Lawn Tractor Mulch Kit - is this an oxymoron? 👎👎

[@TheHunt0694]

I've been using a mulching kit on my Craftsman Lawn Tractor for eight year, and it works great. I do cut in concentric circles, so there is not cut lines. The kit also does a good job in the fall mulching leaves. I'd give yours more time; I think you'll be satisfied.

[@cletusspucklerstablejeaniu1059]

How about an Obtuse triangle instead so they don't get confused with Crop Circles?

[@RoyalBlue2100]

For all the people here saying "put the gator blades back on!", I tried that on my Craftsman T3000 last summer. I took yall's (random internet strangers') advice. I put new Gator blades on. I had the Craftsman mulching kit on it. The mowed grass result was actually worse than when I put brand new Craftsman straight mulching blades back on with the mulching cover plug. (My grass was a mix of St Augustine, a few other grasses and weeds).

[@saliston]

I use the gator blades with my mulching kit. does an awesome job. Mine was a Craftsman DYS 4500 24HP. I would mulch grass up to a foot high. Of course you get some clumping when its that tall but just go over it again and you are good also you need to slow down when mulching give the blades time to do their job.

[@mikesweis9074]

I died at 7:08 "Oh, man that thing is tight, that's what she said" omg lol

[@MrSullyE]

He...

[@bltefft]

I read that some readers criticized you for removing your gator blades, but I tried the gator blades and didn't like the result. So, I put on an Exmark Factury Mulching kit and their mulching blades (they resemble the ones you put on) produce much finer clippings for me. I have a 52 inch Exmark Radius, X Series ZTR.

[@MchaelsBluesyRockandMore]

Hi , nice video.... I have a John Deere 54 inch deck. I use the Gator blades myself, problem is I can't find a closer plate and so I made mine with rubber bands to secure. I too have that small trail on rt - shut side. anyway in my thinking - the small trail is nothing compared to what the side shut puts out. I go back on the trails after done with cut on a half inch higher to just the bad areas... It does mulch my 3 acres nicely.. and the home made closer was easy and free to make - 48 years in auto body shop.... :-) Have fun in the sun guys..

[@cnccarving]

i got a troybilt 42 in 2006 and it sill works great i just purchased new assembly for blades, new nuts , and planning this mulching kit lawnmover works extremely well little rustspot here n there cleaned lightbulb area within years and sealed around so no dust gets inside.. at lowes this kit is 35 right now worst can happen i have left an extra cover worth 10 bucks..

[@spconn3867]

Put the gator blades back on. They work great with the mulch plate & are also excellent if you are bagging

[@harper626]

My old mulch kit on my 2009 Craftsman Y3000 worked great. Haven't tried on my new T210 yet but am going to install this week and I will let you know. Mulching is still less mess than side discharge in any case.

[@handydadtv]

Yes, let me know.

[@harper626]

I have a craftsman with a mulch kit and results are similar to yours. It's a very small trail of grass debris and is not very noticeable. I use to use my grass catcher which results in about 10 bags of grass on the curb. It's much easier to mulch and it does return the nitrogen to the soil. I believe I will stick with the mulching until the leaves fall, then I will collect them in the grass catcher.

[@handydadtv]

In my experience, side discharge works the best. But it throws debris in the gardens unless I’m careful.

[@TheBrix57]

Nice video, but you missed a few things. 99% of the mowers (whether push or rider) sold in the US today are what they term 3-in-1 decks. The problem is that none of these decks perform one function (pick any) very well. An actual "hi lift" mower blade has a severe wing in back of the blade. That wing creates a larger vortex inside the deck allowing grass and other to be expelled at a high rate of speed. What you assumed was the "hi lift" blade with the teeth is actually a bagging blade where the teeth cut the grass into smaller pieces making more go into a bag(s). Many people like yourself assume that mulching is simply blocking the discharge and adding a mulching blade. Far from it! The very first thing I noticed was that you were mowing at the same speed as you do with discharging or bagging. You have to slow the speed way down in order to allow the blade and the deck time to cut the grass several times before it drops to the ground. That is why you are getting the long grass dumping since you are feeding too much too fast. It's not a race! Blocking the discharge and using that bagging blade at a slower speed will likely give you better results than the wavy "mulching" blade.

[@handydadtv]

I used the mulching blade that came with the kit and I mow at the "mow" speed on the control (I can WALK faster). Are you suggesting I need to mow even slower than that?

[@ttfweb1]

I always keep my jack next to the mannequin legs, just behind the bear traps. Nice video.

[@newsreach]

Thanks for the video. Can you develop the part where the rubber gizmos attach to the plate? Do the metal parts come off the the plate or do the rubber parts just slide onto them?

[@handydadtv]

I don’t have that tractor anymore and don’t remember.

[@texasbest7468]

Dude, you took off the BEST mulching blades made and put on crappy craftsman blades and expect it to mulch. There’s a ton of “mulching” blades out there but trust me, not all mulching blades are created equal. The ones you took off are the best ones you can buy. Put the previous blades back on but continue to use the side discharge blocker that you installed. Go 3/4 the speed you usually go and you’re done. Guaranteed that’ll be the best mulching set up and you’ll be happy with the results.

[@robertjackson784]

I just brought me a one. crapy

[@jamesedwards6589]

Gator mulching blades are the best, you should put them back on ^^^^^^^^^

[@alancamm5195]

Robert Jackson l,

[@4kdemoscene]

Depending on the power of your mower and design I found Mulching to be "Okay". Where I live to doesn't really matter much being it's so close to the ocean it's all sand. Good or bad brand of blades, it's like cutting sandpaper. I went with side discharging just to get the slightly better lifespan from my blades. I cut one yard that the customer lets the grass grow for 14 days. It's heck on my machine, talk about "Double Cutting" or "Half Cutting", you have to go over it about 6 times! lol, It's my fathers/old man's large yard in the deep south near the coast. (I cut it for free...) I've at last convinced him that cutting it once a week makes it a heck of a lot easier for both of us. He pays for the parts, I repair the mower. If only he listened to me and bought a shaft driven commercial grade mower... Golden.. (here you need one... no question about it...) Unless you want to just toss money in a fire. lol Oh well, I'm stuck with a Husqvarna 42", but it sure beats the AWD 22" I had before, the baffle would get full of sand and destroy itself by design. After removing it, well it worked a heck of a lot better. The manual states to clean it our every 20 hours... You have to clean it out after every use... So yeah Mulching is awesome if you like cutting grass in 104+ degree heat, often... Now if a customer wants it done, "Make it so" I say.

[@f86fman]

It appears that your deck needs adjustment from side to side. Can tell by the way she leaves streaks. Go get your book and have at it. You will be pleased. I just purchased a V-twin Cub Cadet and installed a mulching kit yesterday (all I've ever done is mulched). I am extremely pleased with the way it mulches. Mulched grass blades are no more than 1/2" long. Looks like green confetti. Today I mowed 5" tall grass down to 3-1/2" and the mower left no "grass trails" or clumps. I think it may be because the V-twin provides higher blade RPM. At least that's what my ears tell me.

[@handydadtv]

Thanks!

[@thetruthhurts2216]

The gator blades you took off are better at mulching than the ones you put on.

[@ScottRGarcia123]

Right.....

[@billyadams9985]

Was thinking the same thing

[@killercricketman]

Guy got riped off.

[@mikemanne8112]

I dont agree, keep the kit(handy dad).

[@TheRealSuperK]

Not sure if this qualifies; the reason I use the mulching door on my mower deck isn't to mulch at all, but to keep the Lava rocks that "appear" in the yard between mowings from breaking things. We've been here on the Big Island of Hawaii for three and a half years now and I mow about twice a week just to keep up with the growth. Same depth setting every week and only now and then a rock appears where none were there before. Just had the pleasure of replacing the back door slider this weekend. Rock sailed through the glass and dented the Garage entry door across from the dining area. Estimated 70 feet on the fly. I won't take my mulching door off again. In fact, I am planning on welding a steel panel on the deck next week to replace the plastic panel.

[@ampg606]

Just set your deck height adjustment to the next setting higher and run over the grass clippings and it turns out beautiful

[@a1930ford]

Use and impact wrench and you will not have to even hold those blades as you remove or install them. Make sure the bolt is first started into the threads so that you don't strip the threads and then start the drill slowly and the socket will pull the blade right on up as you use the impact wrench. It is much easier than trying to hold the blade in place with a block of wood and is also much safer and quicker as you do this. Try it and you will see.

[@handydadtv]

Good tip!

[@Lawnmower-os5pg]

I’m not gonna dis you because I’ve done it before but try to invest in some jack stands or put wood under the wheels when you lift the mower so it doesn’t crush your arms if the jack gives out

[@tnhawkeye6155]

Amen. That’s the first thing I thought of when I saw the jack. I’ve seen those things give way and seen them roll out. Just please be careful Chris.

[@handydadtv]

Guilty as charged.

[@Turner2503]

Yea, I cringed when I saw that. After I jack the mower up, I put cinder blocks under the tires and completely remove the jack out of the way.

[@escapefromny2012]

As long as the grass isn't too high, it works well, been using the mulcher on my Craftsman mower for over a decade. I find if the grass is too high, there's way too much grass to leave behind, so much that you create patches of grass clippings that will actually block the sun from getting to the lawn in that spot, killing the grass. You will get hundreds of these spots if the grass is too long. Hard to describe, but trust me, if you want to use the mulcher, cut more often and have less grass to be mulched.

[@handydadtv]

Yes, that’s the trick for any mulcher.

[@robertl.fallin7062]

oh man, I can see a TWO leg lamp project coming!

[@victorfrankenstein50202]

Nothing worse than shooting that cut grass all over your driveway, your sidewalk, and into your landscaping. I know, you can aim it away from these areas, but not only is that inconvenient sometimes, but it’s not fool-proof either. Mulching is definitely the way to go. Just bought my new lawn tractor, and looking for the correct mulching kit for it as we speak. Keep on mulching man. Thanks for sharing.

[@handydadtv]

My pleasure

[@kixxit02]

Also purchased the same mulch kit for my Husqvarna YTH20k42 because of, the same problem. The Kohler 20 hp and the factory 3 in 1 blades MAKE A DUST STORM.!! Not good.! However like you those blades are great for bagging, but still create a dust storm.

[@Mattmorro67]

Dunno if they make proper mulch kits for these mowers, but sectioning off each blade with baffle plates and closing the chute is how we do it at work. The mower I prefer to use is the John deere Z950M with the mulch on demand deck. It opens and closes the baffles with a lever so I can either side discharge or mulch.

[@jamesshivers8213]

I heard they work better on larger decks. I have a 42" deck and the kit I installed is hogh maintenance and lets grass fly out anyway.

[@malisha1]

Both blades are mulching. I have gator blades on my mower. Gator blades r awesome in the fall. They mulch leaves well

[@oldarkie3880]

Yes gator blades mulch leaves well, but not enough lift to cut grass.

[@harryballz6358]

That's why they are called Gator "Mulching" blades...lol..

[@JesusIsaFlatEarther]

A true mulching mower isolates each blade. When you have two or three blades that aren't isolated, you're going to get a line of grass on the discharge side. Unless you're only mowing a 1/2 inch off the top, you don't really want a dedicated mulching mower, because the more grass you have stuck up under the deck, the worse the cut will be and you certainly can't mulch tall grass, most all mowers will bog down under those conditions. The best way to mow with a stamped deck and chute block, is to mow once with it on and then take it off and mow again, using the side discharge. And I'm thinking a single engine mower would be the best if you have access to the carburetor, as I certainly don't want to take all that has to come off a V-twin, just to check my carburetor. And I'd say Gator blades are much thicker than the consumer mulching blades, allowing for more sharpening and less fatigue from sandy soil. I personally have gone to high lift blades, they give a better cut and don't require the effort to sharpen a Gator blade does. I only mulch when I'm facing the wrong way, towards a flower bed and when there's leaves. And in the fall with my chute blocker, the high lift blades much leaves up just fine and than I run over the line I created mulching and it looks great. I wonder if anyone makes an Advanced Chute Blocker for a consumer mower fabricated deck, that would be the way to go.

[@D-Slowpass]

Just got a Craftsman end of last season. Miss my mulching mower. The Craftsman picks up dirt so i got the mulch kit. Tired of weraing a mask to cut grass. Yeah you cut more often and slower on a mulcher but to me its worth it😅

[@handydadtv]

Glad it helped

[@mikemanne8112]

opinions vary, I like the mulching kit, for 42 inch, its way worse with the original blades, the kit is much better, I can see a better difference with mulching. The grass, looks better, now with your kit.

[@LJFinFLA]

I use a Troy-Bilt TB30 R ride on mower with their mulch kit on St. Augustine turf grass. It does a really good job of mulching the clippings. Don't have any residual clippings on my lawn. By the way, mannequin legs in the shed? LOL

[@awolfirebender]

Bruh. Slow you mow down. Replace those gators back on. And in the words of the lawn care nut “enjoy the mow”

[@alwaysopen7970]

it's the same with vacuuming a carpet. Slow down and let the machine do it's job. Gotta raise your deck a bit as well.

[@saliston]

yep you need to slow down with mulching give the blades time to work. I only mulch with the same type of mower and have no issues.

[@mrkraymnd]

Lol I love the drone dodge shot

[@handydadtv]

Luckily, I had the prop guards installed, or that could have been really ugly!

[@jeffslawnandgardenmaintena4831]

I use one in the fall for leaf clean up but I use the gater blades does an awesome job I think the gater blades would do better on the grass as well if I were u I would try putting those gater type blades back on with the mulch cover and try that just my opinion

[@handydadtv]

Thanks

[@mattk9907]

the blades u took off are called gator blades my dad has a pair and they dont do very good for bagging for side discharge, for side discharge they just balled the grass up and made lumps in the yard. so if u want to just cut the grass use the blades that came with the kit and to mulch just put the gator blades back on. keep them sharp and they should mulch really good for u.

[@ronaldholt802]

Interesting video. Where can I get legs like that?

[@PokeNAUT97]

Just a thought, maybe its kicking the grass to one side because the blades are on the same rotation, maybe a 90° difference on left blade would make a difference... but I honestly dont know🤣 sounds legit though

[@tomgoul]

I have now mulched for 12 years on several different yards with walk behind zero turns, riding zero turns and now a tractor. For me the best results were achieved with a mulch kit that includes baffles on the deck which allows the blades to cut the grass 2 or 3 times. I have also found that with mulching slow and steady wins the race. My guess is you will continue to be disappointed (as would I) with your current kit. You appear to have had ideal conditions (dry and not taking much off). There are significant organic benefits to mulching however. Have you though about using a blower to quickly hit some of those clumps? If that only takes 5 or 10 minutes to do that, is it worth it to you? I also agree with @tim jones as it looks to me as though your original blades might be better suited to mulching. As an aside, your turf looks great!

[@handydadtv]

Thanks! I’ll try those tips.

[@sal6830]

last year I bought gator blades (mulching) along with a mulching plug for the deck of my Cub Cadet and I have to say I don't like the results I'm getting after I cut the lawn. I might switch back to the regular mulching blades and see if that makes a difference I've tried going slower and even tried slowing down the blades a little and still doesn't seem to cut as well as i would like.

[@mrsgennyann]

You can use your gator blades with the black cover plug. That’s what my Husqvarna dealer put on mine.

[@roberttrainer747]

Looks like it does good on the grass just asking if anybody used it in the fall on the leaves

[@handydadtv]

I had too many leaves to mulch them

[@ziadAlkhailani]

i think you should return it and invest in some type of lid like the one that came with the kit, and using your old "new" blades. that should do the trick. although i do not have a riding mower but in my mind mulching the grass should be finer cuts than what you showed to make it easier for the nutrients to go back into the soil. when i use the mulch setting on my mower it cuts every blade of grass a few times before it ends up on the ground that is the benefit of the vortecs you were referring too in the video. with your power lift blades if there was no real way for the grass to exist it might get cut again and it might spread it on the outer rim of the mower deck and sprinkle it back in to the ground without making a mess. just an idea. you got us all wondering what is the next project that needs legs?

[@handydadtv]

Haha keep ya guessing.

[@timmybob4871]

Put the Gator blades back on and try it again!

[@Wadejm533]

I've got one one my Craftsman and I've used it on leaves- it's ok But you have to keep going over it_But it works_ But I haven't used it on my Grass. I'm planing on getting me a bagger But I don't want to keep changing my Blades Back and forth- Do i Really need to change My Blades Everytime i want to use my Bagger?

[@harryballz6358]

You can use their 3n1type blades on both bag/mulch/mowing but they are very limited meaning they do all 3 jobs but are not great at any one of them. I put the much cover on mine and left it, but I installed G3 Gator blades and I've been very happy with them over a decade now. I mulch leaves/grass all summer long here. I only remove my Gator blades to sharpen in spring or replace when needed. Best blades on the market for mulching. G5 Gators are great too but G3 mulches better with a lower lift. G5 with their little bit higher lifts are better if you want to mulch & use chute both. But' plan on buying a set of true "High Lift" blades if you do use a bagger and also changing out blades between Mulch/Bagging, it's the lift needed, that slings the grass further up into the tube/bag and no mulching blade is designed do that job very well. Sorry, it is a fact!

[@TyK622]

Mulching kits besides using for grass is mainly for leaves in the fall. I'd say use it in the fall if you haven't returned it.

[@GFY1029]

Put your gator blades back on

[@anthonyt8472]

I've got a Craftsman LT2000, I believe it's a 2011 with a black deck and am looking for the mulching plate for it, as well as a set of Gator blades. I bought a set on Amazon, but the star bolt pattern was wrong so I'll be returning them. This is my first season with this mower and could use some advice on the mulching kits. Thanks

[@avalampe2028]

My husband did the same thing. Site said blade was for a Craftsman LT1000 but came with 5 star instead of 6. The 6 star actually said it's for an MTD, but fit perfectly. He doesn't have the mulch cover for the deck yet but plans to add one. First time mowing ended up with hundreds of tiny grass pieces in the pool rather than the typical few large ones so the mulching blades seem to be doing their job. Hopefully the cover will keep more of the clippings out of the pool.

[@anthonyt8472]

@@avalampe2028 Thank you very much for the the info. Everyone has been awesome about sharing good information on the proper setup for mulching. I've got the blades figured out and close to the mulching cover. Thanks again!

[@oldtimedrumcorps]

just installed a mulch kit on my 18542 Husky First it doesnt fit well . There are gaps that allow grass to shoot through onto deck quite a bit right side . The rear strap is so far from the deck hole, The tension will eventually break the bungee strap, a new hole would need to be drilled . Or one could cobble something to extend the bungee . The gaps need to be sealed as grass is not circulated enough to reduce length of mulched grass. Too much modification to get it to work well

[@handydadtv]

I wish they’d design riders for mulching with an option to side discharge, instead of the other way around.

[@oldtimedrumcorps]

@@handydadtv I removed the side deflector and carefully attached the mulch baffle. The rear bungee was modified with a zip tie to lesson the stretch on that bungee. Any remaining gaps were sealed with black duct tape Looks good and works well . Dropped the deck also from about 4" to about 3.25. Less than 1/3 off 4 so it should not stress too much. It should provide a more even cut as well as getting the grass to stand up straighter for a better look . 4" gets too floppy and looks unkempt . I plan on spoon feeding with liquid 1/16 lb nitro to get a little more green until the fall when I will overseed after weed killing. tricky timing . It seems as if TTTF needs oveseeding almost every year .

[@kellyscut1761]

Mulching with the cover on means mowing twice a week to get desired results with the craftsman. It does work on leaves though. Just keep going over them till gone. The grass cant be tall to mulch.

[@handydadtv]

Yeah I’ve been mowing twice a week and side discharging this whole season. It helps if you #EnjoyTheMow!

[@romankevin3884]

The john deere garden tractors have a mulching kit that takes up alot more space than just the side and it works really well

[@jcr65566]

I have. At a slower speed The gator blades with the mulch plate will work much better.

[@alexaviles9164]

Use tour old blades with the si de blocker that what it is for they gave you like the original ones but with high lift ....

[@doowoprichie]

It works but I am thinking of removing it because when the grass is high or thicker in certain spots it causes the blades to bog down or stall so maybe in my case I will start an inside circle and keep sending the clippings and leaves to the edge of the property,either way I have not had to rake in 45 years and not about to start now.

[@handydadtv]

I’m not a fan of blocking discharge chutes for this reason.

[@lomgshorts3]

And I have used a factory mulching kit on my Cub Cadet XT-1 and it wasn't worth the time I spent unclogging it! So, it was very temporary!

[@handydadtv]

I agree

[@pennyandrews4458]

We have a craftsman riding mower, I'm considering getting mulcher kit, ours does great if u mow then mow backwards leaves no clumps og grass

[@handydadtv]

It’s not a big investment, if you don’t like it.

[@jpeterman57]

I removed the side discharge flap from mine and never looked back. Whoever designed the mulch kit for that mower should have added an internal baffle for the deck. With the baffle, the grass clippings are more finely cut up so they disappear into the lawn.

[@thebaron44]

Larry F had same comments....I have St. Augustine grass and don't have any probs with mulching.....and always, always go in large to small circles....I have seen other vids with different grass such Kentuck blue grass and didn't seem to mulch as well.

[@alwaysopen7970]

Zoysia is a tough grass to mow as it eats your blades. Mulching it is no option.

[@zbomb33]

I'm not sure how much of your own maintenance you do on your yt3000, but I'm trying to figure out why mine literally pops wheelies every time I start to move, the sweet spot on the pedal is non existent. Is it just me? :) PS, loved at 5:35 when that drone almost popped ya :)

[@handydadtv]

I sold that mower around 5 years ago but never had that wheelie issue.

[@brianfranklin9163]

I recently bought a Husqvarna garden tractor. 24HP 48 inch cut. Mulcher. Worst piece of equipment I have ever purchased. Overrated and overpriced. About the mulcher. It is awful. I am going to take off the shute dam and try it that way. Since I have no neighbors and am not close to the road I don't have to worry about things flying out of it and hurting something or someone. Like the gentleman in the video tells us, it would be nice to put the nitrogen back into the soil. As it is, the thing is useless.

[@johnhana90]

I use a gator blade on my toro and I see no clippings at all I don’t even know where they go.

[@nbpt1000]

The deck design plays into the mulching process. Toro is at the top of the industry when it comes to grass cutting technology. Their mower mulch better in my humble opinions. Not that others are terrible. However your basic tractor mower deck is not designed to mulch well. Just look at a walk behind mowers deck and blades that is designed to mulch. i.e. Toro Super Recycler. It has two blades on the spindle and has kicker on the deck to help the clippings mulch finer. It does a great job. I have never seen a rider deck with kickers and most all have one blade per spindle. They are designed to do 3 things and therefore don't usually do any one particularly better than average.

[@jacobduncan8875]

Leave the shoot blocker on and put on the other blades with the high left flanges. That's the set up for mulching. The high lift blades with the flanges are mulching blades and the shoot blocker in combination with those is what is supposed to be used. They are used together not one or the other.

[@nanettekoudelka6504]

The lift blades are for catching. At least that's what the instructions say.

[@CRice-ln8lm]

Sorry to see that you are relying on the jack to hold that stuff up. One slip and you are hurt.

[@dingdongdaddy589]

Your storage space looks like my storage space....minus the legs.

[@handydadtv]

You can never have enough storage when you own a home.

[@andysanchez3126]

If you have the time, you can make a pattern of the opening and try to make a removable fiber glass shout.

[@Sv7Fooster]

Having a hell of a time getting these nuts off the first time around. Did you have to do anything special the first time you removed the blades?

[@loganeastman5899]

I used the biggest socket wrench I could find (about the length of my arm) and had to sit next to the blade deck holding it back with my foot and pulling on the wrench simultaneously.

[@ptvva3835]

I die when I see those legs. Lol

[@buchead1]

The flapper piece needs to be REMOVED for the mulching kit to work correctly. It's not allowing the blocker to fit correctly and do it's job (the gap you had on top). That stops the centrifugal motion from happening, which makes the whole mulching process work.

[@handydadtv]

I followed the directions. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@alwaysopen7970]

Your high lift blades are true mulching blades. I would ditch that shit and shoot it out of the chute. I bought a used mower this summer and it came with that plug and high lift blades. I took the plug off and let the grass fly. Cut it often and you don't get a big bunch of grass. Alter your mowing direction every time you mow so you don't train your grass to grow a specific way. It also helps to keep your clippings to a minimum. Mowing grass is an art. You have a rider to prove so. You could be pushing a hand mower.

[@moparfamily4697]

Lmao the drone almost hit him

[@handydadtv]

That look of terror on my face

[@moparfamily4697]

@@handydadtv 😂 great video

[@danny100ization]

Cut it twice on the reverse and use a blower to displace the loose cut blades of grass

[@handydadtv]

That’s a lot of extra work to make up for an engineering flaw.

[@danny100ization]

@@handydadtv takes no time,great lawn afterwards, happy st.Patrick,s day by the way.

[@robertirving6326]

Interesting results, but more importantly, what's up with those mannequin legs in your shed? I'm dying to know what that's about! Ha ha ha.

[@handydadtv]

It’s a good story. Someday...

[@ocrun6765]

The shape of the mulch plug sucks, it catches and clogs, plus there is a gap because it doesn't fit all the way across the chute opening. So it randomly drops clumps. Other than that it's OK

[@handydadtv]

Other than that. Lol.

[@thetruthhurts2216]

Return it? It worked and it was not broke in the package. I guess you are one of those customer that thinks that if he buy a product that he later decides he didn't like even though it wasn't defective, well I'll just return it even though I've use it, dulled the blades, and dirtied it.

[@eggroll1up918]

Damn right return it! It's not like the corporation offered a trial period in order to test it. They just tell you a product does this or that. When alot of times it doesn't. So yeah if your not satisfied with a products performance for whatever reason and you don't return it, then all you are doing is allowing some greedy corporation to sell inferior products without being held accountable for it. Returns are accepted by all the major retail players. Returns are the only way a company can be held liable for a shady product. Allowing the consumer to feel confident with the sellers obligation to customer service. Customer service is Amazon's number one rule they stand by. Look at what it has done for them. All companies rely on feedback. Returns are a very important form of feedback. if a product is returned so many times, well guess what they pull the product off shelfs. Makes them either improve it or scrap the idea. I don't feel bad for the companies. believe me they didn't lose no money in it. What they're selling the product for is nowhere near the amount they had to pay to manufacture it. It isn't a loss for them. However it is a perfect way to get information and data about the consumers.

[@A_Renaissance_Man]

In my humble opinion, drop and remove the deck first , and invest in an (electric) impact wrench. Also, leave a link to the mannequin legs project.

[@danbasta3677]

Very true and while your at it, clean out the deck, after the blades are removed, and paint the mower deck with black paint to keep the deck from being ate up by grass acid that can rust out your mower deck and destroy it. Still wouldn't hurt to put the new blades on the grinder as I don't feel new blades really can't cut butter, they still can use a sharpened edge, and balanced before putting them under the mower deck.

[@oldtimedrumcorps]

Please use jack stands !

[@handydadtv]

If you have them

[@oldtimedrumcorps]

@@handydadtv Harbor Freight Big Red $14.39 Wall Mart Hyper Tough $12.14 Christmas list... Hope it helps .

[@dp5383]

I have the same mower... with the same horribly designed mulch kit. I hate it.

[@cletusspucklerstablejeaniu1059]

Try it on those bushes!

[@handydadtv]

Ok

[@DrumManCG]

Looked at getting one of these blockers but found if you just make another pass over the lines with the blades engaged all the way up it blows it all out in all directions and you can never tell any lines were there.. No mulch kit needed...

[@andrewlemoine3451]

Jack Stands !!!

[@alwaysopen7970]

Ramps

[@kevinaalberts9251]

I had a rider for about 10 years and mulched with a cover over the shoot,and its horrible,grass is flying your face you look and you got a ton of dust ,and on the top of the deck, when your done and it is full of dirt dust lots of grass clippings. I just bought another rider last week, and dont wanna shoot the grass,out of the shoot, it leaves a mess in the whole yard. I want to mulch, but I do want wanna do it because it awfully dirty and dusty, gets grass all over on the top of the deck, and in your face, the whole time mowing.

[@handydadtv]

It’s a struggle. I have accepted the side discharge as the best option for me.

[@jamescummings6703]

You should have left the gator blades on it. I would have worked much better.

[@aguyandhiscomputer]

De-Clumping Kit Sold Separately Call Now!

[@WORKINONME]

LOL!

[@harper626]

There is also a raking attachment that is handy

[@LessThanHandy]

Looks to me like it did what it's supposed to...✌️

[@angvasq]

Can't wait to see the "future project". Hahaha.

[@arpthirteen6713]

Lol

[@MrMmorgan30]

He said that’s what she said.. he talking about the plastic doll lol

[@christopherdavis313]

Maybe if you sharpen the blades and install with gloves you will find much better results.

[@timjones5403]

try using the high lift blades with the discharge shoot blocked.

[@handydadtv]

Really!?! Why would that work better?

[@timjones5403]

I don't know that it would, but it might be worth trying. I had a craftsman 42 inch deck and it mulched fine without changing blades.

[@patrickweaver1105]

That whole weird bent blade vortex crap is sales speak. It's an engineers solution to a problem that doesn't exist. Put the old blades back on. What you want to do is keep the clippings in the air so they can be cut and recut. A high lift blade does that just fine.

[@nbpt1000]

@@patrickweaver1105 by old blades you mean the Gator blades he just removed in the video. Not the original blades the machine came with?

[@patrickweaver1105]

@@nbpt1000 Any standard straight high lift blade.

[@JacobTerherst]

Update on the future project...

[@handydadtv]

I touch on it here... kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnKsZWaqrs5pgJY

[@mikemike9449]

I wish I had legs like that!🤣🤣

[@handydadtv]

😂

[@lindahobbs6298]

I don’t understand all the negative replies. Using a mulch kit. Isn’t it better to “not” throw the grass everywhere. I’ve used a muncher for years, and would not go without it. Yes, it does leave a little row of fine grass some times. I just mow it. My mulched fits tight, from what I see he did not fit it correctly. He needs to try again. Yes, you should keep it.

[@Wadejm533]

what kikind of Ridding Mower do you have- it's hard to get them to fit tightly I have A Craftsman and mine doesn't fit tightly But it works Just wish it would fit tightly!!

[@harryballz6358]

Mine is just like this one and its fit on two Craftsman's without issues, but they are both Husqvarna built mowers starting with 917. on the sticker under their seat. On models not starting with a 917. you have an MTD built Craftsman. Different deck/mower altogether.

[@mrigankrajeev2650]

5:34 he never saw it coming lol

[@dannypersaud387]

Missed that the first time around lol

[@LIL6PSYCHO7676]

Those blades are mulching blades their use to shred up leaves

[@handydadtv]

They’d suck at leaves too.

[@greenhillscustomlawncarell1139]

What do you expect from a mower like that? A real mulch kit separates all the blades like there are 3 separate decks which throws the grass straight down not shoot it to the side discharge area.

[@handydadtv]

I’ve never seen one that isolates each blade.

[@TheBgizzle34]

So do you still mulch or side discharge?

[@handydadtv]

Side discharge. Not happy with the Craftsman mulcher.

[@joewarts8283]

Scag, Kubota, grasshopper. Zero turn

[@handydadtv]

I like it!

[@z71chevyoffrd]

I only mulch in the fall

[@handydadtv]

Why? Chop the leaves? What do you do with the grass?

[@z71chevyoffrd]

HandyDadTV I mulch just for leaves. And I like to stripe my yard so I usually run over the yard twice after that there’s not any left over grass

[@mokellelle]

Slow down!! You're going too fast to mulch properly. Sorry to tell you this, but it's not a race......

[@handydadtv]

I never mow faster than the “mowing” speed on the transmission.

[@alwaysopen7970]

@@handydadtv You can slow that down to walking speed if it's hydrostatic - which yours is. There is no set mowing speed on any mower I have owned.

[@nbpt1000]

It is a trade off. Speed vs. quality. What is more important?@@alwaysopen7970

[@jacobduncan8875]

Those don't seem to be very good mulching blades because they don't mulch the grass they still just cut it.

[@HikingTheSonora]

5:34

[@handydadtv]

My daughter’s first flight. Glad the prop guards were installed!