Lawnmower blades, what to buy?

[Crusarius]

I have a 52" hustler fastrac with a 22hp kawasaki on it. My blades have been sharpened and abused to the point that I keep leaving a strip of unmowed grass under the middle of the deck.

Can anyone help me out with mower blade selection?

I don't mow all that much but what I do most is mostly reclaimed forest. So that gives me lots of roots sticking up that I see to constantly be scalping, and tons and tons of leaves. The trees are primarily Oak and Hickory. But there is a good deal of (believe it or not) living ash still in there. Oh yea, and the maples. So I think I have every type of tree that drops a ton of leaves.

I have been thinking about mulching blades for a while. Not sure if this is a good idea. But I have also wondered if a high lift blade would give me a little more assistance in lifting the leaves and blowing them away so I have less raking to deal with in the fall.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have been putting getting new blades off for about 3 years now. I really need to get some good ones.

[Old Greenhorn]

I would think that @spike60 should be able to give you some direction here.

[Southside]

I prefer Jersey blades the best, but Ayshere and Angus will do just as good of a job.   :D  Oh - and they are considered a "composting" blade.   :D

[Tom King]

I'm not seeing much difference in how far high lift, or mulching blades throw anything.  The high lift blades probably move it better, but what comes out of the shoot off the mulching blades is shredded so much finer that it makes up for the difference.  There is a Lot of noticeable difference in shredding of leaves, pine cones, and such.  

For my use, I'm sticking with mulching blades.  Go over leaves twice, and there is nothing to blow.  I haven't started the 13hp Billygoat since buying the commercial mower.

[sawguy21]

Mulching blades are not the answer for your needs. They are for well maintained lawns that are mowed frequently, not bush hogging. High lift will be better for what you want to do although raking will still be required.

[21incher]

I switched  to the Oregon G6 fusion blades about  8 years ago. I used to have to sharpen the Kubota blades about  every 3 weeks. With the carbide fused on the bottom wear area I go a whole season without having  to sharpen  them and then touch them up the next spring and get a second season from the pair with  no additional  resharpening.  They are fairly  cheap and I toss them after  the second year. Much better cut then the OEM Kubota  blades and don't  need to buy a new set every year. I only cut grass and don't  think they would  stand up to stones and branches any better than other blades.

[Tom King]

I think the only really good use for high lift blades is making really pretty cuts on grass that you cut short like Bermuda, and even then, they need to be kept sharp.  

I like sharp blades.  I probably sharpen every 8 to 10 hours, except in the Fall when it does a lot of cleaning up.  Then I just finish off any blades that aren't good for cutting pretty.

[Spike60]

Every deck and it's airflow is a little different. Even within the same brand mower, a 52 will be different than a 60. My guess is that you might try "gator" style blades (with the wings cut into 3-4 teeth.) And that's maybe what some guys are referring to as mulchers. Some guys love them, and others hate them on the same exact deck. True mulching blades work best with a baffle kit, but usually don't have enough airflow for good discharge.

21 is correct in that you are semi-brush hogging, which is not a great idea for a lawn mower. Solution for scalping roots ought to be simply raising the deck. If you're all the way up, then you are really taking that mower where it doesn't belong. The unmowed grass could be a shot blade. Or a tweeked deck or spindle. When you put the new set of blades on you should check the tip to tip and see if they are true.

[Crusarius]

The worst part is the crown as the base of the tree is so large that the mower will hit it and lift up till it locks in the up position. half the time I do not notice till I am halfway around. I try to be nice to it but unfortunately its hard to see all the roots under the thick leaves. I just finished mowing that area and have a few more that got a little higher over the winter.

These are the blades I was looking at. Think they will work ok.

Amazon.com : 3PK Oregon 96-318 G3 Gator Blades for 52" Hustler 603848, 603995, 782532 : Patio, Lawn & Garden

Good news is I do have the commercial hustler, so at least it has the 1.125 spindles. as far as I know they are not bent. but the blades are pretty bad.

Thanks for the help. Hopefully the mulching blades will do what they are supposed to and leave me with dust instead of annoying leaf bits that are harder to rake.

[Tom King]

I think you'll like those.  They even shred Pine needles under my mower.

[kantuckid]

I look for Amazon returns first off. Ebay 2nd.  Lots of people buy the wrong blade and send them back and other than in use, they're indestructible, so "used" as they call them is a good deal. I shop the blade number, not any brand names or special lift or mulch types, but I'm not mowing a golf course or showy lawn either.

[Crusarius]

Well, this mower is a 2005 vintage. this may be the second set of blades on it But I think they are the original, so I think I am doing alright

[sawguy21]

Either you are not mowing much or there is little left of them.   When I was mowing an acreage the blades were pretty much done after 3 seasons, it was not sandy soil

[hedgerow]

I have ran Grasshopper mowers on the farm for probably close to thirty years and probably been over twenty years ago I switched over to the Oregon Gator style blades and liked them real well then about five or six years ago the Oregon's seem to not be standing up and the cutting edge rounded over easier that before. I switched over to Copper Head brand of blades they are Gator style also and they are holding up well. I mow around hundred hours a year on the farm.

[Crusarius]

My dad had this mower before me, so maybe it has had more blade sets in it. My blades last quite a while usually. I only sharpen them once a season typically.

[Old saw fixer]

Like Tom King, I sharpen the blades after about 8 hours use.  48" deck on a 14 hp Wheel Horse 314-8 so it's easier on the Kohler M14 engine.  I use a Magna-Matic Mag 9000 system with their magnetic blade balancer.   The grinder table is built so I can dress saw bars using the side of the stone.  There is also a metal trough on the guard so you can shorten valve stems and clean up punches.

[Tom King]

The lifting ring allows me to set the mower up on the big flat back end with the tractor loader.  I back the tractor up a little, and lower the bucket in place to act as a safety.  No bending over, or even getting on the floor.  Clean cardboard keeps scratches off the powder coating.

I take the blades off with an impact wrench, but tighten them with a regular wrench.  If a nut won't easily run all the way back on by hand, I run a die on the spindle threads.  If a spindle thread needs such work, it gets a new nut.

When I took this picture this morning, I had remembered to turn the gas valves off, but one tank cap was not all the way tight, so it leaked a bit.  Tightening the cap stopped the leak.  I doubt I'll forget to check the caps again.

We have a lot of grass that's kept as show.  I want to cut it cleanly, and fast.  Sharp blades are a help, and like this, it's very little trouble to keep them sharp.

I won't be cutting grass today, so it will sit normally and let all the oil drain back down until tomorrow.  No oil drips, but I still don't want to start it soon after doing this.

I don't know what type of blades these are.  I forget.  It's hard to find any kind of 25" blades.  I have at least one sharp pair at hand before I lift the mower, so I can set it back down asap.  I'll sharpen the ones I took off later.



 

[Tom King]

Blade grinder, that I bought off CL, and balancer are mounted on the inside of a shop door.  Opening the door, and hooking it open lets me leave the mess outside.  This type of grinder really makes quick work out of sharpening lawnmower blades.

I not only want them sharp, but I also want them balanced.  With touching them up often, it's easy to keep them balanced.

[Crusarius]

Is the balancer just a level with a center cone? That would be nice to balance blades.

[Tom King]

It has a cone on really good, easy turning bearings.  The ring of magnets slides back for you to stick the blade on the cone to center it, and then the magnet mount slides out to grab the blade.  It will detect the least bit out of balance by the heavier end going down.

It came with a rod to check for a bent blade, but mine are straight all the way across, so I can see if one is bent.  I just left that rod off.

Amazon.com : Oregon Precision Blade Balancer, Balances Blades After Sharpening, Universal Metal /Aluminium Design Improves Longevity of Mowers, For All Lawnmower Blades, Fits Stihl, Troy, Husqvarna & More (42-047) : Lawn Mower Blades : Patio, Lawn & Garden

[Crusarius]

Should have known better, I went to order those blades lastnight and now they are not available. Looks like I found the same ones but now instead of $44 they are $62. poop!

[aigheadish]

I mow an area, about 3 acres, with a fair amount of trees sporadically placed around the yard, lots of bumps and ruts from the backhoe, rocks like crazy either on the driveway or just coming up in the yard, a creek line with who knows what but also likely small stumps, and also occasionally in the back field I'll mow a gokart track out of what is otherwise a hay field. I can't keep my mulching blades sharp for nothing but I abuse them. I, too, get the 2 paths about 2 inches wide of longer grass that the 52" deck misses and it pretty much halves the size of the deck via overlap. I've tried brand new blades and making sure my deck is leveled properly and have a hard time not having the long grass sections. It seems like the blades aren't long enough to overlap each other under the deck, but there's very little clearance between the blade and the bottom of the deck so I don't think it's that.

Tom King- I may have to try your lifting technique. That looks way easier than trying to get under it on the ramps. Even if I only raise it up a foot or three it seems like it'd be better.

I think the blades I buy are a cheap version of the Oregon mulchers seen above. I'll occasionally sharpen them but typically immediately hit some #2 gravels.

[Tom King]

I just called the dealer that I bought my mower from to get another set of the blades I like.  I don't know what brand they are.  There were no marks on them when I put them on.  I ordered an extra set of blades when I ordered the mower, but this set was different than what came on it.

They have absolutely lasted better between sharpening's than the stock set.   They have one mulching tooth sticking up, as opposed to several like the Gator's, and a short-maybe 2-1/2" high lift wing on the end.

They shred almost as good as a pure mulching blade, and cut almost as pretty as high lift blades.  I'll post what they are when they come.

Here's the lifting ring I put on the front:  

Stainless Steel 316 3/4" Lifting Eye Bolt 3/4" UNC Marine Grade - - Amazon.com

 

[Crusarius]

AIG, this may sound funny but I found this problem last time I took my blades off to sharpen them. Somehow the center blade was installed backwards. Don't ask me how long I ran it like that, but it cut amazingly well for being backwards. But I did leave a wider path I had to overlap. after flipping the blade to its correct orientation it started working much better

[Spike60]

We don't bother with the balancing step in the shop and never have. It would only apply if you really had to take a lot off one end vs the other because it had a big dig in it. But if blades are that beat up, they get replaced rather than sharpened.

[aigheadish]

Unfortunately, Crusarius, that can't be my problem. I'm running the mulching blades with the tines that stick up on the back side so it's near impossible to put them on wrong. My guess is between hitting rocks and my anti-scalp wheels being jenked up from hitting stuff is what's causing me issues. Also, since everyone wants you to buy their own parts it's hard telling if I'm buying the right length blades. Some say 17.5" some say 17.75" and Husqvarna says a part number and about 70 bucks more money.

[Crusarius]

yea, I have been noticing that trend. Some of these manufacturers would get more business if they stop doing that.

Sony has lost all of my business because of their proprietary nature.

[SwampDonkey]

I only go to the local saw shop, they carry Husqvarna, and this deck is such. Nothing fancy, as close to original as possible. Takes 3 blades on my 54" deck. Got a set this spring, sure cuts a lot better than the old ones. The old ones was used to smooth out new lawn. ;D :D

[Tom King]

Here is a version of the blade I was talking about that I like best.  It's called Extreme 2-n-1.  There are a bunch of variations for different mowers, and deck widths.

Xtreme® 2-in-1 Blade for 54-inch Cutting Decks - 942-05056-X | Cub Cadet US

[Crusarius]

looks like a high lift mulching combo. interesting. you say it doesn't leave clippings? what about mowing 10" of leaves?

[21incher]

As I said before,  the only good blades by Oregon are the fusion blades. The bottom has carbide fines impregnated in a 1/2 inch wide strip starting at the cutting edge. Grass cannot wear through  the carbide and the blades stays perfectly  sharp for a whole season cutting 8 acres sometimes twice a week all summer. Better cut with my deck then brand new Kubota  blades and the cut stays that way all summer.  The carbide is still intact after the first season and with a little  touch up I get a second  season before the carbide is worn thin.  All other Oregon blades start rounding from the bottom and dull quickly once the bottom edge rounds over a little. I won't waste  my money  on anything else.

[Tom King]

looks like a high lift mulching combo. interesting. you say it doesn't leave clippings? what about mowing 10" of leaves?

It shreds them into very small pieces, and they do get thrown out the chute. That turns into dirt in a few months.   It would be faster to hit them multiple times before they get 10" thick.  That thick, most are just going to get pushed in front of the deck.  I have the deck set at 2" when I'm shredding leaves.

I have 30 hours on that set of blades, and they have only been sharpened once.  They're much slower to sharpen than Oregon, and other knock-off blades, but don't seem to get hurt any worse when hitting a rock.  I think they must be harder, but don't seem to be much more brittle.

I'm sure someone makes them for Cub Cadet, but I haven't seen them anywhere else yet.

The blades on my mower are 3" wide, 1/4" thick, and 25" long, and blade tip speed is high.  It doesn't take long to balance them if you don't let a set get far out.  I think the only vibration I get is from the deck belt, and that's not much.

I'm one to balance trailer tires too, even though most say it doesn't matter.

[Crusarius]

Unfortunately I don't always have the option of getting to them before they are that deep. The hickory leaves are the worst. they are almost the size of a football.

[Tom King]

https://www.scag.com/product/stand-on-blowers/windstorm/

[Crusarius]

I cannot tell you how many times I have thought about something like that. But I was leaning more towards a yard vacuum. The biggest issue I have is I hate to leave equipment outside, and for the few times a year I would use it, it would totally be in the way the rest.

[Tom King]

I have an older version of this:
F1302SPH - F13 Series Force? Wheeled Blowers | Billy Goat

It will clean an 8' swath in one pass, until they get a couple of feet thick.  It's better to start on the finishing edge, and move 8 nor 10 feet at the time. It moves leaves, limbs, small rocks, down to bare ground.

With that blower and kerosene in an Indian pump, it will burn a hole all the way through the bottom of a big burn pile, and send the rest to outer space.  You get to see first hand how effective Kerosene and Oxygen was for rocket fuel for Saturn V rockets.

[Crusarius]

So I finally broke down and ordered a set of mulching blades. Of course the shipping is messed up and it seems they are not going to send me the order.

good news is I am pretty sure these still have a couple good years left in them (bottom image)... :D



 

I did actually find a spare set of blades, (top blade). The bottom blade has been well loved

I do have a set of mulching blades on order and look forward to trying them out.

[sawguy21]

  You sure get maximum mileage out of your blades! I changed them annually whether they needed it or not and they usually did. Easier than messing with sharpening, I always had a spare set on hand.

[rusticretreater]

Its impossible for me to keep blades going very long as one piece of ground I have is very rough with a lot of rock outcroppings.  I have multiple sets of spare blades as I would grab another pair if I saw them on sale.  I even snagged a pair at the landfill scrap pile.  I straighten them on my hydraulic press if needed.  Angle grinder makes quick sharpening work.

I bought a DR Leaf Vacuum which was pretty expensive, but its well made and holds a lot.  The mower picks up and mulches the leaves and then the leaf vacuum shreds them some more.  It also handles twigs and sticks pretty well.  I make big piles of leaf mulch which is great for the gardens and also for covering places where nothing grows but dandelions.  With the double suction from the mulching blades and the vacuum, no raking required.  

[LeeB]

My problem is not so much blades but the nut that holds them on gets loose and the blade rounds off the profile of the spindle shaft that keeps them from spinning on the shaft. Solved that problem by welding the blade to the shaft. I have plenty of spare blades and buggered up shafts so can replace the shaft if need be.

[Tom King]

I'm updating my input into this thread because I've been trying out some Oregon Gator mulching blades, just because I bought them a good while back and had them anyway.

I've only run them about 20 hours or so, but the edge longevity is impressive.  They're definitely harder than the other Cub Cadet combination blades I was talking about earlier in this thread.

They don't throw stuff out of the chute anything like the combination blades do, or leave the ground as clean, but they are, after all, mulching blades.  They're great at mulching, and for regular grass cutting they are great.

I only like to leave the ground cleaner where we rent an area for weddings.  With the combination blades, the cut grass is left as clean as if it was blown off, but I do have to keep throwing everything one way until it's clear of the area.  It works fine if I start down the middle of the area, and make back to back passes in the middle, and then keep throwing it to the outside until it's under some scrubbery.