Convertible mower deck with mulch on demand actuator

A convertible mower deck comprising:

• a plurality of gates mounted under the deck, each gate pivotable between a discharge or collection position and a mulching position while mowing;
• linkages under the deck in front of a plurality of cutting chambers and behind a front skirt of the deck and connecting between the gates;
• a mulch on demand actuator including an electrical switch located on a control console and electrically connected to an extendable linear actuator ram connected to a pivot control plate mounted to a vertically oriented pivot shaft extending through the deck where the pivot shaft is connected to the linkages and moving the linkages to pivot the gates between the discharge or collection position and the mulching position;
• at least one of the linkages extending through a slot in one of the gates in the discharge or collection position.

A convertible mower deck comprising:

• a plurality of adjoining cutting chambers under a mower deck, each cutting chamber having a cutting blade mounted to the lower end of a vertical spindle;
• openings between adjoining cutting chambers;
• a side discharge opening from one of the cutting chambers;
• a plurality of pivoting gates mounted under the deck between adjoining cutting chambers and a pivoting side discharge door mounted at the discharge opening;
• and
• a mulch on demand actuator having an electrical switch on a control console of an operator station to extend or retract a linear actuator that rotates a shaft extending through the deck and connected to linkages to pivot the gates and the side discharge door;
• the linkages being under the deck in front of the cutting chambers and behind a front skirt of the deck;
• at least one of the linkages extending through a slot in one of the gates when the linear actuator is extended.