ARE THERE ANY BENEFITS OF SIDE DISCHARGE MOWERS?!?!?

[lawn mower fanatic]

Are there ANY benefits of side discharge mowers?!??!

There is this one house I saw that has tons of grass in the mulch around the tree caused by a side discharge mower. (Picture attached) That made me think.....are there ANY good things about side discharge mowers??? I had one for a short time, and I didn't like it. If there is a narrow strip of grass, you can't mow it without grass getting in the mulch, and you can only go one direction around flower beds.

 

[D2hornets58]

My mower is side discharge and it can be annoying. Most of the time I use a bag so it doesnt matter but when i dont bag it the grass does go in the mulch beds all the time. im used to it but it would be nice to be able to go around stuff both ways.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

My mower is side discharge and it can be annoying. Most of the time I use a bag so it doesnt matter but when i dont bag it the grass does go in the mulch beds all the time. im used to it but it would be nice to be able to go around stuff both ways.

My Honda mower has REAR discharge (some ZTR'S have it also), which I guess is better.

 

[D2hornets58]

Ya i use a 21 inch push mower for smaller areas and it has the rear discharge. Ive never used a zero turn with rear discharge.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

Ya i use a 21 inch push mower for smaller areas and it has the rear discharge. Ive never used a zero turn with rear discharge.

I never use the rear-discharge on my mower....I just mulch. And now that the leaves are falling, I will start bagging a little and then putting it at the curb. I bagged for the 1st time with my mower today and it worked really well....other than the fact that the wind blew down the leaves as fast as I picked them up. The customer is going to have to trust me that I sucked up the leaves....you wouldn't be able to tell! I don't like wind! :biggrin:

 

[D2hornets58]

Haha i hate when that happens. You get up all the leaves and more just fall right back on the lawn.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

Haha i hate when that happens. You get up all the leaves and more just fall right back on the lawn.

And I had to lug the heavy bag of leaves home (which was difficult) since the trucks don't come by yet to suck them up and I don't want to have them sitting at the curb for a month! Actually, the leaves weren't heavy, it was the wet grass! It was probably 80% wet, heavy grass, and 20% light leaves. Go figures!

 

[Ric]

I don't discharge in any direction. Most mowers but not all have the capability of side discharging but all it does is make a mess.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

I don't discharge in any direction. Most mowers but not all have the capability of side discharging but all it does is make a mess.

So do you mulch or bag?

 

[Ric]

So do you mulch or bag?

I use Gator Blades on all my mowers so I guess you can say I mulch, I don't believe in bagging a lawn. When I said Most mowers but not all have the capability of side discharging I was referring to the self propelled mowers not the ZTR, both my ZTR mowers are side discharge.