Aftermarket mulching blades for 60" HC deck- did not work well

[TractorDale]

I have an X739 with 60" deck and the mulching kit, which included Deere's version of mulching blades. They mow very nice. For some reason, I got the idea to purchase different mulching blades - Oregon, that have the 3 or 4 'fins' rising in the back of the blade. Look like the Gators. They are also 1/2" wider than the original blades so they are noticeably heavier.

Well, the new blades did OK with grass that was not too long- but was generally unimpressed. More noticeable, the machine bogged down with taller grass. I think the aggressive back blade fins create too much drag for the X739. So sharpened and re-installed the stock Deere mulching blades that came with the deck- back in business. They only have the back corner lifted.

Wasted an hour and about $70. The aftermarket mulching blades might be better for a diesel machine with the added torque.

 

[jonsstihl]

the mulching blades work well when you mow often so there are less clippings but once you let the grass grow a little more mulching makes more of a mess in long grass.

you may like them for mulching leaves in the fall.

 

[ruffdog]

the mulching blades work well when you mow often so there are less clippings but once you let the grass grow a little more mulching makes more of a mess in long grass.

you may like them for mulching leaves in the fall.

Agree...and if you want to mulch, you should equip your deck with the mulch kit, but, MUST have to mow often.

 

[Cub 7275]

I have an X739 with 60" deck and the mulching kit, which included Deere's version of mulching blades. They mow very nice. For some reason, I got the idea to purchase different mulching blades - Oregon, that have the 3 or 4 'fins' rising in the back of the blade. Look like the Gators. They are also 1/2" wider than the original blades so they are noticeably heavier.

Well, the new blades did OK with grass that was not too long- but was generally unimpressed. More noticeable, the machine bogged down with taller grass. I think the aggressive back blade fins create too much drag for the X739. So sharpened and re-installed the stock Deere mulching blades that came with the deck- back in business. They only have the back corner lifted.

Wasted an hour and about $70. The aftermarket mulching blades might be better for a diesel machine with the added torque.

Thanks for the heads up on the aftermarket blades. I couldn't pass up a deal on a X540 with the 54" deck and am debating about getting the mulching kit for it. How does your mulching deck do with leaves? Other than having to cut more frequently, any other drawdacks to the mulching kit?

 

[ruffdog]

Thanks for the heads up on the aftermarket blades. I couldn't pass up a deal on a X540 with the 54" deck and am debating about getting the mulching kit for it. How does your mulching deck do with leaves? Other than having to cut more frequently, any other drawdacks to the mulching kit?

No mulching deck here as I side chute. If I want to mulch up a bunch of leaves, I mow backwards and it does pretty good!

 

[TractorDale]

Thanks for the heads up on the aftermarket blades. I couldn't pass up a deal on a X540 with the 54" deck and am debating about getting the mulching kit for it. How does your mulching deck do with leaves? Other than having to cut more frequently, any other drawdacks to the mulching kit?

The mulching kit on my Deere lawn tractor has pretty much eliminated raking leaves. It does an amazing job.

As the Fall grass starts growing again after the hot dormant Summer ( I'm in Connecticut), the mulching kit pulverizes the long grass and leaves together. Obviously key for leaves to be dry so I'll let them fall and I'll mulch them up before the next rain. Around trees, rocks, and walls I'll carry a blower which I aim in front of the tractor to blow the leaves into the path of the mower- elevating laziness to new heights.

Mowing over piles of dry leaves in the driveway a few times reduces them to leaf dust- literally, which I then blow into the yard.

Happy mulching. : )

 

[GeneV]

Are you running them with the chute blocked, or no?

There's a deep rabbit hole to go down into, in regards to what type of deck pairs best with what type of blade. Some are just more compatible than others. This year, I started running Gator G5 blades on my Bradley stander mower, awesome results. It's a heavier/wider blade with a slightly higher lift compared to the Stens mulching blades I had on the Bradley, but then the machine is commercial grade and has the torque and spindles to handle a heavier blade, and seems to even prefer the higher lift blade. Some deck designs can handle the weight of a heavier blade, but just don't like a higher lift blade, meaning your cut quality will suffer (either due to the blade, or the deck gets rapidly caked with grass clippings).

Also, there's the deck design. The o/p mentioned his accepts a mulching kit, so I assume his deck has each spindle bay partially baffled, with the discharge channel running down the center and out discharge chute. The partial baffles allow for the grass clippings to remain in each bay long enough to get pulverized by the serrated fins on a mulching blade, that's the idea with that. But those fins are what produces the airflow, sucking up the grass, and discharging it. Some decks don't do well with a higher lift blade, because the increased airflow on them spits out the clippings before the serrated part of the wing on a mulching blade could do it's thing.

Or vice versa, it's so effective with mulching that the deck soon gets caked with clippings, and your machine starts bogging down and/or leaving trails of windrows. That's why I'm asking if you got the chute open or closed. Whichever way it is, try it the other way.

 

[TractorDale]

the mulching blades work well when you mow often so there are less clippings but once you let the grass grow a little more mulching makes more of a mess in long grass.

you may like them for mulching leaves in the fall.

Very true.

Are you running them with the chute blocked, or no?

There's a deep rabbit hole to go down into, in regards to what type of deck pairs best with what type of blade. Some are just more compatible than others. This year, I started running Gator G5 blades on my Bradley stander mower, awesome results. It's a heavier/wider blade with a slightly higher lift compared to the Stens mulching blades I had on the Bradley, but then the machine is commercial grade and has the torque and spindles to handle a heavier blade, and seems to even prefer the higher lift blade. Some deck designs can handle the weight of a heavier blade, but just don't like a higher lift blade, meaning your cut quality will suffer (either due to the blade, or the deck gets rapidly caked with grass clippings).

Also, there's the deck design. The o/p mentioned his accepts a mulching kit, so I assume his deck has each spindle bay partially baffled, with the discharge channel running down the center and out discharge chute. The partial baffles allow for the grass clippings to remain in each bay long enough to get pulverized by the serrated fins on a mulching blade, that's the idea with that. But those fins are what produces the airflow, sucking up the grass, and discharging it. Some decks don't do well with a higher lift blade, because the increased airflow on them spits out the clippings before the serrated part of the wing on a mulching blade could do it's thing.

Or vice versa, it's so effective with mulching that the deck soon gets caked with clippings, and your machine starts bogging down and/or leaving trails of windrows. That's why I'm asking if you got the chute open or closed. Whichever way it is, try it the other way.

Yes, each of my three blade bays are partially baffled, with the exit chute off the right side completely blocked. I had the dealer install the mulching kit when I bought the machine new a few years ago. Never used in 'chute open' mode. The Deere mulching blade have in effect a single 'fin'- the back outside corner of the blades are bent up to create the lift and seem to work well. No issue with caking clippings but I only mow when the grass is dry.

It's a blender under the deck mincing everything into tiny bits- grass, leaves, trimmings from pruned bushes, etc.Could not be happier.

 

[GeneV]

Very true.

Yes, each of my three blade bays are partially baffled, with the exit chute off the right side completely blocked. I had the dealer install the mulching kit when I bought the machine new a few years ago. Never used in 'chute open' mode. The Deere mulching blade have in effect a single 'fin'- the back outside corner of the blades are bent up to create the lift and seem to work well. No issue with caking clippings but I only mow when the grass is dry.

It's a blender under the deck mincing everything into tiny bits- grass, leaves, trimmings from pruned bushes, etc.Could not be happier.

Is it partially baffled, or fully baffled (meaning a dedicated mulching deck)? Sounds like yours may be a dedicated mulching deck with a sealed off chute. In which case, that's what I'm saying about a higher lift blade not working out for it. Even if the deck doesn't get caked up enough for you to have to scrape it, the high lift blade will keep the clippings up in each bay for too long as you're mowing, clogging it up which hurts the cut quality.

On a pass-thru deck with partial baffles like my Bradley, the idea is that grass get mulched "good enough", and then gets side discharged. It's a compromise basically. If I block the chute, it soon becomes a hot mess under there unless I mow at a higher setting than I like to (3.5" in the summer). I only block the chute during leaf season.

 

[TractorDale]

No I have a regular 60" HC mower deck, and had the dealer install the mulch kit which is just a bunch of sheet metal parts and special blades. The chute is completely sealed as part of the mulch kit- everything stays inside the blender. I have the hinged plastic chute guard and hardware in case I ever want to convert it back to a regular mower deck.