Cut the grass. One extreme to another

John Rumm formulated the question :

I did my third run round with my little tractor/mower yesterday, the first cut at the beginning of last week when it was just dry enough to drive on. I don't collect the cuttings, otherwise it chokes the blades up, I just make the initial cuts in stages, longest then shorter.

Just two weeks ago, it needed wellies just to walk upon it.

In message <r6emq6$acb$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me, Harry Bloomfield <?.?@NOSPAM.tiscali.co.uk.invalid> writes

My rideon mower struggles with collecting wettish grass.

Rather than mulching (which creates lines of finely chopped grass and eventual sward damage) I now mow and go back next day when it collects happily.

Bugger!

Forecast changed over night and the rain has thinned out as it passed over and none has fallen here.

Hosepipe it is then. :-(

Cheers

Dave R

Problem I have is the mower can collect or mulch, but does not have a deck with an open side or back, so it can't just cut and drop. Even if I fashioned a cowl of some description that replaced the collection bin, it still needs to blow the grass up the internal chute, and that is were it clogs.

Perhaps I need to modify the deck itself to make a hinged edge section, so you can open that, and then fit the mulching plug to block the ducted exit.

Tim Lamb used his keyboard to write :

Rare is the time when mine will collect it, it would need a few weeks of drought. Even when not collecting, it (and its predecessor) have always choked up their duct heading to the bag at the rear. The duct goes over the back axle.

I now drive it around with a stick, so when it does choke up, which is often - I can just stop it, jump off and poke it clear then carry on.

John Rumm was thinking very hard :

They used to sell such a mulching adaptor for my model, no longer available, so I have had it in mind to make such a plug for a while. I just need a nice day and the will, to get a roundtuit.

I have in mind just a sheet of thin steel cut to fill the gap, which bolts into place. It doesn't need to be the same thickness (5mm) as steel deck.

On mine its a plastic plug on the end of a metal bar - you stuff it down the end of the collection chute right down to the deck, and then a rubber strap holds the end of the bar in place. The plug is shaped to match the profile of the inside of the deck - but I doubt that matters too much.

The main problem I find with mulching is that to get good results (i.e. grass nicely mulched in) you need to mow more than once a week. In fact during fast growing times, the mower will probably not have the power to mulch a whole weeks worth of growth in one hit (13.5 HP motor, 36" deck)

Check the air holes in the collecting bin are not blocked so restricting the airflow

Ah. When the chute blocks, I just keep mowing. Mulches a bit but doesn't create rows. Clear the chute and go back when it has dried a bit.

In message <r6fda0$97j$ snipped-for-privacy@dont-email.me, Harry Bloomfield <?.?@NOSPAM.tiscali.co.uk.invalid> writes

I might have a spare insert for a Jonsered (now Huskvarna?)

Is there not a way to remove the chute from the cutter deck to give the opening you require which would allow a 'cut and drop'? Most of the ride- on mowers I've seen which resemble your description (including mine)will, with a bit of jiggling around, allow the chute to be removed. On mine (Honda) there are either 2 or 4 (I can't remember which) self tapper like screws which allow the chute to be pulled out from the collector mounting plate.

As I said, it can clog in the chute even without the collection bin attached.

(and the "bin" is in effect a 300L bag made from an open weave material suspended from the lid of the collector - so its more holes than anything else so long as you empty it before its completely full)

The chute can be removed easily (and in fact you need to to fit the mulching attachment). However that still leaves the exit hole in the middle top of the deck (the blades contra rotate toward it), where it will then just spray the cuttings up into the drive train of of the mower. (Decks that are designed to cut and drop usually have an opening at the back of side of the enclosure in the same plane as the blades rotation).

I can do that to an extent, but if both wet and long there comes a point it will just stall.

Having said all that, this is only usually a problem on the first cut of the season. Now I have it to a more reasonable length, the going gets much easier.

Ahh, a slightly different design to mine then as the chute enters lower towards the rear of the deck and removing it throws the grass more to the rear than upwards.