Too many clippings

[B&SFTW]

Originally Posted by Justin5309

In most locations I was attempting to go full speed. As a newbie I assumed that they made lawn mowers go 10 mph so that you could cut at that speed. I don't have much use for a fast mower then I guess.

that's what I figured

do you drive your car at full speed everywhere? do you run as fast as you can while using a push mower? the answer to both of these questions should be no.

that speed is there to get you between the spots/angles you can cut at, nothing else. there are things you can do to let you cut faster, as mentioned, getting better blades with a mulch kit will let you process more of the clippings instead of just piling them up along side of you. yes, going slower lets the blades have more time to process the grass. in order to be able to mow faster, you would need a mower with a faster blade speed and/or better deck setup.

[ProStreetCamaro]

Originally Posted by Justin5309

This is exactly what I'm looking for. I don't see any clippings whatsoever. What type of cutting blade did you use and at what speed did you typically cut at?

I used only the OEM high lift blades. You may need to adjust the deck (level and pitch). In thick lush spring growth you are going to have to slow down. I guess it comes with experience but you will get a feel for how fast you can go from job to job. In the heat of summer you might be able to go full speed but it depends on a lot of factors.

[orangemower]

Originally Posted by Justin5309

Okay so i just bought a used cub cadet tank (command cut) with high lift blades to cut a few lawns to see if I may want to get in the biz.

Unfortunately the mower is leaving large quantities of grass clippings when I side discharge. I cut frequently so the length of the lawn is not the issue. The blades may need to be sharpened but they don't seem that dull. I do drive it fast but that is what I thought it is meant to do. The other day I cut a customers lawn in a circle and raked the large pile at the end but I don't want to have to do this every time.

Oregon doesn't make the g6 for the cub so that isn't an option. I really don't want to have to buy a bagger but have been looking at the accelerator.

Anybody have any suggestions? And no I don't want to get rid of the cub.

There's so many things wrong in this post that my best advice would be to go work for someone else to see if you want to do this type of work. You don't have a clue what you're doing and could easily do harm to someone or something while you "decide" if you want to do this. I think your best bet would be to go back to Ronald and ask for your job back and stop eating all the profits. You are destined to fail with the approach you are taking.

[Darryl G]

You can usually go full speed on the second cut as long as the terrain allows it.

[Richard Martin]

Justin, where are you located at?

[BestImpressions99]

Justin, deck depth and design is what holds or blows grass through the system and out the discharge chute. Not going slower or faster. Mowers are designed with the fast speeds for transit only. So you have 3 yards in one area and they're 100 yards apart. You don't load up the mower and waste your money and time there. No, your mower with a 10MPH speed (which means full throttle, Blades disengaged) will get you there faster. Plain and simple. You have a fairly good mower to show you how your next true commercial product will handle. Yes it's commercial but definitely not in the same class as the companies who have been manufacturing true commercial ZTR's for decades. (not getting into a pissing contest here folks, just stating a fact). Keep the mower, it will tell you definitely whether this is the path for you. Just go a bit slower.

[BestImpressions99]

Wow orange... afraid of the competition? Everyone makes mistakes dude, I'm sure you did too at one point and time before you became the "archangel of mowing".

Justin I will agree though that working for someone else would have been the better route to go. BUT... that's in the past. Let's deal with the present so you can get to the future. Also, just make sure that when you are turning you don't just "yank and bank" the drive handles to try to spin as fast as you can. Do 3 point turn arounds. Tears up less grass that way.

[StanWilhite]

Justin, I think the very first thing I would do would be to sharpen and balance the blades (or get new blades if needed) and then follow the directions of the other posters. You'll learn from trial and error.
Stan

[orangemower]

Originally Posted by BestImpressions99

Wow orange... afraid of the competition? Everyone makes mistakes dude, I'm sure you did too at one point and time before you became the "archangel of mowing".

Justin I will agree though that working for someone else would have been the better route to go. BUT... that's in the past. Let's deal with the present so you can get to the future. Also, just make sure that when you are turning you don't just "yank and bank" the drive handles to try to spin as fast as you can. Do 3 point turn arounds. Tears up less grass that way.

Not afraid at all. I haven't made any mistakes so far because I went about owning and operating a legitimate business the right way. I studied, did research on equipment, talked to accountants and a few lawyers, got schooled by my brother-in-law who manages a 100mil a year lumber company. He helped me understand the business side to a point where I felt I was ready to go all in and open my company. I did so with new equipment that I bought so I could offer the services I wanted to start out with. It was paid off the second season because I had a business plan and a budget I had to stick too. All this and I managed to keep the mortgage paid, food on the table for my family and a much easier life to deal with.

I guess the only mistakes I've made was the first time I operated a ztr. I torn the grass some before I figured out "ON MY OWN" how to operate the thing safe and not tear up the grass.

[Mark Oomkes]

Well crap, after doing this gig for over 30 years I just found out you can't mow at full speed.

Huh, wish someone would have told me that a long time ago.

No, you can't go full speed all the time. But you don't have to go slow all the time either. It depends on the lawn, the height of the grass, whether it's dry or wet, etc.

I have no idea what a Cub Cadet will or won't do, but some of these guys advice is ridiculous, some of it is OK and some of it is right on. Most of it is getting a feel for the mower and what it can and can't do.

As for mowing in circles, those ballparks with circles look pretty awesome. Besides, it beats the crap out of raking the whole lawn.

And orangemower, you haven't made a single mistake? Whether business related or the actual work? A manager of a lumber yard knows everything about the lawn business and prevented any and all mistakes. Wow, better watch out Donald Trump. That is truly amazing, that you have never made a mistake.