Deflectors

[Toddppm]

I can't believe the amount of companies around here cutting grass without deflectors or plates over the discharge on their mowers. These go from scrubs up to the biggest companies in the country. I don't care how well you check the area you can't find everything. I watch these guys cut next to office buildings at lunch time, roads at rush hour, etc. If something were to hit me when i'm going by they had better paid their insurance up!

[lawrence stone]

Some of us have an ODC.<p>Some of us have OCD.<p>Excuse me while I go wash my hands 8 times.

[Eric ELM]

Stone, some of us have an OCDC too. <br>Toddppm, An OCDC is a great option on a Chopper. You can open it or close it on the go to help keep things a bit safer. It doesn't guarantee that an accident won't happen, but it sure helps. OCDC, is something that Dixie Chopper came out with several years ago and it stands for Opperator Controlled Discharge Chute.<p>----------<br>&lt;a href=&quot;http://pages.prodigy.net/eric.erickson/&quot;&gt;Eric@ELM&lt;/a&gt;<br>

[geogunn]

eric--lesco also has an OCDC. came standard on my old 48 belt drive!<p>when the operator wants to control the discharge, he istalls the chute. OCDC...get it?;)<p>the guys that bushog the highways and interstates while I'm driving past their machine scare me more than a guy cutting a lawn. however, I agree there is concern for both.<p>GEO

[Evan528]

the reason no body uses the chutes is because you cant possibly do a good job with one. When using the chute, as the grass flys out the deck it is deflected right towards the ground causing stips of clippings that look horrible... without the chute in place the grass flys out and flys very far making the dispersal even over a 10 feet instead of 8 inches. I am guilty myself..the first thing i do when i get a mower id either take the chute off or bungee it in the up possision. I no its not as safebut theres just no other way to do a good job!

[PLS]

Look Dude, I take personal offence to that. We do a great job and we have NEVER EVER EVER opened the chute all the way up, We do adjust it to open more than the factory setup if needed. Even with it adjusted up, when we have hit an object we still got some effect out of it. Not to mention it keeps alot of chaff off of the operator (his eyes, nose). I wish all commercial mowers had the OCDC. As far as you CAN'T do a good job with the chute in place...... Thats Bull&^!t. You have to get off your lazy ass and work at it.<p><p><p><font size="1">Edited by: PLS

[HOMER]

POWER TO THE CHOPPERS. If I ever do buy another mower, other than a Chopper, I will be figuring out a way to mount a OCDC on it! There is no substitute for it and with &quot;sue happy&quot; America riding by........you might oughta be figuring something out if you keep your chute flipped up.<p>Homer

[Toddppm]

Never heard of an ocdc? whatever, these guys are running regular mowers exmarks skags ... There is no deflector at all, looks dangerous as $hit to me, I mulch everything so i have a plate over mine. I have seen some guys using a piece of old tire or something over the opening, should slow the debris down and not just let it fly anyway?

[Eric ELM]

Toddppm: I wrote a small article on my website and have a link to a picture of one if you want to see an OCDC. Just click on my signiture to get there.<p>----------<br>&lt;a href=&quot;http://pages.prodigy.net/eric.erickson/&quot;&gt;Eric@ELM&lt;/a&gt;<br>

[little green guy]

I took the deflctors off all but one of my mowers. The one that is on my bobcat i left on because it is smaller and higher that the others and still throws grass far enough. I had to take the ones on my exmarks and scag off because they just leave a pile of grass next to the. Why don't the mower companies put some reseach into the deflectors and make one that acually works.

[Evan528]

I am starting to think that mower companies are just throwing on chutes that dont work witht the knowledge that evryone either takes them off or flips them up anyway. I have never seen a mower with a chute (anybrand) do a exeptable job.... MOwer companies just need to meet the saftly regulations. If they actually expected people to use them when they cut wouldnt at least one mower company make one that spreads the clipping more evenly.....?

[little green guy]

I totaly agree with that. i think you said what i was thinking

[yardsmith]

A number of thoughts come to mind.<br>1) make sure OSHA doesn't happen to see your chute removed or bungee'd back; I know of guys who've gotten nailed for it-called modifying of removing safety devices. They love that.<br>2) the chute on my bobcat helps only to keep a possible missle from launching; the clippings blow out 15 ft. at full tilt with the chute up or down; tried it both ways- same result in dry weather.<br>I keep it flipped up normally to get the grass out & dispersed, & most importantly to maneuver around trees & posts, etc. I've already banged & bent my chute 2x this yr.; got tired of re-bending it back in shape so I leave it up.<br>3) If there are people around, then I either stop till they pass, or throttle down a bit in the area, &/or put the chute down. If it was meant to be down all the time, they would make it (fixed) without a hinge! <br>I need to make a OCDC for my bobcat; it blows grass 2 passes away so it keeps getting blown into uncut grass each time, & building up & up.<p>----------<br>Smitty ô¿ô<br>

[River Hill]

Have any of you guys used a seen a product called a Vulcher Mulcher? It is a deflector shield &quot;Aftermarket&quot; used on commercial mowers. I am in the process of trying to get one of them and try it. It is a deflector sheild that has pins you can adjust on how much it is open. I have seen guys cut with this in the down position and grass does not bunch up. When I get my hands on one I will give you a report.<br>

[geogunn]

MISTER STONE--I JUST CAUGHT ON TO YOUR POST.<p>OCD....<p>HAS ANY ONE ELSE CAUGHT ON TO THIS? <p>GEO

[rixtag]

GEO, I caught that one but I was laughing too hard to type!!! <br>Stone is that washing done with 1 bar of soap per hand and then trashed or 1 bar for both? LOL