Advice on mulch kit for Bx MMM. Also a bit of GR vs Bx.

[jdt81]

Hello all,

Been a member for a while and read a lot, but haven't posted much (at all?).

A little background: We recently "downsized" to a larger house and more land. We have about 4 acres but much of it is wooded. I convinced the Wifey that we needed an good mower and ended up with a GR 2120. Added a mulch kit soon after. Really a great mower, and there is nothing like the smell of diesel in the morning!

But, what I really needed was a SCUT for hauling firewood, moving dirt, knocking stuff over, etc. So, a year later sold the GR and bought a well cared for Bx 2670 w/ FEL and MMM. No mulch kit. By the way, the resale on the GR was bad. Lost a lot in that transaction.

The GR did a nice job with the mulch kit, but the cut wasn't great. Left too many stragglers imo. But not having to rake grass afterwards was a plus. The first time I mowed with the Bx, I was impressed at the quality of cut. It was actually much better than the GR. The GR was nice, but the Bx leaves a green carpet behind. I know that isn't most people's experience, but it was mine. Only problem is that there is a lot of thatch to deal with.

So my question: Is the difference in cut quality due to the mulch kit? I know most people report better cut with the GR. The GR was brand new and the Bx has new blades, so both should be cutting at their best. I was planning on getting a mulch kit for the Bx, but now, I'm not so sure. Also, I'd have to drill into the deck to mount the kit on the Bx. Something that doesn't sit well with me.

What has been other people's experience with mulch kits? Should I expect a poorer quality cut if I go that way?

I mow about once a week, but work and weather get in the way sometimes (it rains a lot here in S.E. PA), so sometimes the grass is a little too high.

Thanks for any insight.

 

[dirtydeed]

I'd say forget the mulch kit and just install gator mulcher blades. I had them on my BX23 and they did a nice job.

 

[jhschlak]

I have the mulch kit on my bx1880. Does a nice job, however if you mow too fast or the grass is real long you will get windrows. I just go over it again when that happens. Rather do that then blast all the grass into the flower beds. If you are able to point the grass chute away from flower beds, houses, etc, you would probably be fine without the mulch kit.
Jeff

 

[PaulL]

I just side discharge, but side discharge to the middle, so that I mow over the windrow again on the next pass. By the time I get to the centre, there's only a small pile left, most of it mulched in. I usually say to people try it stock, if you don't like the result, then buy a mulch kit or a bagger. Sounds like you've done that and aren't yet happy, so:

1. Check your technique - can you mow differently to get a result you like more (e.g. discharging to the centre)

2. If that doesn't get you the result you want, then a mulch kit makes sense

I'd expect on longer grass that it'll need you to slow down to avoid clogging, but if that's only occasional because you mostly mow regularly, then no big deal.