Mulch kit and scraping all the time..what am I missing?

[GarPA]

I put the mulch kit on my new 36" Viking...finally have the mower set up to cut right...thanks to a number of you guys. My Z does not have the mulch kit on and I won't out it on given the juicy grass on a number of big accounts we have.This is my first use of a mulch kit on a commercial machine
So yesterday I jack up the 36, scrape,(didnt use MoDeck this time) and proceed to cut my back yard which was just mowed a few days ago so it wasn't at all long. As I was getting done, I could hear that sound we all hate when we know theres grass buildup in the deck...so I jack it up, and in one hour, there was a sizeable amount fo grass buildup...well...I cant be cleaning this thing every other stop I make. My grass was completely dry btw when I mowed it. I cant imagine those of you who mow allot are scraping decks multiple times a day....am I missing something or is that just the way its going to be with the mulch kit?? if so, it might be coming off...thanks

[The Lawn Boy Pro]

Well you could always try the oil coating. Scrape al the grass off, wash throughly, and then coat the underside of your deck with oil, WD-40, or somethinglike that. Theres even a product out there specifically designed to be applied to mower decks to keep from sticking.

[rodfather]

Gary

Are you running Gators? Can you run double combos? Either a high lift on the bottom with a Gator Mulcher on top or both Gator Mulchers as doubles. Since I am not familiar with your machine, i am not sure what kind of blowout you'll get with doubles. I would say just start experimenting and see what works best for ya...

Good Luck!

[GarPA]

Loren....yes the product you mention is called MoDeck...it works ok but ot great....it does allow the grass to be scraped off much easier then if you hadn't used it.

Rod I'm just using the standard mulch blade provided by Exmark. Never ran "doubles" and I'm not sure I want to. Someone here told me to take off the mulch blades and put on the std high life blades to get a better cut, less "air push down" on the grass.

Oh well...obvioously I'm still learning this machine and what combos work best.

[rodfather]

Gary

The problem isn't your cut, it's buildup right? Try a Gator (or 2) and see what happens IMO.

[TRex]

Gary I have a Metro HP 36" and I moed 2 acres with it to get used to the machine and break everything in. Well this was a pasture I would not even call it a yard let alone a lawn. The ground was a real fine dirt and the weeds were not thick at all it was just that the moisture from the plants and the dust mixed together clogged my deck after an hour. I am running the mulch blades and the high lifts. Every where else I have moed I have had no problems at all after 20 hours of mowing I have had no problems. When I picked up my check I apologized for leaving to come home and scrape my deck. The wifes reply was thats OK thats why my husband does not like to do it. Punks. So maybe it is the dust or dirt that you are going over with the blades on and no grass.

[Meg-Mo]

Try the MEG MO blades. We havent clean a deck in 10 years.

[DLCS]

Leave that mulch kit off and get some of these!

[TRex]

Meg-Mo

How much would just the replacement blades cost for my 36" metro hp and how much for the whole kit. And they will work with my mulch kit won't they.

[shm]

Trex - from my last post - here is what meg-mo quoted for prices -


Blade cost
SHM
The 36 takes 2 18# blades at 59.95 +5.00 shiping each. Total 129.90. We used a36 for 10 or 12 years. Nice for to get thur gates.
The 48 takes 3 16 1/4# blades at 49.95 + 5.00 shiping each. Total164.85.

you are using the mulch kit from exmark on yours- correct?
__________________
Meg-Mo Systems
www.meg-mo.com

[greenman]

Just the opposite for me with my mulch kit. I had to scrape sometimes when I discharge. Now with the mulch kit, I don't UNLESS I am mulching wet grass, and even sometimes blows out. The mulch kit keeps my underside of deck clean because of the grass cycling and blowing around in the chambers, I guess. BTW, its a 36" metro.

[Meg-Mo]

The knives are just 3.95 each. They will out wear obout 4 sets of OEM blades. You can use your mulch kit but will work better if you leave it off.

[TRex]

Thanks for the info and yes it is the mulch kit from Exmark. I prefer to use the mulch kit because it is easier than lifting up the discharge chute and I can trim in both directions.

[GarPA]

me too...I bought this 36" for the sole purpose of using it where there are many beds....so the mulch it is on permanently...actually today I used it on 3 gated yards and there was only a little buildup...so maybe its becuase the grass FINALLY has a little less water in it therefore less sticking...man what a year for juicy, fast growing grass huh...

[Scraper]

Originally posted by rodfather
Gary

The problem isn't your cut, it's buildup right? Try a Gator (or 2) and see what happens IMO.

I've been finding the opposite this season, in that, the gators are mulching the juicy grass into a mush that sticks under the deck even worse than standard OEM blades which discharge larger uncut pieces of grass. Crazy year...mowing grass all August which was growing like it was May 1st. Can't wait for the leaves to fall so I can go Striper fishing...didn't even get a chance for any summer fishing, but then again from what I've heard, there was never any summer fishing.

[GarPA]

Roger that Scraper.....I have only been able to play golf ONE time so far this year....man we need a little R and R after this year..this old man is....T I R E D .

[Scraper]

Amen...I think this is the first week this season that there has been no precipitation since I cut last.

[SpudsM15]

dlcs???? Are u mulching without the mulch kit on?
I'm kind of confused about that statment.
I would love it if i could switch from mulching to bagging/side discharge with out changing the blades and takeing out and putting in baffles.
I'm looking for things to upgrade my equipment before the end of the season. Just got some fasstraps soooo much better than those stupid tie downs i was using...

[GarPA]

Tell me more about "faststaps"..and where to get them?I too hate the normal tied downs...a pain sometimes to get tight and in an enclosed trailer my shins can't take one more piece of flesh being removed

[SpudsM15]

Just put them on yesturday used them 3 times takes me about 10-15second less on tieing my mower down... also it's alot more secure!

I ordered through http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=6970&langId=-1&catalogId=4006970&PHOTOS=on&TEST=Y&productId=200052674&categoryId=0

Only one comes in a pack so order 2

[DLCS]

Spuds,


The Meg-Mo blades chop the grass up just like a mulch kit with no baffles. When the grass clippings are discharged you don't see any clumps. The Meg Mo blades actually do a better job of mulching than the JD kit I have for my 7 Iron deck.

[SpudsM15]

hum... you know i think i'm gonna give meg-mo blades a shot...
I'm very happy with my exmarks bagging stripes but when muclhing it stripes great-becasue it lays the grass down and it seems to miss alot of grass blades.

[topcat]

I also have a 36" Metro but instead of the mulch kit I got the Ezchute OCDC. I run the standard Metro blade with a Gator mulcher blade on top. I close the OCDC only when I come up to spots where clippings could fly into mulch beds, etc. Otherwise I just disperse the clippings and they do get chopped up nice whether grass is dry or wet and are not noticeably visible. The underside of the deck stays real clean also without the use of any oils, Mo-Deck, etc.

[GarPA]

I am afraind to bring up the 'D' work becuase we may get 2459 replies on this VERY popular topic here....but I'll take a chance...I've never run doubles. THe 36 inch is still under warranty. If I put doubles on could there be a warranty issue? I thought I heard that somewhere...I am guessing that the other bazillion threads on this topic will tell me how to put them on? I've tried the std high left blades and I got a little less grass push down than with the mulch blades but the buildup was worse under the deck....cnearind