Convert lawnmower to mulcher?
 

Subject line says it all.

I've got an MTD/Honda self-propelled walk behind rotary lawn mower. I'm
tired of bagging/dumping the clippings and want to replace stock blade with
a mulching blade.

Can do-- yes, no?

Convert lawnmower to mulcher?
 

Charlie Darwin wrote:
Subject line says it all.

I've got an MTD/Honda self-propelled walk behind rotary lawn mower. I'm
tired of bagging/dumping the clippings and want to replace stock blade with
a mulching blade.

Can do-- yes, no?

I think you can just put a good mulching blade on and close up the hole
for the bag. It should work fine.

I just got one of those new Craftsman Advanced mulching blades that are
split at the ends. I am actually very surprised at how well it works.
All the leaves and grass are cut into 1/4" pieces.

Dante

Convert lawnmower to mulcher?
 

"Charlie Darwin" wrote in message
...
Subject line says it all.

I've got an MTD/Honda self-propelled walk behind rotary lawn mower. I'm
tired of bagging/dumping the clippings and want to replace stock blade
with a mulching blade.

Can do-- yes, no?


Yes. Put on a mulching blade and block the exit chute. You get a better
lawn too. Don't cut it too short either.

Convert lawnmower to mulcher?
 

On May 16, 10:20*am, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:
"Charlie Darwin" wrote in message

...

Subject line says it all.

I've got an MTD/Honda self-propelled walk behind rotary lawn mower. I'm
tired of bagging/dumping the clippings and want to replace stock blade
with a mulching blade.

Can do-- yes, no?

Yes. Put on a mulching blade and block the exit chute. *You get a better
lawn too. *Don't cut it too short either.

My experience doing that didn't work all that well. I put a mulching
blade on a ordinary mower and while it did mulch, it never gave as
nice a cut as either my Honda mulcher or the Sears one I have now.
By far, the Honda gave the nicest cut. It used 2 blades, one over the
top of the other. The Sears has a single blade. A lot may depend
on the mulching blade and I would suggest doing some investigating
before buying one. I would think there could be a lot of variation
in performance and design among them. Also, I wonder if the deck
itself is shaped slightly differently on mowers intended to be
mulchers?

Also, none of the mulchers do that well in sparse grass. They work
best in normal to thick turf. If you have sparse areas, they tend to
just whack over the grass, and leave it ragged. Again, the converted
mulcher was worse at this than the designed mulchers.

At any rate, it doesn't cost much to try.

Convert lawnmower to mulcher?
 

On May 16, 8:42*am, "Charlie Darwin" wrote:
Subject line says it all.

I've got an MTD/Honda self-propelled walk behind rotary lawn mower. I'm
tired of bagging/dumping the clippings and want to replace stock blade with
a mulching blade.

Can do-- yes, no?

Id be suprised if the blade it came with was not intended for
mulching. Read the manual or sales info. I would just try it and see,
mulching is preffered and a standard way mowers are equipped I
thought.

Convert lawnmower to mulcher?
 

On Sat, 16 May 2009 10:40:44 -0700 (PDT), ransley
wrote:

On May 16, 8:42*am, "Charlie Darwin" wrote:
Subject line says it all.

I've got an MTD/Honda self-propelled walk behind rotary lawn mower. I'm
tired of bagging/dumping the clippings and want to replace stock blade with
a mulching blade.

Me too. I have a tiny end of group townhouse lawn and I borrowed a
bagging mower last week, and the rain made the grass long, and I had
to empty the bag twice in the first five minutes. I can empty it in
the woods next to my house but it took almost twice as much time as
the mowing did. It was going to change a 30 minute job to a 90 minute
job. (or 15 to 45, I forget)

Does this have a side opening, or is the only opening the one for the
bag?

Can do-- yes, no?

Id be suprised if the blade it came with was not intended for
mulching. Read the manual or sales info. I would just try it and see,
mulching is preffered and a standard way mowers are equipped I
thought.

I never even thought about the kind of blade. At the end of the year
when I want to mulch my leaves, I tape a heavy large letter-size
manila envelope over the opening, though any piece of cardboard or
heavy paper will do, and presto, I have a mulching mower. So I never
rake my leaves.

So just try it without changing the blade and see how you like it.
Then, later, if do change the blade, you'll know how much difference
it makes. Come back and tell us.

Now wrt grass, it does leave small hills of grass, like an inch wide
and 3 to 6 inches long. Would a mulching blade scatter all the little
pieces so I can't find them?????

And the county here sends out notices that muching is better. The cut
grass fertilizes the new grass. After all, they're made out of the
same stuff. Plus I have woods to dump things in but for most people
it ends up in land fill, after the cost of trucking it.