Man switching mowing modes on a John Deere zero-turn mower with a MulchControl Kit

What is a MulchControl Kit?

The John Deere MulchControl Kit is a feature for switching between discharging and mulching. It features a lever on top of the mower deck that opens and closes the side-discharge baffle. When the baffle is closed, the mower is set to mulch mode and will circulate the clippings, cutting them into finer pieces. When the baffle is open, the mower is in discharge mode, allowing clipping to escape.

Underside of a deck with the MulchControl baffle disengaged — Deck with MulchControl baffle open

Typically switching from discharging to mulching involved changing the blades. The MulchControl Kit includes blades designed to do both. To switch between modes, step off the mower and open or close the baffle with the lever. If your mower includes One-Touch MulchControl, it can be done from your seat with the flip of a switch.

Electric One-Touch MulchControl switch on a John Deere lawn tractor — Electric One-Touch MulchControl switch

The MulchControl Kit also includes a set of blades designed for bagging. Using the bagging blades when bagging will boost the mower’s performance. It won’t hurt to use the mulching blades, but your mower will be processing the clippings longer than necessary. To learn more about the different mowing modes, read our blog post on when it’s best to mulch or bag.

Compatibility

S240 Sport Series

Lever-action MulchControl is available for Accel Deep 42-in. (42A) and 48-in. (48A) mower decks used on S240 Sport Series lawn tractors.

X300 and X500 Select Series

Lever-action and electric One-Touch MulchControl is available for Accel Deep 42-in. (42A), 48-in. (48A), and 54-in. (54A) mower decks used on X300 and X500 Select Series lawn tractors.

X700 Signature Series

Lever-action MulchControl is compatible with 2013 and newer X700 Signature Series lawn tractors with the following decks:

9077M 48-in. AccelDeep Mower Deck
2015-2018 9074M 54-in. or 9075M 60-in. High Capacity Mower Deck
2019 and newer 9078M 54-in. or 9079M 60-in. High Capacity Mower Deck

An optional hydraulic MulchControl actuator is available for model year 2019 and newer 9078M 54-in. or 9079M 60-in. High Capacity Mower Decks to provide.

Z300, Z500, and Z700 Series

Lever-action MulchControl is available for Accel Deep 42-in., 48-in., and 54-in. mower decks used on Z300 and Z500 Series zero-turn mowers. Z500 and Z700 Series zero-turn mowers with a 48-in., 54-in., or 60-in. High Capacity or High Capacity Pro mower deck can add lever-action MulchControl.