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Cub Cadet Mulching kit for a 42 inch deck?
#1
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Rickcin
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Rickcin
Thinking of going with this accessory so I can lose the large chute, get closer to obstacles on that side of the deck and not shoot grass clippings to the one side.
Can anyone attest to the effectiveness of the mulching blades?
Can anyone attest to the effectiveness of the mulching blades?
#2
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Darryl G
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Darryl G
No experience with the Cub mowers or mulching kits but with just mulching blades and a blocking chute (no baffles creating separate cutting chambers) you can generally expect a windrow and possible clumping on right side and blowout out the right front corner. You'll also have to make sure the grass doesn't get too tall, especially during periods of lush growth and to try to cut when the grass is dry. Mulching takes a degree of dedication to your cutting schedule and some patience to slow down when necessary.
#3
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cruzenmike
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cruzenmike
I have a little bit of experience with mulching kits and 42" decks...... I had a Toro SS4225 with the recycler kit which is basically a new set of low lift/mulching blades (different in overall design and relatively flat sail) and baffles in the deck to push clippings down. The kit worked VERY WELL with few noticeable clippings. The secret to the mulching kit is to cut ONLY when the grass is dry, to never cut off more than 1/3 of the grass blade length, always run at full throttle and drive at half of maximum ground speed. On my Toro, which had the smart speed system, I could only mulch in the middle setting which was about 5mph. So, to answer your question, they can be good if they are proper mulch kits. The issue with stamped decks is that the clippings will still move from one side of the deck to the other. A fabricated deck with almost always have metal pieces that separate each blade into its own chamber (these are the best kinds of decks for mulching).
#4
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Rickcin
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Rickcin
Two good responses to my thread and I certainly believe and understand what you two have mentioned. I was just hoping to lose the long chute as well as not having to cut in one direction only to blow the clippings away from the house, deck and planters.
All things considered, there is no clear cut decision!
All things considered, there is no clear cut decision!
#5
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Darryl G
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Darryl G
The Cub mulching kit doesn't appear to have any baffles. Just the blades and blocking chute. The problem is that you get clippings from both cutting chambers discharged to a small area on the right side of the deck. And if it's wet you get a pile of mush and a plugged deck that pukes when you turn it off. Results will of course vary with conditions, but I don't recommend a mulch kit without baffles. If you're going to go that route I think an OCDC (remote controlled blocking plate) and mulching blades is the way to go. You can keep clippings out of areas you don't want them and mulch when conditions are suitable but open the deck up when necessary. Don't know if anyone makes one to fit though.I have a little bit of experience with mulching kits and 42" decks...... I had a Toro SS4225 with the recycler kit which is basically a new set of low lift/mulching blades (different in overall design and relatively flat sail) and baffles in the deck to push clippings down. The kit worked VERY WELL with few noticeable clippings. The secret to the mulching kit is to cut ONLY when the grass is dry, to never cut off more than 1/3 of the grass blade length, always run at full throttle and drive at half of maximum ground speed. On my Toro, which had the smart speed system, I could only mulch in the middle setting which was about 5mph. So, to answer your question, they can be good if they are proper mulch kits. The issue with stamped decks is that the clippings will still move from one side of the deck to the other. A fabricated deck with almost always have metal pieces that separate each blade into its own chamber (these are the best kinds of decks for mulching).
#6
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cruzenmike
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cruzenmike
The problem with an OCDC is that cub uses a top discharge deck and I haven't seen anything that will fit it. I think any one of thr conditions mentioned could factor heavily into each person's experience with mulching. It worked for me, but I probably cut way more often than I need to. The mulch kits for the Cubs are relatively inexpensive compared to the commercial mowers, so you could at the very least try it out and see if you like it.
#8
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Rickcin
Yeah for $60 I could give it a shot but if I don’t like it because it might leave a trail, I could switch back to the discharge chute but what effect would the mulching blades have?
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Rickcin
Yeah looks like an easy on/off mulch plug.
Yeah for $60 I could give it a shot but if I don’t like it because it might leave a trail, I could switch back to the discharge chute but what effect would the mulching blades have?
#9
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cruzenmike
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cruzenmike
You will need to change the blades back to the factory ones. The low lift mulching blades supplied in the kit will not discharge as well with the chute open. Since they generate less lift, it will not leave a uniform cut; at least not as uniform as the high lift blades would.
#10
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Darryl G
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Darryl G
The mulching blades direct the cuttings upwards to be re-cut into smaller pieces. Mulching blades are designed to throw a lot less air with much flatter sails since the discharge is blocked. They often have a wavy edge profile which makes them a bit more challenging to sharpen.
Most of the time I run Gator G5 high lift mulching blades on my bigger mowers and mostly discharge. Mulching and bagging are both a pain if you're doing it on a large scale. The clippings with the G5 blades are pretty fine and there isn't much clumping when cutting wet. Personally I think that's the best way to go for the best balance of cut quality and clippings management. Discharging with high lift mulching blades. Mind you that's in my area with my grasses.
Changing blades isn't going to help with throwing grass into beds or onto hard surfaces though. I get grass into places it doesn't belong all the time and just hit it with my backpack blower. I throttle the mower down if I have to mow a narrow grassy strip with beds on both sides. I always start mowing by doing a couple laps around the borders of the lawn, patios and the driveway etc going clockwise. Just doing that makes a big difference. And I pay attention to which way I'm throwing on turns.
Most of the time I run Gator G5 high lift mulching blades on my bigger mowers and mostly discharge. Mulching and bagging are both a pain if you're doing it on a large scale. The clippings with the G5 blades are pretty fine and there isn't much clumping when cutting wet. Personally I think that's the best way to go for the best balance of cut quality and clippings management. Discharging with high lift mulching blades. Mind you that's in my area with my grasses.
Changing blades isn't going to help with throwing grass into beds or onto hard surfaces though. I get grass into places it doesn't belong all the time and just hit it with my backpack blower. I throttle the mower down if I have to mow a narrow grassy strip with beds on both sides. I always start mowing by doing a couple laps around the borders of the lawn, patios and the driveway etc going clockwise. Just doing that makes a big difference. And I pay attention to which way I'm throwing on turns.
#11
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Rickcin
Between you and cruzenmike, I am getting a real education with plenty of good information, some of which I should have realized just from using mowers my whole life. Throttle down to lessen the discharge distance, real simple but it never occurred to me.
Back to the mulching blades, cruzenmike mentioned that with the mulching blades, just a small amount of grass would be discharged through an the open chute. Isn’t that a good thing? Now I’m really on the fence and unsure which way to go.
Amazon does sell the kit for the CC so I was able to read a bunch of reviews which I believe users gave it a 3.8 or so out of 5 stars. Several users had to drill holes and add Zip Ties to better secure the plug to prevent grass clippings fron blowing through the plug.
There was also a response that noted the mulching blades di not leavean even cut? If this is the case and the factory discharge blades produce a better cut, then my decision would be to forget about the mulching option.
R
Rickcin
The mulching blades direct the cuttings upwards to be re-cut into smaller pieces. Mulching blades are designed to throw a lot less air with much flatter sails since the discharge is blocked. They often have a wavy edge profile which makes them a bit more challenging to sharpen.
Most of the time I run Gator G5 high lift mulching blades on my bigger mowers and mostly discharge. Mulching and bagging are both a pain if you're doing it on a large scale. The clippings with the G5 blades are pretty fine and there isn't much clumping when cutting wet. Personally I think that's the best way to go for the best balance of cut quality and clippings management. Discharging with high lift mulching blades. Mind you that's in my area with my grasses.
Changing blades isn't going to help with throwing grass into beds or onto hard surfaces though. I get grass into places it doesn't belong all the time and just hit it with my backpack blower. I throttle the mower down if I have to mow a narrow grassy strip with beds on both sides. I always start mowing by doing a couple laps around the borders of the lawn, patios and the driveway etc going clockwise. Just doing that makes a big difference. And I pay attention to which way I'm throwing on turns.
Between you and cruzenmike, I am getting a real education with plenty of good information, some of which I should have realized just from using mowers my whole life. Throttle down to lessen the discharge distance, real simple but it never occurred to me.
Back to the mulching blades, cruzenmike mentioned that with the mulching blades, just a small amount of grass would be discharged through an the open chute. Isn’t that a good thing? Now I’m really on the fence and unsure which way to go.
Amazon does sell the kit for the CC so I was able to read a bunch of reviews which I believe users gave it a 3.8 or so out of 5 stars. Several users had to drill holes and add Zip Ties to better secure the plug to prevent grass clippings fron blowing through the plug.
There was also a response that noted the mulching blades di not leavean even cut? If this is the case and the factory discharge blades produce a better cut, then my decision would be to forget about the mulching option.
#12
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Darryl G
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Darryl G
The wavy mulcher blades that come with most mulch kits, like I mentioned earlier, throw less air so the grass coming out the discharge doesn't have much force, so rather than being blown out 2 mower widths or so it all ends up near the deck and can cause windrows. Also, being that they're throwing less air, they're also providing less suction to stand up the grass for cutting, so cut quality can suffer.
#13
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Rickcin
Thanks for all of your posts and based on your comments, I’m not going with the mulching blades. I would rather have a better cut and just have to deal with the direction of the thrown cuttings which I can manage by making some extra passes with the mower or by using my backpack.
My lawn is less then 15K sf so it’s definately manageable. Thanks again!
R
Rickcin
The wavy mulcher blades that come with most mulch kits, like I mentioned earlier, throw less air so the grass coming out the discharge doesn't have much force, so rather than being blown out 2 mower widths or so it all ends up near the deck and can cause windrows. Also, being that they're throwing less air, they're also providing less suction to stand up the grass for cutting, so cut quality can suffer.
Thanks for all of your posts and based on your comments, I’m not going with the mulching blades. I would rather have a better cut and just have to deal with the direction of the thrown cuttings which I can manage by making some extra passes with the mower or by using my backpack.
My lawn is less then 15K sf so it’s definately manageable. Thanks again!
#15
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Rickcin
Crazy question, what about getting a deck plug and not changing the blades to mulching blades?
R
Rickcin
Welcome.
Crazy question, what about getting a deck plug and not changing the blades to mulching blades?
#16
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cruzenmike
Mulching blades are specifically designed to recirculate the clippings and cut the grass into finer pieces with it's longer edge and wavy design. With the plug in place, you help to further circulate the clippings inside the deck for additional cutting. The only reason why Gators and alike work without a plug on a commercial mower is because the blades are spinner quite a bit faster than on a consumer mower. High lift blades (or 2 in 1) as found on a riding mower will pack clipping all inside of the deck and create a lot of blowout with a plug in place.
C
cruzenmike
Crazy question, what about getting a deck plug and not changing the blades to mulching blades?
Mulching blades are specifically designed to recirculate the clippings and cut the grass into finer pieces with it's longer edge and wavy design. With the plug in place, you help to further circulate the clippings inside the deck for additional cutting. The only reason why Gators and alike work without a plug on a commercial mower is because the blades are spinner quite a bit faster than on a consumer mower. High lift blades (or 2 in 1) as found on a riding mower will pack clipping all inside of the deck and create a lot of blowout with a plug in place.
#17
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csmlet
CruzeMike is on the spot, I do this with my zero turn but the grass has to be dry, you have to take your time, and don't cut too much off at a time.
C
csmlet
Mulching blades are specifically designed to recirculate the clippings and cut the grass into finer pieces with it's longer edge and wavy design. With the plug in place, you help to further circulate the clippings inside the deck for additional cutting. The only reason why Gators and alike work without a plug on a commercial mower is because the blades are spinner quite a bit faster than on a consumer mower. High lift blades (or 2 in 1) as found on a riding mower will pack clipping all inside of the deck and create a lot of blowout with a plug in place.
CruzeMike is on the spot, I do this with my zero turn but the grass has to be dry, you have to take your time, and don't cut too much off at a time.
#18
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Darryl G
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Darryl G
Another type of mulch plug that is sometimes used is a screen over the discharge. This allows the air to escape but retains the clippings until they are small enough to exit. Typically this is a custom fabrication using expanded steel mesh or a similar material, but my uncle had a Deere walk-behind with a factory mulch kit that used a screen.
#19
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Rickcin
That is a real interesting thought! I could cut a piece of heavy duty 1/4 inch chicken wire and then figure out how to secure it over the discharge opening on the deck, that is brilliant.
I notice my neighbor has a service cut their grass and the fellow uses an Exmark zero turn without a discharge chute, probably not a smart move.
I guess the main reason for a chute is for protection against the blades and prevents objects from being blown upward?
R
Rickcin
Another type of mulch plug that is sometimes used is a screen over the discharge. This allows the air to escape but retains the clippings until they are small enough to exit. Typically this is a custom fabrication using expanded steel mesh or a similar material, but my uncle had a Deere walk-behind with a factory mulch kit that used a screen.
That is a real interesting thought! I could cut a piece of heavy duty 1/4 inch chicken wire and then figure out how to secure it over the discharge opening on the deck, that is brilliant.
I notice my neighbor has a service cut their grass and the fellow uses an Exmark zero turn without a discharge chute, probably not a smart move.
I guess the main reason for a chute is for protection against the blades and prevents objects from being blown upward?
#20
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Darryl G
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Darryl G
Yeah, you will see many pros running without a discharge chute, myself included. It is indeed intended to keep any projectiles that the blades hit low and reduce their hazard. The reason I run both of my ZTRs without a discharge chute is that it needs to be removed in order to install the bagger units and it's impractical to put it back on every time you're not bagging. I keep the discharge chute on my walk-behind but often run the machine with it up to disperse clippings better. Some use an operator controlled discharge chute (OCDC) which can be remotely raised or lowered to various positions in order to mulch or prevent clippings from going where they're not wanted temporarily. They don't provide much in the way of keeping projectiles low though, since they are short (or they would hit the ground when closed) and don't give much coverage of the opening. Some OCDCs actually have slots in them, but most I've seen are solid.