Woods DS96 not very good in thick grass

[PSDStu]

I have used both a DS96 as well as my LP RCF 3096 and both of them never really discharge the grass cuttings the way my Brown 416 does. I think it has more to do with the 8 foot cutters having counter-rotating blades that throw the clippings to the outer edge of the underdeck and then they run into each other trying to exit the rear.

With a single blade cutter the clippings just get thrown out the back usually the direction the blades are turning.

Cutting the openings up the way you describe might work better for you.

Good Luck!

 

[LD1]

Yea, all my single spindle cutters dont have discharge issues. That includes a kk 5', International IM600, and a bushhog 306. The 306 actually has a removable side discharge plate that allows it to discharge like a finish mower. That mower cuts awesome in dense brush, but not as well in grasses....as it has a really low blade speed. 10.2k

Who knows when my next job will be that I'll get a chance to test it out. But I think I am gonna cut/torch along the line I drew on both sides and see what it does.

The one thing I dont want to happen, is side discharge. With my old geared l3400, I mowed alot of Zamboni pattern. And with the 306 and side discharge, one of the directions was constantly blowing cuttings into uncut grass. Depending on how thick the stuff was I was cutting, after a few passes blowing clippings toward where the next cut needed to be......I was basically cutting 18' worth of grass in the single pass.

With the new DS96 and HST tractor....on big jobs I do alot of down and back like one would when running a zero turn. Just more efficient than zamboni. I can turn around 180* and head back just as fast as trying to stagger the cut to do a zamboni. Only when doing a zamboni....there is always that last pass which may not be full width.....= inefficient. But even doing down and back passes, I want to keep cuttings away from where my next pass needs to be.

 

[rd_macgregor]

I haven't had quite that problem with my Walco mower, but have encountered issues occasionally when I run the mower with the front too low (just barely skimming the ground). The front edge of the mower starts to plow up/accumulate a wad of cuttings until it eventually slips under the deck and acts like a clog (laboring/ RPM drop, etc.) until the deck finally passes over it. Could this be happening with yours?

 

[LD1]

I haven't had quite that problem with my Walco mower, but have encountered issues occasionally when I run the mower with the front too low (just barely skimming the ground). The front edge of the mower starts to plow up/accumulate a wad of cuttings until it eventually slips under the deck and acts like a clog (laboring/ RPM drop, etc.) until the deck finally passes over it. Could this be happening with yours?

No. Nothing is building up in the front at all. And it does it when cutting relatively high. If I get into a dense field that has lots of grass content....I am typically mowing at ~8" cut height. Which is pretty high.

The pic of the nice finish above, where I was cutting ~10-12" high grass that was just done a month ago....I am mowing at ~4" cut height. And at that height, the side skids only touch the ground if it is uneven.

So, no I dont think there is anything accumulating up front. And the design of the mower, the front opening is pretty tall. I dont think I couldever get it to "just skim" the ground. Either the blades would be in the dirt, or the sides would be dragging.

 

[DiskDoctr]

I had a similar issue with my finish mower. If the grass was high-ish, it didn't do a great job.

I lowered the back to its lowest setting (height I want the grass mowed) and raised the front a bit.

It's at a little bit of an angle- only one setting, which is about 3/4"

The way I figure it, the stalks get cut at least twice, maybe three times, as the mower progresses over a spot.

The other part is likely related to your issue. Without the edges of the deck tight against the ground, the cuttings aren't trapped under the deck, waiting in line for any chute or discharge.

I do similar with the brush hog, though I use a 3pt one these days instead of the draw bar Woods that has a beat up gearbox

I've found that if the front edge of any deck bends over stalks, they don't cut as well. I like the raised front much better than level or lowered front.

...and I run the RPMs way up high.

You'll notice when the blades lose their sharpness. More "stick-tion" of cuttings and "peek-a-boo" stalks left behind

Give this angle a try. I'll bet it does better all around, even if it doesn't solve your discharge problem completely

 

[LD1]

I am convinced that nothing is gonna make it better short of making a physical change to the design of the discharge opening.

I have a hydraulic toplink. So I have tried every conceivable angle and mowing height combination on the fly.

Those jobs I am referring to with weeds and grass so dense they dont discharge well.....nothing seems to help. I keep reverting back to the default setting....keeping the back a little higher than the front, and setting the cutting height to get the finish I am after.

With lift type blades, the material is thrown up into the deck. So it wants to take an upward trajectory on the way out the discharge. With the design of this mower, I think alot of the clippings arent exiting, and remaining under the deck .....thus the issue.

Need to get the clippings to discharge better. I think that will solve all issues. Really dont want to go to a flat 0 lift blade.....they dont do well at 7 mph....and the grass on its own dont have enough time to stand back up where the tire tracks ran over it....so it leaves strips of uncut grass where the tires went.

Looking at pictures of a MX8 and Bushhog 3008....it looks like they have a much larger discharge window.

 

[Turbys_1700]

I wish I could mow that fast. My ground is not smooth enough. Beats me too death. Perhaps I'm just too old. Don't drink either. Maybe I need to start.

 

[weathda]

I've got a DS96 we bought new 2008. I've never experienced what you describe. The only complaint I have on it is in tall johnson grass (5' +) it leaves remnants of the stalk sticking up couple feet, but it never bunches up in thick fescue or bermuda. I've got the standard OEM flat blades. We also have a Woods BW-180 which has a much deeper deck than the DS-96 that doesn't leave the stalks on the johnson grass. We've got chains on the back of the DS-96. Been a great cutter. Cutting your deck probably would help if you want to keep the highlift blades, but I'd be wary of slinging debris.

 

[LD1]

Cutting your deck probably would help if you want to keep the highlift blades, but I'd be wary of slinging debris.

Its not gonna sling debris any worse than my 306 with side discharge, or my other cutters which are completely open all the way across the back.

I mow fields. I'd rather sling material out from under the deck than keep it under there and drastically reduce performance,

 

[weathda]

Understood. If you go through with it, keep us posted.