Swinging Mower Blades

Swinging Mower Blades FARM HOME Lawn Mowers (31h,38) 32-4-30 When his lawn mower blades wore down so much that they couldn't be sharpened any more, Jerry Dutton attached reversible disk mower blades. That was three years ago, and he recently flipped them over to get several more years of mowing. The cost savings of $3/hay mower blade versus $20 to $30 for a new lawn mower blade each year, makes the extra work worth it, says the Chandler, Okla., heating and air conditioning retiree. He begins by carefully measuring so that the blade length is the same as the original length. He cuts off the ends of the old mower blade using a torch. Then he heats the blade's ends to take out the temper enough to drill or punch two holes to line up the holes in the spacers that come with the hay disk mower blade. Dutton used spare blades he had on hand from his farm equipment; hay mower blades from any model will work. "It's important on the rotation, to buy blades which go in the right direction," Dutton says. "Disk mower blades are made for clockwise or counter clockwise rotation and must match the lawn mower's operation." The initial setup is the most time consuming. A receptor bolt goes on to the lawn mower blade and the hay blade attaches to the receptor. Slip in the spacers and tighten the lock washers to secure the hay blades. It's important to balance the blade before putting it back on the mower, Dutton says. He sets the blade on his pocket knife, but others use cones or other balancing tools. "It's time consuming," Dutton says, but after it's set up, changing blades just requires removing the blade and loosening the end bolt. The hay blades mow the same as new lawn mower blades, Dutton says, and he notes hay blades are more forgiving when they hit a solid object because they can rotate. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Jerry Dutton, 870610 So. 3460, Chandler, Okla. 74834 (ph 405 258-2507).

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