Switching to longer blades?

[BigBlueEdge]

You said it happened brand new. I would have taken it back and switched it for another one.

Well that ship sailed in 2021. But thanks for the tip!!

 

[BigBlueEdge]

I'd go to one of your neighbors who has a lawn with a different grass and make a pass with your mower. See if I different grass cuts clean. That quack grass is a very difficult grass to mow. I've had the same problem with it here. Round-Up and sowing a different grass fixed that problem. The pictures you sent look more like tire tracks than just poor cutting. If you are cutting grass 10" tall at 3", I'm not surprised it leaves tire tracks. If you make a second pass in the opposite direction, does it cut cleanly then? I've had this problem with a JD D140, 2 of them actually, and with both it was due to tip wear on the blades. New blades or proper sharpening fixed it. I never had the problem with new blades. If you have it with new blades of 2 different brands, either they are both too short, you have a deck with bad caking underneath (a DEFINITE cause of this problem), or it's a design issue. Sounds like it might be the later. I was considering a BB Maverick earlier this year. In all the reviews I read on it, I never heard this mentioned as being an issue. I went with a Caroni 93" rear discharge, 5-bladed, 3-point mounted finish mower instead. Also, don't dismiss the deck leveling adjustments or the tire pressure suggestions. Both will cause this problem as well. Don't know why exactly, but experience tells me it will.

It's definitely not deck build-up. It is also definitely not blade wear since it happened with two sets of brand new blades. And it has happened even after very careful tire pressure checks and deck leveling (by me and the dealer back in 2021 and me since). So I think it is just how this design happens to handle my grass type.

I have 7 acres of country lawn. It's never going to be a manicured, perfect single-grass-type lawn like a city lawn might be. I'm not worried enough about this to take any 'corrective' action on the lawn. Just started the thread to get thoughts on slightly longer blades.

 

[BigBlueEdge]

The mower will normally do that when turning. You didn't say if when turning or otherwise. But one factor will greatly influence that happening. Your blades need to be sharp (always a given), and the edge at the end of the side that's sharpened must not be rounded. It should come to a point. Doesn't need to always be 90 degrees, but if the end is rounded, I find that the blades tend to push the grass away instead of cutting it. And if you have the correct blades for your mower, there shouldn't be more than 1/4" of space between the blade and the deck. At least this is my experience of commercial mowing for 10 years. I find that if I change my blades almost every day, they last longer, and it takes less time to resharpen and balance.

It happens straight, but is worse when turning.

Both factory and Gator blades did this new (and sharpened), so it isn't from blade wear. There is just under 1/4" clearance between the blade and the shroud or deck sides.

 

[MParr]

It happens straight, but is worse when turning.

Both factory and Gator blades did this new (and sharpened), so it isn't from blade wear. There is just under 1/4" clearance between the blade and the shroud or deck sides.

Have you had the chance to try the blades that I posted above?

 

[BigBlueEdge]

Have you had the chance to try the blades that I posted above?

No, not yet.

 

[mmoffitt]

thank you hope things have gotten better!

 

[BigBlueEdge]

Mowing season is almost done here. I likely won't be making any changes until spring.