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Does anyone know of a way to improve the cutting ability of an older mower? I have been told by many that you must improve the airflow to your deck and it will cut better. A lot of the new mowers claim to have vented decks that increase air flow, but what is this all about. Are there actually opening in the deck? I was told by one landscaper that if your deck can breathe, it creates more vacumn and will cut better. Can anyone explain? Thanks.

JD

No ideas at all on this? I had hoped there would be at least a few mower geeks/engineers with some ideas or thoughts on this.

You are most likely not going to change things for the better by modifying a mower deck...

You "may" improve things by changing the Type blade(s) or blade manufacturer ... there are several different blade types that will have better/worse cutting quality when used with various deck designs and grasses... :smile:KennyV

Try using a low lift blade and be sure to keep the blade or blades sharp. The low lift blade creates less drag and will improve blade tip speed some.

From what I have read, certain blades can create lift while turning, thereby improving their ability to cut.

Thanks for the input and smata67, I heard the same thing. I have tried about 4 different kinds of blades, but all seem to perform the same way. When I spoke to a couple of contractors, all stated their mowers have deeper deck wells, therfore creating more lift on the grass. That is when we began discussing the ability of a mower deck being modified or improved. Also, listening to the advertisements of new mowers and all of them stating their mower decks have increased air flow for better performance, got me thinking I could do this to my older mower. This is why I was hoping some of the home engineers may have already tried this. I am continuing to look and appreciate all suggestions.

JD

I made the under side of my John Deere deck look like my 1984 Murray and now it cuts better and is easier to clean. If I ever get enough money saved to buy high lift blades for the JD like the Murray has I'm hoping it will be equal in cut quality.

A lot of the newer mowers---especially the ZT---have a larger engine to operate the higher RPM blades. Higher Blade Speed is one way to increase cutting ability. But if you had a standard type mower--say a 12HP rider, if you increased the blade speed your engine would be underpowered in many cutting situations.:frown: I have tried several different type blades and found none cut any better then what came on the machine.:thumbsup: