Mower blades?

[PhotoDj]

Just mowed for the first time with my 60" mmm. I'm not real happy with the amount of clippings left on the grass. I would like to know if I should sharpen the blades so that the cutting edge is sharp to touch. The blades are in good shape, no big dents or anything but they do seem a bit blunt. I know I could try gator blades but I don't want to spend the money if I don't have to.
What do you guys suggest?

 

[85Hokie]

Just mowed for the first time with my 60" mmm. I'm not real happy with the amount of clippings left on the grass. I would like to know if I should sharpen the blades so that the cutting edge is sharp to touch. The blades are in good shape, no big dents or anything but they do seem a bit blunt. I know I could try gator blades but I don't want to spend the money if I don't have to.
What do you guys suggest?

When you say clippings left on the grass, you mean that they were blown across another path of grass and are left on top?

Depending on the direction of cut, rather circular or up and back, the grass has to go somewhere. But if you want grass to go away, you either have to cut it more often or chop it up further. Mulching blades would help. I have heard "good" things about gator blades. Let us know if you get them and they help.

 

[Grandad4]

Just to clarify, you're saying the blades are cutting all the grass but the clippings are not all mulched or dispersed, right? Some of the obvious things you might change:
A) Mowing more often so the grass isn't so tall.
B) Mow at a higher deck height.
C) Make sure you're mowing at full rpm.
E) Mow at a slower ground speed.
The not so obvious:
F) Mow a second pass. Each pass with the mower reduces the amount of clippings discharged.
G) Lift the discharge chute with a bungee or whatever, so the clippings are dispersed over a wider area.

I mow some open field with pasture grass that grows a foot/week in the spring (Thank goodness it slows down once summer gets here!). I'll mow at maximum height, keeping the discharge chute lifted and still get a fair amount of windrowing.

Fortunately for me, it's just a field, not a manicured lawn. If you've done all of the above and there's still too much clippings, I guess some of those mulcher blades or a bagger setup are your other options.

 

[PhotoDj]

This was the first cut of the year. The grass wasn't that tall. I expected a better mulch I guess. The grass coming out of the discharge shoot wasn't really mulched at all. I made a few passes over the grass windrows but it more or less just blew the grass out without really chopping it up. I'll try sharpening the blades and see if that works.

 

[Diydave]

Check your deck level. Back of the blade should be just a tad higher than the front (1/8"+/-). If it is too low in the back, there will be short clippings, laying around, cause the grass is getting cut twice. Also causes a lot of gunk build up under the deck, and that, in turn causes poor clipping distribution (clumping/windrowing)...

PS, blades should be sharpened, not to a wire edge, necessarily, but at least as good as a new blade looks. They should be sharpened 8-10 hours mainly to make the cut grass look and recover from cutting better, but also to cut down fuel usage (a dull blade uses more power/fuel)...

 

[PhotoDj]

Check your deck level. Back of the blade should be just a tad higher than the front (1/8"+/-). If it is too low in the back, there will be short clippings, laying around, cause the grass is getting cut twice. Also causes a lot of gunk build up under the deck, and that, in turn causes poor clipping distribution (clumping/windrowing)...

PS, blades should be sharpened, not to a wire edge, necessarily, but at least as good as a new blade looks. They should be sharpened 8-10 hours mainly to make the cut grass look and recover from cutting better, but also to cut down fuel usage (a dull blade uses more power/fuel)...

Thanks! I checked the side to side level but not the front to back.

 

[rjcorazza]

Blades should be somewhat sharp, but that is not the cause of grass clippings not being well distributed. I know you do not wish to buy new blades, but the Gator Blades do an excellent job!
One thing not mentioned is deck clogging and moisture. Even slightly damp grass will clump and not disperse as well as grass cut when really dry. In the spring I try to cut in the afternoon, and if the grass is getting out of control I will raise the deck an inch or so and cut with the chute up. The down side is I have to cut at normal height in 2-3 days to get caught up. No big deal for me, as I enjoy cutting!

 

[Grandad4]

The gator blades may be your next option, but there may only be so far you can go to achieve a perfect lawn cut.

There are probably a lot of owners like me that mow fairly rough, less than perfectly-groomed open areas with these tractors, so the standard deck is built to mow heavy growth over pretty rough ground, but that means it wants to aggressively clear the clippings rather than mulching them finely. While mine has held up to more than 10 years of use mowing areas that would otherwise be bush hogged, there have been plenty of windrows that could have been raked for baling.

There is a "Fine Cut" deck offered for the BX that is evidently intended to give a more refined cut and smaller clippings. The description seems to fit your situation to a "T"... maybe someone who actually has one could comment, and who knows whether your dealer would work something out for you if you really wanted to go in that direction.

 

[CountryBumkin]

I have the "mulching kit" on my Bx2370 (60" MMM). It does a good job and I don't see any cuttings.
Here's a look at the kit for a 54" deck. I didn't see a price for the 60" (my tractor came with the kit). http://www.zimmererkubota.com/eshop...uct_864426.ZG3156_Mulching_Kit_for_ZD221-.htm

 

[Kingcreek]

Blades should not be sharp knife sharp but more like a butter knife edge. If the grass is cut off cleanly and not beaten and frayed looking then the blades are doing the job.

 

[PhotoDj]

I ending up buying a set of Gator Blades. It made a big difference in the size of grass clippings. I'm much happier with how the mower distributes the finer clippings now. The blades are beefier and have a longer cutting edge compared to the stock ones.

 

[RonBoyBX25D]

I ending up buying a set of Gator Blades. It made a big difference in the size of grass clippings. I'm much happier with how the mower distributes the finer clippings now. The blades are beefier and have a longer cutting edge compared to the stock ones.

Where did you buy them from and do you have a part numer on the blades?

 

[PhotoDj]

I bought them at a local landscape supply company. They sell lawn mowers and chains saws. The model I got is 396-612. They fit perfectly, no modifications needed.