Replacing your blades

[qmark]

I have a Grasshopper. There is a fiber washer above the blade and below between the steel washer. I assume this works as a clutch to lessen impact to the machine if a blade hits an obstruction. Are other mowers not set up like that. I am not familiar with many mowers.

Also I use never seize on the bolts. Remove with a 1/2 inch impact and replace with a 3/8 cordless that has an absolute maximum of 100 ft./lbs. Iusually remove and sharpen the blades every 10 acres, 2nd mowing. Maybe once a month.

 

[Mr. Mower]

.......I have a Grasshopper. There is a fiber washer above the blade and below between the steel washer. I assume this works as a clutch to lessen impact to the machine if a blade hits an obstruction. Are other mowers not set up like that......

Could you post a picture of exactly what you stated above?

i'd like to see that....never heard of that.

 

[qmark]

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This is an ebay listing for them. As stated, one between the spindle and the blade, one between the washer on the bolt and the blade.

 

[Mr. Mower]

....i appreciate your effort qmark but that wasn't exactly the picture that I was asking about for you to post.

I was hoping that you would of posted a picture of the actual assembly from your mower's spindle showing the exact arrangement of the washer's and blade?

It's ok though, it's all good.

 

[wrldtvlr]

I take it that in a typical setup, blades would be locked to the shaft by a blade adapter with pins/star that would shear off on impact, protecting the drive system. It sounds like in this setup, there are no pins, but the blade is held against a fiber washer by the blade bolt, with the fiber washer providing enough friction against the metal washer to hold the blade for normal cutting, but allow some slippage if the blade hits an object?

 

[Mower King]

Blade bolts self-tighten as you mow, they have to or they would come off, so they can be REAL TIGHT!
I've never met a blade bolt I couldn't get out, even completely rounded off bolt heads!

But the morale of this story is....I disassembled vehicles in an Auto Recycler / Salvage Yard for 25+ yrs so I figured out how to get ANY & ALL bolts out!

 

[qmark]

....i appreciate your effort qmark but that wasn't exactly the picture that I was asking about for you to post.

I was hoping that you would of posted a picture of the actual assembly from your mower's spindle showing the exact arrangement of the washer's and blade?

It's ok though, it's all good.

It is simple enough. Spindle ---fiber washer----blade----fiber washer------steel washer-----bolt.

 

[lefty2cox]

I sure learned a lot about metal. Thank you.

Off with 1/2" Ingersoll, on with a torque wrench to spec. I always torque to spec. I do not want my wrench to be the inspiration for a Pixar movie about an expensive, lonely torque wrench in the back of the drawer. Although I could use some of that "Toy Story" money.

 

[Scrubcadet10]

I sure learned a lot about metal. Thank you.

Off with 1/2" Ingersoll, on with a torque wrench to spec. I always torque to spec. I do not want my wrench to be the inspiration for a Pixar movie about an expensive, lonely torque wrench in the back of the drawer. Although I could use some of that "Toy Story" money.

While all of the Snap-On and Matco tools hang out together and make fun of him....

that might fly....

 

[keakar]

So I still can't get the first blade I tried to replace off yet, but I decided to try the other two. Came off no problem. Image below seems to suggest why not to wait seven years to replace your blades. I'm thinking if I can get the third one off and replace all three, I'll see a difference when I mow again.

what i found makes the job easy is get a 3/4" metal plumbing pipe about 2ft long and two short sections of chain with nut and bolt to make two loops around the pipe with, then slip one chain and pipe over one blade end and then the other end of the blade to make a sort of blade extension then rest it against the other spindle wedged under that blade to secure it. now nothing can slip and you get a large cheater pipe and breaker bar to break the stuck nut loose. it breaks loose easy then