Couple newbie questions

[Beacher]

Hello from Canader eh,

I recently purchased a used Husqvarna YTH48XLS riding lawnmower. (love this thing).

Mine is a 48" cut (3 x 16-1/4" blades) with a fabricated deck and Kawasaki FR730V motor. I believe these models came with a couple different motors, (Kawasaki, Kohler, Briggs & Strat etc.).

Couple questions ...

1) Regarding the model number ... can someone explain the YTH and XLS part of it? Especially the XLS. I have seen many references to the Husqvarna YTH24V48 but not so much for the XLS so it is a bit of a mystery to me? Just wondering what that means?

2) Thinking of putting mulching blades on it? Definitley do not want to rake or bag. Reasearch is indicating that either Gator or Maxpower is the better choice over the Husqvarna mulching blades? Yes/no?

3) Is the mulching plug a good (or mandatory) idea? I understand it keeps the grass contained in the deck for better "chopping up"? Wondering if it makes a big difference to have it or not with the mulching blades installed? In my case this lawmower did not come with the discharge chute. I guess the former owner took it off and coudln't find it ?? Does the discharge chute itself make a difference in the actual grass cutting?

Thanks in advance for any reolies.

 

[bertsmobile1]

I have found Gators do not work well with the Husqvarna fabricated decks.
Do a good job in the pressed ones but dissapointing in the welded ones and very prone to mowhawking
I only fir genuine GAtors & not the copies so the copies might work better.
They all have slightly different flute patterns .
And Gators do not work with a blocked discharge chute.

 

[Beacher]

Thank you bertsmobile1 ...... good to know.

Maybe I should stick with Husqvarna mulching blades?

 

[bertsmobile1]

The only real problem with them is they are very light and highly prone to bending at the slightest provocation .
So avaoid dog bones, big branches concrete garden edges and tradies with big steel cap boots & you should be fine .
One particular problem with this ( and most of their range ) when mulching is debris build up on the mower rails which prevents the clutch / brake pedal going completely home
Get under and watch the lever under the mower to see the spot you need to keep clean.
If you have a compressor then get a looooog duster 4' to 6' is good so youcan blow out the region regularly without eating grass

 

[cruzenmike]

Thank you bertsmobile1 ...... good to know.

Maybe I should stick with Husqvarna mulching blades?

Be sure to know the difference between "true" mulching blades as those that are simply called mulching blades. For example, true mulching blades are wavy and have a high AND low cutting edge on the face of the blade and have a relatively low lift. This blade design helps to recirculate the grass clippings under the deck and to cut them multiple times before dropping them back down into the turf. These types of blades can be used for side discharge, but the recirculating action is best achieved while using a chute block AND baffles under the deck. Also, a true mulching setup works best when all mowing conditions are ideal; grass is dry, mowing slowly and following the 1/3 rule.

Other mulching blades on the market such as Oregon Gators are medium to high lift blades, have one cutting edge and serrations on the sail. These are NOT made for chute blocks and should only be used while side discharging. Many people will use these with an OCDC but typically only when along landscaping or when processing leaves.

So, if you intend to simply avoid side discharging, purchase the complete Husqvarna mulching kit for your mower and mow often. If you are simply trying to reduce the size of your clippings as they come out of the side discharge chute, try using just a wavy mulching blade or gators to see which one works best for your turf, mowing method deck setup.

I will share with you a bit of my experience. I have a 38" stamped deck on my mower. It came with a mulching kit installed which included the wavy mulching blades and a combination baffle/adjustable chute block. The previous owner of the mower had a well manicured city lot and mower VERY frequently. When I got the mower home this setup did not work so well. I have a mixture of various grasses, dense is some areas, and sparse in others. When I used the mower as set up from the previous owner it worked fine in the sparse areas, but where my turf is dense and tends to grow very quickly, it just kept clumping and would miss some grass from the deck being underloaded. Long story short, my mowing frequency and turf conditions don't allow for use of a mulching setup.

The only advise that I can give you is that if you intend to purchase the Husqvarna mulching kit, be prepared to have somewhat disappointing results IF you are not able to cut often enough to keep the deck from overloading.

Lastly, the discharge chute serves two purposes; it is a safety device which helps to prevent large, heavy objects from being thrown up towards window, children and anything else which might be damaged, while also helping to direct clippings back into the turf. On my rural lot I typically have my chute all the way up to help with the grass to disperse better as my specific type of chute is known to create lines of clippings along-side the deck (poor design). I do not have to worry about kids or the neighbors belongings being damaged so for me this works out okay.

Hopefully this helps you with making a decision as to how you want to set your mower up.

 

[Beacher]

Hey Cruzenmike,

Thank you so much for your detailed information. I had no idea there was a difference between mulching blades. All I do know is that I don’t want to rake or bag and I hate seeing clumps of grass or having to mow over the same area several times to break up the clumps if they are there. I also have a commercial grade direct drive Honda walk mower with twin stacked mulching blades. The ONLY time I bag (which is rare) is at the beginning of the season when it might be somewhat wet, long, and I HAVE to cut it. I do have to use the hand mower for some of the areas.

I live rural and am retired. I can cut as often as I want. I have 15 acres (mostly forrest) but I cut the grass all around the house, long driveway, small orchard. Much of the terrain is “lumpy” so I cut very high and often. With the hand mower it is a 3.5 hour+ job which I usually split up into 2 days. I have always wanted a riding lawnmower and the one I just purchased was a complete fluke of luck on Craig’s List as they generally never come up especially one like this Husqvarna. I have already done some basic maintenance, oil change, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, new steering bushing as the steering wheel was somewhat “wobbly”. It is still "a bit" sloppy but MUCH better with the new bushing. I still have to grease the jerks. The mower runs great (Kawasaki FR730V) and is generally in great shape as far as I can tell. I have purchased a Mojack (on the way) which will allow me to lift the front end so I can get at the blades and clean the cutting deck underneath (I am pretty sure it has never been done) without having to remove the deck. I live on the west coast of Canada, so although we don’t generally get any snow here, it is wet and dormant in the winter so no grass cutting. Spring is generally wet so it grows fast and we wait for any dry days to start cutting. Mid summer is generally dry and the grass goes dormant so no need to cut.

The mower didn’t come with a chute. The blades seem to be cutting ok but I know they haven’ t been sharpened in a long time and I also think they are the original blades? The owner bought it new in 2013. So I am thinking it might be prudent to get new blades of some sort? It only had 90 hrs on it over all those years. Perhaps some mulching blades (or maybe high lift blades) with no plug is my best route? I don’t mind spilling out fine mulched grass. I generally never let it get too long unless we have a string if very wet weather to make it grow.

Research indicates Gator & Maxpower are good products? I also don’t mind buying Husqvarna mulching blades (or the kit) if they will work good enough?

Based on what I’ve said above …. What specific product would you recommend? I’m willing to try anything.

I see some 48” mulching kits (also a set of Husqvarna “lift blades” on Amazon.ca) but their length is 58.42cm (??) whereas my blades are 16-1/4” (41.275 cm). I am not in a panic at the moment. I am actually finished cutting for this season.

Oh one other question ... the winter storage is outside in a covered (not heated) shed with a Husqvarna mower cover. The mower will not see and rain. I plan on leaving the gas tank full with "conditioned gas" and start it up once a month. (probably a 6 month layover). Some folks say "fogg the engine". Is that necessary do you think?

Thanks again for your info. Much appreciated.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Beacher,
Cutting high is a big advantage
If you cut at full height and try to cut often enough that you are not having clippings longer than the remaining grass then the Gator type might work with your deck.
Gtting the right combination of blade & deck for a particular lawn / pasture is a trial & error process.
BEcause the market is cheap, and to get ride ons into supermarkets most domestic ( cheapest version ) come with universal decks only pro grade mowers now days have purposed decks .
Universal means throws poorly, bags poorly, mulches poorly .
Some more expensive brands will sell a mulching kit with baffels to bolt under the deck to alter the air flow to improve mulching.
The basic problem is a throwing/ bagging deck is designed to move all of the clippings to the discharge side
Where as a mulching deck needs the clippings to stay where they were cut.
The gaters with an open chute will cut the clippings finner so they vanish with a little breeze across the grass.
Some of my pros have summer & winter blades to cope with the different types & growth rates between the seasons.