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JD X330 with 2Bag Material Collection System: need more efficiency!

#1

S

Stangl

Currently bagging leaves; first pass is somewhat okay. As I continue,the blowout from under the deck is substantial
The first and subsequent passes look as though nothing was done. Need multiple passes to clear the leaves to about 70% efficiency.
Please advise.


#2



Deleted member 97405

The issue here is airflow. The factory bags will handle grass no problem, but the more you use them, the more the holes in the bag weaving get clogged. It's not noticeable when bagging grass usually, but can make bagging leaves a challenge because the leaves are so light. So, Deere has 'loose weave' bags to help with this issue. Essentially, with the loose weave bags, the thrust of air that the blades are creating can escape faster, thus increasing your 'suction' power for the leaves. See picture below. Also, make sure that the bagging blades GX25668 were installed when the dealer installed the bagger. I've had situations where they forgot to change the blades. The bagging blades have a higher lift which creates more air flow. Hope this helps!

1665493342427.png


#3

K

Keljan11

Could it also be not working too well because the deck underneath is clogged up? Our mower has problems filling the baggers with cuttings when the mower deck hasn't been cleaned underneath


#4

sgkent

sgkent

A couple times a year I pressure wash our bag outside inwards to open up the holes in the weave that have been plugged, and make sure it drains out away from the mower. That helps a lot. As the bag fills remember that the surface area for it to blow out is reduced in many bag types, and this reduces lift. You may just need to empty it into a composting pile or bin more often as you pick up leaves.


#5

S

Stangl

Hey Will, This does help. This a new unit and it frustrates me because I had the same issues with a 1999 LT 166 and 48c.
I tried multiple adjustments and even added the Baffle Kit; all to no avail. I seem to have a different number set:
Blades: AUC10853 2 blades for a 42" cutting deck/ which can with the addition of the bagger. Bagger OMUC28146 Issue:HO
I'll check this out with my JD dealer.
Thanks,
Russ


#6

S

Stangl

Keljan11 said:
Could it also be not working too well because the deck underneath is clogged up? Our mower has problems filling the baggers with cuttings when the mower deck hasn't been cleaned underneath
Click to expand...
Thanks for the help. Had an older JD ; this probably would have helped. Stangl


#7

S

Stangl

sgkent said:
A couple times a year I pressure wash our bag outside inwards to open up the holes in the weave that have been plugged, and make sure it drains out away from the mower. That helps a lot. As the bag fills remember that the surface area for it to blow out is reduced in many bag types, and this reduces lift. You may just need to empty it into a composting pile or bin more often as you pick up leaves.
Click to expand...
I will definitely do this; we live in a sandy soil area and our mower sucks up a lot of sand. It is a new unit and I hesitate to add the optional Baffle Unit. Experience tells me they do not work. Stangl


#8

K

Keljan11

Stangl said:
Thanks for the help. Had an older JD ; this probably would have helped. Stangl
Click to expand...
I made a water sprayer out of 1/2" pvc pipe I drilled some small holes in, that I just drive over, stop the mower, engage the mower, drop the deck as low as it will go and let it run for about 45 seconds. Comes out clean as a whistle , and picks up really well the next time I mow.


#9



Deleted member 97405

Keljan11 said:
I made a water sprayer out of 1/2" pvc pipe I drilled some small holes in, that I just drive over, stop the mower, engage the mower, drop the deck as low as it will go and let it run for about 45 seconds. Comes out clean as a whistle , and picks up really well the next time I mow.
Click to expand...
I would caution using water on your mower right after mowing. Hot bearing getting hit with cold water creates condensation in the bearing housing, which will end up making you have to replace the bearings more often. Let the machine fully cool down then hit it with water.


#10

K

Keljan11

Will1988 said:
I would caution using water on your mower right after mowing. Hot bearing getting hit with cold water creates condensation in the bearing housing, which will end up making you have to replace the bearings more often. Let the machine fully cool down then hit it
Will1988 said:
I would caution using water on your mower right after mowing. Hot bearing getting hit with cold water creates condensation in the bearing housing, which will end up making you have to replace the bearings more often. Let the machine fully cool down then hit it with water.
Click to expand...
Hi Will1988,
Click to expand...
The area where I take the mower to wash it out, after dumping the bagger, is quite a ways from my lawn. Then there is the time it takes to find a free hose to hook up to the sprayer, the deck is pretty much cooled down. Have done this for a couple of years with no real problems so far, (but not saying it won't in the future).


#11

S

Stangl

Stangl said:
Hey Will, This does help. This a new unit and it frustrates me because I had the same issues with a 1999 LT 166 and 48c.
I tried multiple adjustments and even added the Baffle Kit; all to no avail. I seem to have a different number set:
Blades: AUC10853 2 blades for a 42" cutting deck/ which can with the addition of the bagger. Bagger OMUC28146 Issue:HO
I'll check this out with my JD dealer.
Thanks,
Russ
Click to expand...
Will1988 said:
The issue here is airflow. The factory bags will handle grass no problem, but the more you use them, the more the holes in the bag weaving get clogged. It's not noticeable when bagging grass usually, but can make bagging leaves a challenge because the leaves are so light. So, Deere has 'loose weave' bags to help with this issue. Essentially, with the loose weave bags, the thrust of air that the blades are creating can escape faster, thus increasing your 'suction' power for the leaves. See picture below. Also, make sure that the bagging blades GX25668 were installed when the dealer installed the bagger. I've had situations where they forgot to change the blades. The bagging blades have a higher lift which creates more air flow. Hope this helps!

View attachment 62477
Click to expand...


#12

S

Stangl

Stangl said:
Hey Will: any comment about the number differences from previous email? The Loose Weave bags AM135486 and AM135485 seem to meet on my research. My JDX330 /42" deck has a 2 bag system.
Will both work? The 485 includes the X330 in its fit list; the 486 does not. This lack of pick-up occurred on the first cut with a new machine and bagging system. The bags may already be loose weave but cannot seem to find part number. Please advise. Russ
Click to expand...


#13



Deleted member 97405

Sorry for the delay. My notifications never work lol. See part differences below:

1665693640034.png
1665693678639.png


#14

S

slomo

Wash all the grease out of those bearings. Mower washes are not recommended.

Blowers, paint brushes and compressed air are.

Turtle Wax on the deck doesn't hurt either.


#15

S

Stangl

Will1988 said:
Sorry for the delay. My notifications never work lol. See part differences below:

View attachment 62497
View attachment 62498
Click to expand...
Will: my Material Collection system is a Powerflow, therefore,the part # is Am135485. I looked at the bags today and they seem to be of the Loose Weave type. Russ Stangl Oops, after looking at your attachments I see that they actually medium density. Thanks for the great help. Will get a set shortly


#16

S

Stangl

Will1988 said:
Sorry for the delay. My notifications never work lol. See part differences below:

View attachment 62497
View attachment 62498
Click to expand...
Will: my Material Collection system is a Powerflow, therefore,the part # is Am135485. I looked at the bags today and they seem to be of the Loose Weave type. Russ Stangl
Stangl said:
Will: my Material Collection system is a Powerflow, therefore,the part # is Am135485. I looked at the bags today and they seem to be of the Loose Weave type. Russ Stangl Oops, after looking at your attachments I see that they actually medium density. Thanks for the great help. Will get a set shortly
Click to expand...


#17



Deleted member 97405

You're welcome. I assumed you had the standard 42" mower deck, but you have the optional 48" mower deck. My bad. I missed that. The loose weave bags will definitely make a difference, but if they don't totally fix the issue, I would get the deflector kit below.
1665795282078.png


#18

S

Stangl

Will1988 said:
You're welcome. I assumed you had the standard 42" mower deck, but you have the optional 48" mower deck. My bad. I missed that. The loose weave bags will definitely make a difference, but if they don't totally fix the issue, I would get the deflector kit below.
View attachment 62504
Click to expand...
G'day Will, Actually I have the X330 with 42" ACCEL DEEP deck. The POWER FLOW system is without the blower. It really does a good job filling the bags; the frustration is the leaves and grass being blown out the front and piling up on the deck surface. I will get the loose weave bags as soon as I can and get the deflector kit if necessary. Once again, thanks!
Russ Stangl


#19



Deleted member 97405

Stangl said:
G'day Will, Actually I have the X330 with 42" ACCEL DEEP deck. The POWER FLOW system is without the blower. It really does a good job filling the bags; the frustration is the leaves and grass being blown out the front and piling up on the deck surface. I will get the loose weave bags as soon as I can and get the deflector kit if necessary. Once again, thanks!
Russ Stangl
Click to expand...
You're welcome. And for future reference, the PowerFlow is Deere's brand name for the blower unit. What you have is just a traditional bagger system, which consists of a chute and hopper. If you tell a dealer you have a powerflow system, they are going to assume you have the blower. Just FYI to avoid confusion for you in the future.


#20

S

Stangl

Will1988 said:
You're welcome. And for future reference, the PowerFlow is Deere's brand name for the blower unit. What you have is just a traditional bagger system, which consists of a chute and hopper. If you tell a dealer you have a powerflow system, they are going to assume you have the blower. Just FYI to avoid confusion for you in the future.
Click to expand...
Will, The appropriate bag seems to be out of stock in some on line stores. Also USA JD dealers are not allowed to send product to Canada. The US prices put the price, per bag, at around $60.00 USD,
while the Canadian JD dealers are charging $200.00 CAD per bag. When I get this settled I will let you know the results. Cheers!
Russ


#21

S

Stangl

Will: I ordered my bags from JD dealer in Norwich , Ontario today. I was surprised; they were $85.00 CAD each. I had a productive talk with the JD technician. Interestingly he and his father both have the same machine; his father has no problem with frontal blowout because he has a thick lawn and the deck pretty well skims over the grass effectively creating a "seal". The technician has a sparse yard,like myself, and has the same blowout condition. They have the 48" deck with Power Flow and cut at 2 1/2". I neglected to ask if they had the Loose Weave option themselves. My bags should arrive this week!.
Ta ta for now,
Russ


#22

S

Stangl

Stangl said:
Will: I installed the bags. They almost work the same with somewhat of an improvement on the left side. I do believe that it is the condition of my yard. A lot of trees and sparse grass; so much so that there is too much space between the deck and the yard. I tried bagging at a shorter deck height.....same difference. I will be looking into the deflector kit or adding a rubber flap.
Click to expand...
Russ


#23



Deleted member 97405

Stangl said:
Russ
Click to expand...
Another trick I learned over the years is this: Remove your bagger chute. Blow the leaves into rows. Not too high that the deck drags them. With the blades on, BACK over the leaves. This makes the leaves enter the back of the deck, which means the blades will circulate them around underneath, which will grind them up into small pieces. It's essentially an instant mulcher!(also works with grass clippings) Then put your chute on and bag them up in the forward direction. We did exactly this over the weekend here at my inlaws place. They live in the mountain and have tons of leaves and very light grass. I dont like the flap idea because if you lower the front lip of your deck, you're just gonna be pushing the leaves in front of you, and you don't want to pile them up there because of the hot muffler. This reverse mowing trick works with all makes and models of mowers(my inlaws have a Craftsman). I have utilized it a ton over the years both with leaves and grass clippings. FYI, I mow with the old 1964 model 110 in my profile pic. That's proof that it works because that machine does not have a mulcher or bagger on it, and it works just fine with this trick! Hope this helps!


#24

S

Stangl

Will1988 said:
Another trick I learned over the years is this: Remove your bagger chute. Blow the leaves into rows. Not too high that the deck drags them. With the blades on, BACK over the leaves. This makes the leaves enter the back of the deck, which means the blades will circulate them around underneath, which will grind them up into small pieces. It's essentially an instant mulcher!(also works with grass clippings) Then put your chute on and bag them up in the forward direction. We did exactly this over the weekend here at my inlaws place. They live in the mountain and have tons of leaves and very light grass. I dont like the flap idea because if you lower the front lip of your deck, you're just gonna be pushing the leaves in front of you, and you don't want to pile them up there because of the hot muffler. This reverse mowing trick works with all makes and models of mowers(my inlaws have a Craftsman). I have utilized it a ton over the years both with leaves and grass clippings. FYI, I mow with the old 1964 model 110 in my profile pic. That's proof that it works because that machine does not have a mulcher or bagger on it, and it works just fine with this trick! Hope this helps!
Click to expand...
Will: This input is excellent. Often the variations that we make to get a good job done are not so obvious, but, they do work! I did notice that when backing over the leaves the action was different. Currently, we are having rainy weather; this weekend appears to be shaping up. I am looking forward to trying this method. Thank you.

Russ


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