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Common Ground News

How do you install a side discharge on a lawn mower?

Author

David Ramirez

Updated on February 15, 2026

How do you install a side discharge on a lawn mower?

How to install a side discharge on your lawnmower:
  1. Step 1: Securely turn off your mower.
  2. Step 2: Locate the area where the discharge chute is to be installed.
  3. Step 3: If applicable, remove the bolts that are already present there.
  4. Step 4: Pull up the mulch plug.
  5. Step 5: Install the side discharge.

Likewise, people ask, which side of a lawn mower blade goes up?

It's important that the blade's cutting edge follows the direction of rotation. The wings of the lawn mower blade will be oriented up toward the mower deck and any writing on the blade will likely be facing away from the deck. If the blade bolt comes with a washer, its concave side will be facing the blade.

Secondly, how do you keep grass from clogging Bagger chutes? Details

  1. CLEAN DECK - Make sure that the underside of your deck has been properly cleaned of any debris or clippings.
  2. ENGINE AT FULL THROTTLE - It is necessary to run your unit at full throttle during your entire operation.
  3. GRASS TOO WET - Clumping can occur if you are mowing grass that is excessively wet.

Herein, what is a side discharge chute?

The discharge chute removes long, thick and moist grass from the underside of the mowing deck as quickly as possible. It also helps your mower power through the long, wet grass. This eliminates the grass clippings from building up and getting trapped in the cutting area.

Why does my lawn mower get clogged?

The most common reason it clogs is because the grass is too heavy, but there are lots of other reasons: Poor Cutting Conditions. Deck Too Low.

What is a mower deck baffle?

Install Baffles or a Baffle Kit on your lawn mower, garden tractor, or zero turn to enhance the air flow under the mowing deck. This reduces the likelihood of grass blowout from the front of the deck, and increases the overall efficiency of your mower.

Can you use mulching blades without a mulching kit?

Blades should work. Gators work even w/o mulch kits. Might chop the pieces up finer and they might not.

How do you install a chute John Deere discharge?

Install Mower Discharge Chute
  1. Hold chute firmly on mower deck when installing. M47397.
  2. Install mower discharge chute to mower deck with two bolts (A) and lock nuts (B).
  3. Tighten nuts to 20 N•m (15 lb-ft).
  4. Check hinge action by opening and releasing the chute. The chute must spring back completely to the lowered position.

Do you sharpen both sides of a lawn mower blade?

File in the direction of the original cutting angle. Always sharpen from the top side of the cutting edge; this will give you the longest-lasting edge on the blade. Note: The file cuts in one direction only, on the push stroke; you'll feel it bite into the steel on the blade.

Why is my mower cutting lower on one side?

Step cutting is usually caused by mower deck damage, misadjustment, or mower blade damage. Normally the deck just needs to be re-leveled. The next thing to do is to turn the blades and measure again. If the measurements are not the same, one of the blades is probably bent.

Are new lawn mower blades pre sharpened?

Fortunately, the answer is no. A brand-new blade already comes sharpened. So, there is no need to sharpen it again. Rarely, brand-new lawnmower blades feature a coat of paint.

Can I put a 21 inch blade on a 22 inch mower?

The mower will need to use the size blade that is called for (in this case, 21 inches). The mower is designed to have a specific sized blade on it in order to maintain safe operating conditions. A shorter blade is going to spin much faster and can allow the unit to vibrate excessively or for the engine to over speed.

How do I know what lawn mower blade I need?

The easiest way to find replacement lawn mower blades is with the OEM number. The OEM number is the numerical part number of the blade assigned by the manufacturer. In most cases, just typing this number with the manufacturer name into a search engine or online store will be enough to bring up some promising results.

Can you put a mulching blade on any mower?

Yes, you can put a mulching blade on almost any mower. To put a mulching blade on a mower, the blade needs to be able to fit the deck properly and be secured tightly. Not all mowers equipped with a mulching blade will do a good mulching job due to bad deck design, or low-powered engine.

Is it better to mulch or side discharge?

No. Both side-discharge and mulching mowers leave grass blades behind. However, a mulching blade chops up clippings into finer pieces so they decompose faster and don't clump as quickly. Using a side-discharge mower you may need to do your own mulching by running over your grass piles multiple times.

What does side discharge mean?

The side discharge usually means you're blowing a coarser grade of clippings onto something: a driveway, a mulch bed, a tree well, or onto an already thick accumulation of other discharged passes (if you're going clockwise and blowing everything in towards the center of the lawn).

Can you side discharge with mulching blades?

Can you use mulching blades with side discharge? Yes, you can use side discharge with mulching blades. Side discharge will help in preventing any clumps that might occur under the deck due to the grass.

How do you mow with side discharge?

For side-discharging lawnmowers, mow one strip of grass, then switch directions with the mower so that the next strip you mow sprays the grass clippings over the area you just mowed. Mowing in strips is better than mowing in a circle because you'll avoid building up mounds of clippings.

What's the difference between a mulching blade and a regular blade?

Standard blades, sometimes referred to as 2-in-1 blades, are designed to cut grass and then either discharge or bag the clippings. Mulching blades, also known as 3-in-1 blades, can be used to bag, discharge, or mulch grass clippings. Mulching blades feature more curves and an increased cutting edge.

Why is my mulching mower leaving clumps?

If your mower leaves clumps of clippings all over, it means two things. First, you're mowing when the grass is wet. Second, you're letting the grass get too tall between mowings. Mow frequently enough so that you never remove more than one-third of a the grass blades is a single cutting.

What is a mulch plug?

A "mulch plug" is necessary to mulch the grass clippings during mowing. The plug is used to close the discharge opening in the mowing deck and recycle the lawn clippings back into the blade area for repeated cutting and eventually deposited into the lawn as fine mulch.

Do mulching mowers really work?

Mulching mowers are useful machines in caring for the lawn, but their purpose is not to provide "mulch" in the conventional sense. The clippings from the mower are torn into tiny particles that, once they're on the soil's surface, are quickly broken down and release their nutrients.

What is mulch mowing?

In the case of mulching lawn mowers, the mulch consists of grass clippings from the mowed turfgrass. The clippings are cut into fine pieces that fall easily to the soil surface. There, they can be rapidly broken down by soil microorganisms, which release nutrients from the mulched plant material back into the soil.