Sharpening & Balancing Cub's Fastattatch blades

[Zork]

The Cub Fast Attach is a new proprietory more S shaped hole..... Currently no aftermarket versions exist due to patent issues. Stens had to stop selling them because of this issue recently.

You have a nice enough rider, but I've grown to truly loath the fast attach blade system. Granted, it may have been blades that haven't been off in 2-3 years and the mechanism is packed with dirt and grass. Best advice for you going forward, take steps to protect retainer so it moves when you need it to. Some kind of spray protection maybe? Or change the spindles so you don't have to pay hostage pricing for light blades. I do however like Cubs low lift blade design and their Extreme blades do well.

@ Tomplum: I didn't realize this cub had the fast attach system when I purchased it. I observed a video where the quick flanges were worn from debris and to me the wear should affect balance. I thought I might change the spindles out for a star or something else, but someone said the pulleys, belt, and length/height of the spindle would have to be matched correctly to pull this off and I'm at a point in my life that my health has limited my ability to tinker; so I'll try sharpening them. The blades do appear lighter than most other brands but others have said they are a tough blade.

 

[mikester]

The Cub Fast Attach is a new proprietory more S shaped hole. As illustrated in the OP post fitting into the sharpening jig toward the bottom of his post. Currently no aftermarket versions exist due to patent issues. Stens had to stop selling them because of this issue recently.

It's proprietary consumables that makes me want to run away from vendors trying to take a simple product and overcomplicate things for no benefit to the consumer.

Maybe club cadet has hired some apple engineers who were let go after apple was forced to use USB chargers on their phones.

 

[5030]

That sucks, big time and forces you or the owner to only purchase Cub blades at whatever price they decide is appropriate.

Not that we look under mower decks to see what / how the blades attach in the first place. Not something I'd want for sure.

 

[tomplum]

To me, these blades seem thin. And expensive. And they can take 20 minutes or better to change with the deck off already. I just hate engineering to make things more difficult and more expensive to get inferior parts. They make a nice, heavy standard circle hole blade on 3 series models. There star blades aren't terribly heavy duty either, but are more readily available.
MTD spindle housings do have different shaft and housing lengths plus the offsets vary per deck. One could take the part number and try to ascertain the correct specs and compare it to a more common spindle which has more affordable blades. It may initially take physical measurements. Or compare to a model that doesn't have the Fast Attach. At least last summer, I could get the other smaller, S type hub from Rotary and OEP . I think they call that the diamond shape but it isn't in your chart. Those still used a nut to retain the blade.

 

[RandyT]

To me, these blades seem thin. And expensive. And they can take 20 minutes or better to change with the deck off already. I just hate engineering to make things more difficult and more expensive to get inferior parts. They make a nice, heavy standard circle hole blade on 3 series models. There star blades aren't terribly heavy duty either, but are more readily available.
MTD spindle housings do have different shaft and housing lengths plus the offsets vary per deck. One could take the part number and try to ascertain the correct specs and compare it to a more common spindle which has more affordable blades. It may initially take physical measurements. Or compare to a model that doesn't have the Fast Attach. At least last summer, I could get the other smaller, S type hub from Rotary and OEP . I think they call that the diamond shape but it isn't in your chart. Those still used a nut to retain the blade.

Tom, you are right about being thin and expensive. Seems like blades keep getting thinner, and most don't even last to the point of needing to be sharpened. They either wear the cutting edge down to the point over a mowing season or the debris kicked up by the blades cuts the air lifts off.

I remember when the 6 point MTD star was the new proprietory blade for them and they were enforcing their patents on the aftermarket guys, and Stens and Oregon had to either stop selling them or have their own personal redesign. That is when Oregon started using their cloverleaf looking hole to fit around the outer edge of the MTD 6 point.

 

[tomplum]

Tom, you are right about being thin and expensive. Seems like blades keep getting thinner, and most don't even last to the point of needing to be sharpened. They either wear the cutting edge down to the point over a mowing season or the debris kicked up by the blades cuts the air lifts off.

I remember when the 6 point MTD star was the new proprietory blade for them and they were enforcing their patents on the aftermarket guys, and Stens and Oregon had to either stop selling them or have their own personal redesign. That is when Oregon started using their cloverleaf looking hole to fit around the outer edge of the MTD 6 point.

Do remember way back when that fiasco started, that they (OEP if I'm correct) included spindle assemblies with the blades for a spell? That was strange page in the OPE history book...

OEP redesigns, I liked the older, more robust ones better. One thing that I can hand to MTD, is the low profile design on some of their blades. We have a lot of moles where I am at. Just what we needed.

 

[RandyT]

Do remember way back when that fiasco started, that they (OEP if I'm correct) included spindle assemblies with the blades for a spell? That was strange page in the OPE history book...

OEP redesigns, I liked the older, more robust ones better. One thing that I can hand to MTD, is the low profile design on some of their blades. We have a lot of moles where I am at. Just what we needed.

Correct. Oregon Equipment Parts. Back when they were still owned by Blount. Since then they have been sold couple times. Currently owned by Platinum Equity Group. The same group that now owns Rehlko aka Kohler Energy(engines, and generators.) I guess you know that Kohler is no more and is now Rehlko Engines.

 

[BnRidge]

To me, these blades seem thin.

All that is designed as a system, blades spindles, etc. Hit a stake and the blade will bend. Or beef up the blade and the spindle bends. Or beef up the spindle and the whole deck twists, cracks and bends - - -.
Proprietary center hole patterns have been a thing for a long time. If it gets aggravating enough get new spindles and aftermarket blades to fit. Length and tip drop then are the important things to watch. Lift and mulching etc are all optional.
Sharpening for new blades: I worked for a blade manufacturer. Their method to sharpen oem blades was to have a 4"dia fly cutter mounted on two 1940s Kearney and trecker mills chomp the blade on both ends in less than a second. They made millions of blades. They were designed to not be perfectly sharp.