Most desirable blade for Cub Cadet 54"

[fixit1ddh]

Well Chris if you find anything that's any good please post an update. Everything I've found has been made in China from Chinese steel which has turned out to be soft and bendy. The last set I put on I heated the cutting edge with a torch until it was red then dipped in water. I'll find out at the end of the mowing season whether it had any benefit or not. I wish somebody would start up a mower blade company in the US and make stuff from US steel like they did in the days when Cub Cadets, John Deere and Sears Suburbans came with cast iron transmissions.

Our town had the largest gm cast iron foundry in the US. Now it's shut down has not poured any cast in probably 8 years. It was set to be torn down. I think cast iron will never return to production of equipment we loved of the past.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Well Chris if you find anything that's any good please post an update. Everything I've found has been made in China from Chinese steel which has turned out to be soft and bendy. The last set I put on I heated the cutting edge with a torch until it was red then dipped in water. I'll find out at the end of the mowing season whether it had any benefit or not. I wish somebody would start up a mower blade company in the US and make stuff from US steel like they did in the days when Cub Cadets, John Deere and Sears Suburbans came with cast iron transmissions.

Really ?
All of the blades I get from Stens are made in the USA or Mexico
The Rotary blades I get from another supplier are made in Mexico
Alloy Steel Products blades I get are made in France .
The swing backs I use are made in Australia
The GAtors I used to get before B & S took over Oregon distribution and stopped importing them were also stamped made in USA or Made in Mexico
OTOH if you shop at places where everything is as cheap as possible ( Wallys, Home depot etc ) then yes everything will come from a 3rd world country .

 

[Chris623]

By saying STENS, do you mean 8TEN blades? Are they really good blades?

 

[bertsmobile1]

NO I mean STENS the aftermarket parts suppliers to trade & technicians like me
Stens, Rotary, Oregon, Prime Line
All of them supply quality aftermarket parts that have passed quality control & come with warranties
Down here that is 12 months and some extend this to 2 years
Most of them use their own house brand names
Stens = Silver Streak
Oregon = Gator
Rotary = Copper Head

 

[Chris623]

Okay, I've found some of the Stens blades. Do I want to be looking for the 942-05056A High Lift?

Edit: I found them at Home Depot for $19.95 each. They were Stens #330-984 Medium Lift

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[bertsmobile1]

IT is a case of what works best for your mower & your grass
And this may not be the same as what works best for my mowers & my grass
Some of my customers keep several sets of blades and can change them over 3 or 4 times a year
In a good spring we can get 1' or more growth week and this grass is thick tough & very wet so sticks to everything .
By high summer most of it has burned off so we get stringy grasses that bend before they cut .
The ground dries out so low lift blades are needed
So there is no universal "best" blade
There is the "right" blades for your grass at this time of the year .

 

[Chris623]

Well, I've not the financial privilege to own multiple sets of blades. So I'll have to pick one and go with it. My main concern is to find a blade that will last, so I want a pretty hard one.......at least for the leading edge to be hard.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Please Chris do not try that line here, it will not wash
If you hit a rock & bent the blade tomorrow you would replace them
If you are living so far above your means then take in some cute little girlies pony for agistment
Not only would this solve your mowing problem but it will also provide a lot of good fertilizer for your veggie garden .

 

[Chris623]

????? I live on a Social Security check each month. I can't afford 3 sets of blades. Whether that "washes" here or not, that's the case. I'm just trying to find a solid blade that will last some time.

 

[Tiger Small Engine]

????? I live on a Social Security check each month. I can't afford 3 sets of blades. Whether that "washes" here or not, that's the case. I'm just trying to find a solid blade that will last some time.

I like Gator blades period.
In my opinion having two sets of blades for your main mower is smart. You can rotate blades for longer life. It tends to help with changing blades when they get dull for excuses to leave blade on. If you damage or bent blade you have a spare. Most blades I see come in my shop wouldn’t cut hot butter and are beat up. People rarely sharpen their blades even close to enough.