Mower blades

[550Doug]

On my zero turn mower I have 3 rotating blades. When I was sharpening them yesterday I noticed there was a large build up of clippings above the center blade on the deck above it, whereas, above the other 2 blades there was considerably less build up. So when I attached the sharpened blades I'm wondering is there a preferred way to install them? Should they be installed all parallel to each other or maybe the 2 end blades are parallel and the center one at 90 degrees? Is there a preferred way to get the clippings out as fast as possible?

 

[rustred]

On my zero turn mower I have 3 rotating blades. When I was sharpening them yesterday I noticed there was a large build up of clippings above the center blade on the deck above it, whereas, above the other 2 blades there was considerably less build up. So when I attached the sharpened blades I'm wondering is there a preferred way to install them? Should they be installed all parallel to each other or maybe the 2 end blades are parallel and the center one at 90 degrees? Is there a preferred way to get the clippings out as fast as possible?

Make sure they are installed correctly is number one. Makes no difference on where the blade is as they are belt driven and won’t stay where u put them. Run at full speed in heavy cutting. Pretty normal to get build up in moist grass.

 

[Ray,IN]

2nd that, run the engine at WOT on a lawn mower, blade tip speed is important. Grass clippings buildup on the underside of the deck just happens, but happens faster when grass is not completely dry.

 

[kencombs]

As mentioned above, makes no difference as the move in stopping and starting. But you might consider changing blade types to limit the buildup.

I mostly use Gator blades as they seem to work best on my deck. High lift blades seem to do that worst for me.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

On my zero turn mower I have 3 rotating blades. When I was sharpening them yesterday I noticed there was a large build up of clippings above the center blade on the deck above it, whereas, above the other 2 blades there was considerably less build up. So when I attached the sharpened blades I'm wondering is there a preferred way to install them? Should they be installed all parallel to each other or maybe the 2 end blades are parallel and the center one at 90 degrees? Is there a preferred way to get the clippings out as fast as possible?

In my opinion the build up is caused by mowing wet grass.
And possibility letting the grass get too tall before mowing.

 

[dick1234]

In my opinion the build up is caused by mowing wet grass.
And possibility letting the grass get too tall before mowing.

Another cause is white clover. Awful sappy stuff. Happy mowing!

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Another cause is white clover. Awful sappy stuff. Happy mowing!

My Boss mows her yard before it gets too tall. Some white clover.
She used a 75 year old Made in America Zero Turn Tractor with a 6 ft woods mower.
How many ZTRs will be running in 75 years from now.
When she gets done the lawn looks like a golf course. No grass build up. No clumps of grass

in the yard.

 

[Dieseltech]

I got rid of a new zero turn because it would NOT work at all in damp grass. The diesel Skag I replaced it with works much better, even wet it will throw the grass out fine where the other one would just bunch up under the deck.

 

[Blackhole49]

I've found the height I mow at makes a big difference on build up along with how wet the grass is. I like my grass cut at 2.5"/2.75". Those decks get cleaned every 4 to 6 mowings depending on how much dew I cut through. I also have a mower set at 4" for areas I can't see. That deck hasn't needed to be cleaned in a couple of years cutting the same gass.

Main short cut mowers.

4" mower

 

[DoubleO7]

I think the build up above the center blade is because it is the longer blade (on most).
The cutting edges are all the same length on all three blades. So there is more "dead space" on the center blade.
The dead space on the blades do not create turbulence. The center blade creates less than the outer blades.
Thus the grass does not get blown away from center of the center blade like it does with the shorter outer blades.

Maybe!

 

[1948CaseVAI]

I agree on the wet grass but in the uran area where I live many (most?) people hire their lawns to be mowd by landscape companies and I see them mowing even in light rain. I guess once they set a schedule they are tied to it.

 

[Blackhole49]

I think the build up above the center blade is because it is the longer blade (on most).
The cutting edges are all the same length on all three blades. So there is more "dead space" on the center blade.
The dead space on the blades do not create turbulence. The center blade creates less than the outer blades.
Thus the grass does not get blown away from center of the center blade like it does with the shorter outer blades.

Maybe!

On all the decks (48", 60" and 72") I've had over the years (40), all 3 blades have been the same length.

 

[DoubleO7]

On all the decks (48", 60" and 72") I've had over the years (40), all 3 blades have been the same length.

My current mower at 72 are also all 24" blades.

But my previous mower was a IH Cub Cadet 48 deck which had a longer center blade.

 

[INCase]

I got rid of a new zero turn because it would NOT work at all in damp grass. The diesel Skag I replaced it with works much better, even wet it will throw the grass out fine where the other one would just bunch up under the deck.

what brand was the one you got rid of?

 

[Not db4600]

On my zero turn mower I have 3 rotating blades. When I was sharpening them yesterday I noticed there was a large build up of clippings above the center blade on the deck above it, whereas, above the other 2 blades there was considerably less build up. So when I attached the sharpened blades I'm wondering is there a preferred way to install them? Should they be installed all parallel to each other or maybe the 2 end blades are parallel and the center one at 90 degrees? Is there a preferred way to get the clippings out as fast as possible?

Lots of conjecture here. Work on the road 5 days a week and you won’t have options on length or moisture.