Leaf Mulching Blade

Steve@Advance · Dec 2, 2017

I want to try mulching leaves with the mower this year, instead of raking them.

I got out this morning and ran over them with the push mower. Hoping if I do it a couple times before they get too deep it will work better.

The mower is a mulching type deck, no outlet chute. The blade that is on it is considered a mulching blade, but it's not real turbulent. It's the type with upward lift on the tip of the blade, then a downward angle toward the center.

I see the "gator" type, with the notched lift, and one called a "Ninja" with a V fork end.

Any opinion on which works best?

Thanks!

jacksun65 · Dec 2, 2017

I bought the oregon gator type for my JD rider and am very pleased with them. I have a chute on mine but the grass is still cut into about 1/2 pieces.

D beatty · Dec 2, 2017

I have mulched all my leave with my garden tractor with 50 " deck with standard blades. I have been doing this the last 25 years on a 2 1/2 acre yard.I found that I had to lime yard about every 2 years because the leaves sour the ground.

jeffcat · Dec 2, 2017

Stopped doing that a long time ago. Mulching blades are for the grass, not the leaves. Darn near killed half the lawn doing 5hat because of the acidity. Now have my big bad Agri-Fab yard vacuum. Makes nice big loaves of chewed up stuff. Dump it out front and the TWP. picks them up with their giant two axle leaf sucker trailer. Every neighbor around me picks up their leaves. Baggers or vacuums.

John M · Dec 2, 2017

Ive been using the Gator blades for years now. Cheaper than the factory type blades, and are heavier made. Ive never had problems like jeffcat describes, but I don't have that many trees that leave leaves in my yard.

Steve@Advance · Dec 2, 2017

Wish I could dump them for pick up.

They have to be stuffed into paper bags for monthly pickup, or hauled to the recycle yard.

If I could get them from the yard to the truck without bagging, I would. Just haven't figured out a practical way to do it.

Raking and bag stuffing is getting to be too much for my wife and me to handle.

D beatty · Dec 2, 2017

Grinding up leaves won't hurt your yard if you know how to take care of it. If you lime your yard and let the leaves rot down they are fertilizer. I have been doing this to this yard over 25 years and no damage to grass.

Jiles · Dec 2, 2017

I have a lot of leaves on my two acre yard.
I have a Gravely G16 lawn tractor with three bag bagger.
I tried the Gator blades and could tell no difference so I emptied bags and made one trip around lawn. I emptied the bags in a pile and changed back to the OEM blades. Made another pas around lawn and emptied the bags.
Absolutely NO DIFFERENCE with the size of the two piles and no difference in the clipping size.
Look at the Gator blades and explain how the notched wings on the blade help shear clippings.
If the Gator blades work so good, why don't the manufacturers equip their mowers with them?

kcm.MN · Dec 2, 2017

One thing I've heard a lot about over the years is to add another blade to your mower. This blade can be shorter than your cutting blade, but should be perpendicular to your blade. Than have also heard of adding some real thin steel cable. Have seen folks who add one length and some that add 2.

Personally, we don't mess with leaves much anymore. Our biggest problem has been with trying to keep up with the grasses! Dang, it's hard to believe just how fast these grasses can grow when the water table is so high that the ground is nearly perpetually wet! :shock:

Steve@Advance · Dec 2, 2017

Interesting concept on the lime.

I know I need to test the soil first, but I suspect it probably is acid from not keeping it raked well.

If it needs lime, should it be done now or in the spring?

I have a LOT of shade, not much grass grows. It is pretty much on it's own for water. I refuse to pay an extra $200 a month water bill just to have grass. Wish there was something I could do to make it look a little better though...

620 John · Dec 2, 2017

For me mulching leaves is the ONLY way to go! No raking, bagging, blowing, etc. What you REALLY need is a cover over the mower deck outlet. I always put mulching blades on along with the cover but this year I didn't get around to changing the blades. Still did a fine job so I think I won't even bother with the blades anymore. It also helps to set the deck a little lower than normal too. Most of my leaves are green ash and poplar.

D beatty · Dec 2, 2017

Yes I lime mine in the spring and areas that are real shady there are varieties of grass that grow in shady areas.

John M · Dec 2, 2017

Gator blades are for mulching, not bagging.

Jiles · Dec 2, 2017

(quoted from post at 04:30:59 12/03/17) Gator blades are for mulching, not bagging.

I cut and bag all my grass. I conducted the same test with grass as with leaves with same results.
Since Mulched leaves or grass would make a smaller pile, doesn't it make sense to mulch to lessen the bag empting?
Gator blade are hanging in my shop, when the OEM blades need replacing, I will use them and expect the same performance.

jeffcat · Dec 2, 2017

You are lucky. I have all kinds of trees and if I leave the leaves on the lawn, by spring it looks like some sort of plauge has come. Took better than two years and a thatcher before the lawn is nice again. Most of my lawn in the front and some of the rear is that Zoysia grass. Once that stuff gets established it goes like crazy and makes a very tough and thick lawn. My next door neighbor picks every leaf off his lawn and it is stunning looking! Never ever mulches, no how no way. That Zoysia grass gets mowed every one or two weeks and looks like astro turf. Love the stuff.

Phlash-OK · Dec 3, 2017

Here is a pic of mulching experience a few years back. Shut off the mower and in 5 minutes it was in flames. CHECK for leaves around hot muffler.

D beatty · Dec 3, 2017

That's what happens when you don't use common since. You never let them build up under engine area of tractor.
.

ss55 · Dec 3, 2017

Mulching leaves works best when the leaves are dry and brittle so they shatter and fall apart. For me, dry leaves helps more than the type of mower blade. Mulching blades work the best, but regular mower blades work great too when the leaves are dry. On single blade push mowers I close the discharge chute, drop the rear of the mower to about scalping height and raise the front to the maximum height so leaves feed in but don't fly out the back or the side too fast. I overlap passes more than normal to keep the cut height consistent. I only rake to pull leaves out of corners and flower beds and to spread out deep leaves to dry before mulching them.

D beatty · Dec 3, 2017

The lime also helps in breaking down the leaves. I don't wait till the leaves have totally dropped to mulch them. I might go over yard 6 times and in spring mulch the leaves of some of the oaks that don't drop their leaves until middle of winter.

Leaf Mulching Blade

Steve@Advance

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jacksun65

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D beatty

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jeffcat

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John M

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Steve@Advance

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D beatty

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Jiles

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kcm.MN

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Steve@Advance

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620 John

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John M

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Jiles

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