Mulch or Bag?

[Clip Cliperson]

Hello guys, I'm new to the business and to this site. Just bought a business and Equipment 2 weeks ago. The guy I bought the business from always bagged his clippings and dumped them at the end of the day. He told me I can dump at the same place but it seems like a big pain to me. First of all I don't have a full size pickup and I have to dump after about 7 or 8 yards. Second the place I dump is a dump. It has a real steep hill with wash out areas all over and I can barely get back out of there. What would it cost me to get set up to mulch. I have 2 Lawn Boys self propelled commercial mowers and a Lesco 36" walk behind. Sorry this post is so long but any info will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[Eric ELM]

I haven't picked up clippings or leaves since 1994. We use double blades and let the clippings fly in tiny pieces and we have had Zero complaints and not a one has asked for the clippings to be removed. If you haven't heard of double blades, click on the flashing gif below and then click on double blades. Pictures included. ;)

[Fantasy Lawns]

We Mulch & Side Discharge

[summitgroundskeeping]

I got a question for u. Could you shoot some of your clients lawns and bag others? That's what we do. I run gator blades on my mowers and side chute lots of my lawns. About every 4 times I bag it. I can dump my clippings in my uncles fields or take it to my cities dump. I don't use double blades, I just mow my lawns more often(every 4-5 days. Besides, supposedly double blades mess up your spindles quickly and are hard on lower horsepower motors. My gator blades usually turn the grass into such small peices they are like dust. See if your clients will let you side chute and occasionally bag for a while. Just make sure you don't blow grass clippings into flower beds and such.
Fact, grass needs thatch and always bagging robs your grass of thatch.
Fact, Side chuting occasionally will make their lawns look better.

[Eric ELM]

Summitgroundskeeping wrote: Besides, supposedly double blades mess up your spindles quickly and are hard on lower horsepower motors.

Who told you this? I have used double blades for 12 years and replaced one set of bearings on one spindle at 3,000 hours. I have run doubles on 2 of my 60" decks with only a 20 hp Kohler engine.

[summitgroundskeeping]

I use 48" 14 hp hrdo w/b great danes. They don't really have the power to turn the double blades. So I mow with fewer days in between and make evn more cash. Plus my dealer (great relationship and even family) won't hold the warrenty valid. So i use single gators.

[Scag48]

I try to mulch, my 21" does anyway. My new Groundmaster doesn't though. It came with the collection system on it and would be a pain in the @$$ to take the blower off and put a mulch plate on. The job I'm currently using it at wants part of the lawn mulched and part bagged. No way is that gonna happen. I'm not gonna spend more money on a mulch plate and blades, then have to change all the stuff out every time I have to go mow this place. I just figured I could bag. But, if you can mulch, I would. It's worked for me for my smaller yards and I can tell that they look better for it. Good luck!

[trimmer]

I used to bag all the time. I started side discharging and haven't had a complant yet. If the grass isn't laying on top who cares how you mow it. If the customer claims it causes thatch maybe you could educate them. In the winter I mulch with my toro. Don't waste your time bagging.

[smburgess]

As long as the clients don't mind if you don't bag, MULCH IT!!!
I has ALOT of clients who require I bag, so I do. They pay for it!

[BOBCAT36]

BAGGING OR MULCHING IT DEPENDS ON THE CLIENT AND THE TYPE OF GRASS YOU DEALING WITH BERMUDA I'LL CATCH BECAUSE IT AS A CLEANER LOOK, KENT 31 LET IT FLY JUST MAKE SURE THE BLADES ARE SHARP

BUT IF I'M PRESS FOR TIME LET THE BURMUDA FLY, JUST RAISE YOUR BLADE SO YOU DONT CUT AS MUCH LEAF

[Premo Services]

Clip
I had a lawnboy several years ago and it had a mulch attachment that goes where the discharge is,and it was plastic,shouldn`t cost much.Also mabey you can get a mulching blade for the mower,might help more.

[LJ lawn]

i try to mulch most of my cuts when and where it is possible.sometimes the yards are too small to mulch. a LOT of people in this area are into the bagging the grass thing, and NO amount of trying to explain otherwise will do.and on top of that we can't charge more for it.must be nice to live in an area where people don't care about it.

[mowntrim]

We are in your area, south of Pittsburgh and have been mulching for 7 years or so. I agree with the others, mulching is the way to go. You should be able to buy a mulching kit from Lesco with no problem.
We usually encounter new customers who want to be bagged because they think clippings cause thatch. We counter with the fact thay they are throwing free nitrogen away and clippings do not cause thatch.