Mowing Building a mower chute blocker for a BX OCDC

[chucky79]

This is EXACTLY what I have been searching for online today! I just wish I had the welder and skills to make it! Anyone ever find a production model of this or has Scooby every started selling them yet? :thumbsup:

 

[Scooby074]

Id love to make and sell some of these, but the liability of modifying the chute, particularly for sale in the US market scares me a bit.

There are some manufacturers selling similar ones (albeit not an exact fit for a BX) in the US market already. Im not sure how they are doing it without opening them up to a huge lawsuit if something goes wrong.

 

[chucky79]

I totally understand liability concerns. I'm am a compliance director for a living so I spend my days reading laws, code, and policy and the last thing you wanna do is tempt people to sue you over something silly or just to make a few bucks. Still this would we be very handy around my driveway and flower beds. I would like to find one the closes when needed but leaves the large chute on for the majority of mowing. I know I saw a design like that ok a scag ZT while searching. I guess anything is possible with enough ingenuity ,skill, and patience.

 

[Scooby074]

If you can find one that'll fit, BUY IT. You wouldnt believe just how convenient it is.

Its a shame that a guy cant build and sell something like my OCDC without the fear of liability or a lawsuit in the back of his mind, but it is what it is. One kid gets hit by a rock, regardless if the operator was in the wrong, and Id be sued into the stone age.

 

[zoltanthegypsy]

That thing rocks! I need something like that, but for a somewhat different reason. I bought my GR with a mulch kit on the '54. Kubota's mulch kit sucks. Or blows... Really nasty clumping and striping.

I ended up taking it off and going to Gator blades. Not really a mulch cut, but not too bad. Problem is the discharge hurls grass, and as you've pointed out, there are lots of places where that isn't good. (Mowing along a raised bed, I end up looking like I was wearing grass-colored cammo)

For now I've partially blocked the discharge with some aluminum angle stock. That sort of splits the difference - like my old Deere mulcher that had an adjustable discharge and worked very well. Just enough spit to not clump.

I'm going to try to jigger up something like your gadget. Without your skills it is sure to be ugly...

Thanks for the great idea!

Z.

 

[chucky79]

I take deliver of my new BX2370-1 in about 10 days hopefully so this will be one of my first projects to keep me from having to swap to my small craftsman mulching mower when close to the flower beds and in my small 30x50 front yard patch surrounded by road, driveway, sidewalks, and flower beds. I cant believe no one makes something like this aftermarket yet.....its SOOO popular for the ZT guys already.

 

[94BULLITT]

Nice job:thumbsup: This is going to be one of my next projects.

 

[Zick]

Good timing on bringing this back up. I usually keep my plastic flap tied up 99% of the time so the grass can shoot out further but it would be nice to close it up to keep from shooting the neighbors. :laughing:

And just yesterday I someone managed to get the plastic flap jammed completely inside under the floor board and couldn't pull it back out without removing the deck so I just drove out the hinge pin and tossed the flap aside.

I like your approach but like to find a more compact idea since my deck slides under a shelf for winter. Although I guess it would just be two bolts to take out to remove the whole thing.

 

[like2wheel]

I've been trying to think of something simple & relatively fast acting that I could pirate from a car to control it electrically. Like a door lock solenoid, but bigger. Any actuators I've ever come across are too slow.

Maybe I'll investigate some cable operated power window regulators...

 

[94BULLITT]

I've been trying to think of something simple & relatively fast acting that I could pirate from a car to control it electrically. Like a door lock solenoid, but bigger. Any actuators I've ever come across are too slow.

Maybe I'll investigate some cable operated power window regulators...

That is what I have been thinking about using too. You could open or close the flap as much as you want.