ZD1211 72 Rear Discharge Deck Baffles unbolted & REMOVED

[Brown Dog]

While removing the two rear skids from under deck to help wind rowing in heavy grass :

I discovered the REAR baffles at backs of blades is why I get 3 windows. They direct the clippings to one side as their sprayed out :thumbdown:

I removed deck, supported it by chains from my Front End Loader & simply unbolted them.

The bolts holding them on wasn’t painted orange like the rest of the bolts on deck.

So it’s been bolted on after assembled.

I haven’t mowed with it yet.

Pics coming later :

 

[Brown Dog]

Here is the windrows from each blade :



Here is the skids I removed from under rear of deck

 

[Brown Dog]

Here is the 72” RD Deck with the baffles in place.
Hard to see them between blades & curved down towards rear of deck

View attachment 658111

 

[Brown Dog]

Here are the Baffles removed :

View attachment 658112

 

[Brown Dog]

This is the deck after the deflector baffles were removed.

 

[Brown Dog]

I’ve mowed most everything with the new ZD1511 72” SD so it’ll be a few days before I can mow with the RD to see how the windrow issue is.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I don't know for a fact but I suspect your cut quality will decline. my mind tells me those baffles keep the grass and clipping contained in that area to keep cutting it till grass clipping are reduced in size and the fall out/down/side. I also believe that is what a mulching kit does by cutting over and over and over since the grass is contained in a chamber of sorts with blades chopping and chopping till it is reduced in size.
I've gotten single row windrows like your pic on high grass with RD but usually all back to fertilizer in about two day where SD creates thes hugh windrows unless one does the specific mowing pattern which I don't do on large areas of my yard but eventually there seems to be a deep row of grass somewhere with SD, the part that hasn't blown on me while mowing.

 

[Brown Dog]

I’ve mowed with three different brand RD Rear Finishing Mowers for 20+ years & none of them had baffles at backsides of blades directing the clippings to spray over to one side.

None of them left 3 separate windrows either.

I’m going to mow in the edge of the hayfield today after grass dries ....... stay tuned.

 

[Brown Dog]

Well I mowed some knee hi thick grass around the edge of hayfield.

The clippings was super thick & lot more evenly spread out without the baffles. :thumbsup:

The clippings were about 4ft wide I’d guess.

No more Three 12” wide windrows of clippings :thumbsup:

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Well I mowed some knee hi thick grass around the edge of hayfield.

The clippings was super thick & lot more evenly spread out without the baffles. :thumbsup:

The clippings were about 4ft wide I’d guess.

No more Three 12” wide windrows of clippings :thumbsup:

Guess you know knee high is not the average for most people mowing.:laughing: I would expect even distribution of cut grass with no baffles but cut quality with 4" to 6" high grass would be the better test for me to know the results.
I also only use OEM Kubota blades and have never had one bend other than when I mow my bigger limestone rocks. I usually mow with the installed blades for two to three years and then take them off with plans to sharpen them later and buy new blades at Barlows and install them. So far have never sharpened them and have several sets of three blades laying around in different locations. Maybe one day when I get old and have loads or more loads of free time I'll sharpen them like I'll start using my woodworking equipment for hobby type projects.......no, I'll just leave it for the Grands to use or sale or give away. Probably give the blades to my nephew to make knife blades out of when he gets to doing that during his free time which will be about like mine.