Blades Changing Blades

[Ric]

I dont have a Ex Mark, I have a JD LT 445 w/ 60 in. cut, i mow close to 4 ac. with it, the blades are heavy/thick Blades, i sharpen them about after ever 3 or 4 times of mowing, I replace them when the blades are getting to the point that I think they should be replaced, I get about a year and half out of a set of blades, i use a 4 1/2 in. side grinder to sharpen my blades, I put the blade in a vice to hold it while i sharpen it, i check the balance on them by putting it on a Nail that is driven in the wall, i dont very often fine one that needs to be fixed, blades ware even, not a big deal to me

One of the biggest problems i fine with oweners of Mowers, is they dont keep the Blades sharp, a mower runs so much better with sharp blades, when i was younger I helped with a Yard Mowing Crew, the big mower was going all day, we had 2 sets of blades, & most of the time we put on a sharp set of blades not long after lunch, you could tell it when the sharp set went on,

You check the blade balance by putting it on a Nail that is driven in the wall? You do know in order to balance a mower blade you have to find the center of rotation, you can't do that by using a nail. Using a nail is a myth and besides that you can't put the blade back on the nail in the same place twice.

 

[Bomba]

Thanks Rat1. RIC, how often do you sharpened your blades? A friend of mine has a 48" Exmark. He just told me he changes his blades for new ones every 18 months. He never sharpens.

 

[Ric]

Thanks Rat1. RIC, how often do you sharpened your blades? A friend of mine has a 48" Exmark. He just told me he changes his blades for new ones every 18 months. He never sharpens.

I sharpen my blades every two weeks, sometimes earlier depending on the conditions and what type of grass I'm cutting. With the St.Augustine grass you can go two weeks before you sharpen but with Bahia grass about a week is it. If you want to know when to sharpen just look at the grass you cut, with the two types I mentioned if the grass has torn or has jagged edges vs a nice even cut then it's time for sharpening. If your friend has an Exmark 48" and never sharpens and just changes every 18 months he's not cutting with a lawn mower he's using a bush hog because that's the cut he is getting :laughing:

 

[Bomba]

I sharpen my blades every two weeks, sometimes earlier depending on the conditions and what type of grass I'm cutting. With the St.Augustine grass you can go two weeks before you sharpen but with Bahia grass about a week is it. If you want to know when to sharpen just look at the grass you cut, with the two types I mentioned if the grass has torn or has jagged edges vs a nice even cut then it's time for sharpening. If your friend has an Exmark 48" and never sharpens and just changes every 18 months he's not cutting with a lawn mower he's using a bush hog because that's the cut he is getting :laughing:

Haha! Apparently mine is fescue, and I'm just cutting three of my 5 acres with my 60" Exmark. I cut the rougher more thick grass with my finish mower on the back of my old 1970s Ford tractor.

 

[Ric]

Haha! Apparently mine is fescue, and I'm just cutting three of my 5 acres with my 60" Exmark. I cut the rougher more thick grass with my finish mower on the back of my old 1970s Ford tractor.

Keep on mind I mow 10 to 12 residential Lawns a day 6 days a week so my blade sharpening is influenced by what I do. If your a homeowner and mow on a weekly basis the you get get by a lot longer between sharpening or changing out blades. As you probably know I just purchased my Turfmaster March 14 2013 and just this morning I did the 5 hour oil change which was likely more like 12 hours for the first month of use and I changed out the blades and installed a new set. The blades were still cutting good but they definitely needed sharpening.

 

[Bomba]

Keep on mind I mow 10 to 12 residential Lawns a day 6 days a week so my blade sharpening is influenced by what I do. If your a homeowner and mow on a weekly basis the you get get by a lot longer between sharpening or changing out blades. As you probably know I just purchased my Turfmaster March 14 2013 and just this morning I did the 5 hour oil change which was likely more like 12 hours for the first month of use and I changed out the blades and installed a new set. The blades were still cutting good but they definitely needed sharpening.

Yeah, I just mow my own lawn and that's it. How much did u pay for a new set of blades?

 

[Ric]

Yeah, I just mow my own lawn and that's it. How much did u pay for a new set of blades?

A set of blades for the Turf Master run $37.00, just a bit more for the Grandstand. A set for the Z-Force Run $50.00 but it's a triple.

 

[Bomba]

A set of blades for the Turf Master run $37.00, just a bit more for the Grandstand. A set for the Z-Force Run $50.00 but it's a triple.

Ok, thanks for that. Mine is a triple set also.

 

[Mad Mackie]

Hi Troops,
Sharpened five sets of blades in about an hour, checking balance on each.
Attached are some pics of my Oregon model 88-023 blade sharpener. The motor is reversable so L/H rotation blades can also sharpened and reversing the blade guide to the opposite side of the grinding wheel. My older Case/Ingersoll machines were L/H rotation and my new Hustler with rear discharge deck has two of three blades that are L/H.
If a blade is rough, I sometimes will pre grind it on a regular grinder and then finish it on this machine. I've had this machine for about 10 years, it is still available from Oregon, but more $$$$$!!!!
I open my garage door and let the grit go out onto the stone driveway. Oregon does offer an optional grit collection attachment.
Mad Mackie in CT:laughing::biggrin::smile: