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swapping out the blades on my Timecutter 42" (75742) and the manual says to torque the blades on between 60-80lb. I have a torque wrench and was only able so far to get about 35-40 lb of force laying on the ground with one arm (other one holding the blade). was gonna try the wood block trick or throwing on one of those arnold blade removal tools to hold the blade so i can put some more force behind the wrench. curious how many lb's everyone usually puts on their blades w/ this series to be safe

I use a block of wood to hold the blade from tuning.

only reason i was considering that other tool is i'm not taking the deck off and just jacking the mower up instead so not sure the block will hold

you should be able to find a spot a 4x4 or 4x6 block of wood will stop on, and wedge the blade(s) against it. Get the blade close and use the torque wrench to turn it while you hold the block with the other hand. Then once it wedges get your hand out of the way in case it slips and finish the torque. Once you have done it, you'll never have trouble with it again. I keep a couple blocks lying around that fit well for that use.

When I can’t get a block of wood to wedge properly I have a large C-clamp which I clamp to the deck. Put the screw on the inside and a small piece of wood on the outside to protect the deck paint.

thanks for the tips! so outside of it maybe being unnecessary compared to simpler solutions like the log / c clamp options, any opinions on these if they are cheap enough? not sure which route i'll try yet but just weighing the options.

I just use my impact gun set on 3...

7394 said:

I just use my impact gun set on 3...

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If I set my impact on 3, I’m in trouble.

MParr said:

If I set my impact on 3, I’m in trouble.

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To be more transparent, I'm torquing to 100 ft lbs

7394 said:

To be more transparent, I'm torquing to 100 ft lbs

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I figured you knew what you were doing. My impact would rip the bolt head off on 3.

eventually when i pick up an impact i was curious if each setting spelled out what torque level it went to so you knew once it was tight where you leave it (hopefully eliminating the need for the torque wrench

7394 said:

To be more transparent, I'm torquing to 100 ft

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@apg1979
Until you can get a 1/2” impact, get you a scrap piece of 4x4 and a screw type C clamp. Like @Rivets said, thumbscrew to outside of the deck. It works for installation and removal.
Every impact wrench is different. Settings between brands are not equal. When you do buy one, you need to check it against your torque wrench.

thanks everyone for the tips and info here! appreciate it!

apg1979 said:

thanks for the tips! so outside of it maybe being unnecessary compared to simpler solutions like the log / c clamp options, any opinions on these if they are cheap enough? not sure which route i'll try yet but just weighing the options.

View attachment 60168

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I use two those on my lawn tractor so I can lock both blades at the same time. I used a block of wood for a while, but these are easier.

RLW_LT2138 said:

I use two those on my lawn tractor so I can lock both blades at the same time. I used a block of wood for a while, but these are easier.

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awesome thanks! if i have a 2 blade deck, do you need to use 2 (to lock both at the same time) or can i get away w/ 1 and just move it to the 2nd after i get the first blade off?

FWIW in he repair van I have aa 6' length of rectangular steel tubing that can slide over the blade
When I get an overtightened bolt I put the socket on with a jack underneath to prevent it falling off
then turn the blade using the steel tubing

MParr said:

I figured you knew what you were doing. My impact would rip the bolt head off on 3.

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Thank U, My 1/2" impact is about 30 years old, & I check it against one of my torque wrenches to be pretty accurate..

bertsmobile1 said:

FWIW in he repair van I have aa 6' length of rectangular steel tubing that can slide over the blade
When I get an overtightened bolt I put the socket on with a jack underneath to prevent it falling off
then turn the blade using the steel tubing

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thats a good idea too! thanks for the tip!

apg1979 said:

awesome thanks! if i have a 2 blade deck, do you need to use 2 (to lock both at the same time) or can i get away w/ 1 and just move it to the 2nd after i get the first blade off?

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You can do 1 at a time.

7394 said:

You can do 1 at a time.

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thanks! i ended up picking 1 of them up at a hardware store here last night and works great! figured $13 but isnt too much to pay for a simple solution

7394 said:

Thank U, My 1/2" impact is about 30 years old, & I check it against one of my torque wrenches to be pretty accurate..

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You can buy torque rods/extensions, that only allow a pre-engineered amount of torque when used with an impact wrench. That way, with your impact wrench at maximum, it will only torque to what it is designed. They're not too expensive, and most tool companies will sell them, either as a kit, or individually.

efred said:

You can buy torque rods/extensions, that only allow a pre-engineered amount of torque when used with an impact wrench. That way, with your impact wrench at maximum, it will only torque to what it is designed. They're not too expensive, and most tool companies will sell them, either as a kit, or individually.

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apg1979 said:

swapping out the blades on my Timecutter 42" (75742) and the manual says to torque the blades on between 60-80lb. I have a torque wrench and was only able so far to get about 35-40 lb of force laying on the ground with one arm (other one holding the blade). was gonna try the wood block trick or throwing on one of those arnold blade removal tools to hold the blade so i can put some more force behind the wrench. curious how many lb's everyone usually puts on their blades w/ this series to be safe

Click to expand...

apg1979 said:

swapping out the blades on my Timecutter 42" (75742) and the manual says to torque the blades on between 60-80lb. I have a torque wrench and was only able so far to get about 35-40 lb of force laying on the ground with one arm (other one holding the blade). was gonna try the wood block trick or throwing on one of those arnold blade removal tools to hold the blade so i can put some more force behind the wrench. curious how many lb's everyone usually puts on their blades w/ this series to be safe

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Just snug them up as best you can , they will tighten themselves .

oneoldsap said:

Just snug them up as best you can , they will tighten themselves .

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ya know i thought about that too....will that tightening happen just when in use or more when theres resistance on the blade (grass, sticks, etc)? so in my case since I have a torque wrench and the manual suggests 60-80lbs of torque, setting at the minimum (60 ) i'd be fine since it falls within the range and should nudge up on its own

apg1979 said:

ya know i thought about that too....will that tightening happen just when in use or more when theres resistance on the blade (grass, sticks, etc)? so in my case since I have a torque wrench and the manual suggests 60-80lbs of torque, setting at the minimum (60 ) i'd be fine since it falls within the range and should nudge up on its own

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60-80 ft lbs isn’t a lot. 75 ft lbs should be plenty. The forces applied to the blades as they are turning can tighten them. I just follow the recommended torque values.

efred said:

You can buy torque rods/extensions, that only allow a pre-engineered amount of torque when used with an impact wrench. That way, with your impact wrench at maximum, it will only torque to what it is designed. They're not too expensive, and most tool companies will sell them, either as a kit, or individually.

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Very true..

MParr said:

60-80 ft lbs isn’t a lot. 75 ft lbs should be plenty. The forces applied to the blades as they are turning can tighten them. I just follow the recommended torque values.

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cool thanks! i'll work w/ 75 ......i noticed a lot of other riders mention 30-50 for recommendations and mine is 60-80. are zero turns in general higher than a standard rider or just varies from vendor to vendor?

apg1979 said:

cool thanks! i'll work w/ 75 ......i noticed a lot of other riders mention 30-50 for recommendations and mine is 60-80. are zero turns in general higher than a standard rider or just varies from vendor to vendor?

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bolt size, thread and hardness of materials. Just use the manufacturer's recommendation. If something is 60 - 80 then I go 70. If it is 16 to 20 then I use 18. Just be aware that many manufacturers torque values are a one time value on new everything. Many times in my life I have had bolts or threads strip when they are done and undone frequently rather than once or twice in their lifetime. I tend to go the lower number on things that i will take off more frequently to prevent that.

sgkent said:

bolt size, thread and hardness of materials. Just use the manufacturer's recommendation. If something is 60 - 80 then I go 70. If it is 16 to 20 then I use 18. Just be aware that many manufacturers torque values are a one time value on new everything. Many times in my life I have had bolts or threads strip when they are done and undone frequently rather than once or twice in their lifetime. I tend to go the lower number on things that i will take off more frequently to prevent that.

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good tip! worth keeping a handful of replacement bolts on hand to rotate same as you do w/ the blades i'd imagine then to be safe

By using the middle of road approach on torque setting also can account the fact that most torque wrenches are within the range of +- 3 %; unless, they are like the HFT that I am returning. One is off a whole lot more as the scales don't even align up properly. One of them if I say set it at 20 ft/lbs marks it is either 15 or 25 ft/lbs which makes it useless a precision tool.

Shop Made Blade Blockers

Being an old farm boy on a budget and a long way from the city life , i tend to make do with i have available . Building a rectangle box about 2" X 3 " inside measurements and approx. 1 ft long using 1/4" plywood works .

An alternative shop made is a 1 ft. piece of 3" thin wall PVC pipe , heat the sides to around 180°F then compress into an ellipse .

I wouldn't put a impact on my worst enemies bolt and i don't even own one , much less need one .

StarTech said:

By using the middle of road approach on torque setting also can account the fact that most torque wrenches are within the range of +- 3 %; unless, they are like the HFT that I am returning. One is off a whole lot more as the scales don't even align up properly. One of them if I say set it at 20 ft/lbs marks it is either 15 or 25 ft/lbs which makes it useless a precision tool.

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cool yup that was my thought to to split the difference to play it safe. its not an issue getting the torque wrench to 70 but it just feels like i'm pushing it a lot past when its hand tight w/ the normal socket wrench . i know thats normal though

SeniorCitizen said:

Shop Made Blade Blockers

Being an old farm boy on a budget and a long way from the city life , i tend to make do with i have available . Building a rectangle box about 2" X 3 " inside measurements and approx. 1 ft long using 1/4" plywood works .

An alternative shop made is a 1 ft. piece of 3" thin wall PVC pipe , heat the sides to around 180°F then compress into an ellipse .

I wouldn't put a impact on my worst enemies bolt and i don't even own one , much less need one .

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i'm with ya there! i'm big on seeing what i can do with materials that I have here. I like the idea of using some sort of block/clamp on the blade (like the one i ended up buying) and using the torque wrench so i have that feel when it hits that limit. that is partially due to my limited exposure to using an impact wrench too

StarTech said:

By using the middle of road approach on torque setting also can account the fact that most torque wrenches are within the range of +- 3 %; unless, they are like the HFT that I am returning. One is off a whole lot more as the scales don't even align up properly. One of them if I say set it at 20 ft/lbs marks it is either 15 or 25 ft/lbs which makes it useless a precision tool.

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if you can find a good old American made clicker that no longer clicks, they are pretty inexpensive at that point, like almost free. TeamTorque will clean, use silicone grease in them, and check against a standard then send a sheet with it showing what the actual is for a really reasonable price. I've got a couple old ones that are within a pound at almost any setting on their scale. I even had one some other torque wrench service returned to me in a box disassembled after months with a note that it was junk, that TeamTorque fixed and had back to me within a week, and it works perfectly. They are the only place I have found that knows what they are doing with torque wrenches, and their testing equipment can be traced back to the National Standards Lab.

Reported this guy multiple posts, spammer