MY 42" SD GRASS CLUMPER

[ronhatch 406]

 Does anyone else have this problem or is it only me?? Because of all the rain this spring, not to mention the good soil here in northern Ill,  the grass has been growing exponentially.   My 42" SD Wheel Horse deck is clumping the clippings even though I'm cutting it 3" tall and mowing ever 3rd day  I finally decided to do something about the mess!  Using my right angle grinder with a cutoff wheel, I made a cut in the top of the deck starting at the discharge and cutting slightly  past the first spindle. The 14" or so long cut is about an 1" back from the leading edge's 90 degree  vertical bend.  Then I clamped a 6'  2 X 4  to the  front vertical edge of the deck and - using heat - bend it forward 5" toward the front wheel, creating a pie shaped gap/opening in the top.  I had a .125" thick piece of metal that I cut to fill in the pie shaped opening.  Right now a friend is welding it all back together.  I mimicked the 48" deck design on my 4016 Case which blows the clipping out 7' to 8' in a nice even pattern without any signs of clumps. I should add that I made the same successful modification on my 1966 AC B-10 a few years ago the had the same problem as the WH, but to a much lesser extent.  My grandson up in Minnesota is now the proud owner of the  restored AC. 

[cafoose 3,456]

[Razorback 1,129]

That sounds like a dandy idea.

 

(Yes...... pics!!!!!)

Edited June 7, 2020 by Razorback

[ronhatch 406]

I asked the question if I'm the only one with the problem with grass clipping clumping as they come out of the discharge chute of a 42" SD Wheel 
Horse deck. Well,  I guess I am the only one!  

Edited June 9, 2020 by ronhatch

[Razorback 1,129]

I just got my 42" SD deck, mowed with it once, grass was short. No real experience yet to answer your question.

[Skipper 1,789]

No you are not the only one  I don't see it much on the 60 deck, unless it is way too moist, or chewing on more that it can spit out. That is also more a straight line shooter. But the 48s and 42s I have run, and most other decks and brands too, tend to spit out handfulls along with the spray of clippings, if the grass is moist and dense, and/or you feed it too hard. If the grass is absolutely dry, then i see no clumping at all in the grass type I have, pretty much no matter what deck or machine. But in real life you can't just mow the lawn in a drought, so really cool if you have a solution. I also would like to see pics and perhaps a video of how it runs in grass that otherwise would clump.

[ronhatch 406]

Well, I mowed 3X with the modifications I made on my 42" SD deck and NO MORE CLUMPING of grass. The clippings fly out now in a nice wide fan pattern.  Cutting and bending the lead edge of the deck forward about 4 1/2",  made the opening about 16".  And yes, the right front wheel still has plenty of clearance when turning right.  A pie shaped .090" thick steel plate was welded in and everything is painted up nicely.   Another worth while project completed.     I must admit , at 77 they are becoming simpler and fewer in number.  Unlike years ago, most don't see the light of day. 

Edited June 30, 2020 by ronhatch

[WVHillbilly520H 10,376]

1 hour ago, ronhatch said:

Well, I mowed 3X with the modifications I made on my 42" SD deck and NO MORE CLUMPING of grass. The clippings fly out now in a nice wide fan pattern.  Cutting and bending the lead edge of the deck forward about 4 1/2",  made the opening about 16".  And yes, the right front wheel still has plenty of clearance when turning right.  A pie shaped .090" thick steel plate was welded in and everything is painted up nicely.   Another worth while project completed.     I must admit , at 77 they are becoming simpler and fewer in number.  Unlike years ago, most don't see the light of day. 

Pictures please.

[tom2p 2,394]

On 6/8/2020 at 11:39 PM, ronhatch said:

I asked the question if I'm the only one with the problem with grass clipping clumping as they come out of the discharge chute of a 42" SD Wheel 
Horse deck. Well,  I guess I am the only one!  

my personal experience :

42" RD - clumping not uncommon 

 

42" and 48" SD - rarely if ever see clumping 

 

with the 42" RD - less clumping if the front portion of mower deck is raised  (also observed this with a 704 with a RD deck) ...  and more frequent cutting 

 

[ronhatch 406]

Here in northern Illinois, the last three Mays have been the wettest  in recorded history and this past May has been the wettest of the wet,. Add in some pre-emergence fertilizer, made the grass grow like heck. I was mowing every 3 days at a height of 2 3/4" but even then, I had to use my 4016 Case with a Hydrovac to keep the grass clipping from building up too much.  The Kentucky Blue and the Fine Fescue grass  that some of us grow in this part of the country can get to be pretty thick in the spring. Unfortunately many homeowners grow Crab, Quack, Clover, Dandelions and weeds in general.  

BTW; My deck is a 1/4" lower in the front, has sharp blades, is kept reasonably clean, the underside is painted with a liberal coat of E-Z Slip and I mow with the engine at full throttle in 2nd gear.

Edited July 1, 2020 by ronhatch

[squonk 43,843]

I'm only growing Ding Weeds right now no clumping. No moisture either! 

[AHS 1,546]

I have a 42” RD  and a 42” SD. On the RD, the grass comes out in a lot shorter clippings. In the SD, the grass come out in a lot longer clippings. I have noticed it about the SD clumping up, a little.