Neeeeed help in decision - mulching kit

[MASTERMOWER]

Hey yo....I bought a used Toro Z-Master a few weeks ago and don't know whether to purchase a bagger for it or just go with a mulching kit.

Specs on the mower: 19HP Kawasaki, 52" SFS (Sucky Flow System).

I don't really like side discharge - being that you have to be careful so clippings don't shoot into Mrs. Jones's flower beds.

I bag a few lawns....but nothing much. For those, I can continue to use my 52" hydro WB, or the 36". However, come fall, I probably would prefer a bagger on this Z-Master.

Currently I'm liking the idea of spending a few hundred bucks on a mulching kit. The part I do not like is how the mulching kit is semi-permanent, untill fall anyway.

How well do decks with mulching kits perform when you're mowing off 4" or so (fescue)? Some lawns I mow are better than others. For the majority I wouldn't have a problem, but some can get somewhat lengthy before I cut them.

Also, how do mulching kits affect your mowing speed? As in do you have to mow at a slower speed to allow the grass to mulch nicely?

Ideally I know I should have a higher HP engine for mulching.....but then again, what do I know? In my many years of mowing I have never used a mulch kit on a mower.

[Hydro DRIVE®]

You are confused again. If you wanted to mulch you should have bought an eXmark.

You set up the low power pos one lung hydro with plain old gator blades. This keeps the clippings from flying too far.

Now on the ZTR you do single high lifts with an aftermarket blade blocker.

I pretty much have you same set up for large residential work except my ZTR is a Toro Hydro 52" (A.K.A. Fat Man) with an 18hp v-twin command engine with high lift blades with open discharge.

[MortNuke]

Mulching blades tend to cut poorly above about 3". You'll observe brown grass blade tips as a result no matter how sharp your blades. Above 3", I exclusively side discharge.

Tip: Regularly sharpened blades are your path to success! No matter how much you spend on a mower, it all comes down to blades that surgically slice the grass. Never forget that.

Mort

[MASTERMOWER]

Ok, it's a no go then......

Currently I am running gators which have made the grass clipping placement a little less of a headache.

The Mowron whom I bought this mower from had hi-lifts on the machine, but they where the 5/8" hole instead of the 1/2" hole required. I believe I now know why 2 of the 3 spindles where shot.

The half-lung hydro POS rests in the garage awaiting a chance to go out and do some work - it's rarely used anymore.

[highlander316]

get an OCDC. You'll never mulch w/ that HP to deck size ratio. Get rid of the gators too IMO. Get high lift notched blades instead. The gators leave nasty little clump balls in wet grass. I use the notched blades w/ an OCDC side discharging on my Turf Tiger and barely have problems w/ long grass.

[MASTERMOWER]

get an OCDC. You'll never mulch w/ that HP to deck size ratio. Get rid of the gators too IMO. Get high lift notched blades instead. The gators leave nasty little clump balls in wet grass. I use the notched blades w/ an OCDC side discharging on my Turf Tiger and barely have problems w/ long grass.

Aren't notched blades the same as gators????

I run Toro Atomic mulching blades on the 52" hydro. On the Z-master I have aftermarket "atomic" sytled blades...for the time being. I threw them on after I discovered the mowron installed the wrong blades.

http://www.toro.com/golf/images/cm_gm_atomicblades_s_lg.jpg

[highlander316]

no, they are like solid foil blades, but have one split right before the bend. I find them to be better than solid foils for discharging and bagging.

[MASTERMOWER]

Something like this?

http://www.snapper.com/images/f_walbehinds_5.jpg

[Scaper-S2k]

So you are using junk Atomics and wonder why you don't like the deck???? I bought one set of Atomics many moons ago. Hated them. I'm no longer a big fan of gators either. When you first put sharp new Gators on, it's usually when your other set is dull. So you think "Wow, not bad."

But after using them for a while, then switching back to either normal or high lifts, I think the non-gator type blades are better until fall cleanups.



Get some good blades Dawg!

[MASTERMOWER]

So you are using junk Atomics and wonder why you don't like the deck???? I bought one set of Atomics many moons ago. Hated them. I'm no longer a big fan of gators either. When you first put sharp new Gators on, it's usually when your other set is dull. So you think "Wow, not bad."

But after using them for a while, then switching back to either normal or high lifts, I think the non-gator type blades are better until fall cleanups.



Get some good blades Dawg!

Hmm, yeah.

Well I need to buy a set of standard hi-lifts and see if there is any difference. I know the quality of cut between the wrong-sized, bad spindle, hi-lifts was slightly worse than the quality of cut of the atomics with rebuilt spindles.

Years ago all I ran on a 44" Toro SFS where the hi-lifts. That was too long ago to remember how well it cut.

[highlander316]

http://www.scag.com/marbainblades.html

that is what I use on my Turf Tiger. A buddy of mine also uses them on his Lazer Z and his Y/K ZTR. Best blades we have found for cut.