[etcallhome]

SIL acquired a Scotts 54" power flow bagger ,never used...Not sure how old.
On front of manual Ser # (0a0,001-) at bottom of Page OMM139175 L8.
I thought it would fit on my 54c mower deck ,, WRONG !!. Younger brother looked at it and said he wouldn't waste the time of trying to make it fit my mower ,guessing it was made for a 100 series JD mower. Double spindle is wrong type and a new one for 54c is app $50.00.. Then if I get spindle then trying to blower hooked to deck.
So with that being said, is it worth the time and hassle to try and get this to work or buy mulching kit for 54c ??
Is the mulching kit worth the price of app$200.00 ??? For the last 5 yrs or so , I made a L type stopper to fit over discharge opening ,using standard blades and do the leaves..seems to work fair , that is why I'm wondering if mulch kit or getting this baggger rigged to work on deck is worth spending time and money ?

Thanks in advance for all replies.

 

[Phoenix125]

I'm quite happy with my mulch kit. It consists of two large plastic inserts/baffles that you bolt under the deck and a set of mulching blades. For grass, my yard looked better after using the kit than before.

For leaves, it does a decent job, but it requires a couple passes to really grind things up. It doesn't make the yard look as good as a bagger does, but the leaf mulch is nutrient for the grass. I don't have a lot of leaves in my yard, though.. mostly pine.

I ordered a set of gator blades but haven't used them yet. The rocks beat up my JD ones pretty good, but I've since rid my yard of the offending rocks (until next year, I suppose!).

 

[etcallhome]

Like I stated , I just use standard blades and close off the end of mower discharge and it takes maybe 3 or4 passes to get rid of the leaves in back yard of 30 trees after mowing them into a single row of leaves...
That is why I'm wondering if I should wasted my time and money on either a mulching kit or trying to get the Scotts bagger to fit on 54c mower deck.

 

[ensoll]

Hello friends,

I have all of the above; mulching kit, 54c deck, powerflo bagger.

For fall leaves, I leave the mulching blades on but remove the plastic mulching inserts out of fear of damaging them with sticks, shells, gravel, etc. The mulching blades seem to do a slightly better job of reducing the leaves for bagging than the standard JD mowing blades.

The best approach for me is to mow up the leaves a day after rain so they are heavier and pack better into the bags. Otherwise, the bagger fills up after traveling about 30 feet over dense leaf layer, but of course still weighs almost nothing.

The mulching kit is marginally worth the $200 in and of itself due to my disappointment with the wing nut/oblong carriage bolt mounting scheme which simply mushes through the plastic counterbores and spins, however there isn't any other alternative so it's $200 or nothing.

This year, I did add the JD blowout kit to the deck which has been a major improvement. Now, the leaves are kept under the deck better instead of spitting out all over the place.

And I'd highly recommend getting a leaf vac over the JD bagging system for leaf collection. I'm getting one next year for sure. It'll be a Cyclone Rake for me. I just wish they made a 3pt hitch mounted blower, PTO driven...and, No, I have no plans to start making them myself...!

 

[etcallhome]

This year, I did add the JD blowout kit to the deck which has been a major improvement. Now, the leaves are kept under the deck better instead of spitting out all over the place.
Not sure what is a blowout kit or is it part of the mulching kit ???

 

[ensoll]

Kit # AM133765. It's around $50. It's not part of the mulch kit.

 

[etcallhome]

Thanks for that info , may look into the blowout kit and mulching blades

 

[rjgogo]

Hello friends,
I just wish they made a 3pt hitch mounted blower, PTO driven...and, No, I have no plans to start making them myself...!

Trac-vac makes one, I have it and it works pretty well, you need a good sized area to dump it as well as a loader to move the pile. It holds a ton of leaves.

Kind of pricey but for me it was well worth it. And no additional engine to maintain.

http://www.trac-vac.com/index_files/PtoVacs.htm

 

[ensoll]

Thanks, I've seen the Trac Vac 3pt blower. Congratulations on getting the right machine for the job.:fing32:

I have serious slopes. I like the rigid mounting and low profile of the Cyclone Rake. I could see a Trac Vac taking the little 2305 for a ride.