FasTrak 48"/19 Bad Clogging Problem

[acoustical1]

I purchased a new FasTrak 48/19 last spring and have been fighting a clogging problem every since.

My lawn is 1.33 acres which consists of tall fescue and a healthy dose of clover / various other weeds.

Last season I would consistently have to stop approximately 3 times per cutting to clean grass out from the deck. I routinely end up with a 5 gallon bucket of grass clumps when I'm finished mowing.

I've tried the following -

Only cutting in the late evening after all moisture should be gone from the lawn.

Cutting more often - twice per week.

Cutting the portions of my yard that have more moisture last.

Had the dealer check the unit out - they re-leveled the deck which hadn't been done since the flex forks were installed -- didn't help

I still have the clogging issue. Certainly there are portions of my lawn that retain moisture more than others....but it's not like it's standing water or anything of the sort. In addition, on days when I would never dream of cutting because of this moisture issue, my neighbor is out on his Skag cutting his lawn with absolutely no problems. In fact, I've seen him cutting in the rain. I don't expect to be able to do this, but the second I see the tires show just a hint of moisture somewhere I know I'm doomed.

Is there something I'm doing wrong here? The mower cuts great as long as everything is so dry that a field fire is a danger! However, for $5,000 I didn't expect to be a slave to my mower's need for perfect conditions.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[mowerconsultant]

Where are you located?
How much are you cutting off in a single pass?

Pj

[acoustical1]

PJ,

I'm located in Southern Illinois directly across from St. Louis, MO. My dealer is Hartman Farm Supply.

At first I was most likely taking off too much grass at once. After re-leveling the deck didn't help, I switched to leaving the grass a lot shorter and cutting twice per week.

I was originally mowing at 3.75 inches....but switched to 3.25. This seemed to help but I still had issues if the weather didn't allow for at least 2 days of drying in between cuts. I also have a 100 X 10 section of my yard where my septic system discharges clean water 6-8 inches underground. The grass in this section grows like crazy and is always more likely to have a higher moisture content.

I have 32 hours on the unit and haven't sharpened the blades yet. I didn't know if different blades may be the answer so I haven't sharpened the originals yet.

Should the FasTrack be this sensitive to conditions...or do you think I have a problem somewhere??? (including the operator!)

Thanks for your time and service.

[mowerconsultant]

Of course moisture is going to be a factor no matter the brand of mower or size deck.
Can you e-mail me your information and I can have our regional service manager work with your dealer to get your problem resolved.

Pj

[blackandgold]

Are you running the engine at full throttle? ( have to ask ) Are you using a mulch kit or side discharging? Who are you working with, Mike or Jeanette? We'll get you taken care of...

[acoustical1]

I just sent you my contact info.

Thanks

[acoustical1]

I am running the engine at full throttle at all times.

I am not using a mulching kit.

Side discharge with the rubber flap propped open with a bungee cord.

[acoustical1]

Sorry...forgot to address all questions --

Jeanette is who I dealt with both in the purchase and when I brought it in for service.

I want to make it clear that I do not have a problem with this dealer -- I just returned yet because they made it pretty clear that I was the first person to have these issues. They didn't seem to have any indication as to where the problem might be.

By the time I tried every combination of things to change on my end the season was over. So I thought I'd get started early this season -- first cut was last week and it clogged right away -- so it didn't take too long to be reminded!

[blackandgold]

It has been my experience that when decks are clogging it is deck pitch, speed, height of cut, or low blades tip speed or engine rpm.

Especially on FasTraks, the deck needs to be leveled with the operator on the unit or the appropriate amount of weight in the operator area. In testing at our distributorship, which works with Hartmann Farm Supply and many other dealers in the midwest, this procedure usually fixes the issues you are talking about.

My brother is 6 foot 4 300lbs. When he climbs in the seat of his Fastrak with Flex Forks, the machine settles a little bit in the front therfore changing the deck pitch---athought it is only changed slightly. This is not because there is something wrong with the Flex Forks or the Machine, It is because he is 6 foot 4 300 lbs and he is on a FasTrak. The Flex Forks are engineered to work for all operators in all conditions, and all operators and conditions are different, therefore sometimes some tweaking to the machine may be needed.

I will contact both Mike and Jeanette, as well as our Territory Manager that calls on Hartmann Farm Supply in the morning. Our service technicians will also be in touch with them and together we will make your FasTrak perform to its best abilities.

[djagusch]

You can also adjust the deck pitch by air pressure in the tires. Make sure they are at the right psi now and you can air them up or down just to see if it makes a difference in clogging. After you know which way works the best, you air the tires properly and then adjust the deck by the mechanical adjustments.

[acoustical1]

Well guys...here's the latest on my clogging issues. Thanks to PJ & Black & Gold for some tips.

I took those tips back to my dealer...they did the following:

Engine RPMs were a little low so they adjusted for proper speed

The deck was off by 1/2" in height. Meaning when I had the deck set for 3.5" it was actually sitting at 3". They adjusted that.

The deck was also out of level....chute side was lower to the ground. They re-leveled the deck. These last two are weird because last season they made these same adjustments and I haven't had a wrench on it since.

They said they cut in fairly high grass with it for quite awhile...took it back into the shop and there wasn't a speck of grass in the deck.

Great!!! I picked it up after work and came home to cut my lawn....20 minutes into the front yard I have a huge clog again!!! Put it up on the ramps....clean out the clog.....15 minutes later...clogged again!!! same crap!!!

Meanwhile....my neighbor is yet again cutting his yard right along side of me with his Scag...no issues at all.

The grass stuck in the deck is wet when I pull it out....yet I can walk across the lawn in bare feet and not get wet at all.

Any suggestions???? I'm calling the dealer again tomorrow to take it back again....but I don't know what they're going to try. They seem to be perplexed.

[acoustical1]

Back again....still having the same clogging issues.

So this time a rep from the dealer and a rep from the Hustler distributor came to my house and cut with my mower. Sure enough, just as I predicted the thing clogged on them after 20 minutes. I had just cut the lawn at 4.5" the day before so that they would only be taking 1 inch off by cutting at 3.5" when they showed up.

So the dealer took the unit back and had it for the past two weeks. The distributor was confident that it was just a leveling issue again. They claim that they contacted Hustler and followed all of the tips that they were given. They said they cut for 1hr. with it for the past two days and couldn't get it to clog at their place.

So they dropped it off today and this evening I went out for a test run......now...it has been very wet around here so I expected some trouble....however it clogged faster than it ever has before...3 minutes...and I was cutting at 3.75" with the grass being about 5 inches tall.

I'm completely fed up at this point......I want to be done with this unit....it clearly cannot cut grass in my yard. And saying that my yard is the problem doesn't work either because while they had my mower at the shop I cut the lawn with an old 14HP John Deere 48" walk-behind with no problem.....I've also cut with a 1986 36" Snapper riding mower with no problem.....I've also had a Scag Freedom Z 48" out here cutting with no problem....the only problem is with my $5400 Hustler Fastrak!!! Believe me...I wanted the Fastrak to work....I bought it because I clearly thought it was a superior product to anything else I looked at. But it can't......doesn't matter how dry the yard is......doesn't matter if it hasn't rained in two weeks.....the thing clogs.

PJ....is there anyway you can help me here? I planning to ask them to take it back but I'm sure they're not going to be excited about that. The unit has 48 hours on it and is in mint condition.

From a consumer's standpoint how much am I supposed to put up with? I bought this mower for the specific purpose of cutting grass and it cannot do it for more than 20 minutes without being cleaned out. It's not just me....it did it for the dealer at my house as well. I can't explain why they say it works at their place....but frankly I don't care....the fact is my $5400 mower doesn't work at my house....yet other mowers do. What am I supposed to do with this? I bought a good mower at an expensive price because I didn't want to be screwing around with stuff like this.

They say that they've done everything Hustler has told them....so now what? I don't have the time or patience for them to take another 2 weeks screwing with it just so it doesn't work again. Every time they have my mower I have to pay someone to cut my lawn.....I don't have an extra ZTR laying around. I'm not even complaining about Hustler or the dealer here.....it's just very apparent that this mower won't work for me....and it's not my fault....I have gone through great pains to ensure that I'm not the one doing something wrong.....that's why the unit has 48 hours on it.....because up until the last 2 months I was convinced that it had to be me...not the machine.....but that is not the case.

Please help if you can.

Regards

[mowerconsultant]

I will talk to Darren (blackandgold) and he will work on this for you.

Pj

[acoustical1]

Thanks Pj......sorry for my rant......I'm just at the end of my rope with this situation.

I appreciate your help thus far.

[mowerconsultant]

Thanks Pj......sorry for my rant......I'm just at the end of my rope with this situation.

I appreciate your help thus far.

I understand.

[titanup04]

This may sound stupid, but have you tried another fastrack at your place? If not maybe they can bring another one out and let you try it just to see if it is the design of the mower or YOUR particular mower. Just a thought.

[acoustical1]

Thanks for the suggestion --- I actually suggested that exact test when we started of of this troubleshooting this season. However, the dealer didn't seem receptive to it.

[la200o]

For whatever it's worth, I have bad clogging with my 45/20 FasTrak and have had all along. I have ramps and a metal bar and goggles and a wheelbarrow at the ready whenever I mow. If things are dry, I can mow for 45 minutes or an hour without stopping. But if it's at all wet, and especially if it's been wet and I'm mowing my orchard, where there are plenty of broadleaf weeds, I know I'm going to be spending a lot of time under the deck.

Bill

[rooread]

I have the excact same problem when mowing lawns with wet Kikuyu, clover, oxalis and other weeds which contain a lot of moisture. I've learnt to live with it now by doing the following:
wait until the deck is well clogged (you'll know by the sound)
drive under a tree or some other inconspicuous spot in the yard (with blades still engaged)
disengage the blades and bounce the deck up and down with the pedal, (this dumps the wet cloggy clippings on the ground)
then get back to mowing until it happens again.
I find that this leaves quite a clean finish still as the deck actually picks up and holds all the offending material.
It's a pain in the ass I know, but I've found the speed and reliability of my mini z more than makes up for it.

[acoustical1]

Thanks for your comments......However I don't think it makes me feel any better to know I'm not the only person with this problem! :)

I'm really not a picky person....but to me....a mower that costs $5,000 should be able to mow normal grass. In my world "normal grass" includes clover / dandelions / crabgrass and any other weed that presents itself.

In fact, it would seem that most people who are in the market for a Zero-Turn of this quality usually have larger lawns than your typical subdivision. Therefore, I think it's logical to assume that any unit designed for this market could handle a lawn that isn't sprayed for weeds all of the time.

I don't think I should expect to have to pay $300 per year in weed killer on top of the $5,000 mower.

This holds true especially when other mowers cut just fine without the clogs.

[jimmy1954]

I am posting on here for the first time, and on this same issue also. I bought a new SD FT 48/23hp here in Clarksville, TN. this spring and it has had the same clogging issues with it. The deck plugs up everytime (and I mean everytime) I cut my grass also, granted I have alot of juicy clover growing in my 1.5 acre lot which was a cow pasture 15 years ago. I have learned to deal with it, but am not happy with having the break out the engine hoist, strap, and putty knife to clean the plugged deck every time I cut. I just don't do what others have stated here, (stop and clear the deck several times) I just continue to cut and finish the yard before I unplug the deck. So brother, I just wanted you to know you are not alone in this.

[puppypaws]

Thanks for your comments......However I don't think it makes me feel any better to know I'm not the only person with this problem! :)

I'm really not a picky person....but to me....a mower that costs $5,000 should be able to mow normal grass. In my world "normal grass" includes clover / dandelions / crabgrass and any other weed that presents itself.

In fact, it would seem that most people who are in the market for a Zero-Turn of this quality usually have larger lawns than your typical subdivision. Therefore, I think it's logical to assume that any unit designed for this market could handle a lawn that isn't sprayed for weeds all of the time.

I don't think I should expect to have to pay $300 per year in weed killer on top of the $5,000 mower.

This holds true especially when other mowers cut just fine without the clogs.

I would say you have a underpowered engine for what you are dealing with. Large wet grass can pull several hp from your engine with no problem. When the rpms fall on the engine, your blade tip speed falls as well. This can be the difference in whether a deck can perform to its capability and fan wet grass out of the discharge chute. When the blade tip speed drops from lack of engine hp you will have these problems in a more pronounced fashion.

Blade tip speed slows and you do not have enough air turbulence to keep the grass in suspension underneath the deck. The deck now has grass starting to adhere and build up, instead of staying in circulation until it is fanned out through the discharge chute. This is one of the biggest problems people face, anytime you hear your engine rpms fall back, your deck is now under-performing and will start chunking grass out in clumps when wet.

[la200o]

Thanks for your comments......However I don't think it makes me feel any better to know I'm not the only person with this problem! :)


This holds true especially when other mowers cut just fine without the clogs.


I'd like to hear the result of your problem; it's hard to figure how the Hustler clogs and the other mower doesn't. . . my experience is that wet lawns with weeds will clog just about anything under the sun.

Good luck,
Bill

[acoustical1]

Jimmy 1954 -- sounds like you have the exact same problem....however I cannot wait until I'm finished cutting. When my deck clogs the engine is clearly strained and the deck starts dumping huge clumps of grass all over the yard. Over my 1.33 acres I always have to clean out at least 2-3 times.

Thus my frustration -- a guy buys a zero turn to save time but ends up spending all of that extra time under the unit scraping grass with a putty knife!


Puppy Paws -- very interesting comments. They increased the RPMs of my motor last time it was in the shop and I have noticed that for awhile the deck will discharge better than it has in the past. However, eventually it just becomes too much and starts sticking. When I disengage the blades it dumps a whole load of grass on the lawn -- and their is still some sticking as well. Are you suggesting that only a commercial unit would be required? It sounds like Jimmy 1954 in a previous post is having the same problem even with the 23HP engine.

La200o -- stay tuned....I will happily post any information on this problem. There are two things that puzzle me the most -- 1) is that I can use other mowers here with no problem. 2) my unit supposedly cuts fine with no clogs at the dealership. I'm really hoping that Hustler pulls through for me on this situation. So far PJ and Black & Gold have been in contact with me...but I think the dealership has run out of ideas.

[SPENCER HUNTER]

Well i have a superduty 42 inch cut w/19 hp kaw,, make a long story short one of my coworker just bought him a new home,,the lawn use to be a cow pasture,, with all kinds of grasses growing there,,,he would call me to cut his lawn or cowpasture,, what ever u want to call it,, after it was 7 or 8 inches in height,,, i tried cutting it at 3 inches,,, my deck would stop up,,, i finally raised it to the highest setting,,,transport--setting,, then it would not stop up,,, then go back the next day,,then cut it at a lower setting,,, then on the 3rd day i'd cut it at 3 inches,,this was at 3pm or later part of the day, and cut it at slower speeds if the grass is high and thick,,, hope this help's,,,

[oldfella]

I've bee reading this thread with interest, and wonder if using the gator blades would help this situation some - seeing that the gator blade design does not draw as much engine power (?) as the the high-lift blades... or at least use two gator blades and the high-lift blade at the discharge side - it's worth a try.

Pete

[la200o]

Did the other mower(s you used have the same horsepower engine?

Bill

[acoustical1]

In reply to everyone:

SPENCER HUNTER -- My yard was completely scalped after I built and I re-seeded the whole thing with tall fescue. I have tried all of those scenarios but I still clog even at transport height. In fact, I can cut at 4.5" one day -- then cut at 3.5" the next day and it still clogs.

oldfella -- I asked about the blades when this all started but the dealer told me that the stock blades are the most appropriate for side discharging. Gator or high lift blades would bog it down even more.

la200o -- The other mowers I used were all much lower HP except the Scag. The Scag was running the same HP as my Fastrac.

This past weekend I ran another test with a 2001 Cub Cadet 38" lawn tractor. It runs dual blades and had a 13HP engine on it. It didn't have one problem cutting my lawn. Discharge was very strong and never clumped. I didn't have any problem cutting at 3.5" in back, so I dropped it down to 3" in the front and it still cut fine. I put it up on ramps afterwards and there was no accumulation at all. I also purposely cut in wetter conditions that I normally would -- morning/evening dew on the grass.

I just got off the phone with my dealer -- told them that I'm at the end of my rope and want to return unit. I've had my unit in shop at least 4 times now - each trip taking a week or more for return. Meanwhile the grass still grows and needs to be cut. As I've said before, this is not acceptable to me for $5,200. They told me they have to talk to Hustler on this -- incidentally their contact is Black & Gold from this forum. He's been aware of this problem so hopefully I'll get a response soon.

[mtwcutt]

I know I am probably a little late with this, but in my experience with my 54" Superduty I have had less build up with the high lift blades. I started this spring with Gators and was having a terrible time with the gators and build up on yards that had a high moisture content in the grass "weeds, rye, etc. I then switched back to the high lift fusions that came on the mower with great results and hardly no build up. Now that summer has kicked in with dry conditions I have went back to the gators to cut down on the giant dust cloud following me.

[blackandgold]

Recently found out your dealer didn't do quite everything neccessary. Higher lift blades, and adjusting deck pitch will make an incredible difference---this should be done at your place. I have people working on this for you. You should be hearing from someone soon, or maybe you already did.

[acoustical1]

blackandgold -- thanks for your help and response. Yes, I spoke to the dealer last week and they told me that you wanted to try the high-lift blades with some sort of shim kit -- washers???

They didn't mention anything about performing this work at my place however.

What exactly needs to be done out on my property?

Thanks again.....I hope this works.

[blackandgold]

I still think the deck pitch may need to be adjusted to your lawns needs. The only way a mechanic will see your mowing conditions is to be at your place. High Lift blades should also help you a great deal. Somtimes lowering the blades just a slight amount will increase the airflow in your deck and help discharge more grass. Pitch, blades, lift, your cutting height, moisture, type of grasses.....these all make a difference.

There is a lot of adjustments that can be done. Every lawn is different. Again, this is why I would like the mechanic to see what you are mowing. The sales people have all seen it, but they don't do the fixin'.

[acoustical1]

Ok guys....here is the latest update. I think we may be making progress! My dealer dropped my unit off last night with what they say are the high-lift blades.

PJ -- are the high lift blades also known as the fusion blades? The part number stamped on these blades is 795757.

Anyway -- I jumped on the mower tonight and mowed my entire yard without having to stop! What is even more impressive is that I was mowing some seriously thick grass due to the guy I had mow my lawn while my Hustler was in the shop. They had left huge clumps of discharged grass which I thought was going to seriously bog down my mower for a few cuts. Even more, the grass was rather wet in shady spots -- much too wet for me to cut in the past.

When I finally stopped I put the mower up on ramps and to my surprise found only 1/2 of a shovel full of grass in the deck. If you haven't read earlier in this thread....that is a huge improvement over the 15 gallons of grass I would scrape out from every cut!

This has only been one cut...so I'm not convinced yet. However it was a pretty tough cut compared to the usual conditions and it handled it better than my old blades in perfect conditions.

My only complaint so far is that these blades seem to discharge much larger clippings than my original blades. I'm thinking that a lot of this is due to the amount of grass that was left on my lawn from the guys I had cut it previously. I'm assuming that these high-lift blades are designed for a collector....so it wouldn't surprise me that it leaves more grass than before. However, I'm hoping that it will look nicer next time.

I still will never understand why my dealer didn't try this 18 months ago!

I'll keep you posted. Thanks again to everyone so far.

[mowerconsultant]

PJ -- are the high lift blades also known as the fusion blades? The part number stamped on these blades is 795757.


Those are the Fusions and we consider them a high lift blade.

Pj

[acoustical1]

On the Fusion Blades.....are they supposed to feel dull??

The original blades on my mower were so sharp that I wore gloves to clean out the deck.

These fusion blades are about as sharp as a butter knife.

[mowerconsultant]

On the Fusion Blades.....are they supposed to feel dull??

The original blades on my mower were so sharp that I wore gloves to clean out the deck.

These fusion blades are about as sharp as a butter knife.

They are not dull, what your seeing is the paint over the blade edge, this will wear off within a hour or so.
Some people like to remove this with a grinder before using the blades the first time.

Pj

[puppypaws]

They are not dull, what your seeing is the paint over the blade edge, this will wear off within a hour or so.
Some people like to remove this with a grinder before using the blades the first time.

Pj

That is funny, I wonder how long they think the paint will survive on the cutting edge at 18,000+ FPM. I doubt it will take but a few minutes, if that long. Fusion blades when installed new have cut perfectly for me from the time they are engaged in grass. Blades should not feel razor sharp, this causes them to dull much faster from lack of metal in the cutting edge.

[zoodski]

I thought I was the only one with this problem, I have a fastrak 20/54 (bought last spring) and the same clogging issues. I'm mowing 4.5 acres and this has been the wettest summer in a very long time. My lawn looks absolutely horrible all the time. I'm mowing every 4-5 days on 3.5 setting. I did put the fusion blades on and they helped some. I have leveled my deck once last year and once this year, it's never off by much. I've been leveling on my garage floor which is flat and level. I downloaded the parts manual and printed off the section on how to level the deck, so I'm pretty sure I've been doing it correctly. You talk about the pitch of the deck, where should it be for wetter conditions? My lawn is very thick in spots, especially where its shady in the afternoon. I also have the chute propped up about an inch to help discharge better. I've been considering selling it and buying something else. Any help would be appreciated. By the way, my neighbor has a very old craftsman lawn tractor (he's always tinkering on it to keep it running) and he mows once every 7-10 days and his lawn looks a hundred times better than mine. I'm also very frustrated.

[puppypaws]

I thought I was the only one with this problem, I have a fastrak 20/54 (bought last spring) and the same clogging issues. I'm mowing 4.5 acres and this has been the wettest summer in a very long time. My lawn looks absolutely horrible all the time. I'm mowing every 4-5 days on 3.5 setting. I did put the fusion blades on and they helped some. I have leveled my deck once last year and once this year, it's never off by much. I've been leveling on my garage floor which is flat and level. I downloaded the parts manual and printed off the section on how to level the deck, so I'm pretty sure I've been doing it correctly. You talk about the pitch of the deck, where should it be for wetter conditions? My lawn is very thick in spots, especially where its shady in the afternoon. I also have the chute propped up about an inch to help discharge better. I've been considering selling it and buying something else. Any help would be appreciated. By the way, my neighbor has a very old craftsman lawn tractor (he's always tinkering on it to keep it running) and he mows once every 7-10 days and his lawn looks a hundred times better than mine. I'm also very frustrated.

You people have problems someone needs to be looking into. That is bad to see and old worn out Craftsman lawn tractor leaving a better cut than a high end ZTR. I could not stand dealing with that, and wouldn't but about 24 hrs. That could get extremely embarrassing, especially with the old guy on the Craftsman watching and wondering. :confused:

[blackandgold]

Again,

High Lift Blades and adjusting your pitch to the conditions will make a dramatic difference in cut quality. If you need help with this, contact your dealer service department.

[zoodski]

What do you mean by adjusting pitch? I went out yesterday and checked levelness. With deck height set at 3.5 the front of the deck measured 3.25 from deck to floor. Back of deck measured 3.125 from deck to floor. Right to left was same front and back. Not to put down my dealer but they ordered me a kohler oil filter and I said no I have a honda and they said it would work. After draining my oil and attempting to change filter I noticed threads were completely different. The last 2 times I went in there they have not had 1 hustler in stock. When I bought mine last year they had 1 other in stock. Like I said not putting them down but they were a new hustler dealer last year and I don't know that they have even had to work on one yet. They are actually a tractor dealer, and don't sell any mowers at all other than the few hustlers they may have sold, including mine. I do all my maint work myself so I figured I could get some feedback on here from others who have had the same issue, rather than from a dealer who probably hasn't.

Thanks for any suggestions.

[puppypaws]

What do you mean by adjusting pitch? I went out yesterday and checked levelness. With deck height set at 3.5 the front of the deck measured 3.25 from deck to floor. Back of deck measured 3.125 from deck to floor. Right to left was same front and back. Not to put down my dealer but they ordered me a kohler oil filter and I said no I have a honda and they said it would work. After draining my oil and attempting to change filter I noticed threads were completely different. The last 2 times I went in there they have not had 1 hustler in stock. When I bought mine last year they had 1 other in stock. Like I said not putting them down but they were a new hustler dealer last year and I don't know that they have even had to work on one yet. They are actually a tractor dealer, and don't sell any mowers at all other than the few hustlers they may have sold, including mine. I do all my maint work myself so I figured I could get some feedback on here from others who have had the same issue, rather than from a dealer who probably hasn't.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Aligning your blade on the discharge side front to back with you mower on perfectly flat concrete. From the bottom of the blade to the concrete should be 1/4" higher at the back than the front. In other words if your distance from the bottom of blade nearest the front of the mower is 3" to the concrete, then the distance from the bottom of the blade pointing toward the rear of the mower to the concrete should be 3.25" (3 1/4").

You now should find your deck to be a certain distance from the bottom of the deck front lip to the concrete, and the bottom of the back of the deck should be 1/4" higher. This is the correct way to set the pitch of a deck, and believe me it makes a tremendous difference in the way a deck performs.

[zoodski]

Ok, now i'm getting somewhere.

I spent 2 hrs setting pitch on blades instead of deck this past weekend. I went out and mowed my front yard sunday and the conditions were 5 days since last mowing and very dry. Mowing quality was excellent. I noticed grass spreading out from the chute further and more evenly. Yesterday I started mowing the back and got rained out. Today it was dry but high humidity and grass was dry to touch but ground underneath was saturated. It had been 6 days on the back and thats where its longer and thicker than the front. I did clean the deck before mowing but still had clogging issues. It wasn't as bad as usual and I would've like to have been able to finish it yesterday under drier conditions. I definitely think its doing better. What little I mowed yesterday before getting rained out was looking real good, with hardly any clumping. Today looked bad, but not as bad as it has been. The clumps are more dispersed instead of big clumps everywhere.

Thanks for the tip puppypaws.

[acoustical1]

Ok Guys,

I have mowed 3 times now since the fusion blades were put on and I have yet to clog the deck. Each time I've finished mowing my 1.33 acres I have only a handful of grass in the deck....literally....one handful!

My only complaint at this point is just that the discharged clippings are not as cut up as they were with the "stock" medium lift blades -- therefore my yard does not looks as nice when I'm finished mowing.

I'm hoping that I can compensate for this by cutting maybe a day sooner or something so that I'm not taking off as much grass.

I can't begin to tell you what a difference this has made. A big thanks to PJ and blackandgold for getting my dealer straight on this. Why it took them 18 months for this simple solution is beyond me.

I strongly encourage those of you who have chimed in with this same exact problem to try some of these things. There is no reason to be this unhappy with your $5,000 mower.

I'm still hoping to solve the unattractive grass clippings issue, but for now I'm happy that I no longer dread cutting the lawn with my Hustler.

If anyone has any tips I'm all ears!

[puppypaws]

Ok Guys,

I have mowed 3 times now since the fusion blades were put on and I have yet to clog the deck. Each time I've finished mowing my 1.33 acres I have only a handful of grass in the deck....literally....one handful!

My only complaint at this point is just that the discharged clippings are not as cut up as they were with the "stock" medium lift blades -- therefore my yard does not looks as nice when I'm finished mowing.

I'm hoping that I can compensate for this by cutting maybe a day sooner or something so that I'm not taking off as much grass.

I can't begin to tell you what a difference this has made. A big thanks to PJ and blackandgold for getting my dealer straight on this. Why it took them 18 months for this simple solution is beyond me.

I strongly encourage those of you who have chimed in with this same exact problem to try some of these things. There is no reason to be this unhappy with your $5,000 mower.

I'm still hoping to solve the unattractive grass clippings issue, but for now I'm happy that I no longer dread cutting the lawn with my Hustler.

If anyone has any tips I'm all ears!

The fusion blades will give you a longer clipping, but that is also one of the reasons the small fine clippings are not adhering and causing the clogging issues. The finer the clippings, the lighter in weight, the lighter in weight with moisture thrown into the equation, the harder for the deck to rid itself of the cut grass.

There is no perfect solution for every cutting scenario, therefore you find the happy medium, which in your case is to leave the setup as is and cut more often so the clippings aren't as long. From what it sounds like, you are as close to perfect as you will get.

[mmcfadin]

I have a new Fastrak SD 54 mower purchased last fall (Oct) and I am fighting a similar deck clogging problem. My lawn is new so not real thick with grass and there are large number of weeds. My understanding is the mower came with the Fusion blades but not sure if they are high lift or if the shim kit mentioned in this chain will help. What is part number shim kit for my model?

I have checked deck pitch as described and it is set at 1/4 inch higher at back of deck. I mow almost 2 acres and can do so a couple of times before I need to put mower up in the air to clean out the deck. I checked blades today and they need to be sharpened so getting that done to see if that helps.

[mowerconsultant]

I have a new Fastrak SD 54 mower purchased last fall (Oct) and I am fighting a similar deck clogging problem. My lawn is new so not real thick with grass and there are large number of weeds. My understanding is the mower came with the Fusion blades but not sure if they are high lift or if the shim kit mentioned in this chain will help. What is part number shim kit for my model?


The Fusions you have on your mower from the factory are the high lift blades.
We dont offer a shim kit for your deck.
We offer a spacer kit for the full frame unit decks for when we changed form a offset blade to a flat blade, this doesn't apply to your deck because it has always used the flat style blades.

Pj

[blackandgold]

mmcfadin
LawnSite Member

Who did you buy your mower from? I can help you. Send me a PM with your information and we'll get you taken care of.

[71gearhead]

Aligning your blade on the discharge side front to back with you mower on perfectly flat concrete. From the bottom of the blade to the concrete should be 1/4" higher at the back than the front. In other words if your distance from the bottom of blade nearest the front of the mower is 3" to the concrete, then the distance from the bottom of the blade pointing toward the rear of the mower to the concrete should be 3.25" (3 1/4").

You now should find your deck to be a certain distance from the bottom of the deck front lip to the concrete, and the bottom of the back of the deck should be 1/4" higher. This is the correct way to set the pitch of a deck, and believe me it makes a tremendous difference in the way a deck performs.

You know the interesting thing is, that is exactly what produces a good quality of cut in a similar situation - machining of steel - with shell cutters. The front of the cutting tool is set to do the cutting; if the rear of the tool contacts the work piece it ruins the surface finish by leaving a back cut. It's interesting that a mower deck has to be set with the same inclination to cut at the front.

[71gearhead]

Just wanted to follow up with this on my own experience with a newly acquired 48" Fastrak with the 19hp Kohler, a "used" machine with the clock and condition showing 1 hour.

After reading this thread I inspected my machine fully expecting to have to adjust it. Upon inspection tip rake was set correct by the dealer 1/4 inch front to back as described here.

I was compelled during my first, 2nd and 3rd mows to mow between rains what I would call a "dry blade soaked turf" lawn. Tons of moisure. The quality of cut appeared to be razor flat like a buzz cut. The clippings were ejected I would say acceptable.

The worst wet condition cut I had was where the grass was probalby at least 5 inch to 8 inch tall, I was cutting it at a 3.5 inch height at first. The grass chunked out of the deck in a furrow but it did not clog or stop. This was a bit much so I raised the deck height 1 inch and with that small change was able to go top speed with a "chunky" ejection of grass but no clogging, I was satisfied how the mower cut in the wet because I am sure it would have stopped a "normal" machine.

The 1/4" blade rake from front to back appears to be the key to cutting with the leading edge of the blades (quality of cut) and then ejecting the blades out the grass chute as soon as they are lifted out of the turf (airflow inside the deck). Cutting with a flat or reversed inclination on the deck would cut with the trailing edge of the blades and cause the clippings to swirl around the inside of the deck without first being ejected.

[puppypaws]

Just wanted to follow up with this on my own experience with a newly acquired 48" Fastrak with the 19hp Kohler, a "used" machine with the clock and condition showing 1 hour.

After reading this thread I inspected my machine fully expecting to have to adjust it. Upon inspection tip rake was set correct by the dealer 1/4 inch front to back as described here.

I was compelled during my first, 2nd and 3rd mows to mow between rains what I would call a "dry blade soaked turf" lawn. Tons of moisure. The quality of cut appeared to be razor flat like a buzz cut. The clippings were ejected I would say acceptable.

The worst wet condition cut I had was where the grass was probalby at least 5 inch to 8 inch tall, I was cutting it at a 3.5 inch height at first. The grass chunked out of the deck in a furrow but it did not clog or stop. This was a bit much so I raised the deck height 1 inch and with that small change was able to go top speed with a "chunky" ejection of grass but no clogging, I was satisfied how the mower cut in the wet because I am sure it would have stopped a "normal" machine.

The 1/4" blade rake from front to back appears to be the key to cutting with the leading edge of the blades (quality of cut) and then ejecting the blades out the grass chute as soon as they are lifted out of the turf (airflow inside the deck). Cutting with a flat or reversed inclination on the deck would cut with the trailing edge of the blades and cause the clippings to swirl around the inside of the deck without first being ejected.

Yes, the deck must be set up correctly and the other main component is having more than enough hp to keep the blade tip speed at maximum rotation in all cutting conditions. Had I been cutting 8" of soaking wet grass; I would have cut it twice, only removing 1/2 of my desired total each time. The smaller amount of wet grass the deck is attempting to handle, the easier and more efficient the deck functions.

[joe crumpler services]

I've been entertained by reading all of these posts concerning grass clogging the deck. As a former septic contractor the description of the 10 x 100 area where the system puts out "clean water" 6" to 8" below ground level really got my attention. Even in "dry weather" that area gets watered every time a toilet is flushed, not to mention water from the washer, the shower, lavatory use, etc. Take a whiff of that "clean water" and you'll realize how much fertilizer is going into that area, depending on the soil texture.

[rlukenbaugh]

I have had my unit back to the dealer twice for a new set of blades and deck cleaning. The blades completely sheared off. The ends were worn down and the blade itself. They told me it was grass and sand from my lot forming a very hard mud substance, clogging the deck. They have taken unti back and replaced blades, but I need something i can mow with that will not clog every time i mow to the point of requiring new blades.

I am now washing deck every two hours and getting a 5 gallon bucket of solid peices each day i mow. Trying to mow 10 acres, but stopping every two and cleaning is hard.

50 hours on unit, dealer now says to use gator blades next time they shear off with clogging deck.

What next, I do not know what to do...

[mowerconsultant]

I have had my unit back to the dealer twice for a new set of blades and deck cleaning. The blades completely sheared off. The ends were worn down and the blade itself. They told me it was grass and sand from my lot forming a very hard mud substance, clogging the deck. They have taken unti back and replaced blades, but I need something i can mow with that will not clog every time i mow to the point of requiring new blades.

I am now washing deck every two hours and getting a 5 gallon bucket of solid peices each day i mow. Trying to mow 10 acres, but stopping every two and cleaning is hard.

50 hours on unit, dealer now says to use gator blades next time they shear off with clogging deck.

What next, I do not know what to do...

How much are you taking off in a single pass?
Sandy conditions are horrible for blade life.

Pj

[la200o]

I have about 400 hours on my FasTrak 54/20 now. If the grass contains a lot of moisture, it will clog. I accept this and have car ramps and use a metal prybar to scrape the bottom of the deck. If it's dry and there's low moisture content, I have no problems. I mow weekly at 3.5 inches. Blade sharpness is not the issue. Clogging has always just seemed a fact of life if you're mowing heavy stuff that has high moisture.

Bill

[rooread]

Unless you're cutting nice grass, you've just got to put up with it I'm afraid. Wet Kykuyu will clog the deck, as will any sort of juicy weeds if there's enough of them.

[benjaminesh]

Ok Guys,

I have mowed 3 times now since the fusion blades were put on and I have yet to clog the deck. Each time I've finished mowing my 1.33 acres I have only a handful of grass in the deck....literally....one handful!

My only complaint at this point is just that the discharged clippings are not as cut up as they were with the "stock" medium lift blades -- therefore my yard does not looks as nice when I'm finished mowing.

I'm hoping that I can compensate for this by cutting maybe a day sooner or something so that I'm not taking off as much grass.

I can't begin to tell you what a difference this has made. A big thanks to PJ and blackandgold for getting my dealer straight on this. Why it took them 18 months for this simple solution is beyond me.

I strongly encourage those of you who have chimed in with this same exact problem to try some of these things. There is no reason to be this unhappy with your $5,000 mower.

I'm still hoping to solve the unattractive grass clippings issue, but for now I'm happy that I no longer dread cutting the lawn with my Hustler.

If anyone has any tips I'm all ears!

Here's a tip for you, try using two blades per spindle, gator blade on the bottom and medium lift on the top. I have a 2009 fastrack with 860 hours on it and have been using double blades for approx. the last 200 hours