EZ, practical discharge chute modification

[JDgreen]

JD, Just because I'm curious ...... What blades etc. have you tried ??????
I had a 318 and had very little problem with clumping and a 2nd pass would nearly always solve the problem.

BK, I had a 318 myself, and it would chop up grass a LOT better than my 4210 does, my cop neighbor has a small Craftsman lawn tractor and his deck chops up grass a lot better than my JD does. I am currently using Gator mulching blades, only about 40 hours on them. My deck simply will not recut grass worth a (BLEEP) instead it just picks up the cut stuff and blows it back out.

Took this picture last night, I was cutting dry 5 1/2 inch high grass with the mower deck set at maximum cut height of 3 3/4 inches, and the discharge chute was propped open, yet look at the grass clippings piled up in front of the deck !!! GRRRRRR!!!!!! The deck cuts grass so poorly the grass clippings lie on top of uncut grass blades and the front of the mower deck plows them up.

 

[gtbobcat]

Nice work.....but being as lazy as I am and a "just get it to work type nothing fancy".....I just adjust the deflecter chute on my rider to the height I want with a bungee cord then cut a heavy piece of cardboard to cover the gap..1 screw to hold it in place on the chute and voila....it stays out of the way when I lift the deflecter all the way to get it in and out of the shed. The cardboard was the triple thick waxed type used by vegetable farmers for shipping. And if the wind isnt blowing I lift all the way and let er rip.....no neighbours or windows to worry about mostly. My push mower doesn`t get used enough to worry about it..I only trim with that.
Oh and forgot to mention.....I never bag and rarely rake.....I`m retired now..dont have the time......lol

 

[BKBrown]

I don't know how easy or hard it might be to adjust your deck front to rear, but have you tried making the front of your deck maybe 1/4" lower than the back so that the blades actually cut 2 times (once up front and once in back) Obviously, also at the sides, but the leading edge would cut first.
At the risk of advertising (but I don't sell them) I like the Meg-Mo blade system and for me the clippings are thrown much farther. :thumbsup: 4 cutter knives and 4 lift wings on each disc.

BK, I had a 318 myself, and it would chop up grass a LOT better than my 4210 does The deck cuts grass so poorly the grass clippings lie on top of uncut grass blades and the front of the mower deck plows them up.

 

[Oddball]

Interesting solution. I only mulch with my push mower, so side discharge is not a concern. I got so tired of fighting the spring loaded deflector on my JD rider every time the chute for the bagger got clogged that I just took the deflector off and either bag or just let the clippings fly where they will now. I've always either bagged or mulched the front yard. The back I'm not so particular about since almost noone sees that but my wife and I. On the rare occasion that I use the rider on the front yard these days, I bag, but in order to help manage my waistline, I decided to start using the push mower on the front yard. I'm still too lazy and covetous of my time to take the 1 1/2 hours to use the push mower on the back yard.

 

[173abn]

The hugh metal deflector that came with my Grasshopper came off the day I brought it home.Never used it never will.On my push mower the plastic one came off as well but on it I put a piece of roof rubber over the opening.This stuff is like an innertube.That was over 5yrs ago and it does it's job keeping rocks and sticks etc. from being thrown out.I cut grass yesterday and some was pretty high and my GH does a nice job mulching the clippings.JD you def. have an issue with that deck acting like a blade....russ

 

[oldyellr]

I don't know how easy or hard it might be to adjust your deck front to rear, but have you tried making the front of your deck maybe 1/4" lower than the back so that the blades actually cut 2 times (once up front and once in back)

Do you have that backwards? If the blade(s) cut lower at the front, what will be sticking up to cut when the back of the deck gets there? I've seen some people say they tilt the deck back so the grass gets cut a little shorter when the back of the deck gets there. Is that what you mean? Anyway, most mower manufacturers recommend to set the front of the deck a a bit lower for the best cut.

 

[BKBrown]

There should not be much to lawn to cut with the rear of the blades, but they may act as more of a mulcher and discharge - What would it hurt to try it both ways -- front lower and rear lower ? As I said, I don't know about the adjustments on this deck .

Do you have that backwards? If the blade(s) cut lower at the front, what will be sticking up to cut when the back of the deck gets there? I've seen some people say they tilt the deck back so the grass gets cut a little shorter when the back of the deck gets there. Is that what you mean? Anyway, most mower manufacturers recommend to set the front of the deck a a bit lower for the best cut.

 

[JDgreen]

I don't know how easy or hard it might be to adjust your deck front to rear, but have you tried making the front of your deck maybe 1/4" lower than the back so that the blades actually cut 2 times (once up front and once in back) Obviously, also at the sides, but the leading edge would cut first.
At the risk of advertising (but I don't sell them) I like the Meg-Mo blade system and for me the clippings are thrown much farther. :thumbsup: 4 cutter knives and 4 lift wings on each disc. View attachment 3068

Thanks for your advice, the deck on mine is a HUGE, HUGE PIB to adjust, but it is correctly set, a 1/4 inch lower front blade height.

When it first arrived from the dealership new, the deck was set so it would only cut 2 1/2 inches height maximum...I spend a long time removing all the lift linkage and reinstalling them the correct way, the dealer tech had installed the front draft arms BACKWARDS on the pivots for the front mount.