I hate grass raking! How can i avoid it? do i need a new tractor?

[NEPA guy]

5 acres of grass. Mulching blades on a Scag 61" Zero turn with a 26 hp Kawi. No baffles. Cut it once a week. Takes 4 hours a pass going easy. Kubota too slow and heavy.

 

[Tinhack]

Also a good way to lose your bank account when it gets emptied by an ambulance chaser.

People like that just disappear out here.

 

[RalphVa]

I immediately removed the discharge chute and affixed the cover onto the hole on the Ryobi ZT480e. So many times when I first moved here, I stopped when I saw people mowing with discharge chutes up and advised them to close them, as they could kill someone. Idiots have no idea.

 

[Torvy]

I immediately removed the discharge chute and affixed the cover onto the hole on the Ryobi ZT480e. So many times when I first moved here, I stopped when I saw people mowing with discharge chutes up and advised them to close them, as they could kill someone. Idiots have no idea.

I think many people do unwise things and when it doesn't kill or maim someone, it 'confirms' for them that it is 'safe'. That happens for as many years as it takes for tragedy to strike. Unfortunately, stopping to 'advise' someone nowadays could be fatal for you. Be safe.

 

[tacticalturnip]

...and dog poop. I require my renters to pick up ALL the dog poop prior to mowing as I allow pets in my rentals. Nothing worse than dog poop on mower tires.

Sure there is, fresh dog poop...

 

[Yander]

If money isn't the issue this is kind of a no brainer. Trade the tractors on a tractor and loader of the size you want and spend at least $6k on a light commercial ZTR. It will have better hydros and you will be happy. Trust me. Mowed with tractors, Garden tractors and ZTRs and I would never go back to tractor mowing. You will also cut your mowing time down if you get a commercial ztr.

 

[Hulk 101]

I measured my deck height from the ground it's 1 1/2.

 

[Hulk 101]

Raise your deck to at least 3” if not more. cutting your grass short only makes a mess and looks bad. And throw away the discharge guard.

Everyone around me cuts there grass short, i mean they look like golf courses. If it turns brown then i don't care it just mean i don't have to waste more time mowing but lately we keep getting rain.

 

[KennyG]

I measured my deck height from the ground it's 1 1/2.

I hope that's to the bottom of the deck and not the blades. If that is the blade height and your grass isn't a creeper, you're scalping the lawn.

 

[Hulk 101]

I hope that's to the bottom of the deck and not the blades. If that is the blade height and your grass isn't a creeper, you're scalping the lawn.

Yes it's the bottom on the deck, i don't hit dirt!

 

[Fixastuff]

Mowing lawns is a conspiracy made by the petroleum industry

I grew up cutting too much grass so when I bought a house I kept as many trees as possible to keep things shady and slow the grass down.

I also cut low and let it grow high. Lol. Grass is a weed so I laugh when people only want "grass" not weeds.

I'm not wasting my limited time on earth spends hours a week mowing and worrying about grass.

 

[Hulk 101]

Mowing lawns is a conspiracy made by the petroleum industry

I grew up cutting too much grass so when I bought a house I kept as many trees as possible to keep things shady and slow the grass down.

I also cut low and let it grow high. Lol. Grass is a weed so I laugh when people only want "grass" not weeds.

I'm not wasting my limited time on earth spends hours a week mowing and worrying about grass.

I always tell a buddy that grass will still be growing after we are dead.

he mows 2-3 times a week.

 

[mikester]

My yard is 3 1/2 acres and i have a field of 11 acres that i bush hog once a year

I'm just tired of grass raking every year. Money is no issue i'm at the stage of live where it's more about convenience.

First world problems.

1. Convert 13 acres to hay fields. Pay someone to harvest it for you.
2. Fence it in and get sheep. Pay someone to take care of the sheep.
3. Buy a condo in the city. Pay condo fees and don't worry about lawn care.

 

[deezler]

I always tell a buddy that grass will still be growing after we are dead.

he mows 2-3 times a week.

Sheesh, what a way to spend a life on this earth.

Had a co-worker like that, he maximized his lawn fertilizer applications every spring, ran his sprinkler system nightly, and cut as soon as he could take an inch off his 3 acre ballpark lawn - then had the nerve to complain to everyone at work about how much mowing he "has" to do. He retired at 66 years old and had a heart attack while mowing his lawn the very next summer. Fell right off his Deere 2305 and died right on the lawn. Hopefully he was happy at the time.

My closest elderly, retired neighbor is like this too. He insists that three-blade decks never cut right, so he does his 1.7 acres twice a week on a little deere with a 42" 2-blade deck at 1mph snails pace. When it rains a lot, that means he is mowing at least some part of his lawn every. single. day. No one else wants to constantly listen to your mower droning away, Bob.

Life is short, spend less time mowing. It really just doesn't matter one bit what anyone else thinks about it. It's ok if lawn mowing is your main hobby, but the earth doesn't really appreciate it.

 

[charles todd]

Sheesh, what a way to spend a life on this earth.

Had a co-worker like that, he maximized his lawn fertilizer applications every spring, ran his sprinkler system nightly, and cut as soon as he could take an inch off his 3 acre ballpark lawn - then had the nerve to complain to everyone at work about how much mowing he "has" to do. He retired at 66 years old and had a heart attack while mowing his lawn the very next summer. Fell right off his Deere 2305 and died right on the lawn. Hopefully he was happy at the time.

My closest elderly, retired neighbor is like this too. He insists that three-blade decks never cut right, so he does his 1.7 acres twice a week on a little deere with a 42" 2-blade deck at 1mph snails pace. When it rains a lot, that means he is mowing at least some part of his lawn every. single. day. No one else wants to constantly listen to your mower droning away, Bob.

Life is short, spend less time mowing. It really just doesn't matter one bit what anyone else thinks about it. It's ok if lawn mowing is your main hobby, but the earth doesn't really appreciate it.

We upsized mowers. 18hp 44" Snapper to a 25hp 54" Bad Boy. Went from 4 hours to 2 hours. 4-5 acres we cut as "yard". Wife likes to mow.

CT

 

[brooster1973]

I use a B series kubota with a 60" belly mower with the blades it came with just replaced a few times. My yard is 3 1/2 acres and i have a field of 11 acres that i bush hog once a year with a older model B series tractor that was my uncles. All of it is pretty flat with a few trees.

It's only been 5 days since i last mowed the lawn and yet again i have grass all over the place just rows of it.

I asks my friends they say mow more often.......well it's only been 5 days and last time i raked the grass and it has not rained.

My neighbor never rakes his yard the only difference is he has a zero turn mower. So what is the difference? he mows every friday.

Only thing i can think of is mulching blades maybe?

I need to down size as i have

2 kubota b series tractors.
2 lawn mowers like the ones you buy in at lowes. I use one to mow under the trees takes all of 10min.
A few b series attachments a rear 3 point snow blower, rear blade, front blade and a 5ft bush hog

I feel like i should trade both b series tractors in on a L series or the biggest B series and buy a zero turn mower and be done with it.

I do need a tractor to blow snow and bush hog but that may come to a end if i lease out the 11 acres to a farmer to plant crops.

I'm just tired of grass raking every year. Money is no issue i'm at the stage of live where it's more about convenience.

No shortage of opinions...Some observations:
-- 3.5 acres is big lawn to be mowing and there is no way I would get roped into doing it every 4 days. Has to be a better solution.
-- As people have said -- pull the discharge chute (actually I block mine pointed upward higher than normal) which works very well. Takes some playing with the chute and blocking angle innovations to get it optimum.
-- As one data point: I have a neighbor with a large JD riding mower who uses mulching blades. We alternate who mows a common area in a cul de sac. He can let the grass grow 3 or 4 more days and nearly twice as high as I can without causing any "hay rows." I have a Kubota BX2200 with 60" mid mount mower but standard plain smooth blades.
-- I am no fan of ZT mowers but that may be the fastest way to do the 3.5 acres (which I assume you want to look like a well kept lawn, not a meadow you mow once in a while.) No matter what you choose stay away from the big box store variety. There are several good brands of ZT (such as a Scag) and, with not so much $ concern, get a seriously good one with a wide deck like 72."
-- Seems like a good plan to wait and see on the B series compact tractors until you lease out the 11 acres (or know you can.) Then it makes sense to keep your attachments and replace the two B series compacts with a new one. I'd keep the 5ft rotary cutter too since leasing the 11 acres can have on again off again times in the future. You might also consider a 72" 3pt hitch finish mower when/if you trade up in tractors -- I hesitate to say that though because to me the MMM does a better job.

I agree with these other guys, lift your chute and raise the deck, I mow 7 acres with 2 different mowers both with 60” decks and set at 4”, I never have to rake

 

[tacticalturnip]

View attachment 753664
First world problems.

1. Convert 13 acres to hay fields. Pay someone to harvest it for you.
2. Fence it in and get sheep. Pay someone to take care of the sheep.
3. Buy a condo in the city. Pay condo fees and don't worry about lawn care.

First World problems, in the First World? It's more common than you think.

Question, do you get splinters from the stick that's implanted firmly up your rear end?

 

[shooterdon]

I have been cutting to 3”. After reading this thread I am going to try 3.5”.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I have been cutting to 3”. After reading this thread I am going to try 3.5”.

There is a lot to be learned from this thread.

 

[Fixastuff]

I have been cutting to 3”. After reading this thread I am going to try 3.5”.

Try 1.5