sharpening mower blades

[big bubba]

There are no alternative blades available, only the OEM parts. hube2
so is it the length or shape that makes them proprietary? so much aftermarket out there
sounds expensive

 

[Raul-02]

I don't trust myself with a grinder

abut the third time you do it you will have become an expert. Not joking. If you can find your mouth with a spoon full of mashed potatoes in a brightly lit room with at least one mirror, you can hand sharpen mower blades.

 

[5030]

Retirement gig, plus I really enjoy cutting grass. I mow 18 rural lawns within a 1/2 mile radius of my house.

You are mentally imbalanced lad... I despise mowing grass, why I keep enroaching on my rental backyards with my hayfields.

 

[hube2]

I take it you got that 60" deck, right? That's the problem with Massey's deck, I could never find alternate blades for it either. Other problem is that you can't mulch with it (even if you were able to find mulching blades for it).

Yep

so is it the length or shape that makes them proprietary? so much aftermarket out there
sounds expensive

They appear to be unique to the 60" Massey deck.

I did all the kind of measuring and looking thinking I could get find something. I was hoping to find mulching blades.

There are a lot of factors, the biggest one being the difference is height between the center where it attaches to the spindle and the blades combined with the center hole and blade length.

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

My little brother, the small engine professional, used to say ...you can't keep people from sharpening blades to shave with.. You don't need that, but what is more important is most people sharpen blades like they are cutting meat.. Too shallow an angle.. The blade should be 65-70 degrees from the flat bottom, and as sharp or dull as you think it needs to be..

The steep angle is better for manicured grass, and will leave a better looking finish than a shallow, meat cutting angle..

Brush hogs are a whole different thing.. So if you try to compare blades, finishes and all it is apples and oranges.. Don't even go there...

 

[GeneV]

Yep

They appear to be unique to the 60" Massey deck.

I did all the kind of measuring and looking thinking I could get find something. I was hoping to find mulching blades.

There are a lot of factors, the biggest one being the difference is height between the center where it attaches to the spindle and the blades combined with the center hole and blade length.

View attachment 752008

Yeh but even with mulching blades, the deck design won't allow for effective mulching. That deck is built for side discharge only, that's why it's got the open channel on the front there.



Decks that allow for mulching (with blocked chute or otherwise) are baffled on both sides with an open channel running down the middle toward the chute. And dedicated mulching decks (Massey has one) are fully baffled with no open channel at all.

 

[hube2]

Yeh but even with mulching blades, the deck design won't allow for effective mulching. That deck is built for side discharge only, that's why it's got the open channel on the front there.

View attachment 752066

Decks that allow for mulching (with blocked chute or otherwise) are baffled on both sides with an open channel running down the middle toward the chute. And dedicated mulching decks (Massey has one) are fully baffled with no open channel at all.

I was hoping for a set of gator blades or similar. While not exactly "mulching" they do produce a finer chop even with the side discharge. Plus they were cheaper and lasted longer than the oem blades for the JD.

Where did you get the wheels for standing up the deck? They are wider and the wheels are larger than the set I have, looks a lot more stable.

Also, thanks for the pic, I like how the guide wheels are stored and I never thought of that. Much better then my method of tossing them in a corner of the shed for the winter.

 

[newbury]

Every time I read one of these "sharpening" threads I'm hoping for insight to something new. But it rarely happens.
I'm still using my ancient bench grinder cobbled together by my Grandfather before 1960. It's got a wire brush wheel and stone wheel and the motor (according to legend) came from his first refrigerator bought in 1923. I've had it in my possession since about 1975.
But this thread has given me a good link to some grinding discs PFERD 5"" CC-Grind-Solid

 

[Raul-02]

grinding discs

love them pferds~!!!

 

[GeneV]

I was hoping for a set of gator blades or similar. While not exactly "mulching" they do produce a finer chop even with the side discharge. Plus they were cheaper and lasted longer than the oem blades for the JD.

Where did you get the wheels for standing up the deck? They are wider and the wheels are larger than the set I have, looks a lot more stable.

Also, thanks for the pic, I like how the guide wheels are stored and I never thought of that. Much better then my method of tossing them in a corner of the shed for the winter.

Yeh gators are great, I hear ya on that. I got them on my Bradley right now, they're great year round.

Oh the deck storage wheel thingies, I build those. The wheels themselves I got off ebay.