GT 5000 Mulching set up

[jgrinn]

Does anyone have the mulching setup for their GT 5000 with the 54" deck? Thinking of getting it, but was wondering how everyone's work.

 

[jgrinn]

No one has the mulching setup???

 

[jgrinn]

Well I bought the setup, and I am not really impressed by it. If the grass is somewhat high, it doesn't matter how slow you go, it misses spots. If the grass is just normal, it cuts decent until you stop to backup, it then leaves a huge dump of grass. I had a John Deere with a mulching deck, it was 10 times better then this setup!

 

[Zork]

I have one with the 48" deck and I love it. The salesman said the larger deck was not designed as well as the 48, and at the time a bagger was not available for your size, so I purchased the 48. I'm sure the density of the grass matters as well. True, if the grass is wet or abnormally high +1.5" above cut (my lawn) it will clump up. Generally, in my dense grass I get some leftovers but it doesn't bother me. I keep mine on almost all year and sharpen them about 2- 3 X a season. I use to bag my grass and leaves, but now I do not. The mulcher works excellent on dry and wet leaves, although it works best on the dry stuff -very dirty though. I would recommend the mulcher to anyone, although I am not sure about your's. When I was deciding to by my mulcher the Sears salesman said try it and bring it back if you do not like it. I had the early model without the 4 wheels and center roller and I specifically asked the salesman about scalping issues and the need for extra wheels and a center roller- would it be out the following year? He said no, but it was and Sears gave me a new mower after 1 year of use. Hope this helps.

 

[jgrinn]

Glad you like yours, I am truely dissapointed with mine on the 54" deck. It just doesn't mow good. Even dry and not high, it misses spots and leaves too many clumps when stoping and sometimes turning. The one I had on my JD was awsome, but then again it was only a 42" deck.

 

[Zork]

Do you have your RPM's up? I usually do not run full rpm but the manufacturer recommends it. Check to see if the air inlets around the blade spindles (if you have them) are clear. I am not sure if they are used for cooling the spindles or for additional air flow. My deck appears to operate more effectively when it is clean above, and below. Hope this helps. Complain to the salesman and see if they will give your money back.

 

[MSLewis]

I just picked up a kit for my 54" deck. I have read the reviews here, but am not worried; I have very thin grass, as most of my yard is under large pecan and oak trees. Anyway, the instructions caution NOT to remove the old side discharge flap. I want it gone. Why shouldn't I remove it?

 

[Zork]

Interesting! Lol (nervous laughter), that is what the instructions say? It has been so long and I do not remember what the instructions said with mine but I remove my guard when I use the mulcher on my 48". I drilled the end of the rod to insert a cotter pin for easy installation and removal. I do not remember if I originally left the guard on and it continually caught on the fence or what, but I am going to put the guard flap back on and reevaluate because sometimes my mulcher blank moves which opens me up to injury and I feel very uncomfortable with this and if the flap was installed over it this concern of mine would not be a problem. I'll try it and post back. Keep us posted and thanks.

Edit: I did not get the larger deck because at the time (to my knowledge) a bagger/ mulcher wasn't available because there were concerns about the performance of the unit whereas the 48" unit had no problems.

 

[MSLewis]

I want the flapper gone simply because it hangs out so far and gets in the way. Most of the reviews I've read (including yours - all over the net) complain of the mulch plug coming loose or shifting. Since I don't intend to swap out between mulching and discharge, I think I'll get a couple of self-tapping screws and install the thing semi-permanently.

 

[Zork]

Good luck that will work with heavy mulching. However, for me there is a drainage ditch edge that I mow and the edge of the mower cap/blank brushes the banked edge and pushes it up so I would think it might tear the cap/blank or be damaged if I screwed mine; now that I think of it that's why I took my deflector off.