I hate grass raking! How can i avoid it? do i need a new tractor?

[Creamer]

Not sure where the OP is so it may not be applicable. If it were me here in East Central IL, I would till about 2 acres of my yard and plant a prairie mix that supports Monarch butterflies and bees. There are 2 very nice houses I pass on the way to town that did this when they were first built. The houses are set back about 500 ft. from the road, they have a yard area and then a prairie area. They mow a "frame about 30ft wide around the prairie area. These are high end very expensive houses with a split rail fence along the road. If I wanted the yard and frame area to look really nice I would bag it.

Doesn't the prairie area give you a mosquito problem?

 

[Creamer]

Exmark Laser Z or similar zero turn with a fabricated deck and high blade tip speed (18,500 FPM)
Cut grass at 3.25"
Leave chute door tilted up

No issues with grass clumps, can't even see where the cut grass landed. I would say it is dispersed perfectly.

On that note, this mower will cover you with dust and small pieces of grass.
Absolutely must were pants, hat, safety glasses, etc. At certain times I feel like you almost need a mask. It blows up a ton from in between the front wheels.
I'm thinking about putting some type of mud flap or something to cut down on this

If there was a "band" around the blade it would not spew so much stuff out of the front. That is why most mower brands now have that feature. I have one mower with it and one without and you can see a major difference in how much comes out the front when you get into dry leaves and the like.

 

[sandman2234]

To prevent windrows, change the pattern of mowing so that you are always mowing the windrow towards either the edge of the yard, or maybe just to one area where it takes just a few minutes to pick it up. Takes a little more planning, and time, but it does work. As far as people suggesting removal of the deflector chute, I hope they don't have rocks, limbs or other items that could be launched by the blades and hit someone, as passing car, or a window!
David from jax

 

[blee03]

If there was a "band" around the blade it would not spew so much stuff out of the front. That is why most mower brands now have that feature. I have one mower with it and one without and you can see a major difference in how much comes out the front when you get into dry leaves and the like.

My Exmark has the bands or little metal strips around each individual blade... but still just tosses dust and clippings out the front. Yesterday I was mowing the ditches and I was gold with dust afterwards. My black shoes were gold, blue jeans were gold, it was nuts. Its been super dry out here lately.

I always thought these bands around the blades were to increase the amount of suction each blade has so it can stand up the blades of grass while cutting them at the same time to get the best possible cut.

 

[NoTrespassing]

Doesn't the prairie area give you a mosquito problem?

Not unless there is stagnant water for them to lay eggs in.

 

[nyone]

I use a B series kubota with a 60" belly mower with the blades it came with just replaced a few times. My yard is 3 1/2 acres and i have a field of 11 acres that i bush hog once a year with a older model B series tractor that was my uncles. All of it is pretty flat with a few trees.

It's only been 5 days since i last mowed the lawn and yet again i have grass all over the place just rows of it.

I asks my friends they say mow more often.......well it's only been 5 days and last time i raked the grass and it has not rained.

My neighbor never rakes his yard the only difference is he has a zero turn mower. So what is the difference? he mows every friday.

Only thing i can think of is mulching blades maybe?

I need to down size as i have

2 kubota b series tractors.
2 lawn mowers like the ones you buy at lowes. I use one to mow under the trees takes all of 10min.
A few b series attachments a rear 3 point snow blower, rear blade, front blade and a 5ft bush hog

I feel like i should trade both b series tractors in on a L series or the biggest B series and buy a zero turn mower and be done with it.

I do need a tractor to blow snow and bush hog but that may come to a end if i lease out the 11 acres to a farmer to plant crops.

I'm just tired of grass raking every year. Money is no issue i'm at the stage of live where it's more about convenience.

Get a good even light commercial ZTR. I never rake grass and you cant even tell. I mow every week if it needs it with my ZTR. I have a mulching plug but typicaly dont use it and have the deflector up so it spreads things out.

The mulching plug comes in real handly in the fall. About every 2 days in the height of the season il mulch up leaves. By the time the grass is waking up in the spring you cant even tell they where there.

 

[Creamer]

One of the other factors on grass distribution is the angle of the deflector shield. It should be basically straight and level so the grass momentum is carried by the airstream for the most even distribution. Too far up and the airstream is dissipated too quickly. Too far down and you are creating the windrow and letting it distribute.

 

[Creamer]

Not unless there is stagnant water for them to lay eggs in.

Around here there is enough dew and moisture that uncut grass will guarantee mosquitoes.

 

[Gator6x4]

My Exmark has the bands or little metal strips around each individual blade... but still just tosses dust and clippings out the front. Yesterday I was mowing the ditches and I was gold with dust afterwards. My black shoes were gold, blue jeans were gold, it was nuts. Its been super dry out here lately.

I always thought these bands around the blades were to increase the amount of suction each blade has so it can stand up the blades of grass while cutting them at the same time to get the best possible cut.

They create a vacuum which sucks the dust up off the ground, the blades spinning creates a wind vortex to spread or blow the dust.

 

[tradosaurus]

My first mulching two weeks ago I was completely covered with dust which is why I use the Israeli style gas mask.

When I mulched this last Friday the ground was damp from the previous rain and the mulching was very clean with little dust.