Can my catcher mower become a mulcher?

Hush

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I have a rear catcher MTD but really need a mulcher, can I simply change blades?
 

slomo

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Do you like weeds in your lawn? When mulching, all you are doing is grinding up the weed seeds and dispersing all over your lawn. Bagging is a huge step to take to help slow down those pesky weeds. Bagging looks better as well.

Next we can talk about thatch and choking your lawn out. Okay I will go first. It stops water, fertilizer and air from getting down into the soil. If you can't see soil then you have a thatch problem or some good dense grass. Thatch also stops/slows spreading grasses from spreading. Rhizomes can't reach the soil.

Forget all the mulching hype about putting all those nutrients back into the soil nonsense. All that sales line is for is to sell more mowers. They don't care if you have a thatch issue. Mulching is an easier way to mow. And in LAZY America, remote controls and wireless ANYTHING items are king. If you can make ANY item, easier to use, it will sell like hotcakes.
 

slomo

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So back to your original question. If someone makes a mulching blade you should be able to fit one on your mower.

Another novel on blades. Those voids/gaps on the back side of mower blades do zero for chopping or grinding up grass. They are a lower lift design is all. You don't need high lift like for bagging when you mulch. All those Gator voids kill lift or vacuuming power.
 

Hush

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Thanks Slomo, and yes I take on board your thoughts on mulching lol.
 

bertsmobile1

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Yes you can just change the blades
If you use MTD mulching blades then you just block off the discharge chute
If you go for he Gator style ( toothed blade ) you leave the chute open .
The gators recut each blade so it throws a short distance then after a day or so the clippings vanish
 

GrumpyCat

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Golly, I've mulched for 30 years and like the results. Rarely fertilize, and then it is with no good reason other than, "Maybe I ought to buy fertilizer this year?"
 

slomo

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Golly, I've mulched for 30 years and like the results. Rarely fertilize, and then it is with no good reason other than, "Maybe I ought to buy fertilizer this year?"
Some people like a darker green or denser lawn. Some get mowed once a year LOL.

So are you saying you are weed free and mulch? Only thing I see to make that true is you might have cool season grass.
 

bertsmobile1

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If you mow weeds before they go to seed then you do not transfer weed seeds all over the place
To mulch properly you have to cut as high as possible so the clipping have some where to go
If you mow high and the space between the blades of grass has clippings in it then that is almost the same as mulching a garden bed
If the weed seeds get no sun & are covered by clippings then they do not germinate particularly well .
So that only leaves broadleaf weeds and you get rid of them with a top dressing of Blood & bone with strait chook poo 50;50 dusted on top

People end up with lawns full of weed because they mow too low
 

GrumpyCat

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Some people like a darker green or denser lawn. Some get mowed once a year LOL.

So are you saying you are weed free and mulch? Only thing I see to make that true is you might have cool season grass.
Mowed once or twice per week when it rains. Had weeds pretty much under control until I had the fool notion to hire TruGreen. They killed half my grass. Have/had several species of grass, but it was green and kept dirt covered. Still recovering.

Know better than to mow white dandelion flowers. Still get them from neighbor.

Changed from EGo 21" SP mulcher this year to Country Clipper 42" zero turn. So far the CC throws grass so far there is no offensive accumulation. Looks as if I had mulched.
 

GrumpyCat

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If you mow weeds before they go to seed then you do not transfer weed seeds all over the place
To mulch properly you have to cut as high as possible so the clipping have some where to go
If you mow high and the space between the blades of grass has clippings in it then that is almost the same as mulching a garden bed
If the weed seeds get no sun & are covered by clippings then they do not germinate particularly well .
So that only leaves broadleaf weeds and you get rid of them with a top dressing of Blood & bone with strait chook poo 50;50 dusted on top

People end up with lawns full of weed because they mow too low
Yes! Believe my EGo height was set to 3rd highest of 4. Maybe 1/2" higher than most mow. The CC is currently set to 3", but I don't take that measurement as gospel. Is just the label on the mower for the height I found by trial and error.
 
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