Question about mowing wet grass

AdamE

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Hi all, I've got a little over two acres and have been using the same Cub Cadet 2165 with a 48" deck for the last 20 years. I can't say one bad thing about it, but I think it's time for an upgrade.

My question is, what is it about ZTR's that allow you to mow wet grass? My neighbors all have ZTR's and mow when it's raining! The same for the commercial guys with their Scags and Exmarks. When I mow even moist grass, it clumps really badly.

I've pretty much settled on a Hustler Raptor SD 54" and was wondering if I'd be able to enjoy the same freedom of wet mowing.

Thanks.
 

Boobala

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RUST NEVER SLEEPS !!
 

BoylermanCT

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Zero turns have faster blade speed than lawn tractors, and when you get into commercial territory, they have high capacity decks. My zero turn will clump if I am mowing wet thick stuff in my field. But in my lawn, it never clumps. I do try to mow when it is dry, as mowing in the rain makes a mess of the mower!
 

jekjr

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We run scags. We have problems at times with the grass clumping when it is wet. However we have to run some times even in the rain to get everything cut. They will cut. Just many times it ain't pretty.
 

Mr. Ed

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Zero turns have faster blade speed than lawn tractors, and when you get into commercial territory, they have high capacity decks. My zero turn will clump if I am mowing wet thick stuff in my field. But in my lawn, it never clumps. I do try to mow when it is dry, as mowing in the rain makes a mess of the mower!

^^^ This. Nothing else to add.
 

cruzenmike

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As you cut through wet grass the blade encounters greater resistance. One important aspect of a commercial mower making it better suited for mowing wet grass is the higher HP/TQ of the engine on that machine. My step dad has a Ferris IS2100z with the 28hp vanguard EFI engine and it just plows through wet grass without leaving a blade unclipped. The blade tip speed on that mower is the same as my 18hp eXmark, but my machine cannot even cope with the morning dew let alone cutting wth the grass "wet." Obviously the engine isn't the only thing that matters, but it is the single mos important thing when considering cutting tall or wet grass. A sharp blade and a clean deck help to keep those clippings moving out from under the deck.
 

efred

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You probably have the same deck as mine, the 301 (M#: 190-301-100). This was the first of the "Deep Deck" mowers that they introduced in the late 90's, and it was a dismal failure if the grass wasn't brown dry. However, if you spit on the lawn, it will start to clump up in the mower (kidding (but not by much)).

Have you removed the Finger Guard that obscures the discharge chute outlet? That angled plate effectively blocks the discharge chute, keeping the clippings under the mower, contributing to plugging up the deck. But it's mostly the poor design of the deck itself. I don't know what there is that can be done to make the deck mow better, and stay cleaner.

I just finished installing a 22hp Predator engine on my 2165 (see my post on 2165 Repower), and it makes a world of difference in how it mows. It runs 400 rpms faster, has 4hp more, but the deck still has a plugging issue. Instead of bogging down the engine, the belts will now slip (you can hear the pitch change while mowing), but the engine will hardly slow down. Now, mind you, I was mowing 6-8" tall grass, which is unheard of with this mower and deck.

I hope this is helpful.
 
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