Not Sure I'm happy with my mowing results

goldenpsp

Member

Equipment
BX 23S
Nov 25, 2017
69
0
6
Baltimore MD
Hey all,

So I've finished up my first summer with my new BX23. I'm running it with the 54in 3 blade MM finish mower, which is outfitted with the mulching kit.

I mow at a setting of 3.25. I'd go lower but my yard is not very flat and I found when i started out at a lower setting that when getting up to the tops of a rise I was scalping if i wasn't careful.

I've always mulched, and came from a kinda normal lawn tractor (JD LT150 with 38in mulching deck). The reason I mention this is simply to say that I understand some of the different challenges of mulching, ie not letting the grass get super tall and then trying to mow it short in one pass.

Basically I've just found the cuts to be "sloppy" I end up with far more stray uncut grass than I used to. I'm not sure if it is just the nature of the beast or if there is something I can be looking at to improve things.
 

goldenpsp

Member

Equipment
BX 23S
Nov 25, 2017
69
0
6
Baltimore MD
When were your blades last sharpened?
I just touched up the blades this past weekend. But this is my first season with the tractor. Now I assume they came sharp from the factory but to be honest this was the first time I've taken the deck off since it was delivered all assembled (the dealer had installed the mulcher kit for me).

Also I should mention I run at the 540 PTO throttle and try to go slow (low range).
 

skeets

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
14,094
2,755
113
SW Pa
OH yeah what JT said WOT when your mowing,, yeah I know its different than a gas motor. Look in your book it will say WOT or something along those lines
 

85Hokie

Moderator
Staff member
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BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
Jul 13, 2013
10,271
2,104
113
Bedford - VA
I know this will sound absolutely crazy ..... and don't take it as an insult.

Are blades on correctly? This has come up more times than we would like to count!
 

skeets

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
14,094
2,755
113
SW Pa
Dont even ask who might have put the blades on upside down and backwards :rolleyes:
 

bikerdib

Member

Equipment
L4701 with FEL, BH92 backhoe
Oct 5, 2010
210
14
18
Wallis, Texas
The amount of lift built into the blades can have a large effect on cut quality. Low lift use less HP but won't mow as neat and even as high lift blades. Most mowers are sold with medium lift blades as a compromise. Since you mow a little taller, you may want to invest in some high lift blades.
 

kemosabe

New member

Equipment
Kubota L2501, 60" Box Blade, Front Loader
Sep 5, 2018
13
0
0
Houston, TX
Clean out under the deck. Sharpen blades. I've never had great clean cuts with mulching blades. If you're scalping, make sure blades were not installed upside down. If they are upside down, they will scalp pretty good. I would consider high lift blades and start training the grass lower and lower until you are happy. The lower you cut with high lift blades the better the cut unless you are taking a lot of grass off.
 

dalola

Member

Equipment
BX2380 w/FEL & Woods RM48 RFM, Yazoo/Kees Max2 ZTR
Jun 30, 2017
316
6
18
Ohio
+1 on the gator blades, and get the higher quality G6 version.

Not sure about the tractor/mmm, but on my Yazoo ZTR (much higher tip speed vs. tractor), you don't even need the mulching baffles with the gators. They pretty much mulch everything that goes under the deck! They are a must-have in the fall, with a yard full of Sycamores. :cool:
 

goldenpsp

Member

Equipment
BX 23S
Nov 25, 2017
69
0
6
Baltimore MD
Scrape and clean under your deck. Sharpen your blades. Problem solved.
Yes, Sorry if I wasn't clear but I had mentioned I sharpened the blades last weekend before my most recent mow. I of course cleaned out the deck while it was off as well.

I will look into the gator blades.

They are not installed upside down.

The scalping is 100% a function of my uneven yard and the size of the deck. It's mostly at the top of a hilly spot when I crest it would scalp if I set the deck too low (and as a result the anti scalp wheels to the appropriate height). It isnt anything fancy, just basic geometry.
 

mikester

Well-known member

Equipment
M59 TLB
Oct 21, 2017
3,125
1,609
113
Canada
www.divergentstuff.ca
Yes, Sorry if I wasn't clear but I had mentioned I sharpened the blades last weekend before my most recent mow. I of course cleaned out the deck while it was off as well.

I will look into the gator blades.

They are not installed upside down.

The scalping is 100% a function of my uneven yard and the size of the deck. It's mostly at the top of a hilly spot when I crest it would scalp if I set the deck too low (and as a result the anti scalp wheels to the appropriate height). It isnt anything fancy, just basic geometry.
Just a heads up - I liked my gator blades but ended up going back to the high lift. I was finding that weeds like plantain and dandelion would just lay flat and pop back up with the gators - especially mid summer when the grass didn’t grow as fast as the weeds. The high lift blades don’t have that problem.

Another trick you can try is to change your mowing direction every other cut. Try going at 45 degrees then 90 degrees to your normal mowing path.
 

armylifer

Well-known member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
BX1860, FEL, RCK54P MMM, BB1548 Box Scraper, Quick Hitch, Piranha Bar, BX6315
Mar 26, 2013
1,955
695
113
Thurston County, WA
I also have a 54" MMM. I have found that because of my uneven lawn (many potholes and mounds) that I was scalping the ground. When the rear wheel on the left went into a hole the right side of the MMM would scalp the ground and visa-versa for the right wheel in a depression.

Anyway, I was given an old rider mower with a 42" deck. It did a much better job of mowing the lawn because the deck is narrower. The narrower deck did not scalp into the dirt when the rear wheels hit a mound or depression.

So, the solution that I found that works best for me when using the 54" mmm is to cut at a higher setting. I set the MMM at 4 and cut both the front and back lawns at that setting. Now I don't scalp the dirt but I have taller grass. I actually like the taller grass. The sun does not burn it like when I was cutting it at a setting of 3.
 

MadMax31

Member

Equipment
BX23S, 60" MMM
Nov 5, 2014
766
8
18
New York
BX23S, 60" mmm. If grass is high enough, I have to bump to 31-3200 rpms. I also use a bungee to hold up discharge flap to help minimize the windrow effect. My wheels are set so deck should never bottom. I rarely go by deck knob as I can see no discernible difference between 1 and 4. I rely mostly on 3pt height setting.
 

goldenpsp

Member

Equipment
BX 23S
Nov 25, 2017
69
0
6
Baltimore MD
Thanks everyone.

As I had mentioned before I posted this I had the deck off, had cleaned the deck and sharpened the blades.

Today I cranked it to full RPM and the cut was much better.