Hi,
I have an older Craftsman electric rear discharge rotary lawn mower.
It uses a hard plastic grass catcher. Is it possible to mulch with
this type of mower? Is it just a matter of changing to a mulching
blade and leaving off the grass catcher? I always thought that
mulching mowers were all side discharge models. Thanks.

N_A_J wrote:
Hi,
I have an older Craftsman electric rear discharge rotary lawn mower.
It uses a hard plastic grass catcher. Is it possible to mulch with
this type of mower? Is it just a matter of changing to a mulching
blade and leaving off the grass catcher? I always thought that
mulching mowers were all side discharge models. Thanks.

Well, first question is if you leave off the grass catcher, will the
clippings (and all other projectiles) fly out the rear of the mower deck
and splatter your feet? I have a mulching mower that came with a rear
discharge bag, and also has a side discharge chute. Both have
spring-loaded covers that come down when a bag is not in use.

Essentially calling a mower a "mulching" mower implies that the normal
action of the blades will cause the grass clippings to be small enough
so they decompose easily, and don't smother the lawn or contribute to a
build-up of thatch. (If you cut frequently enough, that wouldn't be a
problem with any mower.) Blades may spin faster, and/or have more
cutting surfaces. Your regular mower may or may not be able to take the
extra load, or spin fast enough even if you can find a "mulching" blade
that fits.

So, IMHO, if you can safely run your mower without the bag, and you mow
often enough, you may not need to do any further conversion. If you
can't safely operate it without the bag, then I would advise to only use
a manufacturer approved solution, and in the name of safety, not
jury-rig some sort of shield.

--
Warren H.

==========
Disclaimer: My views reflect those of myself, and not my
employer, my friends, nor (as she often tells me) my wife.
Any resemblance to the views of anybody living or dead is
coincidental. No animals were hurt in the writing of this
response -- unless you count my dog who desperately wants
to go outside now.

"N_A_J" wrote in message
m...
Hi,
I have an older Craftsman electric rear discharge rotary lawn mower.
It uses a hard plastic grass catcher. Is it possible to mulch with
this type of mower? Is it just a matter of changing to a mulching
blade and leaving off the grass catcher? I always thought that
mulching mowers were all side discharge models. Thanks.

Don't know but my Lawnboy has cover to block discharge and has extra
mulching blades.
Think you also need extra horsepower to do the extra cutting to make the
finer particles.
I would guess not. If you want to use clippings as mulch, all you need do
is cut frequently so clippings are not large and do not bunch up.
Frank

(N_A_J) wrote in message om...
Hi,
I have an older Craftsman electric rear discharge rotary lawn mower.
It uses a hard plastic grass catcher. Is it possible to mulch with
this type of mower? Is it just a matter of changing to a mulching
blade and leaving off the grass catcher? I always thought that
mulching mowers were all side discharge models. Thanks.

What happens when you remove the grass catcher?
Is there a flap or door to cover the dioscharge hole so the mower can
be run without the catcher?
You don't need any special mulching blade or mulching mower they are a
gimmick for the people who don't keep a sharp blade or mow correctly.

Keep your blades sharp, every other mowing on a small plot is not too
often to resharpen them. Buy a spare blade.
Mow to remove no more than 1/3 of the grass height.
Any clippings that are not laying about in clumps can be left to
decay.
Returning the clippings to the soil will cut your nitrogen needs in
half.

I sharpen tools for a living, the condition of mulching blades brought
in for resharpening is generally dead blunt. Mushing mower would be
more apt.

Thanks for all the advice. My mower does have a spring-loaded door at
the rear of the mower that stays down when the grass catcher is not in
place. I just sharpened the blade, but as was stated, I'm not sure if
the mower has enough power to mulch properly. It is a 3.0 HP electric.
It's funny because I've never seen an electric listed in HP, just
AMPs.