I've got a Toro walk-behind mower with a 22" blade that needs sharpened/replaced. My plan is to buy a replacement and also get the current one sharpened. Then, I'll swap them, sharpen the one I took off, repeat.... I do want/need a mulching blade. It looks like almost all are "multi-purpose" or 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 (mulch, bag, side-discharge).
Any real value in getting the slightly higher-priced "gator" or "xtreme" blades or just stick with a simple Arnold or similar replacement ?
Once you go to an Oregon Gator blade you'll never go back. My plan was to do the same thing but I bought a Gator and chucked the OEM blade. Now I have 2 sets of gators I alternate.
For me the selling point of the Gator wasn't the cut, which is fantastic, but the balance. Almost all the vibrations went away with Gator blades so instead of having to stop half way through the lawn to allow my hands to stop vibrating I can do the entire lawn without any issues now. That said the cut is superior to anything else. You can hit a rock or stick without any issues. These things are tanks!
I saw that "gator" name in passing and threw it out as an example. Their website only lists them as available at 'dealer' type places, which I've nothing against other than often higher prices.... Ace Hardware does list them, but nothing at Home Depot, Menards, or Lowes. Is that your experience too ? I'll call Ace before heading there.
I saw that "gator" name in passing and threw it out as an example. Their website only lists them as available at 'dealer' type places, which I've nothing against other than often higher prices.... Ace Hardware does list them, but nothing at Home Depot, Menards, or Lowes. Is that your experience too ? I'll call Ace before heading there.
Yes, that's the same one that Oregon cross-references. None of the Ace stores around stock it and I can't imagine the 'dealers' getting anywhere close to that price.
Yes, that's the same one that Oregon cross-references. None of the Ace stores around stock it and I can't imagine the 'dealers' getting anywhere close to that price.
Amazon kills everyone on price for the blades. Typically the Gator's are cheaper shipped to your house then buying OEM blades locally. You'll notice right away the Gator's are like 3 times as thick as the OEM blades. Not to mention made in the USA!
Local mower shop has (1) in stock for ~$23 (I didn't pay attention to the exact number). I don't have Prime with Amazon, but with the 'slow' shipping option it ends up a similar price. Wingfield would be a couple dollars cheaper, but I'm anxious to try the damn thing now !
Anyone know if this is the same part ? The barcode on the packaging does indicate it's the 96-607 part .... but the center-hole, even with the adapter washer, has too much "slop". After multiple attempts, I just can't get it centered dead-nuts and it hits part of the under-deck.
Anyone know if this is the same part ? The barcode on the packaging does indicate it's the 96-607 part .... but the center-hole, even with the adapter washer, has too much "slop". After multiple attempts, I just can't get it centered dead-nuts and it hits part of the under-deck.
It's definitely not the same part. It's a UNIVERSAL blade meaning it's made to be adapted to any mower that uses that size blade. I avoid those from any manufacture like the plague. As you said they tend not to fit the best which in the case of a mower could mean serious damage.
Hmmm it seems they might make blade(s) that fit my Hustler ZT mower, gotta check some more but...
What is the theory-of-operation of these blades? I see that one side appears serrated behind the cutting edge while the other is not?
The stock blades on my Hustler are massive, heavy things which is frankly desirable given how rocky our terrain is (this area "grows rocks" i.e. I can't count on a height being good one run still clearing rocks on the next) thus they hold-up really well. But the types of grasses we have just don't cut easily and thus it's hard to get nice even cuts without running-over some spots again.
It's definitely not the same part. It's a UNIVERSAL blade meaning it's made to be adapted to any mower that uses that size blade. I avoid those from any manufacture like the plague. As you said they tend not to fit the best which in the case of a mower could mean serious damage.
Oregon needs to update their information on their own site.... Look at this:
For P/N 96-607, they clearly indicate it has (3) holes but it doesn't. 96-607 is the one on the bottom, while the "universal" one is on the top. Note the zinc-plated washer/adapter's thru-hole size. That shows how much slop there is. The brass version is just a hair too small, by the way, for the bolt.
No idea.... It does have P/N 108-3766-03 (see here, »www.powermowersales.com/ ··· /1026842) and a mating part (bolt threads into this piece and also has the v-belt groove for the front-driven wheels) that wraps around or clamps the blade in between.
For me the selling point of the Gator wasn't the cut, which is fantastic, but the balance. Almost all the vibrations went away with Gator blades so instead of having to stop half way through the lawn to allow my hands to stop vibrating...
Put it on a little bit ago and it took 2-3 times of on, back off, and back on. It was nicking part of the undercarriage but only when I raised the front wheels off the ground as well as when I shut it off. I also used a "motivator" a little bit on part of the undercarriage...
Anyway, I quoted the part above on purpose - I IMMEDIATELY noticed a marked reduction in vibration ! Just like you described, I had to take a break part way through mowing just to flex and stretch my hands (from the vibration). I was planning to buy some foam tape (kinda like we used to put on aluminum baseball bats) to wrap the handle with to help the vibration !
Wanna try something else besides that foam tape? Do what I did and check out an auto parts store fro a padded, lace on steering wheel cover. I bought one for about $6 and cut it into two pieces. slapped it onto the mower handle and laced it up. Viola! And it has lasted longer than the original foam that was on the handle. I still have the second half to install whenever I need to replace the one that's on there now. Easy as pie! Durable and comfortable with just the right amount of padding.
So, I've mowed a few times with this new blade and I'm kinda like, eh.... I have to set the deck at the 3rd from the highest setting (according to the manual, this is 3-1/2" high and there are six LOWER settings available) otherwise, it leaves a trail on the left-hand side and when I turn, it practically dumps a clump of grass out. I don't try or want to scalp the lawn either, but it looks much nicer when it's cut closer to 3" (yes, I can notice a 1/2" difference).
It is smoother - less vibration - which is great by itself. Plus, at the setting I have to run it at, it does a very good job of mulching.
I'm actually considering buying the side-discharge chute and trying that and then just mowing clockwise (I think) so that I re-mow the discharged grass. No way I'm going to try bagging as we have no good place to put the clippings (other than the garbage can - which is allowable, just a pain).
The trick to avoiding clumping while mowing the grass is two-fold: never remove more than one-third of the grass plant at any one time and never mow when the grass is wet. Mulching mowers work best at upper height settings to allow the air to more easily circulate under the deck to keep the clippings "airborne" and subject to additional cutting as the blade spins. Needless to say, the sharper the blade, the better. You'll find that sharpening is much less work if you do it more frequently. Touching up the edge is a lot easier than removing a radius-ed lead edge once or twice a year. A couple of swipes with a file to restore an edge is much quicker than trying to restore an edge that has an appreciable radius to it.
Ironically, and hence the title of this thread, what prompted me to replace the blade was ragged-looking clippings and I'd never sharpened or replaced the blade, so my wife and I both figured maybe it was time to replace it. So when I looked at blades in the store, they had rounded-off edges. Even the Gator blade was this way. When I Googled this, I read from multiple places that a sharp edge isn't necessary at all.
Ironically, and hence the title of this thread, what prompted me to replace the blade was ragged-looking clippings and I'd never sharpened or replaced the blade, so my wife and I both figured maybe it was time to replace it. So when I looked at blades in the store, they had rounded-off edges. Even the Gator blade was this way. When I Googled this, I read from multiple places that a sharp edge isn't necessary at all.
as sharp as a dull knife is good. you'll know you have a dull blade when the grass don't get cut cleanly, and is ragged.. that's no good for the grass.
I'm not sure where you read that a sharp blade was necessary but it certainly needs to be relatively sharp. Not as sharp as a razor blade but certainly sharp enough to cut you if you run your finger over it. A sharper blade requires less horsepower to cut efficiently and will mulch better because it can cut the pieces a 2nd and 3rd time instead of just battering them around.
I mentioned in a previous post that not many brand new blades come sharp. They are left deliberately dull for safety in handling and to be less prone to nicking and dinging in transit. Think of shaving... does a sharp blade work better than a dull one??? Of course it does! Same thing with mower blades. The thing is, that mower blades, by design, are relatively "soft"... it's a safety thing so they bent and dent instead of breaking. Consequently, they do not hold an edge for very long and should be sharpened at frequent intervals. Less horsepower is needed to propel a sharp blade through grass than what is needed to drive a dull blade. And, unless the blade is bent or chipped up severely, all it takes to sharpen one is a 10-12" flat mill file and... a cheap balancing fixture. You can even use a small nail (brad) driven into the wall to balance a blade within acceptable levels. Just hang the blade by its center hole and remove material until it hangs level. It's not rocket science. Many mower shops and hardware stores will sharpen and balance a blade for just a few bucks. Just because it's dull, is not necessarily a reason to discard it and buy another new one. Now, if it's cracked or bent... that's another story. Intact mower blades have a very long usable lifetime.
I sharpen mine with a flat mill file, and then give it a few swipes with a medium stone to finish it up. I also wear leather gloves to reinstall it on the mower. When the blade on my mower is sharp there's a noticeable difference in the sound it makes.