Mower misses a lot of grass

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Grass is growing fast and tall. I travel too fast for the old Ariens mower to keep up and the grass looks horrible. Looking for ideas how to make the mower deck cut faster.
 
Double that Stephen. These decks work best if grass is under six inches if possible. If you change them every other mowing like I do and that way they are razor sharp. Every machine I own has two sets of blades so that maintains them. Found the best mowing decks are on my two Husqvarna machines. The bottom of the deck has bolt on baffle plates that make about a one inch lip under the deck. Really really mow very nicely. AYP machines built by American Yard Products.
 
I noted each swath of the blade is great at speed. Anyone see a problem forming X's by doubling the blades halving the swath?
 
Are the lift wings on top of the blades in good shape? I've seen them wear away, especially if the blades pick up sand.

Also look at the underside of the deck, make sure it is free of clumped up grass blocking the flow and exit. Most decks have flow directors bolted or welded to the underside of the deck. Be sure they are in tact, and positioned properly.

Are the belt, belt tensioner, and pulleys in good shape? If the pulleys or belt are worn, the bottom of the groove will be polished shinny from slipping.

Is the deck hanging level, parallel with the ground? If not the cut quality will be reduced.
 
"Is the deck hanging level, parallel with the ground?"

Typically, mower mfg's spec the front of the blades to be 1/8" to 1/4" lower than the rear of the blades.

You DEFINITELY don't want the REAR of the blades lower than the front, in my experience.
 
Called rotary slashers/mowers or just slashers in NZ, they had two sets of blades -- straight ones for rough cutting or tall grass, and stepped blades to cut lower and cleaner for hay mowing. They worked well but need sharp blades, plenty of HP and be patient, in other words slow down a bit. One neighbour ran his, on a Zetor, in 1000 PTO rpm, for hay. Cut very well, but he was also very careful.
 
(quoted from post at 23:27:43 05/26/18) "Is the deck hanging level, parallel with the ground?"

Typically, mower mfg's spec the front of the blades to be 1/8" to 1/4" lower than the rear of the blades.

You DEFINITELY don't want the REAR of the blades lower than the front, in my experience.

BINGO!
 
Putting two blades at 90 degrees really won't work, blade cutting heights will be different. Company that goes to the National Farm Machinery show called MEG-MO sells a single steel disk that 4 replacable mower blades bolt to, will work better, not cheap, buddy uses them on his 5020 Allis Chalmers compact utility tractor with 72 inch deck, one disk for each spindle. Google Meg-Mo and read for a couple days!

Also, mow only dry grass, wet grass plugs the mower housing, only mow about 1/3rd of the grass blade's length at a mowing. On older mowers, you have to mow wide open, full rated rpm, today's mowers run the blades faster and move more air, move the clippings better. I retired my 1980 vintage Cub Cadet 982 from mowing duty two years ago, use a Cub Cadet TANK zero turn now. NO COMPARISON in the quality the old deck does compared to the new deck! And the Tank reduced mowing time from 6+ hours with the 1968 #72 tractor with 38 inch deck to 4 hours for the 1980 982 tractor with 50" deck to 2-1/2 hours for the 27 hp Tank with 54" deck. Zero turn burns less gas too. New design Kawasaki OHV engine much more efficient than the old flathead engines.
 
(quoted from post at 12:17:20 05/27/18) Putting two blades at 90 degrees really won't work, blade cutting heights will be different. Company that goes to the National Farm Machinery show called MEG-MO sells a single steel disk that 4 replacable mower blades bolt to, will work better, not cheap, buddy uses them on his 5020 Allis Chalmers compact utility tractor with 72 inch deck, one disk for each spindle. Google Meg-Mo and read for a couple days!

Also, mow only dry grass, wet grass plugs the mower housing, only mow about 1/3rd of the grass blade's length at a mowing. On older mowers, you have to mow wide open, full rated rpm, today's mowers run the blades faster and move more air, move the clippings better. I retired my 1980 vintage Cub Cadet 982 from mowing duty two years ago, use a Cub Cadet TANK zero turn now. NO COMPARISON in the quality the old deck does compared to the new deck! And the Tank reduced mowing time from 6+ hours with the 1968 #72 tractor with 38 inch deck to 4 hours for the 1980 982 tractor with 50" deck to 2-1/2 hours for the 27 hp Tank with 54" deck. Zero turn burns less gas too. New design Kawasaki OHV engine much more efficient than the old flathead engines.

Doctor, you spend four hours mowing your lawn? I would be baling a good chunk of it. I have been driving by a place recently that is just a plain ranch house in the country with an acre and half beside it that the guy is mowing twice a week. There is ground two tenths of a mile away that is getting hayed if it were mine someone would be haying it.
 
see if you can find a smaller pulley for the deck's driven pulley, the one that the engine belt connects to. older mowers typically have lower blade speeds. It'll take more power but will cut and discharge better. The federal spec, yeah there's one for everything, is 19000 ft per minute measured at the blade tip. Keep it below that for safety.
 
You looked under the deck lately? The higher the buildup the worse it cuts. I bought a IS700Z 61" Ferris last year that has a high blade tip speed, high ground speed, and plenty of HP. The only thing it didn't have is a flip up deck. I now regret not paying an extra couple of thousand and getting one with a front mounted deck that has the auto flip up feature......Grasshopper.
 
(quoted from post at 05:35:29 05/28/18) You looked under the deck lately? The higher the buildup the worse it cuts. I bought a IS700Z 61" Ferris last year that has a high blade tip speed, high ground speed, and plenty of HP. The only thing it didn't have is a flip up deck. I now regret not paying an extra couple of thousand and getting one with a front mounted deck that has the auto flip up feature......Grasshopper.

Mark, I rarely get under my Ferris, but when I take the blades off every other year, I never find any build-up.
 
It's not common to Ferris and it can happen in 30 minutes of cutting. If I only mowed in July and August I
wouldn't have the problem. Butttt it's the early wet stuff that drives me nuts.
 

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