Meh, wait till the next wind storm, and let the neighbors deal with them

We used to use them on all of our machines once the leaves started falling. They definitely help break up the leaves but are just about worthless in tall wet grass so they come off during the regular mowing season.

Mulching blades are great for leaves. I used to make my own mulching plate as well.  Made it out of a realtors sign and small c clamps.

What if he IS the neighbor? Haha...

This is what I found too.  I pull them off in the spring when the grass goes crazy.

I made a plate to block off the discharge when Im cutting leaves.

 

I use the gators rear round on my 6' Kubota deck.  I like them better than the stocks and they last longer.  Usually 2-3 seasons but by then they are shot and wore down to a nub.  I've had varied success with a mulching plug, but then we have a ton of oak leaves and I mow about 4 acres.  I made my plug out of expanded steel to let some airflow through and it works well if things are bone dry, no grass cutting, just leaves be mulched.  With the plug and dry leaves it will churn leaves into powder.  Lately I've been breaking the patches up into swaths about 75' wide.  I mow Nascar style without the plug and blow onto the uncut section and keep piling them up.  Then a couple passes to disperse the clipping at the end blowing out.  After a day or so the wind blows things around and you can't see where the swaths were and things look pretty even.

I've played with grinding sharp edges on the ears.  I couldn't tell any difference....

The fusions make me happy.  Those things last for months.  A huge improvement over standard blades.
Unfortunately Oregon discontinued them for my mower.