Mower blade nightmare!!!!

[patrickjud]

I have a 1 year and 2 week old troy bilt mustang xp 50 zero turn, it has 20 hours of mow time on it, this evening it will have its 10TH set of blades!!!! AGHHHHH someone please help me!!! I live in bauxite arkansas, ton of sand in the soil, and every other mow of my 2 acres i have to put new blades, it like sand blasts the 1 inch of the end of each blade off. troy bilt is no help, there is only 1 blade available for this mower and its the factory mtd junk blades. I need a 17.3 inch long 6 star blade thats made out of a better material or something, anyone have any idea? Oregon makes nothing, literally cant find anything for my needs, ive put 800$ worth of blades on this mower in 1 year, i cant do it anymore, im desperate!!

 

[BoylermanCT]

Bummer on the blades! I've seen pics of blades getting worn down by sand but never heard of it this fast! Time to move someplace else. I have had the same blades on my mower for 6 years. I sharpen them twice a season and that's it. I use Oregon G5 blades and love them. If you can't find new blades, can you swap out the spindles? See if another manufacturers spindles will fit the same mounting holes on the deck. Then you can get Oregon blades for those spindles instead. Good luck!

 

[patrickjud]

problem is oregon makes no 17 inch blades, for any center hole type... so im screwed there, never had this problem until i purchased this mower, blades have always lasted me years at a time, but i was always able to get good aftermarket blades... none of my neighbors have this problem, just me and my troy bilt... i wonder if i can buy an 18 inch blade with the 6 star and somehow cut it to what i need lol

 

[BlazNT]

Model number of the mower?

 

[Jack17]

Do you have a mulch kit installed? Are those Hi-Vac blades? How close to the ground are you cutting?
If yes, yes, yes then...remove mulch kit, use low lift blades and raise your cut height.
What mower did you use before this one that you say you didn't have problem with?

 

[Midniteoyl]

problem is oregon makes no 17 inch blades, for any center hole type... so im screwed there, never had this problem until i purchased this mower, blades have always lasted me years at a time, but i was always able to get good aftermarket blades... none of my neighbors have this problem, just me and my troy bilt... i wonder if i can buy an 18 inch blade with the 6 star and somehow cut it to what i need lol

They make several 17"+ blades.. .

598-064 17-5/16 5/8 Y, 6 pt. star 5/16 2-1/2 3 0.149 5/16 1 G5™

98-064-1 17-5/16 5/8 Y, 6 pt. star 5/16 2-1/2 2.5 0.187 1/4 1-3/16

https://www.oregonproducts.com/pdfs/OregonBladesByLength.pdf

 

[patrickjud]

dont have the model on me, can get it when i get home.

no mulch kit, yes high lift blade (they dont make low lift... hints my problem here) and i mow generally with this mower on 4, i used to mow with my cub on 2

 

[patrickjud]

The first one is actually 17 7/8 of an inch, the second one however is 17 5/16's but i wonder, the one i have is 17.27, the oregon is 17.31... will that .04 inches make the blades touch? it would actually only be .02 from center of spindle out, but .04 overall length.

They make several 17"+ blades.. .

598-064 17-5/16 5/8 Y, 6 pt. star 5/16 2-1/2 3 0.149 5/16 1 G5™

98-064-1 17-5/16 5/8 Y, 6 pt. star 5/16 2-1/2 2.5 0.187 1/4 1-3/16

https://www.oregonproducts.com/pdfs/OregonBladesByLength.pdf

 

[BlazNT]

http://m.lowes.com/pd/Troy-Bilt-3-Pack-50-in-Multipurpose-Riding-Lawn-Mower-Blades/4367843
Everything I have found called for 17 7/8" measured diagonally. Tons of blades for it.

 

[patrickjud]

No, the 17 and 7/8 blades fit the previous to 2015 models, they are too long for mine, mine measure 17.3 inches diagonally, I have tried 5 sets that were 17 7/8... can't even bolt them up because the star doesn't align and they touch the sides