anti blow out vs mower leaf bagging kit???

josie · Mar 27, 2011

I have a X530 with a 54" deck. I use a cyclone rake for leaf clean up which works great. The only problem I have is when I use the CR my mower deck "blow" leaves away before I can get on top of them with the deck. I've read that JD makes a kit to eliminate this. Yesterday I was at my JD dealer and picked up a brochure. I saw the anti blow out kit (p/n AM133765) listed for $42 in the brochure. Then I decribed my problem to the salesman and he came back with a price of $111 for the kit. When I got home I looked closer at the brochure and saw that he gave me the price for a mower leaf bagging kit (p/n BM20985) so what's he difference? The description in the brochure is the exact same thing wor for word. "improves mower vacuum performance when using power flow blower"

beenthere · Mar 27, 2011

I'd lay that question in the Deere salesmans lap and ask them to tell you the difference.

I have the 54C deck for my X485, and after being very satisfied with my older 54" decks (425, 445) I was not happy with the leaf blow out problem of the newer C decks. The piece they sold me didn't help much, if at all. Can't get a decent job picking up leaves as they do what you say....blow out before getting on top of them.

My cure was to go back and pick up two tractors (425, 455) with the older 54" decks. They work like a charm compared to the 54C decks. Sorry to say, but it is true.

pennwalk · Mar 27, 2011

I have found that it makes a difference which blades I use. I love my Gator blades but they blow out much more than the stock JD blades. Also I think it is really important to keep the air flow up as much as possible. When my bags start to get full or if debris builds up on the bagger vent blow out gets worse. It seems like the cyclone rake should be moving plenty of air.

Chris

RBLapham · Apr 23, 2011

I bought the anti-blowout kit for my X 300 - 42" deck. It is a flat piece of steel that bolts to the front edge of the deck. I use a Cyclone rake and when on my old tractor it did as you said - blows the leaves out the front. The X300 with the kit works great with the Cyclone rake - no blowout. My kit was about $20 from JD. Think the kit they said was over $100 is probably the anti blowout along with high lift blades?? By the way the blades I use are the stock ones for side discharge and work fine with the Cyclone rake.

josie · Apr 24, 2011

What I found out is that the parts catalog had a misprint. The one for my mower was actually called the mower leaf bagging kit ($110.00). This is essentially the the same as the anti-blow out kit listed for other decks. When my dealer looked up the part number that was listed in the catalog under the anti-blow out kit for my deck it came up with a totally different description. They told me the one they always order for my deck (x530 with 54"deck) is the mower leaf bagging performance kit. So I ordered it and installed it. I haven't tried it with the cyclone rake yet but just driving around the yard with the mower deck engaged it doesn't blow the leaves and debris around like it did in the fall. I'll know better this fall.

RBLapham · Apr 24, 2011

Seems a little pricy, was it just metal flanges? My 42" mower deck is only 2 blade and yours is 3, but $20 vs $110 is a large price jump. For that price it should have a blower and incenerator

beenthere · Apr 24, 2011

I suspect there may have been a name change because "anti blowout" is negative, whereas "mower leaf bag kit" sounds more positive. All about marketing, as I suspect the price is also.