Mowing GC Mowing Decks

[Paystar]

Another question What do think.....the dedicated mulching deck or side discharge? (For a GC 2600). I was thinking mulcher since I don't want to invest in a humboldt right away (need too much other stuff) but the Massey mulch deck cannot discharge and I'm told I can't convert the side discharge to mulch. I've also read of people who took the mulch plates off their JD 2305's and added gator blades and they say they even mulch leaves very good that way. Any thoughts on what way to go? Do I really need the mulcher deck or will some good blades on the side discharge work well. I hate raking!

Also why did one dealer tell me they don't recommend the 60" on a GC? Told me to go 54" either way.

 

[Cdnhogman]

I have a GC2300 (I think it is a little smaller than your tractor) that has a 60" side discharge mower on it. It works great!!! Personally, I don't mow as often as I should so I think a mulching mower would work pretty hard at my place and leave big clumps of mulched grass. The guard on the side discharge angles down so the discharge sometimes makes rows of grass if you mow when the lawn is long.

I hate raking as well, we mow over an acre, so I bought one of the tow behind sweepers that I either tow with the tractor or behind an old Honda Big red 3 wheeler after the lawn is cut. My sweeper is a 42" Cub Cadet, but I think they are all pretty much the same. It works great on the grass. As an added bonus, the sweeper picks up leaves too, so in the fall the tractor and sweeper do the raking (even pine needles).

 

[irvingj]

Hey, Paystar! Nice vacation you had, glad your daughter's OK now. My wife is also still "clear" after a year. (We had a good time in NB in July!)

I took the discharge chute off my 60" MMM so I could fit it in my parking space, and I've found that it shoots the clippings out very nicely, scattering them pretty evenly-- no furrows, no raking! (At least, not that I'm gonna do!!)

 

[Paystar]

Hey guys, thanks for the replies. Funny, everyone likes the 60" inch on the 2300....still can't figure out why the dealer said the 54 works better. Are you still running the stock blades or do those gators work well on the Massey decks also.
Good to hear all is well with your wife also Irvingj.

 

[WilliamBos]

Hey,

Are the gator blades as heavily built as the MF blades? We will need new ones for next season, and the ones TSC had were tinny compared to ours.

Glad you guys are getting some positive news in your lives.

 

[Paystar]

Hello Will, I'll be going your way tomorrow and Monday. Make sure the weather is nice eh!

I'd stop in at Downhams again but I will be going by on Sunday and everything will probably be closed by the time I come through Monday. Unless I end up staying in T.O. an extra night.

 

[WilliamBos]

Hello Will, I'll be going your way tomorrow and Monday. Make sure the weather is nice eh!

I'd stop in at Downhams again but I will be going by on Sunday and everything will probably be closed by the time I come through Monday. Unless I end up staying in T.O. an extra night.

If you call rain good, then it will be great!! How has work been? Good luck with the trip.

Weather Forecast: Innisfil, Ontario - The Weather Network

 

[madhatter]

Not many people choose to get the mulch deck, which I did. It was a little more money than a side discharge, but I like the idea of using the grass clippings it creates for mulch/fertilizer. You do have to mow a little more often, ( which for myself means more fun tractor time ) or you will have clumps of grass, but it leaves an awesome finish. I am generally happy with it. Depending on your landscape, a 54" or narrower will be better for hills or slopes, as a 60"+ would not give you a good cut, due to the width.

I have been searching for gater blades for it, as I think they would work better than stock blades. The better the vacuum the enclosed deck creates, the better the cut and more the clipping will be cut. But I have not found any yet. This mulch deck has SIX blades, but I am not sure if makes any difference to have the extra blades....

If anyone knows different blades you can buy for this deck, I think it would be the perfect golf course cut you could get from a mower !!! Hope this helps.

 

[Paystar]

Thanks for the weather report Will, pretty much what I figured. Same up here too, supposed to start tonight. That's 'cause I washed my truck today. Never fails.

Thanks for the review madhatter. Ya, my lawns are far from flat. And I have lots of trees that I can JUST fit through with my 46" garden tractor with the collection system sticking out, so I might get away with 54"? No doubt I'll being doing touch ups with my self propelled or the garden tractor still
Two dealers I got quotes from have the mulching deck at $100.00 more than the 54" side discharge.

Take er easy.

 

[irvingj]

Paystar-- in the "for what it's worth" dept:

Here's a couple shots of the slopes I deal with. Yesterday I tried to see how much mowing on the side slope the tractor could do. You can probably see that the 2310 was able to do most of it that way, though on the steeper slope I didn't mess around- did it vertically.

Without the flapper-damper discharge chute, 60" deck is just 62-1/2" wide overall.

 

[Cdnhogman]

I know all about the width of the GC2300 with the mower deck! I took me over a year to decide to buy mine because of the price and the fact I'm cheap. When I decided to get it we were into late fall and I decided to wait till spring, but I wanter to be ready for the spring, so I converted an outdoor stall to a tractor garage. This involved removing the man-style hinged door, enlarging the opening and putting in a sliding barn door. It is in a load bearing wall, so temporary shoring, new header, etc - a big undertaking. I went to the local Massey dealer and measured a tractor, went home and went to work, finished the new home and waited for spring to get the tractor. In the spring I went to park my new baby and realized the tractor I measured didn't have the guard on it because my new tractor WOULDN'T FIT! I now mow without the discharge guard. It adds new meaning to the - measure twice - cut once!

 

[irvingj]

Ouch, Cdnhogman!

The space I use was originally intended for my boat, but works better for the tractor. I had the slab extended 6' 6" for just that reason, but forgot to consider the 4x4 posts and the window trim....

The boat fits, but with only 1.5" on each side!

At least with the 2310 there's a bit more room.... (Boat now resides against the back wall of the garage-- better there, anyhow!)