Ride on mower won't cut long/damp grass

[Wainy]

Here's our 540x, was on dry stuff but just cut a narrower swath in the wet.

[spandit]

I'll give the underside a good wash, that could help. I'll sharpen the blade again & see if I can increase the belt tension. Thanks for all the advice - definitely the best forum to ask on!

[bradshaw groundcare]

Get a used scag 48, you can pick them up for the same money as that billy goat and will be a way better machine for the job .

 

ours will destroy long wet grass, no problem or keep short grass neat.

[TurtleWoods72]

Get a used scag 48, you can pick them up for the same money as that billy goat and will be a way better machine for the job .

 

ours will destroy long wet grass, no problem or keep short grass neat.

 

A million councils cannot be wrong.

[GardenKit]

One of the most questions that I get asked , in sales of ride on mowers, is "does it cut in the wet".

There are several things that you should be watching for when cutting grass and with a 33" machine with a 13hp engine is limited to small gardens with not a lot of height to cut.

In horsepower terms , petrol rideons range from approx 7hp to 26hp with the better power being 16hp and above.

The blade should cut grass at the front of the deck so the deck should be set slightly lower at the front.

Cut grass averages around 1 1/2 inches height after its been cut and most rideon decks go up to 4 inches height of cut. So the deck should only be cutting 2 1/2 inches of grass.

When the deck is cutting it should be moving up and down slightly so as to "gulp" air to aid the airflow under the deck and to stop the blade from blocking.

The decks must be kept absolutely clean in order to stop the old grass blocking on the underside and restricting the flow.Some decks have deck wash facilities fitted to help this.

If you have a friend who has another mower for you to try or a local JD dealer, ask them for a demo of an X series machine to see how they do the above.

 

I will second that bazbro, and the answer I always give is " probably not" as no mower works well in the wet, especially collectors.

 

However, the OP's Snapper does seem especially poor, after all he is not saying its wet, just about 8" long. I would have expected it to cut on a high setting and side discharge OK as long as the forward speed was kept down. But the blade would have to be sharp, and the belt would need to be the correct one (exactly),in good condition and well tensioned. And, as you said, the engine revs need to be kept up.

 

I have cut many areas of grass like this completely well with John Deere side discharge machines, and even with collectors if the conditions are right. I would not sell one to do this if it was the normal to cut grass of this length, but on the odd occasion, if used with care, they will cope. The only real damage that can be done is advanced wear on the deck belt.

[NFG]

Hi,

 

I have roughly the same amount of grass, I try to avoid cutting if its wet, I also try to cut before it gets too long - 5-6 inches.

 

If it is long or damp:

I go slowly, to allow the blades to clear & raise the cutting height.

I would consider doing the longest with a strimmer.

 

Im not sure if the belt tension can be adjusted on your mower, but it may be worth checking.

 

N

[spandit]

Update: gave the underside a good wash, sharpened the blade and increased the tension (which is a pain as you need plastic spacers so I had to make them from an old numberplate). The grass is even longer now and although it struggled in places, it only jammed once. Almost regret ordering the DR brush cutter now although in places the grass is 2' high and I have plenty of brambles, rushes, bracken etc. that needs controlling.

 

Most of the lawn is now covered in a thick layer of chopped grass so might look at a mulching blade

[IVECOKID]

Forget mulching blade has that will certainly see the machine off ,only good on short dry grass but ok if you have a few hundred horses lol l.

 

Ste

[arbormonkey]

increase cut frequency now that will help

[Richard 1234]

Update: gave the underside a good wash, sharpened the blade and increased the tension (which is a pain as you need plastic spacers so I had to make them from an old numberplate). The grass is even longer now and although it struggled in places, it only jammed once. Almost regret ordering the DR brush cutter now although in places the grass is 2' high and I have plenty of brambles, rushes, bracken etc. that needs controlling.

 

Most of the lawn is now covered in a thick layer of chopped grass so might look at a mulching blade

 

 

You won't regret the Dr trimmer been using my dads it's brilliant !!