Bx2380 60" MMM with mulch kit suction question.

[PNWBXer]

I seem to have issues tying to mow my grass a little higher. I want higher grass so that it is more healthy and requires less water. ...but right now my mower can't seem to suck up the grass laid over by the front tires. This leads to tire tracks of laid over uncut long grass in my lawn. Lowering the mower helps...but again I want slightly taller turf.

I have a Honda push mower (with a mulch kit also) for my front yard....... and I can really see it "suck" up the grass to cut it and mulches the grass much finer than the Kubota. Now my front yard is much more thick than my back yard.......and the back yard needs some leveling out (another reason I mow higher). But I used to mow the back yard with the Honda before I got my kubota and it did just fine....minus the amount of time it took to mow.

So...my main question is......is there anything I can do to increase suction on my 60" mulch kitted mower deck? The stock mulch blades have less of a ramp behind the blade compared to the regular blades. This obviously creates less suction....and I don't know the reasoning behind this design. The deck mulches fine I guess.....but I think it would do better if it could suck better.......and it might solve my laid over grass issue. Thoughts?

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I'd have thought 'high lift' blades would do a better job of 'standing up' the blades of grass as opposed to regular blades. I don't know what 'mulch' blades are designed for.
i do KNOW that I need 'high lift' blades for the rider with a bagger, it must create a stronger wind to blow the cuttings into the chute,tube and into the bags.

 

[PNWBXer]

I agree.....it doesn't make sense to me that the mulch blades would be lower lift or less lift then stock blades. Unless the second, higher blade, creates more lift.....thus maybe a need to reduce the angle of the "ramp" off the main blade to reduce lift? This is the only thing I can think of...but again...why would you ever want "less" lifting force....as opposed to more.......especially with a mulching kit designed to "recycle" the grass into the smallest debris possible. I"m at a loss of understanding on the design....

 

[GreensvilleJay]

hmm.. maybe less lift allows the clippings to be cut more ??
dang it's too hot here to think about what 'engineers' think !

 

[Mlarv]

I don't have the mulching kit on my 54 inch deck on my 2380, but it stands the grass right up to cut it no matter the height of the deck. I was cutting wet grass the other day to get it done before the heat hit us here in TN, and it did just fine. So a dumb question are the blades installed correctly? I have see it more then once were they where not.

 

[PNWBXer]

I don't have the mulching kit on my 54 inch deck on my 2380, but it stands the grass right up to cut it no matter the height of the deck. I was cutting wet grass the other day to get it done before the heat hit us here in TN, and it did just fine. So a dumb question are the blades installed correctly? I have see it more then once were they where not.

Yep. Again I think the reason the stock non mulch blades work great at standing up the grass before it's cut is because the blade has a greater slope (therefore more lift) than the mulch blades.....I'll post a picture here soon.

 

[PNWBXer]

 

[Mlarv]

View attachment 47144 View attachment 47145

Wow first off those blades are shiney(-; Almost seems like the stock blade and the mulching blades are miss labeled. I have not changed the blades yet on mine yet so don't know how hard it would be, but could you swap to the stock blades and see if they worked better for your situation. Other then that I got nothing.

 

[Mlarv]

hmm.. maybe less lift allows the clippings to be cut more ??
dang it's too hot here to think about what 'engineers' think !

I got to thinking about this, and this statement makes some sence. The higher lift blades allow the grass to be lifted up and blown into the chute to be discharged. Where as the lower lift allows the grass to be cut and dropped back down without being blown out the chute. With the side discharge covered it should cause more suction coming from below, but with the sides of the deck up higher more air comes in from the sides then expected. I might try the regular blades and see if that corrects the issue.

 

[SDT]

I seem to have issues tying to mow my grass a little higher. I want higher grass so that it is more healthy and requires less water. ...but right now my mower can't seem to suck up the grass laid over by the front tires. This leads to tire tracks of laid over uncut long grass in my lawn. Lowering the mower helps...but again I want slightly taller turf.

I have a Honda push mower (with a mulch kit also) for my front yard....... and I can really see it "suck" up the grass to cut it and mulches the grass much finer than the Kubota. Now my front yard is much more thick than my back yard.......and the back yard needs some leveling out (another reason I mow higher). But I used to mow the back yard with the Honda before I got my kubota and it did just fine....minus the amount of time it took to mow.

So...my main question is......is there anything I can do to increase suction on my 60" mulch kitted mower deck? The stock mulch blades have less of a ramp behind the blade compared to the regular blades. This obviously creates less suction....and I don't know the reasoning behind this design. The deck mulches fine I guess.....but I think it would do better if it could suck better.......and it might solve my laid over grass issue. Thoughts?

Kubota sells both regular and high lift blades for non-mulching applications. The high lift blades will help lift grass that has been rolled down by the front tires, as will reduced ground speed.

Not sure if you can achieve your goal with mulching blades.

SDT