STOP Grass Catcher Clogging!

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#grasscatcherclog #grasscatcher #nomoreclogs

If your lawnmower grass catcher keeps clogging, there are several things that may be causing it - and all can be solved without a service visit!

If your grass catcher chute clogs with grass trimmings, you don’t have to just live with it. Several things may be causing this, but all can be addressed without a service call - you can JUST DO IT YOURSELF!

Your lawnmower’s grass clipping bagging system is somewhat a vacuum - sucking up grass clippings as they are cut from the lawn, and carried via a high-velocity stream of air, where they are deposited in a mesh collection bag. The mesh is necessary to allow air to move through the bag(s) where the clippings are captured and the air is expelled.

The source of the airflow is the mower’s blades themselves. As they spin inside of the mower deck, air is drawn in from the edges and expelled out the chute to the bags. The principle is the same for both walk-behind and riding lawnmowers. As the grass is cut, the clippings become part of the airstream that is moving from under the deck to the collection bags.

All pretty simple, right? So what goes wrong to cause the clippings to clog the chute? As it turns out, there is a whole list of possible culprits, including:

The throttle is not being run at high. Mowers are designed both at the engine and component level to be run at high throttle. You need enough air/vacuum is formed to move the clippings rapidly up the collection system. If not, clogs are likely.
The grass is too wet or highly saturated. Drier grass mows better and doesn’t tend to clump. So, if possible, wait to mow, perhaps late in the day before sundown.
The speed mowing is happening is too high. This is different than the throttle being set at high. If you move through the area being mowed too quickly, especially for areas with high growth, you risk clogs in the collection system, simply because too much material is introduced into the system at one time.
The cutting height on the mower is set too low for current conditions. A good rule of thumb is not to remove more than a third of the length of the blades of grass. When deep cuts are taken, it’s hard on your lawn and tough on your mower and collection system tool.
Dull or damaged blades. Grass that is not sheared off cleanly will not move into the collection system quickly and smoothly. Sharpen the blades, or if there is significant damage, replace them.
The underside of the deck needs to be cleaned. If the deck has significant deposits of grass fibers adhering to it, this greatly affects air/vacuum flow, as well as gives plenty of places for grass to catch on and slow down its exit into the chute. Many lawnmowers have hose connections that water can be injected under the desk as the blades are engaged to assist in cleaning.
The inside of the chute system has grass residue adhering to it or has a significant amount of deep scratches and grooves (likely from small branches, rocks, debris) that “snag” grass as it is moving in the chute. The inside of the chute can be soaked in soapy water and scrubbed out, and even sanded with a coarse grit sanding sponge to smooth it out. Follow up with an application of silicone spray, or something similar. Repeat from time to time.
The wrong type of blades on your mower. There are two families of blades - mulching and high-lift. Mulching blades are primarily for chopping the grass finely and for depositing back onto the lawn. High lift blades are configured to create a significant amount more airflow than mulching types and are used for lawnmowers outfitted with bagging systems. It is possible to successfully use mulching blades for collection systems if all the factors mentioned earlier are addressed properly. However, if all other areas have been addressed, and clogging still occurs, then it’s time to make the investment in high lift blades.

There you have it - how to overcome the problem of your mower’s grass chute clogging! One last thing. Always make use of the grass clippings you collect. They are a great source of nitrogen and organic material for other parts of your yardscape. Don’t throw them away - you are literally throwing away the fertilizers and water you’ve applied on the lawn. Instead, use them for things like poultry bedding/feed, mulch in your flower and veggie beds, and for composting.

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