C
charly
Guest
I use Gator blades for my Ferris Zero turn mower.. Has anyone used another blade brand giving better cutting performance? Any new blades out that I haven't heard about yet?
I rotate out 3 complete sets of blades,, always having another set ready to go,, sharpen ,balance and then torqued to 70 ft lbs according to the Ferris specs.. I probably change my blades at least 6 times for the mowing season, putting on 60 plus hours.. I'll have to get a set of the other blades to check them out sometime.... Thanks...Quality of cut is in blade speed and airlift (most applications) within a given deck design. Gators have serrated blade sails which negatively affects lift. Many companies putting out similar blades under other names. Stens, Rotary, and many OEMs are all introducing toothed sails to there blades.
Also, what works well in the NE (high-lift, high speed) may not work well in other areas, like FL (where high-lift blades will sand-blast a mower deck to death.). Grass and soil type vary wildly from one corner of this country to the next.
If you're happy with the Gators, stick with 'em. Otherwise, try a super high-lift type blade with a long, straight, cutting edge. Keeping any blade sharp will yield the best results. You think Harry Homeowner ignores his chainsaw chain too long? Heh, don't look under his mower deck.....
I have a few semi buried rock edges in some of my fields as well which ding the blades at times.. I 'll stick with the gator blades then...I tried the hi-lift, hi-speed on my tracter mower. They worked well for packing more grass into the bagger. However, they are half the weight of a regular blade and bend if they hit anything. A couple of windfall branches and an old root burl did ours in. I was replacing them with heavy blades by mid-season and they have lasted 2.5 yr so far.
I'll check them out...The weight and/or thickness of the blade has nothing to do with the amount of lift generated. A set of High-Lift blades for a Ferris commercial mower is going to be a pretty beefy set of blades.
The weight and/or thickness of the blade has nothing to do with the amount of lift generated. A set of High-Lift blades for a Ferris commercial mower is going to be a pretty beefy set of blades.
Iv been trying to find a blade that cuts well in high grass but i guess theres no demand cuz i cant find anything. Grass at country property gets up to a foot and sometimes 2 before i get to it. Ill have to settle for just mowing half deck passes at a time.
I would love to get a set of heavy-duty high-lift blades for our Craftsman. Are the Ferris High-Lift blade proprietary?
Its just a regular single blade walk behind craftsman mower with a honda engine.What's the machine?
Its just a regular single blade walk behind craftsman mower with a honda engine.
Doesnt seem to throw the grass out very well,something that could well be improved by blade design.
Correct, got a 5 star spindle i think. Will have to look up the specs.
edit: It's a Kohler powered 18hp, 42" mower. Model 917.273150.
blade 138971 is the Hi-Lift blade I tried.
I have never seen a 21"-22" walk-mower that required more than a 5HP motor. Don't go by HP ratings exclusively either. Most of the time they are a gross exaggeration if not an outright lie. My 5hp 14PZ or 4.5 HP 14SB will out cut any of the newer "6 HP+" piles that Sears, HD or Lowes is off-loading. Put the side discharge chute on them and they go like mini bush-hogs.Next mower i buy im going to get the largest engine available as they tend to bog down in high grass,that may bee part of the problem ,underpowered.
If you check the specs on the blades I linked to, you can see that they list the thickness of each. Those two that I highlighted in particular are going to be much heavier than anything I've seen hanging on the shelf at Sears for your machine.It was over the internet that I got the lighter blades I didn't like. That is what I'm now trying to avoid.
My son has a new John deere rear wheel drive that he really likes,he tends to research everything he buys so its probably among the best out there. Im going to borrow it and see for myself. Its got the big rear wheels too which i like
I remember the Jacobson Hurricane 2 stroke walk behind,, had a heavy metal platter disc underneath and four small tip blades that bolted every 90 degrees to the disc... Cast mower deck.. I remember servicing one years ago and a fellow worker said try it out in the foot high grass.. That thing never slowed down... what a cutting machine that was.... I was told they stopped making them when inertia brakes for the mower blades were put into effect... was too hard to slow the blade on the Hurricane.. That was one cutting machine..
We use essential cookies to make this site work, and optional cookies to enhance your experience.