Multching Kit?

[Confused99 2]

I would really like to grind up leaves this fall and wish there was a multching kit for my 42 SD deck. Since I have not seen one I fabbed up one. This is mainly a prototype and the finished product will be alot cleaner but this is what I came up with. I took it for a quick run though the yard and had mixed results. Unfortunatly the grass and leaves are very wet so that might be part of the problem but probably not. It did grind up the leaves and grass but did leave a trail of grass and leaf bits on the right side. I am guessing this deck just doesn't have the right baffles and the blades don't have enough lift to work well. Any thoughts, input, or idea's?

[W9JAB 156]

I think your on the right track, rember even the best

multchers will tell you to take no more than 3/4 of

an inch or even less, Also look at some of the Killer

blades like the "Gator" if you don't want to spend that

kind of bucks on blades, you could try some of the

same ideas on an old set. If you need to hack-up a big

load of leafs take smaller swipes, most of the time just

doing the lawn I take 1/2 cut and 1/2 recut. That way

when I,m done it looks great.

WHAT NO MATOR HORSE?

wait

for

it....

:hide:

[stevebo-(Moderator) 8,060]

:scratchead: Great picture !! I used my muching deck today (42 inch with mulching kit) and it works awesome. the kit will not fit a side discharge and I do not believe they make one for it. The mit has baffles that are only as big as the size of the blades and the top part has 3 baffles that push the leaves back down on the blades. I hear good things on the gator blades if you do not have a muching kit. I hear many people complain aobut he muching decks however I LOVE mine. I have cut with a 48,42 and 37 and 36 inch deck but this one I think is the best !! No more picking up leaves for me .... EVER !!

[Duff 206]

Just wanted to jump on and give a HUGE vote for Gator blades. I use them on three tractors - one Horse and two "green tractors" (forgive me, fellas ), and they really grind up leaves beautifully. What used to be measured in truckloads of leaves from my folks' lawns has been reduced to just a few lawn sweeper loads - honestly!

I don't have mulching kits on any of these machines, all with SD decks. I just start on one side of the lawn and work into the leaves, blowing the muclhed materials onto the unmuched and taking about 1/2 the width of the deck on each pass. The mulched leaves start to build in with the unmulched leaves until what's left behind is almost like sawdust. Then in the spring we lime the lawns to counteract the acidity of the leaf mulch and voila! Free fertilizer!

Duff :scratchead:

[Confused99 2]

So it got dry enough to give it a better go. I mowed back and forth (working my way from back yard to front yard) and it did leave a pretty good grass/leaf line so I mowed it again in 2nd gear diagonally and that spread everything pretty well. I had 2 factors working against me in that the grass was tall and everything was still pretty damp. I did have a major poblem with the motor to deck belt slipping. I think it is time for a new one. I stopped the first time and tightened it as tight as I could by hand and still had a problem. All in all, I am pretty happy with the results for the investment (nothing).

[Wheel Horse Fan 3]

I built a similar block off plate for my 48" deck, although mine is made of thin steel and painted. It doesn't work as well as the deck I had on the Toro, but it is ok. It does leave a line of grass on the shute side. I just run the shute side on the inside of my cut. One problem I have (which seems to be common on SD decks) is the grass/leaves shooting out the front and blocking the grill. I am going to be adding some kind of blocking plate to the front (not sure of the material yet), but hopefully that will keep the grass in the deck longer and help chop it up a bit more. I also use gator blades.

Anyone have a picture of a multching kit on a deck?