EQUIPMENT: On Deck

When Kyle Stevens purchases a mower, deck design is a very important feature. After all, a mower’s deck plays a pivotal role in the quality of the cut. “Most mowers out there ride about the same, are powered about the same and have the same basic controls,” says the president of Stonewood and Waters Landscape Craftsmen, Honeoye Falls, N.Y. “However, they all cut very differently.”
 
Mowers are one of a landscape contractor’s most important pieces of equipment. Thirty-six percent of contractors purchased a riding mower in 2007 spending an average of $12,034, and 30 percent plan to purchase one in 2008, according to Lawn & Landscape research. With 40 percent of contractors offering mowing and maintenance services, these machines are used day in and day out, so contractors need to pay close attention to a mower’s various features, including the deck.
 
The deck’s main function is to keep the mower’s blades suspended and rotating, and an efficiently designed mower deck is more apt to produce a quality cut. Many of the decks’s on today’s mower models have the ability to perform side discharge, collection or mulching functions, and have the power to increase a contractor’s productivity and efficiency, says Ruthanne Stucky, marketing director for The Grasshopper Co., Moundridge, Kan. “The bottom line of a lawn mower is to cut the grass,” she says. “But some important design features can make the mowing process efficient and the results pleasing.”

PIECES AND PARTS. A mower deck is composed of four main parts: a deck shell, belts, spindles and blades. The deck shell contains and supports all of the moving parts and confines cutting action within the chamber. Most deck shells are designed for three primary functions – discharge, mulch and vacuum collection. “A deck shell should be strong and nimble, not heavy and cumbersome, with strength built into impact zones,” Stucky says.
 
Since deck shells house the mower’s blades, they need to come equipped with safety features to protect the operator from flying debris, says Nick Cashier, general manager, Cub Cadet Commercial, Cleveland. Most deck shells are reinforced with steel plates or other durable materials that can be replaced when needed during the life of the mower. “Deck shells are reinforced in places they experience the most wear, like where the blades and spindles are mounted,” Cashier says.
 
Mower belts transfer the reciprocal power from the engine to the rotational power of the spindles, and different mowers have belts of varying strengths. Spindles transfer motion to a rotating blade and must be strong and durable. A large-shielded shaft should have wide, thick flanges securely bolted to the deck to form a multi-layered spindle plane that supports and keeps the rotating blades level throughout the mowing process, Stucky says.
 
Blades make contact with the grass, and are arguably a mower’s most important components. “Blades are the heart of the action and must be kept sharp to produce a fine cut and preserve a healthy turf,” Stucky says. “They must also be balanced to maintain smooth, high-speed rotation.”
 
For the most efficient mowers, contractors should sharpen the blades after every eight hours of use, or at least every day, Stucky says. “A good practice for producing a high-quality cut is for contractors to carry sharp blades with them on the job and replace blades at noon, or when moving each new property,” she says. “Mowing with dull blades not only tears and damages the grass, but it uses more fuel and creates more wear and tear on the mower.”
 
Because clean, sharp blades are so important to each job, Stevens examines the mower deck for its blade-mounting configuration when considering a new purchase. “If blades are easy to get to and easy to remove, they will get changed, sharpened and cleaned more frequently,” he says.

CUSTOMER DEMAND. When it comes to mower decks, contractors look to achieve the greatest efficiency in the least amount of time while still producing a quality cut. But, according to Stevens, it really comes down to three primary functions. “Anyone who has ever spent a day on a mower will say it all comes down to vacuum, the ability of the mower to suck the grass into the blades; baffling, what keeps the cut grass suspended after cutting; and discharge, how the mower disperses the clippings after they’ve left the deck,” Stevens says. “If the deck is not able to create vacuum, the grass will not stand back up to be cut after the wheels and deck push it down. If the baffling is too restrictive, the grass clippings will clog the deck, inhibiting the vacuum. With discharge, you are looking to throw the clippings in a broad fashion – not too close but not too far.”
 
Versatility is also important for contractors in different regions working on different terrains to achieve the same cut quality.
 
“Contractors working with rocky soil in Maine and sandy soil in Florida both want a mower that’s efficient and productive,” Cashier says, adding adjustable skirt designs provide contractors with this flexibility.
 
Stucky agrees, adding that contractors need to purchase mowers that meet their individual needs. Interchangeable deck sizes allow a mower to grow along with a contractor’s business. “It’s important to have a mower that will be effective in a wide variety of conditions,” she says.

WHAT’S TO COME. Cashier compares the future of mower decks to current advancements in the automobile industry. “We’re working to lessen the weight of the machine by using plastics and other alternative materials,” he says. “We’re also trying to decrease fuel requirements to lower contractors’ operating costs.”
 
Advancements in electric and hydraulic drive systems are also on the horizon.
 
“Manufacturers are testing this new technology as it evolves to see how it can be incorporated into mower units,” Cashier says. “Durability is key.” LL