New 2016 Kubota ZD Mowers

[timswi]

I opt for the side discharge due to the large volume of leaves I need to mulch. I throw them to the inside of my pattern to be recut. A rear discharge would require cutting the area twice.

I just wish a three blade could be a true mulcher and not need the discharge chute at all.

I thought there was a true mulching system for these. When I bought mine I saw something about it but didn't pursue it. Yeah, I have some leaves in the fall too...At 18k RPM it chews them up pretty good when semi-dry requiring very little multi passing.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Bottom line. I've used several of both for several years and in my opinion the rear discharge is the better under most circumstances except for people that only cut high grass which will slow the rear discharge down since it multi cuts several times before the grass or leaves are discharged.
For leaf cutting the rear discharge cuts them so many times in one pass that they are mulched into fine particles at one pass.
I see lots of speculators but again I speak only from actual hands on experience for what that is worth over I heard stories.

 

[dragoneggs]

Kind of surprised no one has mentioned mulching. Granted, I don't have a lot of grass to cut and I stay on it so it doesn't grow out of control but even in 'high' grass (as long as it is dry) I can easily mulch with the little Z turn and there is NO discharge. Advantages: no bagging, no throwing, and faster decomposition putting the nutrients back into the ground. Disadvantages: Have to mow a little more often, ???, What am I missing?

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Kind of surprised no one has mentioned mulching. Granted, I don't have a lot of grass to cut and I stay on it so it doesn't grow out of control but even in 'high' grass (as long as it is dry) I can easily mulch with the little Z turn and there is NO discharge. Advantages: no bagging, no throwing, and faster decomposition putting the nutrients back into the ground. Disadvantages: Have to mow a little more often, ???, What am I missing?

The key words........Have to mow a little more often..............Any of them works great if ones mows every few days in spring and early summer and less frequent in dryer part of summer and fall. I'm not going to add 30 hours or more to my mowing schedule or take 30 hours or more of what time I have left to live mowing.
Actually the rear finish mowers are almost mulching mowers since the grass/leaves is cut quite a bit more times before it exits the deck in the rear.

 

[dragoneggs]

The key words........Have to mow a little more often..............Any of them works great if ones mows every few days in spring and early summer and less frequent in dryer part of summer and fall. I'm not going to add 30 hours or more to my mowing schedule or take 30 hours or more of what time I have left to live mowing.
Actually the rear finish mowers are almost mulching mowers since the grass/leaves is cut quite a bit more times before it exits the deck in the rear.

Oh come on JT... where is your sense of adventure? Do you think I waited too long between cuts? This was with my little Z122 mulching. Not that I am advocating this interval. :laughing:

 

[timswi]

Bottom line. I've used several of both for several years and in my opinion the rear discharge is the better under most circumstances except for people that only cut high grass which will slow the rear discharge down since it multi cuts several times before the grass or leaves are discharged.
For leaf cutting the rear discharge cuts them so many times in one pass that they are mulched into fine particles at one pass.
I see lots of speculators but again I speak only from actual hands on experience for what that is worth over I heard stories.

I'm talking from hands on experience, not what I've heard.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I guess I'm the contrarian here..I like the side discharge on my ZD724, it fires the grass out with such force that I get no windrows at all..Guess if the wind is blowing right you can get a little blowback but it hasn't bothered me as of yet.

Just for my own curiosity, what is pointing you to rear discharge? Never had one, but I think that would lead to some degree of clumping due to the narrowed rear output pattern caused by the tire spacing (might be way wrong here).

I'm talking from hands on experience, not what I've heard.

So, have you had a rear discharge ZD mower for your experience or not?

 

[timswi]

So, have you had a rear discharge ZD mower for your experience or not?

No, as I said, I don't see the need..Why are you hung up on this?..To each is own..Good grief.

 

[LPSteinmetz]

My new ZD1211 rear discharge is in at the dealer...just needs to be prepped and a canopy installed and it will be in action by this weekend. I'm about as excited as can be given that it IS mowing grass we are talking about!

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Now get you a leaf blower and after mowing you can blow all the grass off and keep it looking new. I used a wand on my air compressor for years to clean my Kubota Fs but once I tried the leaf blower I became a convert even though I didn't think it would do as good as the air compressor but I was wrong after actually using/trying them both. Positive you'll love the rear discharge and will never go back after having actual hands on experience with both types.