grass cutting dilemma

[deereman64]

I have about 3 acres to mow with a JD 2210 and 62 inch mowing deck. This year the grass has been growing very quickly and to be frank it has got away from me. I keep the lawn at 3.5 to 4 inches high. Im now finding that with the excess cuttings that it is becoming more difficult to cut plus the cuttings are beginning to damage the grass. I have tried dragging a chain linked fence and I have had a moderate amount of success with "rolling up" the clippings but they still need removal. Would a lawn sweeper be any help in these circumstances?

[arthurb]

deereman64,

I use a Toro WH 520xi with a 60" deck to cut my 3 arces with. I always cut my grass at 4" with my mower deck. I always mow my grass about every 5th day, weather permitting. I never have had any problems with excess grass clippings per say, except maybe in the spring when the grass is thicker and moist. Sometimes when I have excess grass clippings I raise the mower deck all the way up with the deck blades engaged. I then mow over the excess grass clippings and the mower kind of fans/thins the excess grass clippings outward.

Are your blades sharp? I sharpen mine every 25 hours. What kind of blades do you have on your mower deck? Maybe you need a set of high lift or gator blades. In what direction do you mow? I mow north to south one week, then east to west the next week. This will help you spread out your old excess grass clippings. When mowing, do you discharge your grass clippings inward or outward from the uncut grass? I always discharge my grass clippings outward. Is your mower deck set up right? Does it cut/mow level? The front of your deck should be about a 1/8"-1/4" lower then the rear of the mower deck. If all of the above items check out OK, then I guess a lawn sweeper is in oder. I hope this info will help you out.

arthurb,

[Will_C]

I will raise the deck .5" and mow the grass perpindicular to the previous mowing (that i just finished) to help disperse the grass when it gets too thick. seems to work well.
Will

[Nasty135]

Deereman, Will gave some good advice ,and yes you are right about the grass growing fast for along time this year...Usually by now it has slowed growing somewhat... If you can't possibly rake the certain areas that seem to grow quicker (around the septic tank) I would do as Will suggest and then plan it so that I could re-cut the grass to my desired height a few short days later, A little more fuel and time but worth it at my house....

[rswyan]

I have tried dragging a chain linked fence and I have had a moderate amount of success with "rolling up" the clippings but they still need removal. Would a lawn sweeper be any help in these circumstances?

It might - also consider a dethatcher (either building or buying one) - that way you can keep the clippings stirred up and from getting matted down, recutting them the next you mow.

[Dutch445]

I have heard both good and bad about "gator" blades, and wonder if
they might help your grass break down a bit quicker if the grass is
in smaller pieces... might be worth a try.

[deereman64]

First of all thanks for everybody's suggestions I have just bought new blades they are not gator blades. I will check the mowing deck heights plus Im going to change and vary my mowing patterns

[mfd480]

Yes, A lawnsweeper would be very helpful.

[HGM]

Thats the same story as mine last year wich caused me to buy a lawn sweeper(Lowes had the best deal).. It did the trick last year and was well worth the money. This year, we have been dry so I have yet to break it out.. But I have it in case I need it..

[exNCite]

I would double cut. First trip cut to the outside which doesn't allow the buildup. When you recut, throw the grass to the inside. If you get a major buildup, just cut into numerous circles. Takes a little bit of effort to rake it up but doesn't choke the yard with a heavy load of clippings.