baffle and mulching blades effective?

[Delmar]

Wondering if anybody has experience with installing mulching blades and a DIY discharge plug on a Kubota deck? I have a 60" deck and would like to mulch. I see some Gator blades that should fit, but no mulching "kit." (RC60G deck on a G1900 machine). If I install Gator mulching blades and a plug, can I expect a reasonably good outcome?

I have areas of my lawn with lots of trees/leaves. Mostly hickory. I realize even the best mulching blades won't get me out of leaf work, but if I could reduce the wind rows of grass clippings and maybe mulch some of the leaves I'd be happy.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[dandeman]

I realize even the best mulching blades won't get me out of leaf work, but if I could reduce the wind rows of grass clippings and maybe mulch some of the leaves I'd be happy.

Thanks for any advice.

See the pto driven blower on my tractor in this thread.. I similarly have large areas with lots of leaves to deal with.. I put more hours on my tractor in the fall dealing with leaves than I do mowing grass

http://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/showthread.php?t=26592

The blower in addition to the "blow" from the 60" deck does a good job of spreading the grass clippings over a wide area so there aren't concentrated piles of clippings..

The leaves.... after they are ground up, the remains are blown into the adjoining woods.. may or may not work for you.

 

[rentthis]

I have a ZD323 with a mulching kit that I bought from Kubota. I also had a ZD18 set up the same way. They come as bolt on baffles and mulching blades. I don't recall what I paid. I think it was less than. $300.00. They work very well and are easy to install and uninstall. I use it on everything from leaves to pine straw and pine cones. Everything seems to just disappear. They are perfect when just mowing grass. I switched to Gator blades to somewhat better effect. I doubt you will get anywhere near the same effect without the baffles.

 

[Delmar]

Thanks dandeman and rentthis. Dandeman, your machine looks like part Beverly Hillbillies, part Mad Max, and part gypsie - and ALL bad to the bone! Thanks for sharing that thread! I got a little dizzy just looking at the pictures. It did motivate me to go out and do a little searching for a PTO-driven blower/vacuum.

Rentthis, you're probably right about needing the actual mulching kit. I just don't see one for sale anywhere. I haven't tried a dealer yet, though.

Thanks again.

 

[dandeman]

I got a little dizzy just looking at the pictures. It did motivate me to go out and do a little searching for a PTO-driven blower/vacuum.

Thanks again.

hmmm I think I get a little dizzy using it

This might be a bit off topic but perhaps not given what sounds like quite a maintenance chore you are trying to solve..

One thing the wife & I have come to realize.. if we can't maintain our place that could become an issue with us being able to continue to live here.

And in buying the Kubota to replace an aging cantankerous old gasoline powered tractor that was wearing out, hard to start, belts tend to jump off, etc. etc. a considerable part of the tractor choice of purchase was whether the wife could use it if I became incapacitated. She has used my larger Ford tractor in the past.

Anyway in trying to make her feel like the Kubota was also hers, I made the mistake of saying the Kubota was her birthday present.

She tells her women friends about it, and they asked her when she was going to buy me some diamond earrings for my birthday...

 

[rentthis]

jkmetcalf, I looked all around for an after market set. There doesn't appear be one. I bought mine from Kubota. I also bought an aftermarket vacuum system. It worked okay when it was set up properly. Keeping it set up properly was a horror story. I gave it away. I should have bought it from Kubota as well.

 

[Delmar]

Thanks for the good feedback. My wife likes to think of herself as a country girl (she did grow up on a farm) but if I told her either of the Kubotas was "hers," I think it would be sold straight away! You've obviously got some Jedi magic you're working there.

Rentthis, sounds like you have been down the path I'm considering. One thing I really appreciate about this online community is folks taking the time to share their experiences.

I don't have a need to bag clippings so I don't really want a bagger. I have a 1 acre, sloped, lot with quite a few trees and I abolutely hate working in leaves. Although I generally enjoy most "work around the house" and find it a nice change of pace from my office job, I just dread clearing leaves.

I do, though, like to burn them when I'm finished.