Ariens ZTR 1740... bagger or sweeper?

[andygold]

I am running the above machine, side discharging, with Ariens' mulching blades but without the mulching baffles, and am happy with the cut, and the smaller sized clippings. I'm mowing about an acre minus the house and pool and flower beds, etc....

I would like to get either Ariens' deck mounted grass catcher with it's adapter (I haven't seen any other company make one for this machine), or a tow behind lawn sweeper. It would be used mainly for when the grass can't be mowed due to rain and it gets too high and then would need to be raked (I'm not in the greatest physical shape to rake). It would also be used at the beginning and end of the season for picking up pine cones and needles, (thin)weeping willow branches, and oak and maple leaves. I'm not worried about dulling the blades, as I can either sharpen or replace them. I'm just trying to make the job physically easier.

I'm curious as to whether the extra weight of the catcher and grass on the right side of the deck, will cause the left side to ride higher above the ground than if there were no catcher attached, giving an uneven cut.

Since day one, I've used the mulching blades. Will they work with the catcher, or in other words, do they throw the grass as far back into the catcher as the standard blades would? Or would they just clog the adapter chute and not throw the grass as far?

Anyone side discharging with the adapter chute in place? Does it work well or does it tend to clog?

The grass clippings would either be bagged, or just thrown loose into the back of my pickup. I'm guessing it would be easier to have the bagger in this case, as I'm unsure how a sweeper can be emptied into a bag or truck...they're just typically dumped in some corner, correct?

Anyone have any thoughts either way

[nmurph]

here is a thread on sweepers. i have one and like it. like any tool it has its' limitations. here is the jist of what i think: they work well for smooth lawns where you are picking up debris from the top as opposed to needing any tpye is suction to remove debris that is down in the grass. leaves, needles and small limbs all go straight into the hopper. dumping the sweeper takes about 10 seconds and is much easier than what my experience has been with my old snapper bag-n-wagon. as for the bagger causing an uneven cut, if the total weight of the bagger rest on the deck, then i see how you could have an issue with the cut being uneven. however, if the bagging part is mounted to the rear of the machine, then i would not forsee that the weight of just a tube and the attachment would make that much difference.
http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=133977

[fishinpa]

I read alot of people around here use the catchers from http://www.acceleratorindustries.com/ . Although your mower isn't listed they might have one that fits that deck type, or may be developing one for it.

I personally do not own nor have never used one of these catchers.

Now that I think about it, is the 1740 a stamped deck? If it is I really never looked into whether they make catchers for those??

Good luck either way!

[andygold]

Accelerator does not make one for this machine. I spoke to them last year and they told me they tried, but were unable to. They were going to make one for me and let me test it, but they seemed to have some sort of problem and dropped the idea(at least for that time).

The deck is not stamped, it is a welded deck. The Ariens OEM catcher is like the accelerator style that sit to the side of the deck, and AFAIK it does not attach to the machine anywhere other than the deck. I'm not sure if it's up in the air, or rests on the ground and slides along.

nmurph.....once your sweeper is full, how do you empty it? Are you toting it to a compost heap, or are you somehow bagging it or putting it in a truck?

[nmurph]

we have street-side p/u. emptying could not be easier. i drive to the spot, step off the mower, grab the handle on the hopper, pull it up, shake it a little to remove the last of the grass, and drive off. the hopper will usually drop down by itself. the whole procedure is 15 seconds, or less!!!!!

like i said, it is great for anything laying on top of the lawn.

[forgop]

I have the 1740 w/ mulching blades and mulching kit. As long as I'm not trying to take off to much in one cut, there's no need to bag or sweep in my opinion.