Lawnmower modification?

[PaPaPeng]

I have a walk behind gas lawnmower with a belt drive. Love it. However I dislike it for often clogging with grass and I dislike having to empty the rear bag every 10 minutes or so. My solution is to use a crossbar to prop the rear chute cover partly open whereby it discharges the grass out and downward back onto the lawn. That way I can make an uninterrupted pass to cut the grass until the gas tank empties. My lawn size is two tanks of gas and 2 plus hours of work. I leave the grass to dry for a few days, rake them and it fills around

9 large garbage bags. Its a lot of work for one guy my age.

I am thinking of modifying a lawnmower blade so that it functions as a propeller type device to pick up the dried cut grass and fling them into the rear bagger. My current idea is to bolt or rivet a backward pitched paddle on the upper side of the blade. It will work (?) like the impeller in a vacuum motor. Has anyone done this before? Any other suggestions as to making such a modification?

[m Ransley]

You should realy try a mulching mower, so much easier, one pass and you are done.

[Duane Bozarth]

PaPaPeng wrote: ....

Just buy a high lift blade of the right size...

[Joseph Meehan]

I also vote for this one. Not only that, you can save on fertilizer. All those grass clippings you are throwing out is great organic matter to build the soil and contains much of the fertilizer you put down during the year.

[Luke]

Good advice, maybe more expensive initially than a new blade or jerry-rigged device, but more economical and practical in the long run.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Mulching blade. I've not raked or bagged in 23 years. Works for leaves also.

[Mark]

to the op

beware if you try to rivet or bolt anything onto a lawn mower blade, there will be a tremendous force on it when it is spinning, if a bolt or rivet breaks or lets go you could be seriously hurt.

I would NOT do it.

Mark

[Hound Dog]

Buy a mulching mower. If you can, get a personal pace model.

They're a lot easier on older guys like us.

[Pagan]

I wouldn't monkey with the blade. If it's not properly balanced, you'll wear out your motor bearings quickly.

You should try running your mower over the dead grass anyway. It should pick it up.

Otherwise, you might want to consider a riding mower, or as others have suggested, a mulching mower. Or, if you really want to modify something, try removing the entire bagging assembly and blocking off the hole. Throw in a new blade, 'mulching' or otherwise, and you should be set.

Pagan

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, Not a mulching mower?