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First of all, if my question below is not for this forum someone please let me know and I'll remove it. Thanks.

I have lot of trees in my yard, big ones. Oaks, sweet gums, poplar, hickory. In the past in the autumn I just let the leaves stay to give the yard a nice autumn/winter look. But someone told me that was not good for the grass so the last 5 years I've been mulching them. I do not have mulching blades for this and I do not have the grass catcher attachment. Too much trouble for that on a 2 acre yard. I have been using the regular stock blades. I made a homemade blocker that I bolt on to the grass chute for this purpose and it works pretty well. The leaves are so deep though that they pile up in front of the deck as I mow. I have to sometimes back up and let them fall off and then go back over. I've been using the 2.5 - 3 deck setting. I think my highest deck setting on this Toro is 4 (or maybe 5). My question is: Should I be setting the deck at its highest setting for leaf mulching? Will it still chop up the leaves at the highest setting?

** I have a zero turn Toro 50" Timecutter, 23 hp Kawasaki .

Just try different heights and see what works best for your particular mower. I do the same as you with leaves only I use Gator G6 blades... Helps a great deal for my Woods (Grasshopper).

If the leaves are piled that high I would start using the highest setting first and then drop down to #3. If you can’t afford a full mulching kit, I wouldn’t least switch your blades to mulching blades for a better cutting. This is the mulching kit, which has the blade number. https://www.toro.com/getpub/169962

4getgto said:

Just try different heights and see what works best for your particular mower. I do the same as you with leaves only I use Gator G6 blades... Helps a great deal for my Woods (Grasshopper).

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4getgto, thanks. After reading some of the reviews on Home Depot I think I'll just stick with my homemade grass chute blocker. Several people replied that you had to make 2 passes in grass to get a good cut, but leaves did ok. Some said it didn't fit their mower. At $258 I think I'll pass. I might try those Gator blades.

Rivets said:

If the leaves are piled that high I would start using the highest setting first and then drop down to #3. If you can’t afford a full mulching kit, I wouldn’t least switch your blades to mulching blades for a better cutting. This is the mulching kit, which has the blade number. https://www.toro.com/getpub/169962

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Rivets thanks. I think you're probably right - I'll try that highest setting when the leaves start falling. I can afford the kit, but I think I remember (possibly wrongly so) that the kit is some type of plastic. And, i've got a lot of small sticks in the yard too. Even if they're not plastic, at $258 I think I'll pass. Quite a few of the reviews I read said if mowing grass it took 2 passes to get a good cut. Leaves did ok. I suppose I'll just do it like I've been doing and try that highest setting.

jcworks said:

4getgto, thanks. After reading some of the reviews on Home Depot I think I'll just stick with my homemade grass chute blocker. Several people replied that you had to make 2 passes in grass to get a good cut, but leaves did ok. Some said it didn't fit their mower. At $258 I think I'll pass. I might try those Gator blades.

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Even with leaves I go over them multiple times to get chopped up good. Regardless of type of blades you use..