[ironheadr5]

I have an X500 with a 48" deck. I get a lot of blowout when picking up leaves. I see they make a blowout kit for the deck. BM19894. Does it work or not? I do use Gator Blades on the deck, wondering if this cause`s a problem or should I go back to the original blades. Thoughts?

 

[ericforster]

Gator blades actually cut the debris finer than other blades. Finer particles can get through smaller spaces but give a better end result. You still should plug up what you can but I would keep the gators on.

 

[Frogmore]

I get a lot of blowout when picking up leaves. I

Do you have the Power flow bagger?

I have PF and 48X deck on my X534. It has lots of blowout with leaves.

I got a Cyclone Rake and use it with my X300 and 42X deck. It took had blowout. I got the kit for the deck and it improves it quite a bit. The kit for the 42 is half the price of the one for the 48, so I was willing to risk it. I tried making a skirt for the deck, but it didn't really work well. The material I used was really too stiff (base cove vinyl). I hear truck tire tube material might be better.

I have also heard that using the Deere mulching blades actually improves it. The Gators are fairly high lift blades and that seems to be an issue for excessive blowout. I have not tried this yet.

 

[RT3360]

A lot of blowout depends on the type leaves and how dry they are. Damp leaves reduce the blowout. Some Maple leaves are very very light when dry and blow with a whisper. My X738 54” HC deck does some, but not enough to make me add the blowout kit. The exhaust sometimes blows just as much. The front of the deck is raised to increase the height of the grass it can cut well. When I used my Cyclone Rake on my Scotts 42” the suction was enough to pull in leaves within 3” of the deck. However, dry thick leaves would build up in front of the deck up into the engine. Fortunately no fires.

 

[ironheadr5]

Do you have the Power flow bagger?

I have PF and 48X deck on my X534. It has lots of blowout with leaves.

I got a Cyclone Rake and use it with my X300 and 42X deck. It took had blowout. I got the kit for the deck and it improves it quite a bit. The kit for the 42 is half the price of the one for the 48, so I was willing to risk it. I tried making a skirt for the deck, but it didn't really work well. The material I used was really too stiff (base cove vinyl). I hear truck tire tube material might be better.

I have also heard that using the Deere mulching blades actually improves it. The Gators are fairly high lift blades and that seems to be an issue for excessive blowout. I have not tried this yet.

Sorry I did not specify, but I do have a power flo bagger setup.

 

[KWDAILYD]

I have an X729 and pull a Trac Vac. Blow out was bad with my 62C deck. I bought the kit and it works well. I also for some reason have better results with leaves when I switch out the gator blades and put the oem blades back on.

 

[Frogmore]

also for some reason have better results with leaves when I switch out the gator blades and put the oem blades back on.

The theory I have heard is that the gators have too much air flow of the CR to handle so blowout happens. The OEM blades don't move as much air, so things work better. It might be true.

 

[CPPROV]

I have a 48" deck with power flow. I find the height of the deck has a big impact on the deck blowout. On the highest setting, I do have a blowout of any type of leaf, typically out the right front. I will say if they are wet it does work better.

I do have a similar question though, I am getting a lot of blowout out of the back of the bagging system (1085GXBUC10911). Very frustrating as I am picking up leaves only to send some out the back, not all but enough that I notice (and it is frustrating). Have others experienced this with a power flow? I have tried adjusting the bags forward/back etc. with no luck. Any thoughts?

 

[Alien5044]

Regarding Cyclone Rakes, and I'd assume with Power Flows, both provide a vacuum effect to limit blowout, so agree 100% with these posts from RT3360:

• "When I used my Cyclone Rake on my Scotts 42” the suction was enough to pull in leaves within 3” of the deck. However, dry thick leaves would build up in front of the deck up into the engine. Fortunately no fires."
• "Damp leaves reduce the blowout."
• "A lot of blowout depends on the type leaves and how dry they are".

I use my X 500, 48" deck, Gator 6 blades, and the Cyclone Rake. Not sure why but I just don't experience much in the way of blow out. At least not to cause me to seek a fix for it. Even in heaviest leaves what blow out is there, is simply sucked up on the next pass. Twigs seldom get through the Gators with enough size left to impede flow through the CR tube, and always go through its impeller into the bin. In 3 hours of pick ups, I normally do not get any clogs that require me to stop to unclog. I am able to use very slow speeds to push through 6" leaf covers with the only issue being the "snow plow" effect. That usually resolves itself by just reversing a little, and letting the deck push over and digest the piled up "bow wave".

One thing we haven't discussed is the deck mowing height. I use 3.75" on the dial which is very close to the actual blade height. If anything the actual may be closer to 4". I'd guess that the higher the deck the more chance for blow out?

Anyway, I guess I am just lucky that blow out, while it happens here and there, just isn't a problem that can't be overcome easily by a "final clean up pass" around the area. Besides, more seat time on the JD just is more "vacation" time from the daily grind. 😁

 

[jim e]

I have a new yo me John Deere x540. It came with the 54 inch deck. I had an older deck, a 48 inch mulch compatible deck from my previous machine an LX188, that I was able to mount to the x540 by modified extra front draft arm I had. That 48 inch deck always worked great for mulching, especially leaves, and I have a massive amount in fall time. My 54 inch deck I recently installed the mulching kit, but unlike my older 48 inch as the 48 inch has a rubber flange that bolts to the front edge of deck,band that eliminates any blow out. The 54 inch does not have that. I read on these forums, that you need to remove the blow out if installing the mulch kit, and others say you need to install the blow out with the mulch kit. Makes me question what is proper? I was thinking of rigging up a similar rubber flange on the 54 like what John Deere had for the older 48, or possibly putting a garage door seal and bolt that to the leading edge, or is that not necessary once the mulch kit is installed on the 54 inch. Anyone here use the 54 with mulch that can comment??
I do not use the power flow as I had that with older John Deere, and too many leaves, as ever couple passes, bags were full and needed dumped, and mulching was so much easier, just to grind them up and leave them there.

 

[Alien5044]

Jim, welcome to MTF!!
What could hurt if you just tried the rubber flap on the deck? If it works, its a win, if it fails you can always remove it.

Did your previous rubber flap snow plow the leaves very much? Just curious.

 

[Frogmore]

I tried it with vinyl cove base moulding. It was awful. It was way too stiff and just snowplowed the leaves. Even with the Cyclone Rake there was blowout. I got the Deere kit for the 42 deck and it actually helped a lot. There is still some blowout, but not too bad.

I read that someone else had good luck, but they didn't provide many details. I think they might have used heavy duty truck tire tube material. It might work with a mulching deck.

 

[Alien5044]

I tried it with vinyl cove base moulding. It was awful. It was way too stiff and just snowplowed the leaves. Even with the Cyclone Rake there was blowout. I got the Deere kit for the 42 deck and it actually helped a lot. There is still some blowout, but not too bad.

I read that someone else had good luck, but they didn't provide many details. I think they might have used heavy duty truck tire tube material. It might work with a mulching deck.

I use a Cyclone Rake on my 48" JD deck with no blow out hedge. I use the Gator G6 blades the provide a finer chop than standard JD blades. I do get a little blow out but only with very light and very dry leaves. A circle back and they are gone. CR provides a lot of vacuum to keep blow outs to minimum for me.

 

[HeyYou]

I tried it with vinyl cove base moulding. It was awful. It was way too stiff and just snowplowed the leaves. Even with the Cyclone Rake there was blowout. I got the Deere kit for the 42 deck and it actually helped a lot. There is still some blowout, but not too bad.

I read that someone else had good luck, but they didn't provide many details. I think they might have used heavy duty truck tire tube material. It might work with a mulching deck.

I am thinkin' that any kind of 'skirting' around the deck isn't going to work well with leaves..... Grass is rooted to the ground, so, the skirting will just push it over, and then the blades will lift it back up. Leaves? Nope. Just push 'em along....

 

[RT3360]

I am thinkin' that any kind of 'skirting' around the deck isn't going to work well with leaves..... Grass is rooted to the ground, so, the skirting will just push it over, and then the blades will lift it back up. Leaves? Nope. Just push 'em along....

I agree. My Scotts 42” with bagger will push leaves way before my X738 54” & Cyclone Rake. Partly because of the higher front edge on the 54HC deck. I’ve piled up leaves up into the engine compartment with the Scotts. However, when I used the Cyclone Rake on the Scotts, it would suck leaves in if they were within 2-3” of the deck because of the higher vacuum. With the 54HC deck, I can travel faster plus cover more width and the Cyclone Rake pulls in many more leaves.

So the acceptable performance has more variables that just deck width. The deck depth has a lot to do with its performance as well.

 

[PA318Guy]

I mowed with the 62" deck on the X728 all summer with the mulch kit (first time using one) and never noticed any blow out even when mulching leaves (although I did switch to Tville322 with the 50" deck for most of that) for the couple of times I used it on them.

 

[jim e]

My original deck 48 with mulch had a rubber front flange, that came with the original jd mulch kit for that mulch comparable deck, and when leaves were very high, I would raise deck up all the way, then lower down and re mulch. Was much better than the power flow as I have massive leaves in fall time, as I had to keep dumping the bags after just a couple passes. Was way too much work. Glad I was able to modify it to fit my x540 I have now, as it was an easy modification to make that deck fit. I normally just mulch , and late fall time lawn looks like brown confetti all over, but once winter is over is all gone, and most likely good for lawn . I hope the 54 inch works as well.
BTW , this is a very nice forum here, getting more used to it. Seems like very nice posters here. I feel fortunate to find this site!!