Grass rows, are very annoying how to avoid? Using the MMM.

[MAXA]

I have 17 acres of land, i only mow around the house which is about 3 1/2 acres. The rest is just a field that i bush hog once a year to stop trees and other stuff from getting to large.

I mow the yard once a week every weekend, i spend about 3 hours mowing it and another 3 hours sweeping up the grass with a pull behind grass sweeper, i get about 25-30 loads of grass when sweeping it.

I really hate sweeping grass it turns the job of mowing into a almost all day job. We have been getting a ton of rain so the grass has been going crazy and usually mowing once a week i don't have to sweep up the grass.

I work 12 hour days so i can not mow in the middle of the week or just let it go.

My MMM is 60". I have thought about trying mulching blades or buy the kubota branded bagger they sell for the B2650 but it is very large and bulky.

I have noticed that no one else ever sweeps there yard but most everyone uses a zero turn maybe the b2650 just sucks for mowing.

If i don't sweep the next time i mow it's even worse.

 

[chim]

Since you already have the equipment, I'm not sure what you can do without changing something. I've had a couple rear discharge RFM's that distributed the clippings better and eliminated the rows. Back when I was using side discharge decks, there were a few times that the clippings were so bad they needed raked and picked up. The MO for that was to let the grass dry a little till the next day and then re-mow in a pattern that gathered the semi dried clippings in rows, then rake up the rows. Not much fun.

I understand how easy it is for work and other demands interfering with mowing. There were years that the mowing season was in full swing before the schedule allowed daylight mowing. That's one reason good lighting was a priority.

That amount of time for cutting sounds about right with a 5' deck. My mowing times have ranged from 34 minutes per acre with three different 5 footers (one mid-mount and two RFM's) to 22 minutes per acre with the 7-1/2 foot RFM. I never timed the 6 foot RFM but assume it was somewhere in between.

 

[MAXA]

I have thought about buying a RFM with a rear discharge. Hate to spend 2-3K for it and not make a difference.

A MMM is great but getting it on and off sucks but that is only once a year. I also have issues with grass build up in the middle of the MMM as you can see in the pic above.

 

[GrumpyFarmer]

I am assuming you are sweeping the grass to keep the lawn looking manicured / nice, correct? (You could try mowing it with the deck raised, and then drop down on the second round - that’s only going to help if it’s a little shaggy…if it needs to be raked teeded and baled, not much you can do there IMO)

If the grass is too long, I don’t think the type of mower will change that the grass is too long. You can mow it higher, but at the end of the day if the grass gets too long you will have the same problem. A different mower may pulverize the material / debris, but it will not make it disappear. To much material will still leave a mess/clump.

I have a B and since we started bees and also composting, I’ve been mowing longer and letting it t grow so I do have something to rake and compost. It’s looks awful, but it’s healthier, it’s better for the bees, use less fuel, and I compost the clippings. I’ve thought about a landscape rake to make the raking go faster, but I worry I will rip out grass. Not sure that is true, I suspect that is what will happen if I get too happy with the throttle.

only other thing I can think of is maybe add a light bar and mow at night if running short on daylight?

if you find a solution, please share that back. Good luck.

 

[bird dogger]

Is the surrounding area of your yard open? Or maybe parts of it? I'll use my 3 pt. PTO powered blower behind my B2650 to clear the dead grass off my lawn if the grass was too long when cut for what ever the reason. I blow the dead clippings off the top of the lawn into the woods surrounding my lawn areas.

You could also blow your dead clippings into large piles to be hauled to a compost area if that would work.

Here's an example: Home | Agrimetal | Lawn and golf and snow removal equipment

Edit: Come fall and leaf clean-up time, these blowers rule....again, if you are able to blow the leafs back into the woods/field etc. or into a large pile to collect and haul away.

 

[Elliott in GA]

FWIW, I mow our field (about 2 acres) every month at our property in north Georgia (about 250 miles away). I use a Land Pride 60 inch REAR Discharge) finish mower, and I have never needed to deal with any grass clippings. I have the mower set to its maximum height 5.25 inches, and always try to mow once the grass is dry (we plan our monthly visits based on weather). I have been mowing with an FDR1660 with the OEM blades for over 4 years (I had to reclaim the field to start). Sometimes, the clippings are visible the on mowing day, but they are invisible by noon the next day. The field consists of fescue, other grasses and clover - all mixed.

You might want to borrow or rent a rear discharge mower - it might solve your problems.

 

[MAXA]

I am assuming you are sweeping the grass to keep the lawn looking manicured / nice, correct? (You could try mowing it with the deck raised, and then drop down on the second round - that’s only going to help if it’s a little shaggy…if it needs to be raked teeded and baled, not much you can do there IMO)

If the grass is too long, I don’t think the type of mower will change that the grass is too long. You can mow it higher, but at the end of the day if the grass gets too long you will have the same problem. A different mower may pulverize the material / debris, but it will not make it disappear. To much material will still leave a mess/clump.

I have a B and since we started bees and also composting, I’ve been mowing longer and letting it t grow so I do have something to rake and compost. It’s looks awful, but it’s healthier, it’s better for the bees, use less fuel, and I compost the clippings. I’ve thought about a landscape rake to make the raking go faster, but I worry I will rip out grass. Not sure that is true, I suspect that is what will happen if I get too happy with the throttle.

only other thing I can think of is maybe add a light bar and mow at night if running short on daylight?

if you find a solution, please share that back. Good luck.

The yard looks awful if i don't clean up the grass rows it also kills the grass under it and makes it harder to mow the next time as it just keeps building up.

 

[MAXA]

FWIW, I mow our field (about 2 acres) every month at our property in north Georgia (about 250 miles away). I use a Land Pride 60 inch REAR Discharge) finish mower, and I have never needed to deal with any grass clippings. I have the mower set to its maximum height 5.25 inches, and always try to mow once the grass is dry (we plan our monthly visits based on weather). I have been mowing with an FDR1660 with the OEM blades for over 4 years (I had to reclaim the field to start). Sometimes, the clippings are visible the on mowing day, but they are invisible by noon the next day. The field consists of fescue, other grasses and clover - all mixed.

You might want to borrow or rent a rear discharge mower - it might solve your problems.

Part of the issue is i do cut the grass short the yard is mostly open, i'd like to get a 72" RFM.

 

[John T]

I have 17 acres of land, i only mow around the house which is about 3 1/2 acres. The rest is just a field that i bush hog once a year to stop trees and other stuff from getting to large.

I mow the yard once a week every weekend, i spend about 3 hours mowing it and another 3 hours sweeping up the grass with a pull behind grass sweeper, i get about 25-30 loads of grass when sweeping it.

I really hate sweeping grass it turns the job of mowing into a almost all day job. We have been getting a ton of rain so the grass has been going crazy and usually mowing once a week i don't have to sweep up the grass.

I work 12 hour days so i can not mow in the middle of the week or just let it go.

My MMM is 60". I have thought about trying mulching blades or buy the kubota branded bagger they sell for the B2650 but it is very large and bulky.

I have noticed that no one else ever sweeps there yard but most everyone uses a zero turn maybe the b2650 just sucks for mowing.

If i don't sweep the next time i mow it's even worse.

I feel your pain....

no easy solution. the Bota bagger system seems like it works great BUT it's pretty expensive for what it is.... and a bit cumbersome...

I have a BX23s so I would have to (I think) remove the BH mounts and install a 3pt hitch.... Big pain in the Arse....

I like my 60" MMM .... but I really think a zero turn with bagger is the way to go....

For now, I just cut it and try to recut/go over the clumps to mitigate the clumpage....... even though the knucklehead dogs like to eat them...

if it's real bad I get out the backpack leaf blower and blow it to the woodline...

I tried Oregon G6 "Gator" mulching blades.... but I found they bog the engine slightly...... I only use them in the fall to grind up fallen oak leaves....

 

[whatsupdoc]

I mow three large fields with a rear 60" finish mower, I never need to
sweep grass.

 

[Old Machinist]

Try some gator style blades. If your factory blades are 1/4" thick you will need the G6 in Oregon blades. My dealer has some other brand that is 1/4" thick.

Open the side deflector and slow your rate of travel.

Do all of the above and it will mulch up and spread the clippings more evenly.

 

[JonM]

if you want a really neat yard you probably need a finish mower that mulches.

tractors with decks really arent great at mowing even worse without a bagger or mulching blades

 

[Grandad4]

When the grass is very tall and thick, raise the mowing height. Grass will be healthier if you don't cut so much of each stalk and you will have less clippings piling up.

If you are still getting clumping and windrowing, make one or more additional passes over the windowed area. With each additional pass the amount of windowed grass decreases as the clippings settle into the grass.

When (if?) the cut grass dries out you can also go over anything left to disperse it.

 

[RBsingl]

I use a Kubota F2690 with a 72" rear discharge deck and it is a huge improvement in so many ways over the 72" side discharge MMM on my Deere 955 compact utility.

Discharging across the full width of the deck definitely helps in addition reducing the power needed to mow tall grass and I don't get dust and debris blowback on me from the discharge since it goes down and under the tractor (the F2690 is a front mount design). It is great being able to mow flush with either side and after nearly 30 years of mowing with the Deere tractor, it took nearly the full mowing season to figure out the optimal mowing design for my 5 acres since I no longer have to pay attention to grass and debris blowing out the side.

Rodger

 

[RCW]

3.5 acres is a LOT to mow, especially with your work schedule.

I don't rake nor sweep up clippings.

I'm in the camp of G6 blades and hold open the rock guard over the chute with a bungey cord.

Keep the tractor RPM up enough to get decent blade tip speed. Go slower if necessary.

I'll also re-mow after some drying time.

I do the same for leaves in the fall. We're surrounded by trees. Lots of leaves.

 

[Sidekick]

I switched my BX to the g6 fusion blades that helped some. I understand there's a gear set available for my 60 inch BX MMM that raises the tip speed of the blades considerably for better results but just bought a Z726 zero turn that completely solved my problem and the top 5 acres that took 4 hours to mow with my BX now take 1 1/2 hours to mow. A zero turn has 50% higher blade tip speed then MMM that spreads clippings evenly. For a while I used a cyclone rake, but that took forever.

 

[RCW]

I should note that I'm not a big fan of the G6 blades but will continue to use them.

They hold a GREAT edge - - that's the part I like most.

They're also VERY good at chopping up leaves. I like them better than OEM for leaves.

They work fine for mowing, but they're not great. I also often leave the rock guard up, so they don't have a lot time to work.

 

[MAXA]

I just looked at my neighbors yard and it is just full of grass clippings only difference is his is more spread out and not in rows.

He uses a zero turn.

I went with a B2650 because i wanted a do it all machine! A zero turn can only do one thing.

 

[bird dogger]

I have 17 acres of land, i only mow around the house which is about 3 1/2 acres. The rest is just a field that i bush hog once a year to stop trees and other stuff from getting to large.

I mow the yard once a week every weekend, i spend about 3 hours mowing it and another 3 hours sweeping up the grass with a pull behind grass sweeper, i get about 25-30 loads of grass when sweeping it.

I really hate sweeping grass it turns the job of mowing into a almost all day job. We have been getting a ton of rain so the grass has been going crazy and usually mowing once a week i don't have to sweep up the grass.

I work 12 hour days so i can not mow in the middle of the week or just let it go.

My MMM is 60". I have thought about trying mulching blades or buy the kubota branded bagger they sell for the B2650 but it is very large and bulky.

I have noticed that no one else ever sweeps there yard but most everyone uses a zero turn maybe the b2650 just sucks for mowing.

If i don't sweep the next time i mow it's even worse.

Maxa, from your picture....it looks like you're maybe stirring up or dealing with alot of accumulated old thatch as well?

Before I purchased my 3 Pt PTO blower I used what's called an "Estate Rake" to rake the excess grass clippings into windrows. Then quickly swept the windrows into piles and onto a tarp to throw into a trailer to haul to compost pile.

Sorry I can't find any pics of my estate rake....but a google search will turn up lots of pics. Think of a mini 6 wheeled hay rake for pulling behind garden tractor, atv, our B2650s, etc. Using the estate rake was far faster than my old pull behind lawn sweeper!! The rake also does a fair job of dethatching my lawn when needed every few years.

I now use a 6' rear finish mower behind the B2650 and it does a fine job by my standards. And so easy to hook up and drop off which allows easy use of the other 3 pt attachments. But if rain, vacations, etc. cause delays in mowing until the grass is quite long.....there's always a layer of dead grass on top in the thicker grass areas (It's not worth it for me to change cutting heights and recut a second time.) But a quick hookup to the 3 pt. blower can have that dead grass off in very short time.

I mow anywhere from 3 to 5 acres depending on time or my attitude that day.

 

[MAXA]

Maxa, from your picture....it looks like you're maybe stirring up or dealing with alot of accumulated old thatch as well?

Yes it always pills up in the middle of the MMM, i have to lift the deck mow over it then backup and mow over it again but of course on the next pass it gets stuck again.

Never new of the Estate Rake it looks like the rake they use before baling hay, maybe i should just make hay out of it and buy a mini hay baler.