Woman cutting grass on rear discharge lawn tractor

Buying Guides

Side Discharge vs Rear Discharge vs Mulching: What’s the best option for your lawn?

When it comes to mowing your lawn, the way you manage your clippings matters. Side discharge, rear discharge, and mulching decks each offer different benefits. All depending on your lawn type, maintenance routine, and personal preference.

This guide will walk you through each method, the pros and cons, and how to decide which cutting system fits your needs best.

Side discharge mower deck

A mower deck with side discharge ejects grass clippings out of a chute located on the right side of the mower deck.

The advantages of a side discharge mower deck

Side discharge mower decks are less prone to clogging and particularly useful when mowing long or wet grass.
Grass clippings will be distributed evenly throughout your lawn, which creates a uniform appearance and prevents the buildup of clumps, reducing the need for raking or bagging.

The disadvantages of a side discharge mower deck

With a side discharge mower deck, grass clippings are ejected from the chute with great velocity. These clippings, and possibly other debris on the lawn, can create a mess on patios, driveways and flowerbeds, and could lead to unwanted weed growth.
You can only mow past obstacles in one direction to avoid expelling grass clippings towards obstacles such as flowerbeds, fences or parked cars.

If you want to know more about the pros and cons of a mower with a side discharge mower deck, read the article Why use a side discharge mower deck?

Rear discharge mower deck

This type of deck is designed to discharge grass clippings from the rear of the mower.

The advantages of a rear discharge mower deck

There is almost no risk of dispersing clippings into your flower beds or onto your patio, because the grass clippings are ejected from the rear of the mower.
You can easily cut around obstacles, as there is no chute in the way. You can approach objects from any direction, which saves you precious time.

The disadvantage of a rear discharge mower deck

Less suitable for long or wet grass, as clippings can get stuck and clog the deck.
A rear discharge mower deck can leave windrows, which don’t look very attractive.

In the article The pros and cons of a rear discharge mower deck you can read more details about the advantages and disadvantages of a rear discharge mower deck.

Mulching mower deck

Mulching decks are designed to finely chop grass clippings and return them to the lawn as a natural fertiliser. Instead of bagging or clearing away clippings, the mower recycles them straight back into the soil, helping to keep your lawn healthy with very little extra effort.

The advantages of a mulching mower deck

Feeds your lawn naturally: Fine clippings break down quickly, returning valuable nutrients like nitrogen to the soil.
Time-saving: No need to collect or dispose of clippings after mowing.

The disadvantages of a mulching mower deck

Regular mowing is important: To mulch effectively, you’ll need to mow once or twice a week during the growing season.
Less effective on tall or wet grass: Heavy, damp clippings can clump together and smother the lawn.

Want to dive deeper into mulching?
Read Snapper Sam’s full guide to mulching: how it works, when to do it, and how to get the best results for your lawn.

Wrapping Up: choosing the right deck for your lawn
If you have a large lawn and don’t mind a few clippings flying around, a side discharge mower deck could be the perfect fit. If you often mow around flower beds, fences or paths, a rear discharge deck will give you cleaner, more controlled results.

And if you want to boost your lawn’s health naturally, and you're happy to mow regularly, a mulching deck is a smart way to feed your lawn and save time on clean-up.

Already have a Snapper mower? You might not need a new machine to start mulching. With a Snapper mulch kit, you can easily convert your lawn tractor or zero turn mower into a mulching mower .

Ultimately, the best mowing setup depends on your lawn design, the size of your garden, and how you like to mow. Whichever way you choose, Snapper has the tools to help you get the job done right.