BX-2200 60" Mover Deck

EricBX2200 · May 22, 2004

Re: BX-2200 60\" Mover Deck

We have had the mulch lit from day one and haven't regretted it, but you have to be willing to accept it's limitations.

You can't cut the grass when it is wet. Dry grass just floats above and in the blades longer. Wet grass clogs the kit, which is a series of shrouds to help create more lift around the mulching blades.

You can cut 5-6" grass down to 2.5" at normal speed. Anything taller than that will work but you just have to do it proportionatly slower or cut it twice. We just cut it regularly so it is not an issue.

Sharpening the wave in the mulching blades is more of a pain the the flat ones.

For our taller pasture grass we use a rear finishing mower.

We love the results with the mulching kit.

Tom_H · May 22, 2004

Re: BX-2200 60\" Mover Deck

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Maybe, I should ask him to sell me one of the used ones??? I cut the grass yesterday and it was at least 15" high. )</font>

Maybe he would sell you a used one for a substantial discount. I'm sure I couldn't cut 15" with my mulch kit MMM, not in 1 pass at least. I'm not sure how well the regular blades with bagger & blower would do on 15". That sounds more like my open field of wild oats & weeds. I put the 42" Gearmore rough cutter on the 3hp for that. My lawn of mostly fescue is up to perhaps 8" avg. with maybe a very few stray blades at 11" or 12" by the time the ground dries out from winter rains. Then, on the 1st cut of the spring, I have to do the 2 or 3 passes to get it down to 3.5". From then on, it grows maybe an inch per week. If it's dry those thin fescue trimmings float around in the top 'till they're pulverized. I CAN see how trying to cut 15" of hay (wet OR dry) in 1 pass with mulch kit/MMM would leave someone unhappy. As we've all said before, ya' gotta' have the right tool for the right job! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif The mulch system works well when applied to the APPROPRIATE conditions. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

DannyD · May 23, 2004

Re: BX-2200 60\" Mover Deck

My dealer told me that UNLESS you cut often, and dont cut to much off the top, the mulching blades dont do to well. Beings as I dont get to cut but once a week, and then it is like 2 to 3 inches of cut, I am just going to live with it. He did suggest as Junkman stated, open up the safety chute to let the clippings fly better.

EricBX2200 · May 23, 2004

Re: BX-2200 60\" Mover Deck

We cut every 7-12 days and have great results with the mulching kit. The best part is we don't have to bypass any safety devices.

r0GuE · May 23, 2004

Re: BX-2200 60\" Mover Deck

Let's think about this for a second here... I'm not going to argue with anybodys PERSONAL experiences. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif But (to the best I can recall), all I've ever heard is the dealer said the dealer said. Mulching is not a new, nor complicated technology. Lots of people do it (both Kubota and all others). It has to work, it does work.

Now, that said; My situation is I'm cutting 2 to 3 (occationally it gets a touch longer) off the lawn. How bad could a mulching deck be. Does it still cut? One would assume. Would it throw grass at least somewhat smaller than no mulcher? Surely. So the issue I guess would simply be the clogging factor. Not with that, we all know the torque these BX2200 diesles have. I just can't see it being a problem. I always wait for the grass to be at least damp to dry, NEVER wet. So I'm willing to bet the 1 to 2 hundred that they cost to add to the deck.

My driving factor is the thatch that all that dead grass leaves behind, and the kids bringing it in on their shoes. I'm assuming that smaller peices will drop in to the lawn better.

BTW - This post is just me having an awakening of logic and is NOT intended to sound arguementtive toward anyone else and what "you'ns" (Pittsburgh term) have said. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

JackIL · May 23, 2004

Re: BX-2200 60\" Mover Deck

To add a bit more to your comments, turf grass horticulturalists recommend cutting off no more that 1/3 of the length for best results. If we follow that advice and you want the end result to be 3 inches in length (another recommendation for many grasses), then you should cut when then grass is no more than 4 1/2 inches long. You will be cutting off 1 1/2 inches.

My experience with mulching decks and attachments is that they do a good job if you are not cutting more than 1 1/2 inches, and they do even better if you are cutting just an inch or so. Furthermore to avoid clumping, the grass must be absolutely DRY--not just damp dry, but 4 pm in the afternoon dry. If you try to mulch wet or moist grass, it makes clumps and rapidly builds up a soggy mess under the deck. This requires more power and reduces the ability to cut the grass into fine particles.

All of these "constraints" will produce beautiful results for your turf, but for most of us they are very difficult to keep up with especially when the grass is growing rapidly. We only have certain hours of certain days that we can really devote to turf care. If we were full-time golf course superintendents it would be different.

The bottom line is that mulchers do work if you can follow the rules to a T, but if you can't they can cause more problems than they are worth. You have to decide for yourself how important it is and if you can afford the time to make it work.

JackIL

jdepetri2210 · Aug 19, 2004

Re: BX-2200 60\" Mover Deck

Is it possible to run a MMM mulching deck at a higher height setting AND a rear PTO finishing/grooming mower at a lower height setting? Is this too much work/stress for a sub compact utility tractor to handle? Anyone have any experience with this? Is this a practical idea? The idea being that you are cutting the top portion of the grass with the MMM and the lower portion of the grass with the rear finishing/grooming mower all performed in a single pass.

DannyD · Aug 19, 2004

Re: BX-2200 60\" Mover Deck

It would be hard to get the RFM to follow the same path as the MMM, since it will swing OUT with the back of the tractor, and the MMM will be the pivot point. Of course if you cut straight paths all the time this would not hamper.

Dont know how good a RFM does, but my MMM does a great job.