[IndianaJim]

Hi all.

Wondering if anyone knows what models, preferably older ones, came with the Mulch On Demand system.
Im going to need to do something to start mulching again, and its either put a dedicated mulch kit on the Exmark, or sell that and get a newer Deere with that system.
I prefer to have the option, because in the fall, I do NOT want to mulch the leaves, I want them off the lawn.
Its nice for blowing off the drive after mowing too...or when the grass is too tall to mulch, etc.

Anyway, if anyone knows when they started doing that, and what models, Id sure appreciate it!

Incidentally, it could be any mower equipped with it, like standers, walk behinds, etc.

 

[cottrillj]

I ran a Google search and found this article from 4 years ago. Says it was only on the ztraks but added to the quiktraks. Probably not much help, but here ya go anyway. Pure guess but it was probably an available deck option on most ztrak models for as long as it's been out??

6 Reasons to Turn Your John Deere Mulch On Demand Deck On or Off

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[IndianaJim]

Thanks, Ill do a bit more looking.

I have an OCD on the Exmark, but you cant leave those closed long, or it builds up a bunch of grass under it, and then throws it all out at once. And it doesnt cut nearly as well as it does with it open.

My lawns have always looked better when I was mulching vs side discharge. Ive read its due to the clipping breaking down much faster due to the much smaller size, but there is something to it.

 

[kbeaag]

On my Z710A with the 54" deck, it came with a "mulching Kit" installed. I didn't want a full blown mulching kit to mow. So, I removed the deck chute part and left all the other parts under the deck as is. Over the years I have found by leaving the mulching kit parts still installed I get a very fine clipping of grass residue on the lawn. Also, in the fall which I have about 22 large Ash trees that fall, that I can take the Ztrak and mulch the leaves into very fine clippings. Saves me spending hours racking the leaves.

Of course, I must use Mulching blades to do this, which came with the deck when I bought the tractor.

 

[sennister]

Just to throw this out there. When I bought my Z950R it was the one option that I did not get. Initially I wanted it but I was doing a lot of research before buying and the MOD was one thing that did not get very high marks. Most of my research was not here but on another forum I am on that isn't brand specific but more geared toward professional landscapers.

The biggest complaint I read over and over was like what you described with the Exmark. You run it closed and it builds and builds until it dumps out a bunch of clippings. Then the cycle starts over. There are guys over there that went through the trouble of buying a bare 7 Iron Pro deck without the MOD and moving the spindles and everything over. I should add that some people out there like it but is it one of those things where the complainers are more vocal than those satisfied? Not sure. It is also worth noting that there are different types of grass out there and it may work better with one variety than another.

Now I should point something out. How a commercial mower (company not the machine) operates might be very different than you and I. If you are looking for this to cut your grass, you have the benefit to maybe hold off with mowing until later in the day once the dew burns off or skip an extra day after the rain. When a commercial operation misses a day they are out money and falling behind. Any machine that sits idle isn't making money. When I was asking about the DFS Collection system to pick up leaves they all said heck no, I was crazy for thinking it. Use Gator Blades and go. But the more I thought of the difference in what we are doing. If they collect the clippings and leaves, they now have to do something with them. That means dumping them next to a truck then loading them up and then driving that truck to some compost site. That is all wasted time unless the contract requires it and then they charge more. I am cutting my yard, I have a compost pile in the back yard that I dump in. So why do I care. A DFS Collection system saves me time. I can back up, flip the lever, dump and get back to cutting. Then I come back by with my X585 and FEL and turn the pile to mix in the new clippings/leaves. Costs me a little more in fuel but I get clean compost out of it.

So back to your question, I am pretty sure any Z9xx had that as an option. For sure on the M and R versions maybe not the B or now E. They have a different deck that they cut some corners on to reduce the cost. Things like less anti scalp rollers and grip tape rather than a step. Not a huge difference but every corner cut saved a few bucks to the point where I could have bought two Z915B machines for what I paid for my Z950R.

 

[sennister]

Here is a link to one of the discussions.

Review of John Deere Z920 Mulch-on-Demand | LawnSite

I still largely think it will come down to how it performs with your grass and how you mow. I know you mentioned looking used. You could be a tire kicker and see if a dealer has a demo unit to try out on your property.