deck have the stamped lip around the bottom or flat bar welded around it?

kushKrawlin · Oct 6, 2015

Get a mulching kit.. First thing I do when I get a new mower. I have Em put on before I pick it up. Side discharge sucks .. Having problems with my phone. Not gettin text or delivering text. Saw this and Was thinkin you were having different grass problems. Was gonna walk you through it. :smoke:

kushKrawlin · Oct 6, 2015

kushKrawlin said:
Run the mulching kit.. First thing I do when I get a new mower. I have Em put on new mowers before I pick it up. Side discharge sucks .. Having problems with my phone. Not gettin text or delivering text. Saw this and Was thinkin you were having different grass problems. Was gonna walk you through it. :smoke:
How many inches is all the way up? Jeeez that **** would be over 5 inches on my mowers.. Prob Need high lift blades.. And SLOW down. But really Joc, if it's a nice thick Layer of leaves just get a br600 blower and blow them in less than half the time. Unless u are bagging lots of leaves suck. Multiple passes may be ness. Some areas/yards we blow leaves first then run over yard with mower. Actually a lot of the time in fall we do.

j-mox · Oct 6, 2015

Are you trying to do it while the grass is still real green and tall? Using the mulching plug too? I don't have much luck with the plug until the grass has more or less quit growing an it has lost moisture so it doesn't clog under the deck. Usually mow with side discharge until it doesn't grow much and then use the mulcher.

I also mow pretty often so there isn't a large amount of leaves too. If too many they push up in front. Also are you actually too high with the deck? Maybe it can't get the lift it needs to chop and is blowing them out. They have to stay under the deck to chop into finer pieces.

ALLJ · Oct 6, 2015

If you can find some to fit try some high lift blades to make more suction under deck one of your problems may be that a home owner grade mower does not turn the RPMs that a commercial mower does and blade tip speed is not the same I have dealt with leaves for years

tallnate · Oct 6, 2015

fab up or purchase a discharge blocker plate on a swing down hinge. If you're having to cut with the deck high you probably not getting enough suction with the discharge chute open.

Beerj · Oct 6, 2015

My mulching kit sucks. The deck starts shaking violently just cutting grass. But my mower is far from high end.

ridefast · Oct 6, 2015

Grass gets cut because it is effectively anchored on one end and the tops are pulled into the blade's path.

Leaves, that float on top of the grass are not.

Now, the grass trouble I've been having has more to do with the supply chain hiccups.

TBItoy · Oct 6, 2015

Re: Re: Grass troubles...

ridefast said:
Grass gets cut because it is effectively anchored on one end and the tops are pulled into the blade's path.

Leaves, that float on top of the grass are not.

Now, the grass trouble I've been having has more to do with the supply chain hiccups.

Buy local.

Joc · Oct 6, 2015

Ok finally got a chance to slow down and post some more details.

Deck has rolled edge
Mulching blades (new set this summer)
New mulch plug this summer also (old one crapped out)
Deck level with floor front to back and blades are at 3" with deck all the way up (this seems strange b/c it was 3 1/2" at one time wth)
Grass is too thick to lower the deck past 5 and not have rows of clippings all over the place so front is always cut on 6 and back yard is on 5. Also in pics around the fence and inside is cut on 4 (1 being on the dirt and 6 all the way up)

Pics....

These next 2 pic are where I got to last night when it got dark and pick back up today to finish it

last pic is where i went back across it again to help blow the leaves further out towards the back.

al1tonyota · Oct 6, 2015

The deck can't be level it's leaving yellow stripes

Joc · Oct 6, 2015

al1tonyota said:
The deck can't be level it's leaving yellow stripes

true but its as close as i could get it after half a million adjustments mid summer. doubt it would matter but the deck has a plastic wheel on the back left and one on the front right and makes no damn since why there isnt one on every corner. when you turn it dips down lower on the outside of a turn. But for what it is I guess its to be expected.

j-mox · Oct 6, 2015

If the deck is level then are your tires aired up good?

Not noticeable sitting by its self but when you get on it then it changes. Not saying you're fat..... I've never met ya

Joc · Oct 6, 2015

j-mox said:
If the deck is level then are your tires aired up good?

Not noticeable sitting by its self but when you get on it then it changes. Not saying you're fat..... I've never met ya

I think that is the number 1 reason its not dead level cutting. I aired the tires down last year to cut back on some of the spinning so bad. They where basically riding on the center of tread and turfing way too much.
Being by myself to deal with it I cant tell what it does when I sit on it. I remember adding air to one tire, letting some out, adjusting deck and repeat the cycle a few times til i finally said the hell with it.