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revheck

Mulching blade for Toro SR4 20053?

revheck
15 years ago

I purchased Toro SuperRecycler SR4 20053 year ago because it gets such good reviews as a mulcher. It does mulch grass pretty well, but in fall it did only so-so job on the leaves. I've still got big clumps that smothered the grass.

So I went to lawn shop and tried to buy Toro Atomic blade (like a gator blade), but salesman told me Toro doesn't make a specific mulching blade other than the straight blade that came with my mower. ... But he didn't seem so smart, if you know what I mean.

So, is there a Gatorblade, or equivalent, that will fit my

Toro SR4 20053?

Thanks.

Comments (16)

  • rdaystrom
    15 years ago

    You can probably use the one below I found on Ebay. See link below. You'll need to measure yours to compare. There are other online sites that sell Gator Blades for just about everything.

    Here is a link that might be useful: EBAY blade

  • tomplum
    15 years ago

    108-3762-03 is the current blade # shown on the Toro website for the original blade. I looked in my OEP book and they show the GAtor Pt#s 94-906 and 96-606 replacing the common Toro Super Recycler 93-4106. Same blades? Both the Toro #s above referenced have the dish shaped hub. I don't truly know if the Gators work on the SR's or not. You would think there would be clearance to the kickers- but I've never tried it. The 42-1000 blades had a flat hub. Common on the earlier rear bagger line. Hopefully someone will chime in that has tried it.

  • motch6
    15 years ago

    If 108-3762-03 matches 93-4106 than yes there is a Gator Blade that works. What I haven't been able to do is confirm that these model numbers are the same.

    These are the specs for the Gator blade:

    20-7/32" Gator Mulcher Blade [94-906]

    Length: 20-7/32"

    Center Hole: 29/64"

    Outer Hole: 25/64"

    Center to Center: 2-28/64"

    Width 2.25" Thickness .149"

    Fits Manufacturers:
    -Toro-Wheelhorse (why they don't list the Recycler here I don't know?!?)

    Fits OEM Numbers:
    -93-4106
    -94-906

    Available Oregon Upgrades:
    -94-051
    -694-051
    -94-906
    -96-606

    If someone can confirm a match I too need to get one of these Gator blades. It would help my mulching needs.

    My current States: Toro Super Recycler 50056, using origional blade, purchased May 2005.

  • 1saxman
    15 years ago

    'If someone can confirm a match I too need to get one of these Gator blades. It would help my mulching needs'

    The original 'Atomic' blade is more than adequate. This blade is also supplied with the LB Insight Series. As far as mulching leaves on the lawn, if they are moist, too thick or the mower is set too high, there is no lawnmower that can get them off the ground. If the leaves are allowed to get too thick, you can still mulch, but the trick is to bag after mulching and possibly repeat both steps depending on how bad it is. You can put a Gator, Viper, Crocodile, Wolverine, Killer Whale or freakin' Tasmanian Devil blade on there but it can only mulch what gets to the blade.

  • motch6
    15 years ago

    This is what I have found about the 'Atomic' Blade:

    We will be putting gators on all our 21's this fall (Toro's & L.B.'s). Using one on a Toro now for some light leaves & works better than the factory blade. I thought the Atomics were the same as the gators. What's the dif Joe?

    Casey,
    I don't know what the difference is between the atomic and gator blade. I believe they are the same. When I tried the atomic on the Toro, I did not like the cut. There did not seem to be enough lift. What about you?

    I noticed the atomic blades dulled down after a few hours. They are made of JUNK steel! You would think lighter metal would do better. NOT! The best blades I have ever used are the Gator Magnums. Very hard steel. Thicker also. I can now go all week without sharpening.

    SO, if anyone can still confirm the GATOR BLADES please, that would be great! :)

  • roadbike
    15 years ago

    I purchased Toro SuperRecycler SR4 20053 year ago because it gets such good reviews as a mulcher. It does mulch grass pretty well, but in fall it did only so-so job on the leaves. I've still got big clumps that smothered the grass."

    I'm not clear what the problem is. Is the problem that the mower didn't vacuum up clumps of leaves that were entwined in the grass? Or that the mower dropped clumps of partly cut leaves back onto the grass.

    If the former it's going to take more than a gator blade to improve the suction of the SR mower with a standard blade.

    If the latter, you may be mowing when it is too wet or mowing too quickly.

  • tomplum
    15 years ago

    Roadbike brings up a good point. Leaves tend to appear in larger volumns that need a bit more patience when cutting as well. That being said- were you looking to bag the leaves or mulch them into smitherines? The kickers on the SR , by Toro's earlier estimates anyway, would bag about 20% less effectively than the standard RB model. It's a combination of the kickers and the different "lift" on the blade. If mulching, I'd hook your self up to one of the gators and see if it can be safely installed. Remember, that blades flex, and will need sufficient clearance between the lift and the kickers. I can say the faux gators that came on the steel deck recyclers made a nice qoc difference from when they had standard recycler blade.

  • motch6
    15 years ago

    Ok, here is a follow-up. I purchased the Gator blade mentioned above in an earlier post, for my SR4 20056.

    Clearance is fine for the kickers. I had to modify the holes just a tiny bit because they were set just a tad too narrow.

    NOW, on to the review! I'm not very happy so far! My regular toro recycler blade MULCHED better. It seems the GATOR is either a bit to efficient or the Kickers are causing a counter affect!

    Let me explain a bit more and maybe somebody can help me... It seems the GATOR kicks the blades of grass up too fast and ends up just blowing it out underneath. It is leaving way to large of a blade and a HUGE trail as I mow.

    One thing I noticed is that this happend the most in the thicker areas of my lawn. I have my heighth set at E (3-1/4). IS this too high or too low? Does the GARTOR just not work well with a SUPER-recycler (with the side kickers)?

    So, am I going back to the regular TORO (OEM) blade?

    Anyone have a take on this?

    Thanks!

  • roadbike
    15 years ago

    I'm not at all surprised. The SR series of mowers was in my experience designed very well and uses parts that truly work well as a unit. After-market fixes may actually degrade performance on some machines. A lawn mower designer considers blade lift as only one of many factors that influence lifting of grass, suspension of cut blades for fine chopping and bagging with minimal loss. Modify one variable without compensation in that chain and the result could degrade performance as you have seen. High lift blades or increased rpm's may not give the desired result on a well designed mower.

  • chesapeakebeach
    14 years ago

    I agree with roadbike. One of the things you're paying for when you get a Toro is engineering (unlike "Wal-Mart Special" mowers, where some company just bolts an engine to a deck, adds wheels and a handle, and calls it a mower). Trying to second-guess or one-up the Toro designers isn't likely to produce a superior result. If Toro offers an optional blade for a given mower, then fine, go for it, but otherwise I'd leave well enough alone.

  • beach004_yahoo_com
    13 years ago

    If I can piggyback on this thread; I've got a Toro self-propelled, not sure of the model number, 'cause I'm at work right now; when I use it in mulch mode, it chokes down in even moderately tall grass, and I find wads of clippings all around the underside of the deck, plainly the cause of the problem. If I open the hatch, it runs just fine without choking.
    My question: Would a new blade be likely to help with this? And if so, OEM, or some better alternative?
    Thanks,
    Beach004

  • roadbike
    13 years ago

    Which model mower is it?
    Does it require a mulching plug?

    The general rule is that you should mulch much more frequently than you would mow and bag. The reason should be obvious - the mower has to chop and re-chop the grass until it is small enough to drop to the ground. If you add cut grass too quickly the machine will bog down. If you are mulching moderately tall grass that is too much. You wil have to decrease the amount of grass by mowing more frequently, walking slower or cutting a smaller swath.

    A new or different blade will not allow you to mow less frequently..

  • beach004
    13 years ago

    [Blush] I am mulching mostly crabgrass this year. Had a virulent outbreak, so it's lush and green, whereas fescue would be crispy in NC at this season. The mower is front wheel drive, 6.75 HP, has a "flap" on the side where a bag can attach; what I did as an experiment last night was prop it open; that's when I found it no longer bogged down. When it choked down, I'd find great green gobs of grass, all around the underside, instead of falling out below; that's what made me think/hope a new blade (the mower's not ever had one in its six years or so) might help.

  • roadbike
    13 years ago

    Does your mower require a mulching plug to be inserted? If you are mulching without that plug then a rapid buildup of cut grass under the deck will result.

    It does not matter whether you are mowing crabgrass, kentucky blue or K31. You should be mulching frequently enough that you are going through moderately short grass.

  • beach004
    13 years ago

    I had to look up "mulching plug," to see what you have in mind; it looks to be just a flap to close off the discharge chute. Yes, I have one; that's what I opened, to let the clippings get out, and when I do so, the mower no longer chokes down--but of course, the clippings no longer get mulched. It hasn't rained in central NC in a couple of weeks, so the problem has probably been postponed till spring.

  • roadbike
    13 years ago

    Sigh....