Raptor with mulch kit - clippings escape?

[t.rafferty]

Hi,
I'm looking at picking up a Raptor with a mulch kit and my wife is concerned about the amount of clippings that escape from under the deck in all directions. She doesn't want her flower beds full of clippings. Right now I push mow up next to them and still get clippings over the 2 and 3 landscape blocks high edge. I don't know of a mower that doesn't do this, but thought I'd ask before we purchased. Can anyone give any feedback on this? Does anyone stay away from flower beds due to the amount of clippings being thrown in? Or are most of them kept under the deck and you don't hesitate to mow close?
Thanks,

 

[ibike2]

I have the raptor hd 54 waiting for dealer to get a discharge blank in this week for me. I've mowed a couple of times with just the discharge chute down opposite of flower beds one pass and have had no complaints from wife. I think because it's a 54" pass by time I come around for second pass I'm to far away to throw anything.

 

[djdicetn]

Hi,
I'm looking at picking up a Raptor with a mulch kit and my wife is concerned about the amount of clippings that escape from under the deck in all directions. She doesn't want her flower beds full of clippings. Right now I push mow up next to them and still get clippings over the 2 and 3 landscape blocks high edge. I don't know of a mower that doesn't do this, but thought I'd ask before we purchased. Can anyone give any feedback on this? Does anyone stay away from flower beds due to the amount of clippings being thrown in? Or are most of them kept under the deck and you don't hesitate to mow close?
Thanks,

I cannot vouch for the deck design of the Raptor, along with the Hustler mulch kit.....but after installing the Gravely OEM mulch kit on my Pro-Turn 100 XDZ the grass clippings outside the deck are literally non-existent. I see absolutely no grass clippings on the lawn when I'm done and it reduced the buildup underneath the deck by half. I can mow right next to landscape beds on either side of my deck and there are no clippings in those landscaped areas. I would definitely recommend that you go with a complete mulch kit(discharge cover, vacuum baffles underneath the deck that fully enclose each of the blades and mulch blades. Don't just put a discharge cover with the hi-lift blades or just mulch blades. IMHO, you need a complete kit for it to work properly.