quality of zero turn cut

RDA.Lawns said:

blades don't last forever!!! I change blades more than I change socks lol about every 5 hours I swap blades out on my mowers with a sharpened or new set!!!!!

Click to expand...

Hi --

Thank you for your post.

I just started using the mower last July. The "pushed down" effect of the cut has been since Day 1 of using the mower.

Actually, I like the mower for its ability to blow all of my autumn leaves into a pile -- beats raking -- but that is not why I bought it.


R/Vicki

vicki h said:

I bought a John Deere zero turn (basic model) based on recommendations. After spending $2400 on the mower, I do not like the quality of the cut. Some rows appear almost shaved, others look like the grass has been pushed down. The latter issue is the most irritating.

I tried running the mower at highest throttle -- no improvement. I talked to the John Deere dealership about a mulcher blade - too expensive. I talked to a client who owns a lawn-mowing business; he suggested having the blades sharpened, even though I just bought the machine last April (2016). Today I went to a lawn mower shop; the proprietor suggested that I buy a blade with a higher lift.

Lawn mowing season is just a few weeks away and I have no idea what to do. Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

The person at the mower shop is correct. You need a higher lift blade, and you need to sharpen it at least once per year.

I need to know two things:

1. What model is your mower?
2. How big is your yard?

Regardless of what others say, DO NOT remove the grass chute from your mower. It's there for safety reasons. Removing it will not solve your problem.

primerbulb120 said:

The person at the mower shop is correct. You need a higher lift blade, and you need to sharpen it at least once per year.

I need to know two things:

1. What model is your mower?
2. How big is your yard?

Regardless of what others say, DO NOT remove the grass chute from your mower. It's there for safety reasons. Removing it will not solve your problem.

Click to expand...

Thank you for your interest in my issue. Answers below:

1. Z335E
2. 1/2 acre

Just to clarify, you're still using the blades that came with the mower?

primerbulb120 said:

Just to clarify, you're still using the blades that came with the mower?

Click to expand...

Yes, that is correct.

Are you mulching, discharging or bagging the grass?

Vicki,
You said that "some rows look shaved (scalped)"...tells me that deck height setting is too close to the ground. You shouldn't be cutting more then 1/3 of a grass height at at the time. You've said that "some rows look like grass was pushed down"...tells me that with the volume of the grass being cut and deck is trying to "process" is simply too much to digest and is clogging up, becoming an inefficient "mulcher" on its own. The extra deep decks are great but a good set of high lift blades to follow thru with this concept is also a must. You've said that you don't want to buy new blades...that's is fine. Have somebody knowledgeable remove the grass shoot for you and it'll help with emptying out grass clippings.

So:
adjust deck height, don't cut too deep, slow down if necessary, remove grass shoot if you can.

Jack17 said:

Vicki,
You said that "some rows look shaved (scalped)"...tells me that deck height setting is too close to the ground. You shouldn't be cutting more then 1/3 of a grass height at at the time. You've said that "some rows look like grass was pushed down"...tells me that with the volume of the grass being cut and deck is trying to "process" is simply too much to digest and is clogging up, becoming an inefficient "mulcher" on its own. The extra deep decks are great but a good set of high lift blades to follow thru with this concept is also a must. You've said that you don't want to buy new blades...that's is fine. Have somebody knowledgeable remove the grass shoot for you and it'll help with emptying out grass clippings.

So:
adjust deck height, don't cut too deep, slow down if necessary, remove grass shoot if you can.

Click to expand...

Vicki - As I said before, DON'T REMOVE THE GRASS CHUTE!! It's there for safety reasons. Without it, your property is at risk from flying rocks, sticks and other flying debris. In addition, the mower will cover you with grass if the discharge chute is removed. Removing the chute is not going to solve your problem.

Jack - Have you looked at a picture of this mower?? The grass chute is not designed in such a way that it could restrict the discharge.

vicki h said:

I bought a John Deere zero turn (basic model) based on recommendations. After spending $2400 on the mower, I do not like the quality of the cut. Some rows appear almost shaved, others look like the grass has been pushed down. The latter issue is the most irritating.

I tried running the mower at highest throttle -- no improvement. I talked to the John Deere dealership about a mulcher blade - too expensive. I talked to a client who owns a lawn-mowing business; he suggested having the blades sharpened, even though I just bought the machine last April (2016). Today I went to a lawn mower shop; the proprietor suggested that I buy a blade with a higher lift.

Lawn mowing season is just a few weeks away and I have no idea what to do. Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

You should be running the mower at the Highest throttle setting all the time, mowing and transporting. If your looking to buy blades for the mower that will last I'd look into getting a set of Oregon G3 Gator Blades and they will help with the mulching aspect if your concerned with that. What ever blades you buy I'd make sure to stay with the Oregon Blades. The G3 blades are a high-lift mulching Blade for a residential mower.

If you look to go back to the regular or standard Blades for the residential mower they should be replaced yearly or the start of every mowing season and not sharpened. Generally speaking the original blades that come on the mower aren't worth sharpening anyway.

I'd slow down the mowing pace to about half the maximum ground speed of the mower for the best cut and let the mower have time to do the job it was designed to do.
The thing you need to remember with the residential mower as with a commercial is there designed with a bts to only cut so many feet per minute and what happens with most people is they try pushing the mowers to fast and the result is they end up with a terrible looking job, and wonder why.

As Primerbulb 120 already said don't remove the grass chute, it wont help your problem any. A chute is a must to have on any mower.

primerbulb120 said:

Vicki -Jack - Have you looked at a picture of this mower?? The grass chute is not designed in such a way that it could restrict the discharge.

Click to expand...

Point taken...my intention was for testing only.

Vicki...just like primerbulb said DO NOT REMOVE CHUTE!