Mowing Type of Blades on a Zero Turn?

[Hexa Fox]

Hey guys I have a Craftsman 54" Zero Turn Mower. I am getting ready to invest in some new blades for my tractor. I was thinking about buying the mulching kit for my model that consists of three mulching blades and a attachment that blocks the discharge. I am responsible for mowing a few yards this year and may even inherit more.

So far this little mower (made by MTD) is treating me pretty well. It has a 24HP Kohler Engine in it. Anyway what do you guys think of mulching blades, gator blades, and high lift blades. So far from what I am reading one of those three are going to be the right choice for me. I was hoping maybe this community could help me make that decision.

In some areas of my customers yard my mower bogs down a little bit due to high grass. I am going to guess I have high lift blades on it now. This not only bogs my mower down some but also sends a nice large pile of grass clippings out of my discharge that needs to be raked. Now so far I have seen that in these high areas a mulching kit may slow me down a little more. However I think it would be worth it if I had to slow down a little but did not have to deal with the grass clippings.

Basically I want something that will do a good job cutting the lawn like I have now but will also mulch up the clippings better.I would also like something that is going to work year round. Plus there are many obstacles in these customers yards where I can not throw grass clippings. Again this is another reason I am targeting the mulching kit. So what do you guys think of this?? Have any of you guys added mulching kits and had good luck with them?

 

[RG1]

I mow for a living. Gator blades are meant for mulching while side discharging or bagging only. They are NOT for use with a full mulch kit. The oregon rep has said so many times on lawnsite.

I doubt your little Craftsman has true high lift blades on it, but I could be wrong. probably closer to medium lift, or are even the multi purpose blades so common on lower end machines these days.

If you are having bogging down issues now, you will have them much more with a mulch kit unless you slow way down. Just keep that in mind. I am not too sure that Oregon is making the G5 blades for your machine, but if they are, they would be what I would recommend trying first. They reduce clippings much more than regular blades do, but do not require a mulch kit, and thus you can go along at a faster clip than you can with a mulch kit.

 

[Hexa Fox]

I mow for a living. Gator blades are meant for mulching while side discharging or bagging only. They are NOT for use with a full mulch kit. The oregon rep has said so many times on lawnsite.

I doubt your little Craftsman has true high lift blades on it, but I could be wrong. probably closer to medium lift, or are even the multi purpose blades so common on lower end machines these days.

If you are having bogging down issues now, you will have them much more with a mulch kit unless you slow way down. Just keep that in mind. I am not too sure that Oregon is making the G5 blades for your machine, but if they are, they would be what I would recommend trying first. They reduce clippings much more than regular blades do, but do not require a mulch kit, and thus you can go along at a faster clip than you can with a mulch kit.

Thanks for the reply. For the record I knew I was getting what I paid for. So far this mower is a beast especially for what I paid for it. Which was under $3,000. Anyway back to the subject. I checked out the G5's you recommended trying and it does not look like they are available for my tractor. However Oregon does make Gator Blades for my tractor. It is a 54" with three blades each measuring 18.5. So the ones at the following link would fit my tractor.
54" Gator Blades Husqvarna Craftsman Sears AYP 187254 | eBay

Would these be a acceptable choice?

Also about the bogging down I am only having it where the grass is very thick. Which is about roughly 10-15% of what I cut. However for me they are in the most inconvenient areas. As they are usually areas like right in front of the customers house or so. So I either need to rake them up or find a blade that will chop them up better. I figured that a mulching kit would make this worse but I figured if I slowed down or even made a second pass it would be worth it if I did not have to rake.

However if you are telling me that gator blades might give the same cut and also chop the grass clippings up better this would make me very happy. As I probably would not have to rake, or I could make a second pass, or of course if the raking was minimal.

 

[Hexa Fox]

I doubt your little Craftsman has true high lift blades on it, but I could be wrong. probably closer to medium lift, or are even the multi purpose blades so common on lower end machines these days.

It is a 24HP Kohler engine so it is pretty powerful. Obviously not a high end commercial mower but definitely beats most of the other residential junk out there. It has a heavy deck and good engine which is why I bought it. The only things I don't like is I would like to have bigger tires, more weight, and more play in the suspension when ground is uneven.

You could be right it could be Medium Lift because it does shoot the clippings pretty far but not that far. I also am just learning the difference, so you know.

 

[RG1]

Yes, Gator blades can make a big difference in how much debris is left on top of the lawn, but you may still need a double cut sometimes. Still, a double cut is faster than going extra slow to make sure to chop the clippings and not bog down. I have used full mulch kits with quite good success, but they are far from the best choice in thick lush spring growth. I have a JD MOD deck, and that works pretty well, but not as well as a ful mulch kit for true mulching. However, you will get clumping with a true mulch kit if the grass is damp or wet and it is thick and long. That's why I recommended the G5's. The blades in your link appear to be regular old gator blades. I don't believe you would be very pleased with them. I only recommend either the G3 (which were formerly known as the 3-1 high lifts, the G5 or the G6 blades where gators are concerned.

I will say this though- I have used JD's OEM wavy mulcher blades under several decks with no kit installed, and they chopped the clippings up quite well, and discharged more than good enough to boot. That may be something you could also try if you can find a set for your particular deck.

If you give me a part number off one of your OEM blades you currently have, I can do some digging with oregon and see what I can find that may work.

One thing you need to be aware of if you don't already know this, but Kohler has been way over rating their engine HP for years. They are finally doing better after the class action lawsuit a couple years back, but even with their new, tighter ratings, they are still inflated over the true HP. The point is, your 24 HP engine is more like 20-21 unless the machine is new this year. Give me a model number (for example CV740 or something similar in the Courage line) and I can look up the true specs for you.

 

[4310]

While we're on the subject....is there a site somewhere that I can read that will tell me everything I ever wanted to know about mower blades and such?

 

[RG1]

While we're on the subject....is there a site somewhere that I can read that will tell me everything I ever wanted to know about mower blades and such?

There's tons of stuff if you google it, but you can go to lawnsite and do searches and read for hours.

 

[Hexa Fox]

Yes, Gator blades can make a big difference in how much debris is left on top of the lawn, but you may still need a double cut sometimes. Still, a double cut is faster than going extra slow to make sure to chop the clippings and not bog down. I have used full mulch kits with quite good success, but they are far from the best choice in thick lush spring growth. I have a JD MOD deck, and that works pretty well, but not as well as a ful mulch kit for true mulching. However, you will get clumping with a true mulch kit if the grass is damp or wet and it is thick and long. That's why I recommended the G5's. The blades in your link appear to be regular old gator blades. I don't believe you would be very pleased with them. I only recommend either the G3 (which were formerly known as the 3-1 high lifts, the G5 or the G6 blades where gators are concerned.

I will say this though- I have used JD's OEM wavy mulcher blades under several decks with no kit installed, and they chopped the clippings up quite well, and discharged more than good enough to boot. That may be something you could also try if you can find a set for your particular deck.

If you give me a part number off one of your OEM blades you currently have, I can do some digging with oregon and see what I can find that may work.

I appreciate you going out of your way to aid me. In my owners manual my Mower Model # is: 24725061 and I looked through the parts and it says Blade, 18.5 Part #942-0677B. I copied and pasted that on Ebay and some blades popped up so I am thinking it might be the one you need to help me. Again I am most grateful for your time.

I also heard that if you are bogging down you can use Mo Deck (spray) on your deck and it will help keep the clippings from sticking to your deck, which means less clumping. I am going to give it a try. At $10.00 a can it better work good.

 

[Hexa Fox]

While we're on the subject....is there a site somewhere that I can read that will tell me everything I ever wanted to know about mower blades and such?

I hope your not being sarcastic. As I searched on Google and couldn't find much besides people talking in places like this. So I decided to make my own and hope someone could help me with my specific issue... like RG1 has done. He is definitely more help than I thought I would ever get. So much thanks to him.

 

[Hexa Fox]

It looks like these boys right here fit.
3 Pack G5 Gator Mulcher Blades Cub Cadet 742 0677A 942 0677B 54" Oregon 598 672 | eBay

 

[RG1]

It looks like these boys right here fit.
3 Pack G5 Gator Mulcher Blades Cub Cadet 742 0677A 942 0677B 54" Oregon 598 672 | eBay

I don't think so. Those blades have a round center hole, and the blades in your other link have the star center hole like so many Husqvarna mowers do.

For your engine specs, I need the actual Kohler engine model and number. Not the engine serial number- the model number. You probably have a Kohler Courage engine, and the model number would be on the data tag on the engine itself.

One other thing- Mo-deck is a waste of time and money. Nothing, and I mean nothing will last for more than a few seconds under a mower deck before being blasted off by the dirt/dust and clippings.

 

[RG1]

Do your blades have an offset in the center (a hump) or are they flat all the way across?

 

[Hexa Fox]

I don't think so. Those blades have a round center hole, and the blades in your other link have the star center hole like so many Husqvarna mowers do.

For your engine specs, I need the actual Kohler engine model and number. Not the engine serial number- the model number. You probably have a Kohler Courage engine, and the model number would be on the data tag on the engine itself.

One other thing- Mo-deck is a waste of time and money. Nothing, and I mean nothing will last for more than a few seconds under a mower deck before being blasted off by the dirt/dust and clippings.

Okay the serial number is printed everywhere. However I was only able to find the model number in a couple instances. I already knew it was a Kohler Courage 24HP, but good guess buddy. Anyway the model is definitely: SV725.

I also can not blame you for this but did you read that the blade number from my manual matches exactly the one in the second link I posted? It says it is for Cub Cadet's but it is my exact blade part number.

 

[Hexa Fox]

Do your blades have an offset in the center (a hump) or are they flat all the way across?

Dude I wish I would have met you twenty-four hours before I did. Every now and then I back my Craftsman up a big truck ramp so I can clean out under the deck some. I could have just taken a bunch of pictures. Right now it is stored in a very tight place.

A buddy of mine told me to use the Mo Deck stuff and it would help but did not know how much. He said he does know you have to keep applying it over and over. This seemed like a very good idea for me because like I told you I put it up on ramps every now and then and it would not be difficult to apply.

 

[RG1]

I didn't pay too much attention to the blades in the links since I wasn't sure if they were exactly correct.

Ok- if you have the 5 point star center, they will not work regardless of the numbers. Could just be the same blade, could just happen to have the same number for a different brand. It happens now and then. If yours have the round center hole like the CC's in your link, those are what I would recommend.

I still say don't waste money on a product that will be scoured off in only a few minutes regardlless of the hype or what someone tries to tell you. Don't just take my worf for it either. Go to the pro lawn cutting forums and ask others or search for posts on the subject. 95% + of them will tell you exactly what I am. The other > 5% are usually homeowners who only think it is working for them for one reason or another. Common sense will tell you that nothing will stay under a deck for long with everything that moves around under that at such high speed.


Your engine is already a retired model in Kohler's lineup, so they no longer have actual specs for the true HP on their site. Still, it is easy to extrapolate by looking at all other small engines rated the old way and the new way. Most all small engines went down an average of 3 HP when the manu's started using a much more accurate way of rating them. They still have the same power they always did, but are just rated using a much tighter method that more accurately reflects true HP.

 

[RG1]

I took a look at Oregon's listings for the CC using the number in your link to the CC blade's. They show that blade to be a 6 (not 5) point star center hole of 5/8". They also show them to have 5/16" holes to either side of the center hole that are 2 1/2" center to center. If that is the same exact shape and size as yours, and you have a 1/2" offset (hump in the center of the blade, measured by setting the blade flat on a table top, and measuring from the table top to the bottom side of the center hump), they are what you want.

 

[Hexa Fox]

Okay here are some pictures. I think if they had the stars you would be able to see them stick out from the nut. So I am guessing it is the single hole thing like in the last link. Again thanks for your help. I will probably waste my $10.00 on this Mo Deck stuff. Just because I frequently raise my mower up where as I know most people do not. So it will be easy for me to apply this stuff and at least it will help me clean it if nothing else.

 

[RG1]

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Okay here are some pictures. I think if they had the stars you would be able to see them stick out from the nut. So I am guessing it is the single hole thing like in the last link. Again thanks for your help. I will probably waste my $10.00 on this Mo Deck stuff. Just because I frequently raise my mower up where as I know most people do not. So it will be easy for me to apply this stuff and at least it will help me clean it if nothing else.

Trust me, those who do not clean their decks have a ton of crap stuck under them. Most everyone in the business has to clean their deck regularly, especially in spring. the deck staying clean in one thing in particular I love about the JD 7 Iron decks.

You wouldn't see the star shape unless you remove the blade nut/bolt. You do have the two small side holes and the offset to the blade (the hump), so I am betting those blades in the CC link are the ones you need after looking at Oregon's site/specs.

BTW- those cutting edges are in seriously rough shape. The jagged edge will tear grass instead of cut it, and take more fuel to do it.

 

[Hexa Fox]

Trust me, those who do not clean their decks have a ton of crap stuck under them. Most everyone in the business has to clean their deck regularly, especially in spring. the deck staying clean in one thing in particular I love about the JD 7 Iron decks.

You wouldn't see the star shape unless you remove the blade nut/bolt. You do have the two small side holes and the offset to the blade (the hump), so I am betting those blades in the CC link are the ones you need after looking at Oregon's site/specs.

BTW- those cutting edges are in seriously rough shape. The jagged edge will tear grass instead of cut it, and take more fuel to do it.

Trust me I didn't realize how much garbage I had stuck up there until today. I thought the deck wash system was doing a better job. The only blade that is in rough shape from what I can see is the one by the discharge you see there. I recently hit and rock... and it did a number on it... These blades have less than five months of use.

 

[RG1]

Trust me I didn't realize how much garbage I had stuck up there until today. I thought the deck wash system was doing a better job. The only blade that is in rough shape from what I can see is the one by the discharge you see there. I recently hit and rock... and it did a number on it... These blades have less than five months of use.

5 months? LOL

When you mow for a living, there's rarely any blade makes it 5 months. They get sharpened almost daily and changed out every 8 or so hours of actual use. They have to be in excellent condition to leave a manicured cut at speed all day long.