Your opinion is requested: mulching blades vs bagging blades

[Dumb_Polack]

Hi,

My neighbor moved away and I bought his JD D130 riding lawn mower.  I had another JD from a prior neighbor that had the bagging attachment.  (I like to not have the clippings on the lawn...I know, I know....fertilizer for the lawn, but I prefer to pick them up).  Anywho, that one died, prompting me to buy the D130.  However, I saved the bracket and bagging equipment from the old one and was able to mount it (after drilling a few holes) on the D130.

In speaking with my old neighbor the other day, he thought the D130 had mulching vs bagging blades (this machine didn't have the bagging attachment which lends credence to mulching vs bagging blades).

My question is this, the owner's manual mentions you should use bagger blades if you will be bagging the grass.  Are these worth it?  Here's my logic as to why I don't think they are.  Don't mulching blades produce a finer clipping, thus allowing them to go up the chute and in the bags easier?  Wouldn't bagging blades cut longer blades potentially leading to clogging?  

Your thoughts?   thanks!

[joe1086]

From Cub Cadet

[BrentDH]

My impression has always been that a mulching blade's main purpose is to chop things up (no concern over lift) and that a bagging blade's main purpose is to provide lots of lift to push stuff out the tube and into the bag.  I think they are designed differently for their specific purpose and it would make a difference.  How much difference...  not sure.

[gear jammer]

Neighbor has a mulching deck thus no discharge. I think the mulching blades produce a finer cut . The ones with the notches in the back edge of each end for more cutting surfaces. He has a lot of dead clippings in his lawn but he let's it get a little tall and then cuts it short. The bagging blades would produce more airflow for discharge or up the tube for bagging. I have the bagging attachment but only can compost a limited amount at a time so I side discharge. I tie up the deflector so I get a better spread, cut my grass at 3 inches and usually a day or 2 earlier than needed for less clippings. cutting it high it stays greener longer rather than short and burned down by the heat and sun.

[toolmiser]

Mulching blades usually don't have as much lift (the flap on the back of the blade) as a blade for a bagger. My dealer told me about 20 years ago that JD had about 20 different blades for my rider for various purposes. I use Gator Blades (mulching blades) and I usually have the discharge chute partially up. I very seldom bag (usually in the spring) so I've never tried it with the mulching blades.

[MT Woodworker]

I use high lift bagging blades for the lawn, then switch them out for them out for the same type but no bagging, discharge, for the scrub grass, about an acre and a half.
Works fine either way, bag or discharge.

[rwe2156]

I think for mulching blades to work the chute has to be blocked off.

+1 on high lift blades.

[stoppy]

Have mulching blades on my rider, with the recent rains and fast growing grass, decided to bag cuttings to sheet compost in next years garden area. Am having no issues with the mulching blade and bagger.

[museumguy]

I have a mulching blade on my push mower. It also has a rear bagger attachment. I've never had issues with it throwing the clippings into the bag.

[stav]

Throwing my $0.02 in here. I have a push mower and I got one of these blades that I believe is for mulching. I has some pretty substantial fin cutters on it. My grass grows really fast and I find that the fins tend to clog with long grass and slow the blade and throw off the balance. My other blade does not have these fins and it’s works fine, no issues.