mower blade removal

[Inspector507]

See pic

 

[Kodiak]

I have the same Craftsman its 18 years old and still going strong. I also have a pair of Ingersol Rand Pneaumatic impact guns. But when I'm in a hurry and don't want to fire up the compressor for a two minute job, out comes the Craftsman.

 

[Ozarker]

Ditto what's been said about electric impact wrenches. I don't own one, I have air, but a friend has one and it works like a champ. I have actually been thinking about getting one in 12V to throw in the trunk of the car for roadside tire changing.

 

[MikePA]

Thanks to all! I searched and found a Milwaukee Electric 1/2" impact wrench Model 9072-22 (300 ft lb capacity) for $170. It also comes in a <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mytoolstore.com/milwauke/9072-20.html>kit</A> with a carrying case and 6 sockets for $220. The 3/4" model goes up to 380 ft lbs. I checked my mmm manual and the blades are kept on by 9/16-12x1-3/4 G8 bolts. On my Wheel Horse deck, the blades sit on threaded studs and are held on by nuts. I don't have a manual for this deck, so I'll have to go measure them.

 

[Bird]

Mike, I, too, have owned first a Black & Decker and later a Craftsman 1/2" impacts. I prefer air, not only because they usually have a little more power, but also because they're so much lighter in weight, but the electric ones work just fine. The impact (or hammering) mechanism is about the same in either air or electric, but electric motors are heavier than air motors./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

 

[MikePA]

Thanks, Bird. I'll be pondering this decision a while. For $220 I can get an electric impact wrench and 6 sockets. If I go with an air compressor, it'll be almost double that, but I will have a compressor.

 

[Bird]

Mike, I've got to have an air-compressor for other things, but if you don't want one, another thing you might consider if you have either a Black & Decker or Sears Service Center near you is to see if they have any re-conditioned, used electric impacts. Of course, they don't always have what you want, but I never had any complaints or problems with the B&D that I had and I bought it cheap at the service center (with warranty of course, but it wasn't needed).

 

[dcollie]

I have a pretty extensive tool collection including some Snap-On Cordless Impact Guns. On my Kubota 60" MMM the retaining nut for the blades is 30mm, and they're on there pretty good.

My 12V Impact Gun struggles with this size nut but can move them if it has a fresh charge in it (unless I ran it home REALLY good with my air compressor Impact Gun). If you are going to buy a Cordless Impact Gun, I'd suggest you look in the 14.4v to 18v range for moving those size fasteners.

I own a 9.6v, 12v and 14.4v electric cordless impact guns (all Snap-On brand) and you can tell the difference in the power outputs.

The 12v ones are real good for 17mm to 19mm, and can even work up to 21mm pretty well...after that they can be a bit frustrating if the nuts are on there hard.

I have a buddy that owns a Snap-On route. If you need a cordless impact and want that brand, drop me a note to drcollie@keepingroom.com. Can get them for 15% less than you can buy on-line off the Snap-On web site.

 

[oakiemac]

Northern Tool company (used to be Northern Hydraulics) sells a 110v electric impact wrench for around $60.00. I have been tempted to buy one just for blade removal even if the quality is not as good as a snap-on. For light usage, this one might work out good and it is a lot cheaper.

 

[Bird]

When comparing impact wrenches, whether air or electric, look at the specifications to see how many ft./lbs. of torque it's rated for. You can usually figure the more power, the more money.