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I'm just going to throw this out there.

How often do y'all change the blades on your mower?

Once a year?......every two years?.....every three years?......etc.....or do you just change them whenever you feel the time has come to have them changed?

Mr. Mower said:

I'm just going to throw this out there.

How often do y'all change the blades on your mower?

Once a year?......every two years?.....every three years?......etc.....or do you just change them whenever you feel the time has come to have them changed?

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We run commercial, but we change blades on all of our mowers daily right now. Mid Summer when the Bahia Grass gets tough we will change them twice a day and some times on long days three times a day.

jekjr said:

We run commercial, but we change blades on all of our mowers daily right now. Mid Summer when the Bahia Grass gets tough we will change them twice a day and some times on long days three times a day.

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Damn! :confused2:

Annually, whether needed or not.

I change my blades when they're worn out and either the tips are no longer square or the sails on the back edge start degrading. I sharpen them whenever they start getting dull, about 15 or 20 hours of use. It really depends on conditions and the blades. Sandy soil and lawns with bare areas will dull them a lot more quickly. Basically the nicer the lawn the less it wears/dulls the blades.

I run commercial mowing and change blades daily. I run 3 to 5 sets a year. I sharpen blades when removed from the mower or when I get home for the day. It is nice to have fresh blades every day. I normally change the sets every season because it would cost me a fortune to have a blade come apart while on the job.

We have a guy that sharpens blades and balances them for us. We run high lift blades and seem to get the best cut from them. They do a lot of damage to the underside of the decks by sandblasting them. We throw them away when they start to cup on the ends. Depending on the conditions we get more runs than others on them as far as to how many times they can be sharpened. Some times we get three sharpenings out of a set and other times we get as many as 5 or 6 sharpenings out of a set. When we pull them out we tie them together with a string so that we run them as a set from the time we pull them out of the box till we throw them away after the last cutting.

For some dumb reason I would replace the double-blade setup on my Honda HRX every single year. Seven years and $175 later I had 6 leftovers sitting on the shelf that every single one looked quite fine. Since I moved onto a ZTR with OEM blades costing up to $70 a set, I started sharpening them. I am now on my third season with sharpened blades and they work wonderfully. Believe it or not, Arnold makes a sharpening stone and balancer that can be had for under $15 that a wise and cordless drill is all you need to keep the blades sharp.

cpurvis said:

Annually, whether needed or not.

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Think I'm leaning toward this than anything, on replacing the blades on my mower.

It's now going on two years since I've replaced the blades on my mower and well it appears as though the time has come to do so.

Every Spring time I give my mower it's annual tune up, oil & oil filter, spark plugs, engine & fuel filters replaced, checks, etc. so it looks like now I'll be replacing the blades at this time as well.

Thank you to all that have posted here!

Cruzenmike,

It is my professional opinion that regularly switching blades is not only wasteful, but very expensive in the long run. Sharpening blades yourself may save money short term, but if in the wrong hands, a grinding stone can spell disaster for the quality of your cuts. If you are like me, then you probably treat every cut like it may be your last! Take your blades to a reputable swordsmith. I personally have the blade for my Kgro custom forged to my personal preferences. Stock parts are not an option for me. If you want your yard to look like all of your neighbor’s yards, then by all means use OEM parts. This is especially true for blades as they are a single point of failure for a perfect cut! A master swordsmith will turn your mower into a finely tuned grass blade slicing machine. Start by doing your homework and find someone that’s not just going to build you a blade, but an artist who will create the masterpiece that will give you the greatest cutting experience of your life. Yes, it is that important! Once you find the right person, only allow them to touch that blade. I drive over 6 hours to SOFA (my trusted blacksmith) in Ohio to have my blade inspected and treated prior to the first cut of every season. Remember, without the right blade, a mower is just a go-kart! Godspeed!

And a sharp blade dulles so fast that all the money you paid goes to waste. It can only stay sharp for so long. I have for the last year been having my blades cryo (frozen then thawed then frozen then thawed again or how many times he does it) treated for hardness and it is working. Not only that but the hardness is all the way through not just the tip so every sharpening has a super strong but not brittle edge. New mower this year and cryo treated blades. I am going to try this year with only 2 sets of blades.

Let me check the yellow pages for a Master Swordsmith in the nearest 1million-plus metro area....just as I thought--not a single one. Not even a plain or apprentice Swordsmith!

May as well quit mowing.

WTF, O?

LOL, I go through roughly 4 to 5 sets of blades a year. I live in a very sandy area and I will get 3 or 4 mowings out of a set, with a couple of sharpenings in between. I have yet to find a blade that resists the sand so I know it's just something I have to deal with. A Jedi could sharpen my blades but they'd be dull in an hour or less.
Tom

All I know is that we run Tiger Cat Scags and cut incredible amounts of Pensacola Bahia Grass. After a while running even new blades they will stop cutting as good and thus require slowing down. it only takes 5 to 10 minutes to change a set of blades and we are running again. We can lose 10 minutes quick if we have to slow down or double cut anything. In Dog Days of summer when it is raining every day and the nights are in the 80's Bahia Grass with 2 weeks growth on it is a beast.

I change my blades and if the guy who cuts the grass next door doesn't change blades it won't be long before i am cutting the grass next door as well.

I see some of those guys that do not change blades till they are worn out and then throw them away. They are not competition to me because the quality of their work is not even in the same category.

I have most weeks literally all that my crew can do so I think I am going to keep sharpening them and changing them like we do.

Interesting.
Most quality mower blades are made from medium carbon boron steel which work hardens.
The last remaining steel foundry thinks I am God as I usually deliver them around 100 KG of dead blades a year which they use for the boron content.

I would be surprised if cryo treatment did not leave them too hard to withstand the sticks stones.
Motorcycle chains have been cryo treated for decades which is how they manage to handle the massive power of modern motorcycle racing engines without doubling their length in the first lap.
Some chains use boron steel ( different grade ) in the side plates and they did have some problems with them brittle failing back in the R & D days.

Things might be a lot different over there by the cost of heat treating them down here is about twice the cost of new blades so would come out close to a zero sum game.

Cruzenmike,

It is my professional opinion that regularly switching blades is not only wasteful, but very expensive in the long run. Sharpening blades yourself may save money short term, but if in the wrong hands, a grinding stone can spell disaster for the quality of your cuts. If you are like me, then you probably treat every cut like it may be your last! Take your blades to a reputable swordsmith. I personally have the blade for my Kgro custom forged to my personal preferences. Stock parts are not an option for me. If you want your yard to look like all of your neighbor’s yards, then by all means use OEM parts. This is especially true for blades as they are a single point of failure for a perfect cut! A master swordsmith will turn your mower into a finely tuned grass blade slicing machine. Start by doing your homework and find someone that’s not just going to build you a blade, but an artist who will create the masterpiece that will give you the greatest cutting experience of your life. Yes, it is that important! Once you find the right person, only allow them to touch that blade. I drive over 6 hours to SOFA (my trusted blacksmith) in Ohio to have my blade inspected and treated prior to the first cut of every season. Remember, without the right blade, a mower is just a go-kart! Godspeed!

You're kidding, right?

penmaker said:

Cruzenmike,

It is my professional opinion that regularly switching blades is not only wasteful, but very expensive in the long run. Sharpening blades yourself may save money short term, but if in the wrong hands, a grinding stone can spell disaster for the quality of your cuts. If you are like me, then you probably treat every cut like it may be your last! Take your blades to a reputable swordsmith. I personally have the blade for my Kgro custom forged to my personal preferences. Stock parts are not an option for me. If you want your yard to look like all of your neighbor’s yards, then by all means use OEM parts. This is especially true for blades as they are a single point of failure for a perfect cut! A master swordsmith will turn your mower into a finely tuned grass blade slicing machine. Start by doing your homework and find someone that’s not just going to build you a blade, but an artist who will create the masterpiece that will give you the greatest cutting experience of your life. Yes, it is that important! Once you find the right person, only allow them to touch that blade. I drive over 6 hours to SOFA (my trusted blacksmith) in Ohio to have my blade inspected and treated prior to the first cut of every season. Remember, without the right blade, a mower is just a go-kart! Godspeed!

You're kidding, right?

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I don't think he is kidding. But hey, I am not going to judge. I am quite particular about some things. For example, I once purchased a Sony wireless mouse directly from Japan to match my Vaio laptop because no comparable product was offered in the US. $80 later I had a mouse that said "VAIO" on it, but then again, it was just a mouse. Taking lawn mower blades to a blacksmith may give an excellent sharpening, but after a few cuts it may not matter? IDK

Not an the expert here on this subject on changing mower blades but as far as pulling the blades off to have them sharpened, I believe that you run the risk of the blades becoming "unbalanced".

Which leads to not having a proper level cut. Also could lead to other potential problem(s) on the mower too? Such as to the rotor/spindles, belt(s), etc.

Either by removing too much metal from the blades when sharpening or possibly the blades becoming warped, blades not mounted correctly, etc.

Therefore not getting and even cut as well as running the risk of possibly ruining the rotor/spindles and or bolt(s) with the constant force that is applied on them (especially if not torqued down properly?).

Removing the blades and having them sharpened....well for some that may work and to each their own.

Still though, for me, I'll just stick to changing all three blades on my mower, once every year regardless. I find that much easier and convenient.

Yes, some may find that as unnecessary, costly and a waste of $ but not for me.

At least I know that the blades on my mower will always be good throughout the year.

Ummm...not really. Sorry, but I find little merit to your comments. Please don't take it personally.

First of all, I've found that new blades are usually pretty unbalanced and not particularly sharp. I sharpen and balance new blades before I put them on my machines. Having an unbalanced blade will not cause an uneven cut but can certainly cause problems with vibration and spindle wear...that's why I always balance my blades. If you sharpen your blades evenly you won't change the balance much. I don't know how you'd warp a blade sharpening it. If you do that you're doing something terribly wrong. It's pretty simple to change blades, put them on properly and tighten them. I don't know how it could be done wrong other than putting them on upside down or not tightening them enough. I've never used a torque wrench on mine in 15+ years of mowing commercially and have never had an issue with them loosening or coming off...having them tighten and having a hard time getting them off due to hitting something, definitely yes. And I disagree that if you change your blades once/year they'll always be good, since as I mentioned above, they typically come from the factory unbalanced and not particularly sharp. So instead you're more likely to always have dull unbalanced blades.

:laughing: Yea I hear you.....so don't take my reply "personal" either.

But I could give a rat's *** what you think (or anyone else for that matter) either. All I did was just post my views on the subject just like everyone else has.

So Mr. Expert you have a good day! :laughing:

Mr. Mower said:

:laughing: Yea I hear you.....so don't take my reply "personal" either.

But I could give a rat's *** what you think (or anyone else for that matter) either. All I did was just post my views on the subject just like everyone else has.

So you have a good day! :laughing:

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Fine, don't listen to someone who actually knows what they're talking about. But why ask questions and waste everyone's time if you don't care what we think? Literally every one of your assumptions except unbalanced blades being bad for a mower is incorrect.

If you can't remove and replace a bolt and manage to not warp a blade using a file or grinder it's best that you send you machine out for service. :laughing:

Darryl G said:

Ummm...not really. Sorry, but I find little merit to your comments. Please don't take it personally.

First of all, I've found that new blades are usually pretty unbalanced and not particularly sharp. I sharpen and balance new blades before I put them on my machines. Having an unbalanced blade will not cause an uneven cut but can certainly cause problems with vibration and spindle wear...that's why I always balance my blades. If you sharpen your blades evenly you won't change the balance much. I don't know how you'd warp a blade sharpening it. If you do that you're doing something terribly wrong. It's pretty simple to change blades, put them on properly and tighten them. I don't know how it could be done wrong other than putting them on upside down or not tightening them enough. I've never used a torque wrench on mine in 15+ years of mowing commercially and have never had an issue with them loosening or coming off...having them tighten and having a hard time getting them off due to hitting something, definitely yes. And I disagree that if you change your blades once/year they'll always be good, since as I mentioned above, they typically come from the factory unbalanced and not particularly sharp. So instead you're more likely to always have dull unbalanced blades.

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Blades are not suppose to be particularly sharp. they are suppose to have a 30 thousands blunt edge when properly sharpened. And that is from the people that actually make the blades. the paint coating makes them feel duller than they actually are since they are sharpened to the 30 degree angle and 30 thousands blunt edge prior to painting, And the uneven paint will through the blade out of balance.

Darryl G said:

Fine, don't listen to someone who actually knows what they're talking about. But why ask questions and waste everyone's time if you don't care what we think? Literally every one of your assumptions except unbalanced blades being bad for a mower is incorrect.

If you can't remove and replace a bolt and manage to not warp a blade using a file or grinder it's best that you send you machine out for service. :laughing:

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Yea whatever! :laughing::laughing::laughing:

ILENGINE said:

Blades are not suppose to be particularly sharp. they are suppose to have a 30 thousands blunt edge when properly sharpened. And that is from the people that actually make the blades. the paint coating makes them feel duller than they actually are since they are sharpened to the 30 degree angle and 30 thousands blunt edge prior to painting, And the uneven paint will through the blade out of balance.

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Thank you for posting this!

Very good info. :thumbsup:

ILENGINE said:

Blades are not suppose to be particularly sharp. they are suppose to have a 30 thousands blunt edge when properly sharpened. And that is from the people that actually make the blades. the paint coating makes them feel duller than they actually are since they are sharpened to the 30 degree angle and 30 thousands blunt edge prior to painting, And the uneven paint will through the blade out of balance.

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Yeah I hear you. If you get them too sharp the edge just rolls over. But most of the new blades I get are too blunt for my liking and sharpened with such a coarse wheel that they're nearly serrated. Besides, since they're out of balance (by my standards) sharpening them gets done before mounting. FYI I use a Magnamatic Mag 1000 balancer. My 2002 and 2003 Exmarks which each have thousands of hours on them are still on their original spindles, so I must be doing something right. :smile:

Mr. Mower said:

Thank you for posting this!

Very good info. :thumbsup:

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My pleasure. I'm always here to help.

I just wanted to make sure that nobody else who happens to read this thread got the impression that blades are throw-away items that never need to be sharpened, never need to be balanced, that balance has anything to do with cut quality, that sharpening them would somehow warp them or that it's difficult to take a bolt out and replace it. You'd have to be pretty inept to mess it up.

Darryl G said:

My pleasure. I'm always here to help.

I just wanted to make sure that nobody else who happens to read this thread got the impression that blades are throw-away items that never need to be sharpened, never need to be balanced, that balance has anything to do with cut quality, that sharpening them would somehow warp them or that it's difficult to take a bolt out and replace it. You'd have to be pretty inept to mess it up.

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:laughing:......what a dick!.....:laughing: