Improving wet grass collection

Fitted a new replacement bag to my trusty old Masport a few days ago....................... grass collection was always good on this old mower but I'd done the trick of putting about 20 roughly 15mm holes in the back of the bag but I hadn't modified the new replacement bag. Well the new bag was terrible with the wet grass quickly blocking the bag mesh and I was constantly stopping to empty a third-full bag and unblock the shute.....pretty hopeless. Modified the new bag with about 20 holes and collection was brilliant again................. the bag was crammed tight with wet grass I could hardly lift and no blockages at all. If you're having trouble with grass collection............. seems a fairly common problem with wet grass.............. definitely worth giving it a go. Need to make the holes with something hot so you actually melt the hole rather than cut it............. I use a large soldering iron as the bit "holder" is just the right diameter..................... I guess you could heat up a bolt of the right diameter to make the holes. Don't do too many holes or the bag will not inflate... I find about 20 does the trick . It does seem sacrilege to carry out this barbaric act on a new expensive bag but it's well worth it.

Replies

Sean Clarke May 20, 2021 at 8:29am

Sounds like a good modification. What happens when cutting dry and dusty grass? Does debris bellow out of the holes?

Cheers
- Graham Taylor > Sean Clarke May 20, 2021 at 4:24pm
  
  No.for some reason............ when you think about it, the mowers with plastic grass collectors have slots in them and doesn't cause any problems.
Billybop May 20, 2021 at 5:06pm

mower manufacturers should sell an optional wet collection bag made of a more fishnet type of material. The rate of growth on grass this week has been phenomenal here, it went a bit dormant during the drought but now it's really going for it
- PRO
  
  Jonathan Davidson > Billybop May 20, 2021 at 5:20pm
  
  PRO
  
  Growth has been crazy, one of the neighbours at a property was moaning and presumed I hadnt cut the grass recently. I pointed out I had been 7 days previously to cut it and put it down to the fact that with all the rain I reckoned the Winter & Spring fertilizers had probably now washed in after the dry cold period where there had been little effect!
  - Billybop > Jonathan Davidson May 20, 2021 at 5:50pm
    
    PRO
    
    Yes obviously you "didn't do a very good job of it" because "it grew back too quickly". I had this once from a customer about a hedge lol
- Sean Clarke > Billybop May 20, 2021 at 8:23pm
  
  I've often thought exactly the same. I've contemplated making my own (well, getting someone else to make one) with suitable material, can't be too tricky?!
  - Billybop > Sean Clarke May 20, 2021 at 8:44pm
    
    would be a nightmare to weave your own grass bag, I think the best material would be some kind of alloy chain mail type mesh as fabric would be too flimsy with the larger holes required in it. Or strung like a tennis raquet, or carbon fibre. The wet grass particles clump together to form a solid mass so the holes can be quite large on the sides of the bag at least, to facilitate air flow
PRO
Gary RK May 20, 2021 at 6:10pm
Good mowing always has been and always will be largely about 'airflow'

Whatever you can do to improve will reap benefits;
- engine / blade speed
- blade lift
- deck angle
- largest grass chute
- freeflow bag/box
- clean under deck
- PRO
  
  James > Gary RK May 20, 2021 at 7:39pm
  
  Hi Gary, what do you find is the best deck angle?
  
  I hadn't thought about this before
David Benson May 20, 2021 at 7:46pm

on mowers with seperate front and back adjustment lift the back up one notch it helps also empty the bag when it gets half full