Mowing Type of Blades on a Zero Turn?

[prosperity]

I'm really sorry to hear you had to give up mowing Prosperity. As I am in Information Systems Security and where I should be concentrating my time because I can make a **** of a lot more money. However, I choose to take my schooling slow because to me there is nothing like maintaining a piece of equipment and getting to be outside on beautiful days (even when it is too hot). Therefore I am sorry to hear you can no longer do it. It must be a great loss. As in the Winter time I feel a good deal of relief but come Spring I am ready to jump back on my mower.

I grew up in a country where it was not always a "get what you pay for scenario". You could go out and buy a cheapo Craftsman and most of the time they were actually better than anything commercial grade. I now know that this is a true statement. Also you are my type of guy. I always look for anything diesel. I have a 4.8 V8 Silverado and I am looking to upgrade to a 6.6 Duramax when I can. As not only will I save money on fuel but I expect it to last very long if I take care of it.

I knew that Snapper was really crappy growing up. Now they have the Vanguard engine RG1 is talking about and they look better than Scag, Hustler, Exmark, and all the others. I am talking about their commercial line and not the little crappy ones you see for homeowners.

Thanks for the nice thoughts! Never been sick a day in my life - worked 70 hours per week plus my mowing which was 20-30 hours a week. Then at age 54 I got hit with a nasty case of RA and that turned my life upside down.

Just like you - by the end of fall I couldn't wait for the grass to stop growing. Then by late winter I couldn't wait to get started again.

And about the zero-turn and any equipment including vehicles. I am a firm beliver in service after the sale. The reason I started with Deere so many years ago is they were the closest dealer of any kind for equipment. Through the many years, if I ever had a problem they took care of me right away. For example one time I was mowing with a used 420 I bought from them (this is before zero-turns were even around). Half way through a job the mower deck gear box broke. I loaded the tractor up and went out to the dealer (20 miles away). They stopped what they were doing, found a new deck in the warehouse the same as mine - swapped the gearbox out, and sent me on my way. Went back to the job and finished it. Many other stories the same. So even if the Deere equipment cost more, it didn't matter to me. Now that dealership has closed down with Deere's new plan and the nearest dealer is now 70 miles away. There is a Kubota dealer a lot closer. If I were still in business, I would give the Kubota dealer a test of their service. If the service was good, I would likely go with Kubota from then on. The color of the machine doesn't matter as much as the service behind the sale.

That's why it's so hard to buy anything mechanical from places like the big box stores or Tractor Supply. I haven't had any dealings with Craftsman, but years ago I know you could get parts very easily. I don't know if Sears would service a tractor or zero-turn.

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That's good information on the gator blades RG1. Since I have been mowing with my compact diesel (Deere 2520 w/62D deck) I've had nothing but problems with grass clumping up underneath the deck. Never happened with my 757 zero-turn with 7-Iron deck even mowing in the pouring rain. Since I now have all the time in the world, I don't have to cut wet anymore. But areas of my lawn (3 acres) have springs below and are habitually wet. I did hours of research here and on other forums where folks just raved about the Gator blades. So I stripped the underside of my deck down last summer, and put 6 coats of EZ-Slide graphite coating sold by Tractor Supply. After cured I sprayed it down with Fluid Film. It did seem to help quite a bit, but I just didn't like the gator blades. There were really noisy which shouldn't really matter - I wear noise cancelling headphones with tunes anyway. But they are also heavier than the stock Deere blades. I don't have a balancer, but checked balance on a nail. I don't know why but I just had this feeling that the blades were going to eventually ruin the spindle bearings. So this spring I put a couple more coats of EZ-Slide on along with a coat of Fluid Film but installed the stock blades. We'll see how it goes this year. I just can't physically scrape my deck anymore. Before the deck treatment I had to scrape it after every mowing - just can't do that anymore. That is the main reason I miss my 757 zero-turn so much.

 

[RG1]

prosperity-
I am really sorry that you got hit with RA. That is a nasty condition to say the least. Glad you are still getting out and about though.:thumbsup:

I am curious about your comment on the Gators being heavier than the Deere blades though. They sure shouldn't be. JD OEM blades are either .250" thick x 3" wide(high lifts), or .306" (5/16") x 2.5" (medium lifts like those that come stock on the old commercial 60" and the newer 62" etc). Gator blades made for JD equipment are either .203" x 3" (for the G5), or .250" x 3" (G6), so the weight should be nearly identical. The original Gator blades that didn't work very well are even lighter.

 

[Hexa Fox]

Where do you store your investment? I am thinking about investing in a enclosed trailer and making it a permanent garage for my machine.

 

[RG1]

I was a carpenter for my main career, so I built myself a nice little shop out back a few years ago. It could be used as an ad for JD LOL

 

[prosperity]

prosperity-
I am really sorry that you got hit with RA. That is a nasty condition to say the least. Glad you are still getting out and about though.:thumbsup:

I am curious about your comment on the Gators being heavier than the Deere blades though. They sure shouldn't be. JD OEM blades are either .250" thick x 3" wide(high lifts), or .306" (5/16") x 2.5" (medium lifts like those that come stock on the old commercial 60" and the newer 62" etc). Gator blades made for JD equipment are either .203" x 3" (for the G5), or .250" x 3" (G6), so the weight should be nearly identical. The original Gator blades that didn't work very well are even lighter.

I did go though a period of denial, but it is what it is. They have me on some very expensive medication that does help some. I'm good for 2-3 hours a day most days now. There is no way I can just sit - I have a beautiful property to take care of which is now my main hobby. I've had to find different ways to do everything, and even then it still hurts. One of my biggest assets is the loader for my 2520 - I use it for everything!

I never actually weighed the blades - just an impression while handling them both. The Gator blades are much thicker than the stock Deere blades which is seen easily. I have a set of worn out Deere blades in the barn - I'll take a pic tomorrow of them side by side and post it.

 

[Hexa Fox]

Thanks for the nice thoughts! Never been sick a day in my life - worked 70 hours per week plus my mowing which was 20-30 hours a week. Then at age 54 I got hit with a nasty case of RA and that turned my life upside down.

Just like you - by the end of fall I couldn't wait for the grass to stop growing. Then by late winter I couldn't wait to get started again.

Yep it is how it works. I'm glad you can still get outside and still get stuff done. That is the only thing that is important. Last year I found out that I am lethally allergic to Poison Ivy. I ran my doctor bills through the roof last year after catching it late in the year. Call me a pu$$ but I literally did not think I was going to make it. It was one of the worst things I have ever had to deal with in my life.

The reason I am telling you this is this year I get paranoid and for good reason. I usually try not to work around any plant/vegetation stuff until I am ready to zoom home and jump in the shower. I also try to cover up much better this year. If I am working around anything thick I will only work for a few hours max before I come home to take a shower. I can not afford what happened last year. If anything breaks out on my skin I instantly rub bleach on it and let it sit. I would rather have the bleach eat at my skin and take some years off my skins life than deal with what I did last Summer.

 

[Hexa Fox]

Long story short being a Landscaper is probably a bad decision for me. Like I already said though most days I cannot resist. I just love being outside. It is probably due to me spending too much time inside. I am a pretty active gamer to be honest and I go to school which is mostly online. So anytime an opportunity arises to leave the house on a nice day I immediately take it.

I can say I have an idea of how you feel. One of the customers I worked for hired me to mow his grass so he can get other stuff done. He is in real bad shape. He can not be outside when it is too hot, when someone near is burning, and the like. He also has good days and bad days. Raking leaves for this guy is a tough feat. He keeps complaining about how he needs to get outside more. He (like us) can't resist being outside and if he is not careful it will end him much sooner than I think it would have. However he has also been advised to still try and get exercise just I think the stuff he is doing probably is not advised if you get what I am saying.

 

[Hexa Fox]

I was a carpenter for my main career, so I built myself a nice little shop out back a few years ago. It could be used as an ad for JD LOL

These Ferris Zero Turns look like nice machines. I am looking at the one that is a 52" cut with the Vanguard engine in it. By the way I just mowed about two acres today with the new Oregon G5's and liked the results. They still aren't chopping up the clippings that well but definitely doing a better job than my old ones. However like I told you my old blades had about twenty-five hours worth of cutting on them. So I will have to see where these blades are at after twenty-five more.... if my engine lasts that long....

My father aided me in getting the belt back on and it was still tough. I did not know the tension around those pulleys is suppose to be that tight and man it has got to be tight.

 

[RG1]

These Ferris Zero Turns look like nice machines. I am looking at the one that is a 52" cut with the Vanguard engine in it. By the way I just mowed about two acres today with the new Oregon G5's and liked the results. They still aren't chopping up the clippings that well but definitely doing a better job than my old ones. However like I told you my old blades had about twenty-five hours worth of cutting on them. So I will have to see where these blades are at after twenty-five more.... if my engine lasts that long....

My father aided me in getting the belt back on and it was still tough. I did not know the tension around those pulleys is suppose to be that tight and man it has got to be tight.

There are at least a couple reasons why you are getting the clippings chopped up like you might have thought you would.

1) many guys hear mulch blade and expect total mulching. Even wavy mulchers and a kit don't do it that completely.

2) you have what is known as a tunnel deck. The deck has a large tunnel at the front that the air funnels' through and out the chute. The clippings get cut inside the tunnel and then thrown right out the side. On a commercial deck like mine or any other brand, the deck is a flat design that is full depth everywhere. the clippings get tossed up to the top and cycled around some before going out the door, so the teeth on the gator blades work them over better.

3) I can almost guarantee you that your deck is "only" spinning the blades at around 15K FPM where a commercial mower will spin them at 18K + FPM BTS. Big difference.

 

[Hexa Fox]

Calling RG1...
New 2014 Husqvarna MZ52 24HP Kawasaki Engine Zero Turn Lawn Mower ZT3100 | eBay

This deck is much thicker and taller than on mine. So the G5's (if available) would have a lot more room to toss the grass upward like you explained. Residential/Commercial grade, supposedly... This is not the Kawasaki FX Series but the Kawasaki FR Series. If I take in a few more yards I might invest in one of these and use them both. Then if one has something go wrong I have a backup. Plus like you said I might experiment with different blades on them too. Possibly use one as a mulcher and the other to cut quickly. Just wanting your (and others) opinion on this machine.