Leaf blades

JimP2014

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Or the other idea I had was to keep your existing blades on the machine and then you have this two-piece fan blade system that mounts to the existing mower deck blades + basically creates a blade that looks perpendicular to the existing mower deck blade so you would retrofit each blade with this bolt-on system.
I was hoping rivets can design this
 

StarTech

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If not cutting grass you could weld a pair of high lift blades for each spindle at 90 degrees of each other. Welding would insure the blades stay at 90 degrees and not slip. Noting blades with stars would need blade's star removed. That would be the blade farthermost from the spindle mount. This should double the lift and exit pressures. Now gator blades would be a better choice as you need to reduce the leaf sizes making easier to blow out.

Any combination should work. 2 hi lift, 1 hi lift and 1 Gator, or 2 Gators. Some Honda walk behinds already have Ninja blades which are double tip blades. Just note you can't run these blades for cutting grass as it would too much of load for the engine; unless, a higher HP engine is installed. Either it is going to cost more than $30 for a complete set.

Example would be my 42" MTD mower where I went 16.5 hp to 21 hp. There was one drawback in doing this as I was burning up the deck belt and had to upgrade the 1/2" belt to a 5/8" belt but now I can cut 12"+ heavy grass without a problem. Just have slow a little to allow the deck to clear the cuttings. Before I had crawl at the lowest speed to even 6" over grown grass.
 

JimP2014

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Joined
Jun 13, 2014
Threads
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Messages
522
If not cutting grass you could weld a pair of high lift blades for each spindle at 90 degrees of each other. Welding would insure the blades stay at 90 degrees and not slip. Noting blades with stars would need blade's star removed. That would be the blade farthermost from the spindle mount. This should double the lift and exit pressures. Now gator blades would be a better choice as you need to reduce the leaf sizes making easier to blow out.

Any combination should work. 2 hi lift, 1 hi lift and 1 Gator, or 2 Gators. Some Honda walk behinds already have Ninja blades which are double tip blades. Just note you can't run these blades for cutting grass as it would too much of load for the engine; unless, a higher HP engine is installed. Either it is going to cost more than $30 for a complete set.

Example would be my 42" MTD mower where I went 16.5 hp to 21 hp. There was one drawback in doing this as I was burning up the deck belt and had to upgrade the 1/2" belt to a 5/8" belt but now I can cut 12"+ heavy grass without a problem. Just have slow a little to allow the deck to clear the cuttings. Before I had crawl at the lowest speed to even 6" over grown grass.
What you wrote is a good analysis of the design. My idea was first off you need to be in late fall and the lawn needs to be a very low height already. Only dry leaves should on the lawn. Also do this in batches, do not wait until all leaves have fallen, I don't think you could plow thru say 4" high of leaves - this would most likely put alot of strain on the engine. I"Now gator blades would be a better choice as you need to reduce the leaf sizes making easier to blow out". <-- you don't think full size leaves would make it past the chute or would clog up the other side where is no chute?

Your idea to weld seems great. The leaf blade design is already built for you ( the old mower blade ), just weld it. My idea was and without removing any current blades, was to jack up the machine and attach and possibly only a bottom blade perpendicular. The distance between the mower deck and the top side of a regular blade might not be enough. But DO use a clamping mechanism around both sides of existing blades and only have the lower side of the existing blade do the sweeping. This is where something like carbon fiber might be used, but it might break too. Your idea of an existing old deck blade would not break. You would have to make sure nothing goes wrong and starts digging into the dirt on some terrain change. So a blade that is mostly stiff but can bend and not break.

But for your idea just keep the existing blade on the machine and weld 2 sides of another blade cut in half and much shorter. So the 21" blade full length ( leave as is )and then weld say 8" of another blade on one side and the other 8" on the other side. Or these two, 8" pieces could be bolted to the existing blade and only on one side of the existing blade.


Jim
 
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