Switching to longer blades?

[StarTech]

some before and after results with Oregon G6 mulching blades set at 3" with the grass currently at about10" and damp grass today . . . .
the leaves and bark are from a couple Sycamore trees, huge leaves and tough bark - - -

You do realize that Ferris IS2600 with a 61" Deck uses three 21" which 3 are 63" so you have up to a half an inch overlap between the blades which is effectively one inch?

The BB discuss here has zero over lap if using 24"-24-1/8" blades on a 72" cut as 3 x 24" is 72".

 

[Honest Abe]

I hear you....

since this problem seems to have started immediately upon getting this unit, and other customers have had/are having the same issue it seems this is an inherent manufacturing deficiency...

time to trade the dang thing in for a decent machine!

 

[farmerdave1954]

I'd go to one of your neighbors who has a lawn with a different grass and make a pass with your mower. See if I different grass cuts clean. That quack grass is a very difficult grass to mow. I've had the same problem with it here. Round-Up and sowing a different grass fixed that problem. The pictures you sent look more like tire tracks than just poor cutting. If you are cutting grass 10" tall at 3", I'm not surprised it leaves tire tracks. If you make a second pass in the opposite direction, does it cut cleanly then? I've had this problem with a JD D140, 2 of them actually, and with both it was due to tip wear on the blades. New blades or proper sharpening fixed it. I never had the problem with new blades. If you have it with new blades of 2 different brands, either they are both too short, you have a deck with bad caking underneath (a DEFINITE cause of this problem), or it's a design issue. Sounds like it might be the later. I was considering a BB Maverick earlier this year. In all the reviews I read on it, I never heard this mentioned as being an issue. I went with a Caroni 93" rear discharge, 5-bladed, 3-point mounted finish mower instead. Also, don't dismiss the deck leveling adjustments or the tire pressure suggestions. Both will cause this problem as well. Don't know why exactly, but experience tells me it will.

 

[HoustonDave]

You do realize that Ferris IS2600 with a 61" Deck uses three 21" which 3 are 63" so you have up to a half an inch overlap between the blades which is effectively one inch?

The BB discuss here has zero over lap if using 24"-24-1/8" blades on a 72" cut as 3 x 24" is 72".

No offense meant to anyone but saying " 3 blades X long means a cutting width of 3X" is not accurate when the blades are offset like in a mower deck.
That said, using a Deere Z535M I have tried multiple blade brands, mowed at less than walking speed, mow only dry grass, checked blade-to-blade distance and height offset (both minimal) and still get lines of uncut stalks along the lines of blade to blade intersection. Driving me nuts.

 

[RevB]

That's part of what I was wondering. Mine don't appear to move because I always clock them to not meet (stock size blades which wouldn't touch anyway) and when I remove them to sharpen they are never meeting. But I can see the potential risk.

They move.....

 

[RevB]

if the pressures are way out of range from one another then the deck can't be level....

As tho the ground is always level.

 

[Honest Abe]

I'd go to one of your neighbors who has a lawn with a different grass and make a pass with your mower. See if I different grass cuts clean. That quack grass is a very difficult grass to mow. I've had the same problem with it here. Round-Up and sowing a different grass fixed that problem. The pictures you sent look more like tire tracks than just poor cutting. If you are cutting grass 10" tall at 3", I'm not surprised it leaves tire tracks. If you make a second pass in the opposite direction, does it cut cleanly then? I've had this problem with a JD D140, 2 of them actually, and with both it was due to tip wear on the blades. New blades or proper sharpening fixed it. I never had the problem with new blades. If you have it with new blades of 2 different brands, either they are both too short, you have a deck with bad caking underneath (a DEFINITE cause of this problem), or it's a design issue. Sounds like it might be the later. I was considering a BB Maverick earlier this year. In all the reviews I read on it, I never heard this mentioned as being an issue. I went with a Caroni 93" rear discharge, 5-bladed, 3-point mounted finish mower instead. Also, don't dismiss the deck leveling adjustments or the tire pressure suggestions. Both will cause this problem as well. Don't know why exactly, but experience tells me it will.

I only posted those to show that the blades cut minute clippings and didn't leave rows of mulch or strips of high grass. The grass was still very damp, and the wind was almost blowing me off the machine. The cut is consistently level and even, and this whole area is our leach field, so I don't cut too low. In the spring during wet season I'll double cut to smooth it out a bit more....

 

[Honest Abe]

As tho the ground is always level.

what you talk'n 'bout Willis, can't you see MY lawn is perfectly level.....

 

[GrumpyCat]

If the OP wants to use longer blades then the correct answer is, “will it fit?” No detriment if longer blades fit. How much clearance to the deck? How much clearance between center blade and blades to either side?

3 x 24-1/8” has almost no overlap on a 72” deck.

BB has spec’ed and shipped wrong length blades before.

 

[Davenj4f]

Has anyone tried running blades that are a bit longer than the standard/recommended blade length for a particular model? On my Rogue 72" I've always battled two 'mohawks' of grass at the point between the three blades. It's not awful, as in completely uncut strips, but it is pretty noticeable everywhere as being two slight strips that aren't as flat as everywhere else. I was thinking of trying some blades that are just a bit longer than the stock "24 inch" blades to get a bit of overlap. Of course I'd ensure that the clocking of the blades is such that they never meet and touch each other. I haven't actually looked to see what other lengths are available, so maybe this idea is bunk if there are no ~25" blades out there...

I'm unsure why my Rogue behaves like this. It has occurred with both the stock blades and Gator G6 blades. I can't believe it is some type of adjustment and I know for a fact this occurs when my blades are freshly sharpened.

The mower will normally do that when turning. You didn't say if when turning or otherwise. But one factor will greatly influence that happening. Your blades need to be sharp (always a given), and the edge at the end of the side that's sharpened must not be rounded. It should come to a point. Doesn't need to always be 90 degrees, but if the end is rounded, I find that the blades tend to push the grass away instead of cutting it. And if you have the correct blades for your mower, there shouldn't be more than 1/4" of space between the blade and the deck. At least this is my experience of commercial mowing for 10 years. I find that if I change my blades almost every day, they last longer, and it takes less time to resharpen and balance.