BX 60" MMM mulch plug project

[Volfandt]

BX 60\" MMM mulch plug project

When my shop decided to throw out some very outdated hardware, i.e circuit card cabinets & brackets many of my co-workers laughed as I "scarfed" up some of the flat sheet metal parts. Among the discard was some fairly flat sheet metal of approx 1/16" thick of various sizes. Good stuff I thought to myself, too good to throw out.....
So, whilst sitting out in my shop looking at the idle machinery on this very wet day, I decided to make a mulch plug for the 60" MMM I've yet to operate. I got sold on the benefits of mulching last yr and want to continue to mulch w/the BX23 but didn't want to spend upwards of around $250 for Kubota's kit if'n a simple plug would do so, after an hour of adj, cutting & painting, I believe I may have a viable mulch plug. I'm still trying to decide on how to attach it and am leaning towards a simple heavy duty rubber bungee cord strapped across it. I can bolt it up also but will wait to see how the bungee looks & works. I'd like to be able to remove it easily for field mowing.

So, a few pics of my Sat project.

Volfandt

 

[Volfandt]

Re: BX 60\" MMM mulch plug project

Another view

 

[Volfandt]

Re: BX 60\" MMM mulch plug project

One last view.

 

[RonR]

Re: BX 60\" MMM mulch plug project

Volf,

Have you seen the mulch kit? I ordered one with my BX2200/54" MMM.

IIRC, it has a lip the goes around the front of the mower. I think it keeps the grass clippings from falling out sooner and helps chop them up. (?????)

I used it a little on my lawn and it seemed to work well.

Then I had some rougher stuff to cut, and took it off and put the regular blades back on.

It's not an quick thing to mount/unmount the kit!

I think if I could build a plug like yours, I might use it in lieu of the mulch kit.

Great job!
ron

 

[Scrounger]

Re: BX 60\" MMM mulch plug project

I thought the reason the mulch kit was so expensive was that it made the area under the deck smaller so the grass is chopped up more. I dont think a plug will do the same job as the mulch kit, but from what I understand the kit is a bugger to install. I think that once its in, you really aren't expected to remove it on a regular basis.

 

[jpr62902]

Re: BX 60\" MMM mulch plug project

Scrounger, I think you're correct. I tried Volfandt's idea on my Honda lawn tractor and all it did was clog up the deck with a bunch of unmulched clippings and stall the tractor. The baffles and blades in the mulch kit are essential to making this system work. I'd sure like to know if this idea works on the BX though.

 

[Volfandt]

Re: BX 60\" MMM mulch plug project

RonR, yeah, I've seen the Kubota kit getting installed on a 60" MMM whilst visiting the dealer one day. 1st thought I had was "man, theres got to be an easier way for those of us what likes to mulch some and side discharge some".
Unfortunately, I'll not know if'n it'll work till spring. I may have to experiment w/ different blades also, perhaps gators or even try the kit's blades.

Question RonR, How big a diference is there between the std & mulch kit blades?

Background:
I got sold on mulching this past mowing season when I purchased a JDL130, the much maligned HD "Home Deere". This LT came w/a 3 way deck i.e. it would mulch, bag or side discharge (SD) and I used it doing all 3 and it did an outstanding at doing them btw. I didn't have to change out the blades to the hi-lift ones for the bagger as the std side discharge/mulching blades did fine.
(note, same blades for SD, mulching & bagging)
Come fall cleanup I removed the deck for its thorogh cleaning and with it off I was amazed at how "open" the deck was. There was minimal baffleing/channeling around the blades and none between them and yet this setup mulched fine (as long as I went much slower, it shredded the leaves in an outstanding manner). And to switch from SD to mulching constituted installing a simple plastic plug on the SD port, secured only by 2 bungee cord/clips.
note, Very simple in operation & principle!

R&D /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Now the 60" MMM on the BX already has circular baffleing on the back side of each blade which is in effect more than the L130 had.
Kubota's mulching kit includes front baffleing, blades and a permanent bolt-on plug which unfortunately makes it quite labor intensive to change modes as RonR pointed out. My guess is that the kit add's at approx 20lbs! We're talking heavy duty here Sportsfans!
So, with all this intense research invested, /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I've "hopefully" come to the conclusion that a simple plug "just" may do the trick!

Conclusion:
My somewhat uneducated guess as to why the Kubota kit goes to the extreme it does in segregateing each blade into it's own cutting section is to allow for the BX to mulch at a much greater speed, perhaps as fast as when one SD's the clippings. Perhaps RonR can report on the performance.
But for me going slower to mulch certain areas of my lawn is something I'm already used to and having the ability to change to SD inorder to speed up the mowing process is definitely my main reasoning to attempt this simple modification.
If'n it works I'll mass produce 'em and get rich, /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif if'n it doesn't, well I'll be out an orange piece of scrap metal and a little labor.

I'll report come mowing season.

Volfandt

 

[RonR]

Re: BX 60\" MMM mulch plug project

The mulching blades have no or almost no "flip up" at the rear of the blade. I'll take a pic of one after while.

I haven't used mine enough (small yard) to know whether the mulch kit is value added or not. Honestly, if it wouldn't have been part of the pkg, I wouldn't have even bought the MMM....

Will post a pic later of the blade.

 

[Tom_H]

Re: BX 60\" MMM mulch plug project

I have a BX2200 with 60" MMM. At first I used the blower and bagger. On the first cut of each year, I got continual clogs at the exhaust chute and in the tube. Emptying bags over and over was time consuming. For the past 3 years I've used the mulch system, which has been more efficient and faster. On the first cut of the year, I have to make 2 or 3 passes on the most fertile areas, starting with a high setting and taking off half an inch at a time, but it is much easier than the bagger was. Each of the 3 cutter ares is baffled to separate it from the others. This allows the currents of airflow to keep the clippings aloft, floating in the air, which enables the blades to chop them into increasingly smaller portions. Having a chute plug, but no baffles, will cause airflow patterns which will not allow the same result. It also won't work unless you replace the standard blades with the mulch blades.

 

[RonR]

Re: BX 60\" MMM mulch plug project

Pic 1 is top view of mulching blade. It doesn't show all the different angles! My guess is the cutting edge is much longer (closer to the hole) than on a standard blade.