Mowing Type of Blades on a Zero Turn?

[Hexa Fox]

5 months? LOL

When you mow for a living, there's rarely any blade makes it 5 months. They get sharpened almost daily and changed out every 8 or so hours of actual use. They have to be in excellent condition to leave a manicured cut at speed all day long.

Believe it or not it is one of the reasons I bought a Craftsman. I did a lot of research on Husqvarna, Toro, John Deere, Scag, Hustler, Exmark, and all the rest. I found that my money was going to be best spent on a Scag or John Deere. Like you I knew about the commercial 7-iron deck. Mostly because I wanted to put the 62" Mid Mount Mower on a John Deere 2720. It is also a 7 iron system.

It was quite expensive but I decided it was worth it because I could use it to do Snow Removal in the winter and a range of things my Zero Turn couldn't do. The thing that turned me off is that they discontinued the 2320-3720 last year. I haven't been able to find one. They replaced the 2720 with the 2025r which has a half less horsepower at the PTO and has a RIO switch.

Having a buddy in the business I heard the 2025r was going to be trash compared to the 2720. Still a great machine just it is tough to beat a machine like the 2720.

Anyway long story short I decided to buy a Craftsman Zero Turn because I would be paying less that I would have paid just for the Mid Mount Mower on the 2720. Which is less than $3,000. I was looking at a couple scags and if I was going to get one I was going hard or going home. So I chose one with a 52" cut and picked a nice one and I am pretty sure it was like $7,000-$8,000.

I started my mowing business with my fathers tiny little 42" cut riding mower. When I realized it was doing better than all the neighbors I decided to start taking care of it better. I am aware that even though the grass still looks great you can do some damage if the blades are not sharp. Right now believe it or not these blades are still working close to as good as when I purchased the machine.

It does great. Just after hitting that rock and knowing that it is coming close to time to sharpen or replace I thought I would make this post. I make the other people that mow for money in this area look like morons. Especially people with the little garbage John Deere and Cub Cadets you see out at Home Depot. The only ones that out do me are the ones that have a commercial John Deere or of course Scag or something similar. Then again this piece of equipment will pay for it's self this year.

 

[Hexa Fox]

5 months? LOL

When you mow for a living, there's rarely any blade makes it 5 months. They get sharpened almost daily and changed out every 8 or so hours of actual use. They have to be in excellent condition to leave a manicured cut at speed all day long.

I'm not trying to say I know as much as you but I have learned a couple things in my day. Since you told me about these G5's I will probably purchase two sets of them and an Oregon Mower Blade Grinder and alternate them while sharpening them until they go into my metal collection. Which is what I guess you are recommending I do??

Also when I clean up the bottom of the deck if I restore the bottom part what should I do it with? Just paint, primer then paint, or maybe something else?

 

[RG1]

You have your info a little mixed up on the JD CUT's. The 2320 is replaced by the new 2025R, so one extra pony there, otherwise the same. the 2520 was dropped altogether, and the 2720, is now the 2032R.

Your blade being banged up like that is definitely going to be out of balance. do not use one of the cheap plastic balancers to check it either. heck, even a nail in the wall is not even close to accurate. there is a good video on Lawnsite that shows just how far off a blade can be right from the factory by using a pro balancer like the Magna-Matic unit. I believe that same video is on Magna-Matics site too. Having a blade (or all of them) out of balance will ruin your spindle bearings quickly.

 

[RG1]

I'm not trying to say I know as much as you but I have learned a couple things in my day. Since you told me about these G5's I will probably purchase two sets of them and an Oregon Mower Blade Grinder and alternate them while sharpening them until they go into my metal collection. Which is what I guess you are recommending I do??

Also when I clean up the bottom of the deck if I restore the bottom part what should I do it with? Just paint, primer then paint, or maybe something else?

I just touch mine up before storing it for the winter. Otherwise, I check it each day for any build up, and if there's any, I run it up my gate off to one side and scrape the crap out. I rarely have to do that with it fortunately, but occasionally after a rain and cutting lush spring growth I still do once in a while.

Yes, the Oregon sharpener is a good way to go if you can't afford the Magna-Matic. The MM is expensive, but you get what you pay for. The main thing is to keep the original bevel angle, and never let them get too far out of condition. Otherwise you end up having to remove so much metal to fix them that you can actually end up losing a blade, or severely shortening the life of them.

 

[Hexa Fox]

I just touch mine up before storing it for the winter. Otherwise, I check it each day for any build up, and if there's any, I run it up my gate off to one side and scrape the crap out. I rarely have to do that with it fortunately, but occasionally after a rain and cutting lush spring growth I still do once in a while.

Yes, the Oregon sharpener is a good way to go if you can't afford the Magna-Matic. The MM is expensive, but you get what you pay for. The main thing is to keep the original bevel angle, and never let them get too far out of condition. Otherwise you end up having to remove so much metal to fix them that you can actually end up losing a blade, or severely shortening the life of them.

I will buy the Magna-Matic wall balance thing. I heard they were a awesome tool. Definitely a little pricey. I looked at the Magna-Matic 9000 and I just would not be comfortable with them. I know the Oregon Grinders in and out.

 

[RG1]

I will buy the Magna-Matic wall balance thing. I heard they were a awesome tool. Definitely a little pricey. I looked at the Magna-Matic 9000 and I just would not be comfortable with them. I know the Oregon Grinders in and out.

You won't believe how sensitive the balancer is. It will show you all sorts of stuff you didn't know could be true, like having one edge of the blade be heavier than the other. I'm not talking end for end, but from the cutting edge to the back side edge. the blade can actually be heavier on one edge/side than the other. they are really nice to have.

 

[Hexa Fox]

You won't believe how sensitive the balancer is. It will show you all sorts of stuff you didn't know could be true, like having one edge of the blade be heavier than the other. I'm not talking end for end, but from the cutting edge to the back side edge. the blade can actually be heavier on one edge/side than the other. they are really nice to have.

Believe me I saw the videos a long long time ago. I watched the dude take the thing off like two dozen times and regrind it before getting it right. So I am probably going to buy the Magna-Matic 1000 (cheapest one) for balancing. Then the Oregon 88-023 (best one) for blade grinding. You can also buy an adapter that will let you grind on mulching blades or gator blades if you really need to. Which you can not do with the Magna-Matic 9000. You have to buy the more expensive Magna-Matic 8000. Which the nice setup is a ridiculous $1,500. I do not think I will ever mow enough grass for that man.

Either way I owe you a lot for your time here RG1. My name is Jordan by the way and I doubt there is anything I can do for you, but surely let me know if there is.

 

[RG1]

Believe me I saw the videos a long long time ago. I watched the dude take the thing off like two dozen times and regrind it before getting it right. So I am probably going to buy the Magna-Matic 1000 (cheapest one) for balancing. Then the Oregon 88-023 (best one) for blade grinding. You can also buy an adapter that will let you grind on mulching blades or gator blades if you really need to. Which you can not do with the Magna-Matic 9000. You have to buy the more expensive Magna-Matic 8000. Which the nice setup is a ridiculous $1,500. I do not think I will ever mow enough grass for that man.

Either way I owe you a lot for your time here RG1. My name is Jordan by the way and I doubt there is anything I can do for you, but surely let me know if there is.

Just glad to help out when I can bro.

 

[prosperity]

Like you I knew about the commercial 7-iron deck. Mostly because I wanted to put the 62" Mid Mount Mower on a John Deere 2720. It is also a 7 iron system.

If you can tell me where there is a 7-Iron deck that fits on a 2520/2720 I'll drive half way across the country to buy one.

I mowed commercially for 25 years and had to give it up 3 years ago. My latest mower was a Deere 757 with of course a 60" 7-Iron deck. I sold off all my equipment and bought a 62D deck for my 2520. I HATE it! I've tried everything to stop the underside of the deck from getting packed with wet grass. There are areas of my lawn that are perpetually wet. The 757 might get a very slight coating in just a couple spots once in a while. I have to clean the 62D deck after every mowing and get pounds and pounds of grass stuck under it.

So please tell me where to buy this 7-Iron deck.

 

[RG1]

If you can tell me where there is a 7-Iron deck that fits on a 2520/2720 I'll drive half way across the country to buy one.

I mowed commercially for 25 years and had to give it up 3 years ago. My latest mower was a Deere 757 with of course a 60" 7-Iron deck. I sold off all my equipment and bought a 62D deck for my 2520. I HATE it! I've tried everything to stop the underside of the deck from getting packed with wet grass. There are areas of my lawn that are perpetually wet. The 757 might get a very slight coating in just a couple spots once in a while. I have to clean the 62D deck after every mowing and get pounds and pounds of grass stuck under it.

So please tell me where to buy this 7-Iron deck.

I've read that a lot about the 62" decks. I wonder why that is? I have the older style 60" Commercial deck for my 4115, and I have had that same deck on a 4110, and two 445's. Never had any problems with build up under them.

Did your last 757 have the 7 Iron II or the original 7 Iron?