Clumps of Grass

[PNA]

What causes grass to clump up rather then being mulched up as expected? Out of about 50 customers, 2 of them always seem to have grass clumping problems? By the way, I use a Toro 44" ZRT with a mulch kit.
Thanks!
Patrick

[lorenzo piedra]

Maybe because the two properties are full of torpedo grass and weeds?

[Ric]

Maybe because the two properties are full of torpedo grass and weeds?

PNA

Lorenzo is correct Torpedo grass does not want to mulch or blow very well.

What part of S.W.Fla. are you in??? Maybe we are close enough to network.

[CTHLandscaping]

How often are you scheduled to mow it? Maybe it's getting to be too long and its too much for the mulching blades.

Jason

[yard sloth]

are you happy with the mulch kit on that Toro? I have the hollow plastic one for my 44" z-master but rarely install it. the clumping problem you are describing has plagued me every time I try to go back to the mulch kit. It seems to have way better airflow and cut much faster in side discharge mode, but then there are clippings laying around.

[Jack D.]

The cause is your Shallow SFS deck & Recycler Blades which do not mulch thick turf well. Please purchase an eXmark Ultra Cut Equipped deck...5.5" Deep & install eXcalibur mulch blades. The difference will be night & day.

[steve-o]

The cause is your Shallow SFS deck & Recycler Blades which do not mulch thick turf well. Please purchase an eXmark Ultra Cut Equipped deck...5.5" Deep & install eXcalibur mulch blades. The difference will be night & day.

that is what i have and i have very little problem. when we cut thurs. at 830 am the grass was high and wet from all the thunderstorms we have had. i usually cut at 3 speed on the exmark, but in this case backed it down to 2 and went slow on my turns with no problem. this yard grows fast and is cut at 3 in.as are the rest except 2 who want 2 1/2". friday i did have one that i had to double cut one area but that is because the guy went from weekly to bi which i think him and i will have an understanding from now on. i will be nice this time but not the next. i have used the mulch kit from day one with excalibur blades. problem free.........except changing them.....

[Ric]

The cause is your Shallow SFS deck & Recycler Blades which do not mulch thick turf well. Please purchase an eXmark Ultra Cut Equipped deck...5.5" Deep & install eXcalibur mulch blades. The difference will be night & day.

Attention Member. The above advise is brough to you by the only boy with a fleet of 21"

Jack D-elusional I am surprise that you don't have a fleet of 18" Black & Decker Electric Mowers.

[Jack D.]

Even the eXmark Tri-Vantage deck @ 5" is deeper than the Shallow Toro SFS deck...The SFS is terrible @ mulching which is one reason among many Jack D. switched to eXmark.

[IMG][/IMG]

[lorenzo piedra]

Attention Member. The above advise is brough to you by the only boy with a fleet of 21"

Jack D-elusional I am surprise that you don't have a fleet of 18" Black & Decker Electric Mowers.

I figure Jack must have a Napoleonic inferiority complex with such a small deck.

[Ric]

I figure Jack must have a Napoleonic inferiority complex with such a small deck.

Lorenzo

I guess a Small deck can do a big field, but not very effective. I believe that field just might start growing grass while waiting for the small deck to finish its job.

[PNA]

Problem is.....

the deck? Maybe it is a contributor to the problem but I don't believe it's the root cause. I mow these two yards once a week and these are the only two that I have a clumping problem with. Is there something else that I can do besides switching out the deck/buying another mower?

By the way, I use "regular blades" with the mulch kit. Should I be using mulch blades instead? My Toro dealer said no. Is he wrong?

What about you guys with Toros? Do you guys have this problem?

I'm in Cape Coral, FL.

Thanks!
PNA

[Jack D.]

The shallow deck is the root cause Mr. PNA...there is not enough room for clippings to circulate when cutting thick turf.

Please remove the metal kickers from the underside of the deck and install Recycler blades. While your unit still will not mulch like an eXmark you may find this to be an improvement.

[quiksilver]

exmark

We get this problem alot when the grass is long and our exmarks, walk behinds and the lazers cant handle it, we do the first cut at 3and a half then cut it again 1in higher, this works out good for us. I to beleave the problem is the deck here, exmark is doing a talk at are shop soon and ill ask them about it.

[Ric]

The shallow deck is the root cause Mr. PNA...there is not enough room for clippings to circulate when cutting thick turf.

Please remove the metal kickers from the underside of the deck and install Recycler blades. While your unit still will not mulch like an eXmark you may find this to be an improvement.

Jack D-elusional

Yes small decks that cut swallow can be a problem, but we are talking lawn mowing.


PNA

I am just up Burnt Store Road from you. My nursery is on Route 17. I hope to open the retail location in October for the Snowbirds. We still have a lot of work to do including bring in a Land Clearing Flail Mower. The issue right now is getting the former renter moved out. He has known for 6 months he had to move out after the closing, but is dragging his feet. Therefore I have only been able to make plans and accumulate plants in my present Nursery which is behind the road frontage he now occupies. Once he is gone (hopefully August 1st) we will be quite busy.

Lorenzo called the shot about Mulching. If your mower is mulching 48 lawns successfully, theses two are torpedo grass for sure. Not even Jack D-elusional's 18" Black & Decker electrics are going to mulch them. Jack D-elusional's Short Deck and Shallow Mind are Canadian. That should tell you something if you have been in Florida for any length of time.

Quicksliver has give you the best solution for Torpedo grass. Hopefully that will work for you.