RM48 and AHRM48 mulching blades

[MattA]

What decks does the MK 48-2 kit fit that is listed on ebay https://www.ebay.com/itm/125908471633. The only decks on the 400 and 4000 series tractors I have seen are 2 bolt mounts. The blades on ebay appear to be single centre hole mounted.

They only fit the right hand discharge decks used on the 3000/4000 series tractors as well as the 3pt finish mowers.

Bob

RM48, HRM48H?, AHRM48? Decks

[Timj]

@MattA ran across this, don't know if you have https://www.ebay.com/itm/125908471633?h ... AsVA_XKy9M

Thanks Tim. I checked with the seller to see if they had mulching blades in stock. Nope. I was thinking of buying the mulching kit with the blades and a spare set of mulching blades. I'm tempted to make an offer on a pair of kits and resell a set of the deck baffles. The mulching blades have been out of stock for probably 5 years now.

@Timj Thanks for sending me this link. I made an offer on two kits at $200 per kit expecting my offer to be rejected and my offer was accepted. The seller even combined shipping. C45192 mulching blades ran $40-$60 each when last stocked. You guys might want to consider making an offer on the remaining mulching kits.

You are very welcome Matt, glad you got them. Probably won't be many more chances to get them.

[Harry]

I have never used mulching blades other than a self propelled mower that you walk behind. It always seems like the grass clippings are everywhere in the grass. This is especially a problem when walking to the pool. I usually use a bagger on my CC machine which an be a PITA in wet grass because the chute plugs up. Do you have to mow more often with a mulching mower so you have less grass to contend with? I would like to try mulching because grandpa is getting tired of unplugging the chute and dumping the collecting bags. I’ve read it’s healthier for the lawn to let the clippings decompose in the lawn. What does everyone do on their lawns? Mulch, bag or just let it fly? Harry

[myerslawnandgarden]

I have never used mulching blades other than a self propelled mower that you walk behind. It always seems like the grass clippings are everywhere in the grass. This is especially a problem when walking to the pool. I usually use a bagger on my CC machine which an be a PITA in wet grass because the chute plugs up. Do you have to mow more often with a mulching mower so you have less grass to contend with? I would like to try mulching because grandpa is getting tired of unplugging the chute and dumping the collecting bags. I’ve read it’s healthier for the lawn to let the clippings decompose in the lawn. What does everyone do on their lawns? Mulch, bag or just let it fly? Harry

Harry,

Some mulching mowers work better than others, but yes, you have to cut more often. The rule of thumb is to cut no more than 1" or 1/3rd of the grass blade when mowing. Also you need to cut at nearly the highest position possible, at least 3" for best results. Not feasible for everyone.

Bob

[MattA]

Harry I've bagged my 60,000 square foot lawn with my hydravac for the past few years. It's a lot more work and it probably adds an hour to an hour and a half to each mowing between dumping the bags and installing/removing the bagger (vac stays on). This year I'm just letting the grass fly. If the grass is low enough, I blow the clippings where I'm cutting next so that I can mulch up the clippings better. My grass isn't as thick and green as it was 2 years ago. The drought last year killed parts of my lawn and even with overseeding 200lbs last fall my lawn never recovered. I also haven't fertilized much this year either which helps slow the growth to a more manageable amount.

[Timj]

@Harry I usually keep blowing the cut grass inward and recutting it. If I end up with thick windrows where I meet I make a couple of passes with my sweeper. I think that "mulching" the grass back in has helped build up the grass in my sand lawn. I don't do anything with my lawn other than mow and leaf cleanup.
Tim

[Harry]

For years I just cut the grass and bag it. Once in awhile I would put down some weed and feed but it would never take out a lot of the difficult to kill weeds. Last year with the lawn all tore up with the installation of the new septic system, I decided to try to take care of it. The guy who seeded the grass used a seed that I was not happy with. I over seeded this past spring with a premium Scotts seed. It appears to me not all germinated so I’ll try again. I also get very heavy dew overnight, so the grass is always wet until about noon or some clody days later in the afternoon. This makes bagging difficult. Sometimes I mow and just let the grass fly out then come back the next day and bag it up. I thought the hydro bagger on the 444 would be the answer but then it started leaking oil after I plowed with it last fall. I guess the only way to keep it looking good would be to mow more often which means more gas consumption. I’ve already used 60 gallons this summer which is mostly for mowing. No easy answer unless I just let it grow and bail it up. Harry

[RoamingGnome]

Do you have to mow more often with a mulching mower so you have less grass to contend with? I would like to try mulching because grandpa is getting tired of unplugging the chute and dumping the collecting bags. I’ve read it’s healthier for the lawn to let the clippings decompose in the lawn. What does everyone do on their lawns? Mulch, bag or just let it fly? Harry

I can only comment on the basis of a big city dweller that doesn't have a yard big enough to swing a cat, let alone justify using one of my Case tractors w/mowing deck... Everything in the city is done with a 15 year old cordless B&D lawn mower set to mulch. This year with all the rain and humidity I've been cutting the grass every 5-7 days and see minimal clippings on the lawn afterwards. The city lot is 80x120 and takes just over an hour to complete. The only time I use the bagger on my cordless mower is in the fall when I suck up and mulch all the leaves before putting them in composting bags for collection by the city.

I have tried using all of my Case tractors in the city yard. It is quicker, but the yard is so uneven and lumpy that I get better results with the walk behind...

[MattA]

Most box store mulching kits contain a pair of mulching blades and a discharge chute cover. When the grass is too deep, the grass clippings tend to build up and clump by the chute cover. And then there's my lazy neighbor who mows every 3-4 weeks with a mulching kit. He literally tries to cut down 12-18" of weeds with some grass mixed in. His tractor struggles to cut it, bogging down and sometimes stalling. The finished product is a thick row of poorly mulched up clippings with every pass, lots of random weeds that just stand back up and a general wavyness to the lawn that looks similar to a plowed field.