Mulching Eliminating streaks left behind with my Cub Cadet 50" Z-Turn Deck

I recently attached a new set of Gator mulching blades to my Zero Turn Cub Cadet mower with a 50" 3 blade deck and am not happy with the results. It's the Lowes variety of Cub. First, it seems to build-up in the deck chamber and leave far too many clumps behind and I also get a streak (1" or so) left behind with each pass. I don't mow wet grass other than the moisture that is found in most grass when it is 3-4" high. I realize the Cub is likely not designed for great mulching, but I thought I would get better results than I am now getting. I cut high and often in the spring and it still clumps, etc. Does anyone know of a remedy, other than purchasing a better mower with a deck that is designed for mulching? I thought maybe I need to do some adjustments that I am not aware of. Thanks for your replies.

Just a quick check; are you running at wide open throttle, and a fairly slow groundspeed? How much (percentage of grass blade) grass are you cutting at a time?

Yes, I run at full throttle and try to cut no more than 25% (1 inch max.) with each cutting. And, when mulching, I run at a much slower ground speed. Not creeping, but certainly not moving very fast. I'm guessing 2-3 MPH. Thanks.

Mmmm, that's about all that comes to mind for me.:ashamed:You've got the stock blades on it, I presume?

Did you sharpen the blades at all before you put them on? Sometimes the protective coating is thick enough to make them "dull".

cpo1 said:

I recently attached a new set of Gator mulching blades
... and I also get a streak (1" or so) left behind with each pass.

Click to expand...

About thr only thing that you need for gator blades to work, is the correct length & width....
What is the 1" or so streak you are referring to?

How much space is between the blades when they are turned to their closest? :smile:KennyV

Thanks folks. No, I did not sharpen the blades prior to installing. But they did not seem dull. Even so, I am going to remove them and sharpen, just to take this out of the picture. I have good equipment for sharpening. Also, I will check the width of the blades and the spaces in between when they are rotated in close proximity to one another. The streak that I am talking about is that when I get to the end of a pass and look back, I can see a small streak of grass that did not disperse well in the mulching process. In other words, you can see the streak and with good mulching, there is little or no evidence of grass clumps of any kind on the ground. At least that has been my experience with a walk behind 21" Toro that I use as well. Also, when I had a 36" Toro Proline walk behind, I don't recall having this problem. In all honesty, I wish I still had the ProLine. I have another one now with a 52" deck, but the engine still needs some work. I'm beginning to think that a three blade deck is less effective than a one or two blade deck. I may try to swap the 52" for a two blade deck. Finally, the deck of the Cub Cadet just may not be designed well for mulching. I don't know. Any thoughts? I'll reply with results early next week. I have a funeral to attend today and tomorrow. Thanks again.

if an little row of cut grass is what your talking about....then dont worry.....you can try to lower the deck a little and see if it breaks it up.....by the way ...3 blades is always better