Has JD installed mulching kit and has been checked by dealer on 4 occasions. Still having problem leaving trail of grass between 2 and 3rd blades on discharge side and uncut grass. I adjust speed when mowing and have st augustine grass and cut at 3
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Mulching D170
- Thread starter WHJ
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Export threadcruzenmike
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i assume that your mulch setup includes actual mulching blades, a plug for the deck and possibly so,e baffles to go underneath the deck? If this is in fact the case, the following things are essential for a good cut:
Blades - must be kept sharp! With a mulch kit installed, there is nowhere for the blades to go (e.g. They are not being cleared from under the deck) so the clippings get recirculated and cut multiple times before being deposited back down to the ground.
Engine Speed - make sure that your engine is running properly and that you only cut at full throttle. If you have a tiny tach you can make sure that your engine is running at the right rpm full throttle no load. Since mulching requires additional power to handle an increase in clippings being tossed underneath the deck, the engine has to be in tip top condition for best performance.
Cut Height - the normal rule of never cutting more than 1/3 of the blade does not necessarily apply! For example, if you are cutting at 3.5", you should be waiting to cut until the blades reach almost 5" in height. 1.5" of clippings under the deck at one time may not allow enough circulation for the clippings to be recut to size while also standing the blades still rooted on end so that the cut is flat and uniform.
Ground Speed - decreasing ground speed wil have a negative impact on cutting performance. Since mulching requires additional time to recut the blades before depositing them to the ground, this cannot be achieved if you are moving too quickly.
So in short, keep your blades sharp, cut more often, drive slow, maintain your engine and set to run at full throttle.
I hope this helps!
Mike
Blades - must be kept sharp! With a mulch kit installed, there is nowhere for the blades to go (e.g. They are not being cleared from under the deck) so the clippings get recirculated and cut multiple times before being deposited back down to the ground.
Engine Speed - make sure that your engine is running properly and that you only cut at full throttle. If you have a tiny tach you can make sure that your engine is running at the right rpm full throttle no load. Since mulching requires additional power to handle an increase in clippings being tossed underneath the deck, the engine has to be in tip top condition for best performance.
Cut Height - the normal rule of never cutting more than 1/3 of the blade does not necessarily apply! For example, if you are cutting at 3.5", you should be waiting to cut until the blades reach almost 5" in height. 1.5" of clippings under the deck at one time may not allow enough circulation for the clippings to be recut to size while also standing the blades still rooted on end so that the cut is flat and uniform.
Ground Speed - decreasing ground speed wil have a negative impact on cutting performance. Since mulching requires additional time to recut the blades before depositing them to the ground, this cannot be achieved if you are moving too quickly.
So in short, keep your blades sharp, cut more often, drive slow, maintain your engine and set to run at full throttle.
I hope this helps!
Mike