Strength Determination Merciless Forever
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Posted: 9/20/2026 9:10:19 AM EDT
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Old house was easy to maintain. New house has a shit load of mature pin oaks scattered throughout the yard. Old owner used a sweeper, but I'm not about that life. My mower cuts through everything and throws it a mile. However, with the few leaves that have come down I've noticed they get shot out the deck nearly untouched. I'm using factory exmark blades which are apparently pretty good. Mulching kit is about $600 from exmark. I'm also concerned that if I put on a mulcher kit that it will limit my wet grass ability or I'll constantly be scraping the deck. Are there blades that excel with leaves while still discharging? How do you guys handle it? |
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I just mow with my little kubota 2350 with the discharge chute pointing inwards and go around the perimeter of the yard until I have one or two piles of finely mulched up leaves. I gather them and dump them in a compost pile near my garden. In a couple years they are broken down so nice and fine. Then add to the garden along with some lime No special blade. |
Strength Determination Merciless Forever
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Originally Posted By Into_the_Void: This is where I'm leaning after doing some reading Originally Posted By Into_the_Void: Originally Posted By 1shortofpar: I close the shoot and swap to gator blades. Pair this with a massive stihl leaf blower. 4 acres, tons of trees/leaves This is where I'm leaning after doing some reading It works great honestly. There are 3 blades on my JD X350 48inch. Very happy with it |
Strength Determination Merciless Forever
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Originally Posted By 1shortofpar: It works great honestly. There are 3 blades on my JD X350 48inch. Very happy with it Originally Posted By 1shortofpar: Originally Posted By Into_the_Void: Originally Posted By 1shortofpar: I close the shoot and swap to gator blades. Pair this with a massive stihl leaf blower. 4 acres, tons of trees/leaves This is where I'm leaning after doing some reading It works great honestly. There are 3 blades on my JD X350 48inch. Very happy with it Which blade are you using? Do you go back to a different blade when not dealing with leaves? |
| My Exmark blades blow leaves 20 ft to the right untouched as well. I only have one pin oak in the yard, the rest are in the fields. Pin oaks are the gift that keeps giving until spring. The leaves hold until they are blown off by high wind or until the new leaves are almost ready to start. It's rarely a once and done cleanup. |
Strength Determination Merciless Forever
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Originally Posted By Smith-16: My Exmark blades blow leaves 20 ft to the right untouched as well. I only have one pin oak in the yard, the rest are in the fields. Pin oaks are the gift that keeps giving until spring. The leaves hold until they are blown off by high wind or until the new leaves are almost ready to start. It's rarely a once and done cleanup. Oh I know I'm going to be mowing until January. Attached File |
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Originally Posted By Smith-16: My Exmark blades blow leaves 20 ft to the right untouched as well. I only have one pin oak in the yard, the rest are in the fields. Pin oaks are the gift that keeps giving until spring. The leaves hold until they are blown off by high wind or until the new leaves are almost ready to start. It's rarely a once and done cleanup. Indeed they are. There are 6 huge ones in a couple of my neighbor's yards, and guess who's yard is directly in the path of those damn leaves? It's friggin January before they start fully dropping and it kills the hell out of my grass if I don't pick them up. |
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I have 5.25 acres of woods, and about a 1/2 of grass ( weeds ) that I spend more time mowing leaves than I do the grass. I may have to mow the grass 6 times all summer but trying to mow leaves is many more. Last year I rented one of the side discharge leaf blowers...OMG it is awesome. I can blow all the leaves in to the woods in less time than mowing once. I will let the bulk of the leaves fall this year then rent it again to blow them. Then I will mow the stragglers after that. My neighbor tried it, we are going to split the weekend rental, which is 150 bucks. My parents have one of the leaf vacs, and they have no where near the leaves I do but they probably fill the bagger 3 or 4 times. Screw mowing them or bagging them, side discharge blower for the win. |
"I am gonna laugh my ass off looking out the air vent of the box car watching some of you shot in the head in a ditch when you finally realize it's time to resist." stolen from RR_broccoli
| Mulching is the way. I roll with a mulching kit on my Exmark year round. Leaves disappear into such fine pieces you can barely tell they were there. Never had a problem with it clogging, even with damp grass. |
Life's battles don't always go to the stronger or faster man. In the end, the one who wins is the one who thinks he can! - SCI, NRA
Team Ranstad
Team Ranstad
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I just use my mulching blades and let them return to the earth. I've decided it's too much effort to gather them anymore. It takes me days of leaf blowing and raking to clear my yard. Now all I have to worry about are the acorns. Hundreds of pounds of acorns... Attached File |
| I have a Husquvarna 48 inch deck, and has the bagger system. Occasionally the chute gets clogged (wet grass), but otherwise a great system. I have 1.5 acres, and it sure beats blowing and raking. During the spring and summer I just mulch the greass, and in the fall I mount the bagger system, and suck it all up. I have about 15 mature oak trees on the property, so I get a lot of leaves come fall. |
A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both. - Dwight D. Eisenhower
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Originally Posted By Into_the_Void: Oh I know I'm going to be mowing until January. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/220444/1000017406_jpg-3830052.JPG It's a beautiful back yard, but it takes some work. A sweeper is a good investment if you have a wooded area to dump the leaves. But, then you'll need to fertilize to replace the massive amount of material you're removing. I mulch, but don't like to run the zero turn once the grass stops repairing. The ground stays wet and turf burn / ruts don't self repair until spring. Your biggest friend, if you decide to mulch the leaves, is palletized lime. A couple years without lime, grass will start to thin out, and a gorgeous shaded fescue lawn will be nothing but moss and weeds. Edit to add that this is my experience in this region due to our thin clay soil. It acidifies pretty fast. If you have healthy loam, you won't necessarily need to do it. |
Strength Determination Merciless Forever
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Originally Posted By Smith-16: It's a beautiful back yard, but it takes some work. A sweeper is a good investment if you have a wooded area to dump the leaves. But, then you'll need to fertilize to replace the massive amount of material you're removing. I mulch, but don't like to run the zero turn once the grass stops repairing. The ground stays wet and turf burn / ruts don't self repair until spring. Your biggest friend, if you decide to mulch the leaves, is palletized lime. A couple years without lime, grass will start to thin out, and a gorgeous shaded fescue lawn will be nothing but moss and weeds. Originally Posted By Smith-16: Originally Posted By Into_the_Void: Oh I know I'm going to be mowing until January. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/220444/1000017406_jpg-3830052.JPG It's a beautiful back yard, but it takes some work. A sweeper is a good investment if you have a wooded area to dump the leaves. But, then you'll need to fertilize to replace the massive amount of material you're removing. I mulch, but don't like to run the zero turn once the grass stops repairing. The ground stays wet and turf burn / ruts don't self repair until spring. Your biggest friend, if you decide to mulch the leaves, is palletized lime. A couple years without lime, grass will start to thin out, and a gorgeous shaded fescue lawn will be nothing but moss and weeds. Previous owner swept absolutely everything, even after every mowing.. I'm trying to get good stuff back in the dirt. I sold the sweeper left behind 
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*Laughs in hickory nuts* Mulching is definitely the way! I have to use an aftermarket blocking plate made of steel because of all the nuts I have to mulch. The plastic mulch plates were breaking. Attached File |
A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
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Originally Posted By 14BoltFF: *Laughs in hickory nuts* Mulching is definitely the way! I have to use an aftermarket blocking plate made of steel because of all the nuts I have to mulch. The plastic mulch plates were breaking. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/419235/IMG_3036_jpeg-3830082.JPG My idiot neighbor set that exact mower on fire the week he bought it, a few years back, while mowing leaves. He had a huge pile of them, was mowing over them slowly and the muffler set them on fire. It took a bit of garden hose firefighting to put it out, and significant wire replacement. The fairings are still melted  |
You should move to the right lane, where the rule of vehicle and traffic law still exists. You will not survive here. You are not a wolf, and the left lane is the land of wolves now.
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Originally Posted By fttam: My idiot neighbor set that exact mower on fire the week he bought it, a few years back, while mowing leaves. He had a huge pile of them, was mowing over them slowly and the muffler set them on fire. It took a bit of garden hose firefighting to put it out, and significant wire replacement. The fairings are still melted Originally Posted By fttam: Originally Posted By 14BoltFF: *Laughs in hickory nuts* Mulching is definitely the way! I have to use an aftermarket blocking plate made of steel because of all the nuts I have to mulch. The plastic mulch plates were breaking. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/419235/IMG_3036_jpeg-3830082.JPG My idiot neighbor set that exact mower on fire the week he bought it, a few years back, while mowing leaves. He had a huge pile of them, was mowing over them slowly and the muffler set them on fire. It took a bit of garden hose firefighting to put it out, and significant wire replacement. The fairings are still melted The older ones have a really low-mounted exhaust that exits in front of the front wheel and no muffler shield. That's a head scratcher of a design. Example: 
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A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
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Originally Posted By Into_the_Void: Previous owner swept absolutely everything, even after every mowing.. I'm trying to get good stuff back in the dirt. I sold the sweeper left behind The good news is that once to get the soil healthy, it doesn't require bags of fertilizer or frequent pH adjustment. You could get a head start with some compost dressing. |
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Originally Posted By Torque556: I just use my mulching blades and let them return to the earth. I've decided it's too much effort to gather them anymore. It takes me days of leaf blowing and raking to clear my yard. Now all I have to worry about are the acorns. Hundreds of pounds of acorns... https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/193868/3279_jpg-3830057.JPG 
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Strength Determination Merciless Forever
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Originally Posted By 67Firebird: That's the beautiful view I wait all year to see. I always left my leaves, because I like them. Originally Posted By 67Firebird: Originally Posted By Torque556: I just use my mulching blades and let them return to the earth. I've decided it's too much effort to gather them anymore. It takes me days of leaf blowing and raking to clear my yard. Now all I have to worry about are the acorns. Hundreds of pounds of acorns... https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/193868/3279_jpg-3830057.JPG We can't be friends anymore |
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Originally Posted By 14BoltFF: *Laughs in hickory nuts* Mulching is definitely the way! I have to use an aftermarket blocking plate made of steel because of all the nuts I have to mulch. The plastic mulch plates were breaking. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/419235/IMG_3036_jpeg-3830082.JPG The kids call them baby pumpkins. The squirrels shred them and cause a huge mess. I just spent a few hours yesterday raking them all up, whatever I could. The acorns are next week... they're much worse. Attached File |
Strength Determination Merciless Forever
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Originally Posted By Torque556: I have a very big Shag Bark Hickory in the middle of the front yard, on a hill. The kids call them baby pumpkins. The squirrels shred them and cause a huge mess. I just spent a few hours yesterday raking them all up, whatever I could. The acorns are next week... they're much worse. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/193868/4316_jpg-3830216.JPG Originally Posted By Torque556: Originally Posted By 14BoltFF: *Laughs in hickory nuts* Mulching is definitely the way! I have to use an aftermarket blocking plate made of steel because of all the nuts I have to mulch. The plastic mulch plates were breaking. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/419235/IMG_3036_jpeg-3830082.JPG The kids call them baby pumpkins. The squirrels shred them and cause a huge mess. I just spent a few hours yesterday raking them all up, whatever I could. The acorns are next week... they're much worse. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/193868/4316_jpg-3830216.JPG There's a billion acorns in my backyard. Somehow my kids run around barefoot, to me it feels like walking on Legos. |
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As someone else said, I throw on a pair of sharp, SHARP Gators and close the chute. Go slower than normal and they will disappear into grass. Because of some mower issues I had (which I thankfully solved, just too late) I missed the two November passes I generally do to do leaves, and while I don't have trees over my pool I have enough in proximity, oak or otherwise, that I will NEVER do that again. |
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Originally Posted By Into_the_Void: There's a billion acorns in my backyard. Somehow my kids run around barefoot, to me it feels like walking on Legos. Originally Posted By Into_the_Void: Originally Posted By Torque556: Originally Posted By 14BoltFF: *Laughs in hickory nuts* Mulching is definitely the way! I have to use an aftermarket blocking plate made of steel because of all the nuts I have to mulch. The plastic mulch plates were breaking. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/419235/IMG_3036_jpeg-3830082.JPG The kids call them baby pumpkins. The squirrels shred them and cause a huge mess. I just spent a few hours yesterday raking them all up, whatever I could. The acorns are next week... they're much worse. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/193868/4316_jpg-3830216.JPG There's a billion acorns in my backyard. Somehow my kids run around barefoot, to me it feels like walking on Legos. Do you get lots of deer stopping by for acorns? |
A winner never quits, and a quitter never wins. Get comfortable being uncomfortable.
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Originally Posted By aztrooper: I have a Husquvarna 48 inch deck, and has the bagger system. Occasionally the chute gets clogged (wet grass), but otherwise a great system. I have 1.5 acres, and it sure beats blowing and raking. During the spring and summer I just mulch the greass, and in the fall I mount the bagger system, and suck it all up. I have about 15 mature oak trees on the property, so I get a lot of leaves come fall. I’m in a similar situation and setup. I have to stay on it or the bagger is useless with some of the maple leaves and oak leaves as I spend more time unclogging it. My routine is to suck up the lightweight areas and use the backpack blower to get the leaves out of tight areas of the yard and then use the tractor with mulching blades to shoot everything into the woods. |
“Liberalism, the noble annihilator, has hollowed out every institution, every binding force, every social failsafe and backstop, and its agents feign surprise when the liberating infanticide it promotes is taken to its next logical step.”
Collector of rare Rhododendrons & Polypodiophytes
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Having both a lawn and trees is a stupid fight against each other. And yet I still stupidly do that stupidity. And then I stupidly swear not to do it when I move. And then I stupidly buy yet another stupid house with both. Edit to add I'm stupidly 2 weeks into reseeding now. |
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Originally Posted By 14BoltFF: Do you get lots of deer stopping by for acorns? Attached File |
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I use Gator-type blades on my Husqvarna TS348XD, and their bagger system. The lift-type blades work well for picking up leaves, but they only cut an Oak leaf into two or three pieces whereas a Gator-type blade will cut them into smaller pieces and not fill the bags as fast. The leaves go onto a compost pile at the edge of the woods behind my house. If I wanted to burn the leaves, I would use the lift blades. I use Gator-type blades that are about 2/3 as thick and much lighter than genuine Oregon Gator blades. |
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Originally Posted By curiomatic: I use Gator-type blades on my Husqvarna TS348XD, and their bagger system. The lift-type blades work well for picking up leaves, but they only cut an Oak leaf into two or three pieces whereas a Gator-type blade will cut them into smaller pieces and not fill the bags as fast. The leaves go onto a compost pile at the edge of the woods behind my house. If I wanted to burn the leaves, I would use the lift blades. I use Gator-type blades that are about 2/3 as thick and much lighter than genuine Oregon Gator blades. |
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Originally Posted By BlackbirdRider: I just sharpen my normal blades and mow the leaves back into themselves..then mow whatever remains until it's finely chopped up. This. |
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
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Originally Posted By Torque556: I've got the same mower. Will yours send acorns down the shoot to the bags? Ive put off the purchase of the bagger, not knowing if it'll work. Originally Posted By Torque556: Originally Posted By curiomatic: I use Gator-type blades on my Husqvarna TS348XD, and their bagger system. The lift-type blades work well for picking up leaves, but they only cut an Oak leaf into two or three pieces whereas a Gator-type blade will cut them into smaller pieces and not fill the bags as fast. The leaves go onto a compost pile at the edge of the woods behind my house. If I wanted to burn the leaves, I would use the lift blades. I use Gator-type blades that are about 2/3 as thick and much lighter than genuine Oregon Gator blades. I traded-in an earlier model Husqvarna that had the PTO belt-driven impeller on the deck at the base of the chute. The newer one with the Clear Cut deck works better than the old one, and it doesn't have a "blower". It will pick up anything if I use the "lift" blades and run the deck low enough, but I can get the leaves with Gator-type blades with the deck at normal 5 or 6 cutting height. You can cut your lawn with the bagging system installed and the bags removed, and it will be okay. Sometimes I'll have to drop the deck really low to pick up the fronds under my Arbor Vitae trees. I'm happy with Husqvarna's new bagging system. |
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I've got 10acres, half is a "park like" setting with mature oaks and grass underneath. I run Gator Blades year round. I've had this place 20yrs. In that time I've had an ExMark 72in, a 30HP Kubota Tractor w/Belly Mower, and now a Kioti with a rear finish mower. 5 acres is too much to blow, sweep, collect, compost. I mow leaves Nascar style with the chute down but not blocked. I make 5 or 6 passes blowing in, then switch directions for a pass, then another 5 passes blowing in. Repeat. You can see some bands of mulched leaves, but after a couple days of wind or a rain they disappear. I'm in mid MO so I mow leaves every couple weeks from Oct through Nov. |
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Originally Posted By bondservant2: A mulch kit (plug) with Gator blades and the deck set high works well on my GX335. Originally Posted By bondservant2: Originally Posted By 1shortofpar: It works great honestly. There are 3 blades on my JD X350 48inch. Very happy with it A mulch kit (plug) with Gator blades and the deck set high works well on my GX335. Good point I forgot to mention, I do have the "mulch kit" installed as well as the blades |