Gravely Mower problems

[MikeVajda]

Earlier this year purchased new Gravely(Ariens) ZT-34 from local dealer for $2.3K.
Dealer installed Gravely mulch kit sold by Gravely for this machine.

This machine does not mulch or cuts the grass properly. It just mauls the grass.
Large clumps of grass are uncut even after several passes.
Does not develop vacuum necessary for the job, does not even pick up leaves.

Below are excerpts from the VERY frustrating exchange trying to get help.
Net: Machine DOES NOT DO JOB #1, it is MY PROBLEM.

Q: (My note to Gravely Customer Support)
The lawn I have is brand new, planted about three months ago.
Good topsoil, well drained, flat, open space.
I have several issues:
1. I mow at mid height-level setting and the grass in the middle of the two blades is not cut, it just gets mangled.
2. The wheels flatten the grass (unavoidably) and they stay flat after I go over them. So most don稚 get cut .
3. The machine does not pick up and chop leaves on the grass. I just don稚 see any vacuum developing.
4. Even though I only mow when the grass is dry the
cuttings are largely not driven back into the grass.
They just stick to the carriage and eventually are disgorged in big blobs.
5. I drive VERY slow while mowing and go over two to three times in different directions.
The results still look very poor.
6. At the same height setting my Craftsman 22 push ($130 12 years ago) mower does just fine. It just takes forever.

In every other way the ZT-34 seems to be a fine machine except doing Job 1.
To me this is an expensive machine and I expect more.

A: (Response from Gravely Customer Support)
Please remember, even though there is a mulching kit available for this deck, does not mean it is a superior mulcher, but more like a basic mulcher.

Q:
Are you recommending that I give up on mulching with the ZT-34?

A:
No, I think you need to try mulching with the original hi-lift blade, that came with the machine. Take the mulch blades off and try it.

Q:
As I have it now this machine does not do the job it was sold to do.
Unless you help me with this I fear I have been had.

A:
This mower cannot "by design" be a superior mulcher. We do not advertise it as a superior mulcher.
Please keep in mind, I am here to help you out.
There is no other blade, but the ones you have.

 

[KennyV]

WELCOME to these Forums....

What all was Included in the dealer installed mulching kit? Is it all on your mower & is it installed correctly??

Unfortunately not all decks lend themselves to being a multipurpose deck... some are better than others when it comes to converting.
If you want to pursue mulching with that mower you might try fitting Oregon gator blades... but just because they are mulching blades will Not guarantee you will bet a perfect mulch with that particular deck... Deck design has as much to do with it as the blades, in some cases more...
You might try as they suggested, use the stock blade and see how it works... Mower blades are expendables, you will be replacing them periodically so having spare sets is not a bad deal.
I have found that Oregon Gator blades work better than any other mulching blade, you may have to Measure your stock blade to find the appropriate blade... :smile:KennyV

 

[Barney Fife]

Document everything you do. Take pictures. I took B&S to small claims court and LOST. I was out of wantanty by 2 days. However, I did win the BATTLE. I called them back and told the guy that I was going to take Diamond Engins to Small ccourt next. They said "What do you want" I said my parts paid for....LoL They said go tell Jim to order them and we will pay for them. True story. They are VERY hard to get anything out of Especialy when they are RIGHT!:confused2:

Let me tell you what happened, my two boys cut grass during the summer. I bought them a used mower and the motor went bad. So I bought them a NEW motor threw our local parts store. Used it 2 years and 2 days. The motor started leaking oil behind the Elec. Clutch, a lot of oil. didn't see till it was to late. When I took the Clutch off there were two PILOT HOLES behind the clutch and the lower one came out and lost the motor Oil. My arguement was it was a bad design.

My son and walked into court and sit down. Two well dressed men came in wearing suits and ties. They sit right behind us. I heard one of them say"I don't know why we are here on a Saturday" "They should have setteled this" :thumbsup: Judge called us up to the front. Asked us to tell our story. I handed him several letters from friends who wrote that I was a HONEST person. (Took time to get that done) The Judge looked at the two men and you don't question his intergety do you. NO! The judge handed me back my letters.....LoL I explained how the bolt viberated out. Judge asked them to talk. They pulled out the 4X4 colored chart said it out of Waranty! Judge said I'll let you know my finding in 10 days. I LOST....GRRRRRRR:thumbdown:

I said all of that to say THIS, IF PUSH COMES TO SHOVE. You may need to do something like I did. I hope they take care of you.

 

[djdicetn]

Earlier this year purchased new Gravely(Ariens) ZT-34 from local dealer for $2.3K.
Dealer installed Gravely mulch kit sold by Gravely for this machine.

This machine does not mulch or cuts the grass properly. It just mauls the grass.
Large clumps of grass are uncut even after several passes.
Does not develop vacuum necessary for the job, does not even pick up leaves.

Below are excerpts from the VERY frustrating exchange trying to get help.
Net: Machine DOES NOT DO JOB #1, it is MY PROBLEM.

Q: (My note to Gravely Customer Support)
The lawn I have is brand new, planted about three months ago.
Good topsoil, well drained, flat, open space.
I have several issues:
1. I mow at mid height-level setting and the grass in the middle of the two blades is not cut, it just gets mangled.
2. The wheels flatten the grass (unavoidably) and they stay flat after I go over them. So most don稚 get cut .
3. The machine does not pick up and chop leaves on the grass. I just don稚 see any vacuum developing.
4. Even though I only mow when the grass is dry the
cuttings are largely not driven back into the grass.
They just stick to the carriage and eventually are disgorged in big blobs.
5. I drive VERY slow while mowing and go over two to three times in different directions.
The results still look very poor.
6. At the same height setting my Craftsman 22 push ($130 12 years ago) mower does just fine. It just takes forever.

In every other way the ZT-34 seems to be a fine machine except doing Job 1.
To me this is an expensive machine and I expect more.

A: (Response from Gravely Customer Support)
Please remember, even though there is a mulching kit available for this deck, does not mean it is a superior mulcher, but more like a basic mulcher.

Q:
Are you recommending that I give up on mulching with the ZT-34?

A:
No, I think you need to try mulching with the original hi-lift blade, that came with the machine. Take the mulch blades off and try it.

Q:
As I have it now this machine does not do the job it was sold to do.
Unless you help me with this I fear I have been had.

A:
This mower cannot "by design" be a superior mulcher. We do not advertise it as a superior mulcher.
Please keep in mind, I am here to help you out.
There is no other blade, but the ones you have.

Unfortunately, I tend to lean toward agreeing with user KennyV and Ariens that the ZT34, with a stamped deck, is not a design that would be good for mulching. And I'm willing to bet that the "mulch kit" installed is nothing more than a cover for the discharge chute. I am pasting a link to the Oregon OEM blades, but I don't think you will find a blade recommended for the ZT34(they do show a GATOR G6 blade (2) for 34 cut, Compact Pro, but that's a 34" fabricated deck not the stamped). I installed a Gravely mulch kit on my 2012 52" Pro Turn 100XDZ, but it has the X-Factor fabricated deck which already has rear baffles and the mulch kit made it have baffles that fully enclosed each individual blade of the three spindles. I will try to post some pictures so you can see what I am referring to and if you look at them and then look under your deck you will plainly see that my deck was indeed designed to accomodate mulching and as much as I hate to rub it in.....it does a fantastic job of it:0(

http://www.oregonproducts.com/pdfs/OREGON_BladesByOEM.pdf

I'll try to post those pictures and my recommendation for you would be to (A)remove the mulch kit, (B)install the regular Gravely OEM blades that come on the ZT34 and (C)see if the cut quality doesn't drastically improve. The dealer, I may add, should have warned you ahead of time and not simply sold you the mulch kit without explaining that the stamped deck would not produce the same results as their ZT HD & Pro Turn models would. Wished i had a better suggestion:0(

I agree with KennyV, though, that it may be worthwhile to attempt using some high-quality mulching blades(or trying the hi-lift OEM blade as recommended by Ariens) first before "abandoning" mulching with your ZTR.

 

[djdicetn]

Earlier this year purchased new Gravely(Ariens) ZT-34 from local dealer for $2.3K.
Dealer installed Gravely mulch kit sold by Gravely for this machine.

This machine does not mulch or cuts the grass properly. It just mauls the grass.
Large clumps of grass are uncut even after several passes.
Does not develop vacuum necessary for the job, does not even pick up leaves.

Below are excerpts from the VERY frustrating exchange trying to get help.
Net: Machine DOES NOT DO JOB #1, it is MY PROBLEM.

Q: (My note to Gravely Customer Support)
The lawn I have is brand new, planted about three months ago.
Good topsoil, well drained, flat, open space.
I have several issues:
1. I mow at mid height-level setting and the grass in the middle of the two blades is not cut, it just gets mangled.
2. The wheels flatten the grass (unavoidably) and they stay flat after I go over them. So most don稚 get cut .
3. The machine does not pick up and chop leaves on the grass. I just don稚 see any vacuum developing.
4. Even though I only mow when the grass is dry the
cuttings are largely not driven back into the grass.
They just stick to the carriage and eventually are disgorged in big blobs.
5. I drive VERY slow while mowing and go over two to three times in different directions.
The results still look very poor.
6. At the same height setting my Craftsman 22 push ($130 12 years ago) mower does just fine. It just takes forever.

In every other way the ZT-34 seems to be a fine machine except doing Job 1.
To me this is an expensive machine and I expect more.

A: (Response from Gravely Customer Support)
Please remember, even though there is a mulching kit available for this deck, does not mean it is a superior mulcher, but more like a basic mulcher.

Q:
Are you recommending that I give up on mulching with the ZT-34?

A:
No, I think you need to try mulching with the original hi-lift blade, that came with the machine. Take the mulch blades off and try it.

Q:
As I have it now this machine does not do the job it was sold to do.
Unless you help me with this I fear I have been had.

A:
This mower cannot "by design" be a superior mulcher. We do not advertise it as a superior mulcher.
Please keep in mind, I am here to help you out.
There is no other blade, but the ones you have.

Finally got a chance to post some pictures of my Gravely mulch kit. Check out the link below, and if your mulch kit isn't designed like mine(heavy gauge steel, fully encloses the blades and extends to the bottom of the deck edge) most likely your results won't be as good as mine are(mine works GREAT)!!! I hope you get your dilemma resolved and get a professional looking cut on your lawn which should be expected!!

http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/hustler-forum/20286-clogging-deck-2.html#post131312