No Suction sucks

[billw2]

My ten year old mower died and was replaced this year with a Troy Bilt TB-110 series 21" push mower. I shopped around to see the other choices and all were a variety of the same "mulching" concept with vented deck and double-cut blade. The three lawns I maintain are bordered with evergreen trees which drop needles. The older non-mulching mower did an adequate job of sucking up the needles but the TB-110 barely has enough suction to lift grass. In fact, it won't lift grass that has been walked on! There are no hi-lift blades made by Troy or Oregon that fit this mower. From what I've heard, the TB-110 is on par with other "EPA mowers", so dumping it for another machine would likely just be a lateral move. What is everyone doing to work around the no-suction challenge? Is there an underground industry of contraband hi-lift blades I don't know about? It's been suggested to me that I invest in a strong leaf blower to get the needles off and that kind of makes sense at this point.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

My ten year old mower died and was replaced this year with a Troy Bilt TB-110 series 21" push mower. I shopped around to see the other choices and all were a variety of the same "mulching" concept with vented deck and double-cut blade. The three lawns I maintain are bordered with evergreen trees which drop needles. The older non-mulching mower did an adequate job of sucking up the needles but the TB-110 barely has enough suction to lift grass. In fact, it won't lift grass that has been walked on! There are no hi-lift blades made by Troy or Oregon that fit this mower. From what I've heard, the TB-110 is on par with other "EPA mowers", so dumping it for another machine would likely just be a lateral move. What is everyone doing to work around the no-suction challenge? Is there an underground industry of contraband hi-lift blades I don't know about? It's been suggested to me that I invest in a strong leaf blower to get the needles off and that kind of makes sense at this point.

Pine needles are a pain to try to suck up with any mower, but my mower has pretty good suction and I'm sure there are other brands, like Snapper or Toro, that do also. I don't agree with the statement that all "EPA mowers" have bad suction. Maybe all MTD mowers are the same in that aspect, but I don't believe all brands are bad at that.

My handheld leaf blower does good with pine needles, but my grass is short.

 

[billw2]

...I don't agree with the statement that all "EPA mowers" have bad suction......

Some mowers may generate more suction than others, for sure. From what I've read since trying to solve this problem, it's the norm that mulching mowers don't rate highly at picking up pine needles. I haven't yet found a new push mower that isn't a mulcher. If your mower can do it, please tell me what it is.

 

[Snapperfreak]

My only solution is find an older, pre-EPA regs snapper. Preferably a commercial model. Engines back then had more power in them then many of today's. Of course I'm partial to the old snappers, but for good reason.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

...If your mower can do it, please tell me what it is.

I have 2 Honda's (a Honda HRX and a Honda HRR). I haven't tried to bag pine needles with my ($700) HRX but my (cheaper and a bit older) HRR can do it, but I have it set for a low height setting. They are both mulch OR bag mowers.

 

[combatcarl]

Snapper hi-vac decks will pick them up. The junk B&S snappers now are trash. See them in Walmart, Home Depot, etc. My little 4hp snapper gets everything picked up. Don't need power, just good design, and blade. For the snappers, you can get wings that create more lift.

 

[Kodie's Lawn Service]

A high lift blade will help out my mowers have them an they work well

 

[Snapperfreak]

True...those snappers at walmart are NOT the snappers from days gone by. Complete junk, read the story online. I laughed the last time I was in there and saw one. Sad. B&S buying out Snapper was the worst thing to happen to them. I'm glad I have 50 or so vintage Snapper dealer brochures from the '70s and '80s to remember how well they used to be built.

 

[cashman]

The Thatcherizer attchment for the walk behind Snappers worked pretty well on pine needles too. One thing I've found about bagging or mulching over the years is that the blade needs to be level all the way around under the deck. Not with a front slanted bias like for discharging. If the blade is lower by about 1/4-3/8" in the front of the mower it will discharge better but wont bag or mulch as well. You might double check to see if the blade is actually level under your mower? Always use the same end of the blade for measuring the distance of the blade tip to a level surface.