520H Mulching/Rear Discharge Deck

[homegrownusa 4]

I use a Peco grass catcher while mowing.  I live in rural area and have gravel drive.  My child plays in the grass a lot and picking up the grass makes much less grass tracking in the house.  Has anybody used the rear discharge or mulching deck that can provide information as to the effectiveness.  Will it chop up fine enough to not glob up, stick to shoes, and overall look as clean as grass catcher.  If I could do without the grass catcher I would save time and gas.

 

I don't really care about having a golf course lawn. I don't care as long as it is green.  If it slowed down my grass growing without killing it I would be happy.  I mow cause I have to and if I have to mow I want to mow with a wheel horse 520H with foot pedal fwd/rev  ;O)

 

I would appreciate all opinions and suggestions.  Don't hold anything back.  That is how we all learn from one another....

[GlenPettit 1,714]

Using Gator blades on a regular deck will greatly reduce the size of the grass clippings and reduce clumping.  

But if the already cut grass clippings are moist, they will pick up on and stick to kids clothes and everything.  

A Mulching deck has extra baffles in it, keeping grass clippings in the air longer to be chopped finer, and with a Gator Blade, very fine.  

Leaving the grass a little longer will help the grass itself catch and hold its own clippings down a little better and thus reduce tracking.

A door mat will catch some of the clippings on the bottom of the shoes, 

Kids kneel and roll around in the grass, no way to eliminate it totally (that's what the old "mud rooms" were for, to change in).

-Good Luck, and if you do find the secret, let us know!

 

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[leeave96 487]

I've never tried gator blades, but will one of these days.  I have used a rear discharge deck with a sweeper and like the combo better than the triple bagger - which I have too.  My RD deck was originally a recycler - aka: RD with bolt on baffle from Toro.  It didn't work very good at all.  Not much room in the deck for clippings to get around and made for a hard pull with the engine.  If you could find a used set-up cheap, might be worth your effort/$$$'s, but I doubt you'd be satisfied with it.

[carlsbarn2 7]

Doe you know the part number on Gater blades to fit my 42" rear diccharge  deck ?

[Shuboxlover 474]

My 520 (which is strictly my snowblower tractor now) came with a 42" mulching deck.  I put the mulching deck on one time just because I was curious about what you are asking.  My grass wasn't too terribly tall, and my grass is nice and thick (fescue)  My wife has always complained about the grass tracking in thing (I don't like it much either) and I was surprised how well the mulcher worked.  Did it eliminate all signs of cut grass on feet like a bagging system does?  NO....was it way better than just discharging the cut blades? ABSOLUTELY!!!

 

I think you would be misled if someone was to tell you that the mulcher won't leave any clippings....because it will.   Another thing to think about is I don't think it would do a great job if you let you grass grow very long.  Sometimes when it rains every couple days for a week or so and I can't mow, my grass gets out of control.  In that instance I don't think you would like having a mulching deck.

 

If I had the time (to mow every 3 days, and use a 42" deck on 2 acres) I would probably use the mulching deck as it's better for your grass and it does a great job (most Wheel Horse decks do anyway).  I once heard that if you mulch your grass all season, it's like adding one extra application of fertilizer to your lawn.

 

Hope this helps!