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Any idea what's causing this on my Troy-bilt 42" rider? These blades were only installed 2 years ago.
There is no gravel on my 1-acre.

Leaves, sticks, even just grass will wear out blades like that in time......2 years is quite a long time for one set of blades! Those Mulch type blades don't have as much material / steel on the "lift" part of the blade to start with so...they will wear out even quicker!

mower king said:

Leaves, sticks, even just grass will wear out blades like that in time......2 years is quite a long time for one set of blades! Those Mulch type blades don't have as much material / steel on the "lift" part of the blade to start with so...they will wear out even quicker!

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It's not a wear down, that piece looks like it broke off, it's not a smooth wear surface.

The grass , dust , sticks twigs whatever erode the blade right where the bend is
Eventually the erosion grove becomes so deep that the tip breaks right off.
All blades wear like this
If you look at the next section you will see a channel worn there as well.
It is exactly the same as those wind eroded caves you see in deserts .

Also the grass buildup around the edge of the deck will rub that area of the blade and erode it from the top down.

Thank you everyone who responded. Your answers have been very helpful..

Have you loaned the mower to anyone? Bingo... You may not want to do so again.
Has anyone other than you used the mower, even on your property? Bingo...They may need some training or take the keys away from them...

microsvc said:

Any idea what's causing this on my Troy-bilt 42" rider? These blades were only installed 2 years ago.
There is no gravel on my 1-acre.

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Is it like that on both ends of the blade or just one end of the blade? Both blades? Where I live, the soil is very sandy. It does not take long for the sand to sandblast the tips of the blades and erode the metal away. I use Gator blades (96-319 G3) on my 42 inch Hustler Raptor. The tips move the fastest, so that is where the wear is highest. I can go through several sets of blades in a season. Good luck.

Papa Gill said:

Have you loaned the mower to anyone? Bingo... You may not want to do so again.
Has anyone other than you used the mower, even on your property? Bingo...They may need some training or take the keys away from them...

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I dont loan anything because it always comes back broken. Good tip though.

CDE said:

Is it like that on both ends of the blade or just one end of the blade? Both blades? Where I live, the soil is very sandy. It does not take long for the sand to sandblast the tips of the blades and erode the metal away. I use Gator blades (96-319 G3) on my 42 inch Hustler Raptor. The tips move the fastest, so that is where the wear is highest. I can go through several sets of blades in a season. Good luck.

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Both ends of both blades. No sand in my soil.

Dull mower blade.

microsvc said:

Both ends of both blades. No sand in my soil.

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Again...whatever you are mowing, sticks, leaves or just grass, wears the bottom of the lift area in time (just as it wears out the cutting edge also), then creates a wear line, and breaks off.

The causes of wear on a blade in your condition is either an extremely abrasive cutting conditions or buildup on debris under the cutting deck.

Rivets said:

The causes of wear on a blade in your condition is either an extremely abrasive cutting conditions or buildup on debris under the cutting deck.

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I would say in the case of the OP it is both.

It is perfectly normal blade wear
Of the blades I replace around 90% of them are due to the flutes breaking off
Of all of the spindle bearings I replace at least 50% are due to continuing to use the mower with the flutes broken off .
What you think is in your soil and what is actually in your grass are two totally different things
Normal enviromental dust will be deposited on you grass on a daily basis
The grass itself will make an erosion grove in the blades despite the fact that grass is soft & the blades are very hard .
Water is very soft but it made the Grand Canyon , over time it wears out the outlet holes on sprinklers & hose nozels .