I have the same rig you are using but I have not bagged for several years. I use the mulching plate instead of the shoot to block the grass. My experience this year is almost identical to what you describe. My mower is working perfectly with a new Qauntum 6.75 engine and a sharp blade. Sunday I had to mow the grass twice (first on highest setting) because the grass was so thick due to enormous amounts of rain lately. I mention all this because its normal this time of year for it to be very slow go when mowing even with a perfectly operating mower. So I think you could say I have been having the same problem.

You didn't mention any problems with the engine so I assume it is running strong etc. like it was when you were bagging earlier in the year. Mow again this week with the grass at a level that you think the mower should just walk through it in one pass without bogging down. There may be some loss of power with the engine and you will have to pass on the symptoms if you notice any.

Mike

hello again & thank you for the reply - yes everything is all o.k. w/ my mower - just had a tune up & completely checked out - i am not going to mow this week due to no rain here in northeast ohio until after today so it will not be high enough to mow - i always mow on the highest setting but for some reason this has started - i really do not know why & i normally do not bag after the 1st mow so i hope both you & i will find an answer to this somewhere - good luck to you too & thank you for the reply

Try sharpening the blades more often. As they get duller they will take more power to mulch the grass.