Go Bottomunhappy with my mowing deck
 | snogless
Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25 Central New York 
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2004-05-27 87048
A while back, I posted a question regarding possible choices between mowing decks. After reading the responses, I decided to get the rear-discharge, 72" Bush Hog for the 3-pt hitch on my new B7800. Horrible choice. It cuts ok but it leaves clumps all over the lawn. I get a better cut with no clumps with my 16 year old ATV with PTO rear mower (side-discharge), which I was trying to retire. I would have been better off keeping the tractor for the digging work and spending the $2000 on a nice Craftsman lawn tractor. The Kubota, on the other hand, is aces. Live and learn, I guess. (Expensive lesson)
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 | ncrunch32
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 762 Kingston, NY 
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2004-05-27 87056
Snogless, sorry to hear that. I don't have a mower for my JD but I like the mower discussions - I used to have to mow my Dad's 3 acres with JC Penney 12 HP mowers that he would keep going forever - to my dismay. Took me 6 hours a week and lots of getting stuck around the pond.
It seems there would be some solution to clumping. Have you followed the doubling up on blades discussion that is going on right now (60 - Ferrari)? Someday I would like to have a lawn large enough to have an excuse to get a mower for the JD (or one of those 0 radius mowers with the steering levers). ....
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| bluetay
Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 44 Shippenville,Pa. 16254
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2004-05-27 87057
I had much the same problem with clumps and also streaks where the tires run. My mower is a Kioti but after looking at a Caroni the only difference I saw was the paint. Well any way turns out the belt wasn't tight enough. I tightened it to specs but the dealer suggested setting it to 1/2 inch or 3/4inch deflection with moderate pressure (16 to 20 pounds spring pull) between the center and one outside pulley. Since doing that I've had no problem. I have a LK3054 Kioti and I run in fifth or sixth gear, in new grass I run in fifth and keep rpms at full throttle and I'm happy with the results. Oh, the mower is a 72 inch three blade type rear discharge. ....
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 | jarndt
Join Date: Dec 2003 Posts: 351 Northern Virginia
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2004-05-28 87078
If you are having trouble with clumps of cut grass, chances are that you're taking too much off in one pass. The solution is to mow more often. More seat time! The rule of thumb is no more than 1/3 of the total length of the grass (for well groomed lawns). For rough cutting a field, that doesn't apply of course. I had a rear discharge mower at one point and it did the same thing. It's because the cut grass has a larger area to exit from the deck, therefore is ejected quicker and is not chopped up as much as with a side discharge unit. My side discharge will clump too if I wait too long between mowings, although admittedly is better than my experience with a rear discharge. ....
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 | wigglybridge
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 82 Vermont
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2004-05-28 87091
I just got a LandPride 1660 60" rear discharge mower on Monday for my JD 4110 gear. It then rained for 3 days HARD, and my grass hadn't been mowed this year, so it ranged from 12-16" high and was soaking wet. I was expecting the worst when I finally got to run that sucker yesterday, but it worked GREAT!
I mowed in 2nd gear/low range, with the deck almost all the way up -- about 4.5". Wondering if your problem was speed or height? ....
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| snogless
Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25 Central New York
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2004-05-28 87122
I mow as often as possible, ground conditions permitting. I also go as slow as necessary but have seen no difference in the clumping. I believe it is because the rear discharge just allows the grass to clump and sit. With the side discharge of my other mower, the grass is jetted out and disbursed nicely. At least there is one hard lesson learned that I can share with others the next time the question comes up on this board. ....
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