Lightweight is good and what did I use it for it’s a lawnmower ruclips.net/user/postUgkxTPN04aT-Qdjr_KS3ql7ng8wnU3wwsCqk also recommend Yes it is lightweight so hence not as robust as our old one. But if you take care it does the job really well.
I am a retired lawn care professional. I'd like to offer 2 tips. Don't cut too low. Most lawns are butchered and the blades take a beating. Next, find a puddle and run the mower into it and let it work for a while. Then park it o ernight and let it dry. Then grease the spindles. These self sharpening blades need some tome to prove themselves.
You talk about cleaning beneath your deck to prevent the deck rusting out. If you clean beneath the deck really well, then spray the underside with spray in bed liner. The bed-liner will last a complete mowing season, the grass won’t stick to the underside, and it will seal the deck against rust. Each year you will need to touch up the bed-liner because the grass will wear it down in spots. I’ve used this method for over 10 years and my deck looks like new.
even better idea, EZ Slide graphite based friction reducing paint. its a wear coating, but it is sold for AG purposes. Often a coat a season for a lot of mowers. The point of the coating is its rather harmless to anything it gets on when its dried because its mostly graphite and inert substances. Its a little funny to go on, but you can also put more layers on in a proper manner and it will last longer. Its just the idea that its meant to lubricate and wear as function/design but the important part Is LUBRICATE!!! bedliner spray is not a low friction thing. In a mower deck, low friction means stuff wont stick, especially since it sheds off if it tries, but also that if you have a discharge or using on wet grass etc, it reduces the amount of effort the engine has to put down to spin the blades because the grass is not resisted nearly as much. If you have a side discharge and mow your grass infrequently on the larger field part of the lawn(like me lol) it makes the engine free up a good amount and you can get a more proper cut which when its overlength and possibly not fully dry its alreadfy hard on the grass and presents issues... the increased speed assuming you move the same speed means more clean cuts which is better for everyone invovled. If you dont care about that, it allows your 26hp and 54 inch deck to make quick work in half the time.. lol.. not literally half but some times time is a valued commodity. And just the not-sticking to the deck is wonderful on its own. On our john deere mowers I am gong to get the inserts for the deck washing thing so you can easily clean your deck and Im going to put the decks to the pressure washer and perfecltly knock down the grime and grass and even the graphite paint, get it cleaned up where its rusty, get it primed and painted with some hardened implement JD yellow, then properly put my graphite paint on in a few good coats per the cans and then store for winter so I can just get to it in the spring. Also put a new blade set on the one mower and sharpen the other ones :) Grease my spindlkes of course of course. Belts are good. One deck needs an idler. I may be a mess in life but One thing next year wont have on me is deck or grass unpreparedness lol
Good point as mentioned (and warned), that when considering the self sharpening, it works with the condition that the blades cut grass only. They aren’t made to self sharpen if roots and rocks are an issue.
Not sharpening the blades is great and all, but do they stay balanced? Most of the issues that you will have with blades are due to being out of balance, not because they get dull. A log of guys balance them on a screwdriver shaft or one of those little plaster cone balancers. Those are not very sensitive. If you can find a good "friction-less" balancer, you will notice a considerable difference in how well you can balance the blades. When I got one of these I did a comparison and found the results to be vary noticeable. The deck ran smoother and quieter. This will reamatically extend the life of your sheave bearings. I have over 1500 hours on my deck now and no issues with sheaves or bearings so far.
I also have a 2015 1025 r. I love the machine. Never fails. Very easy. Almost 400 hours of pure grass cutting so far so good. Wears blades out like no tomorrow.
The "bottom layer" is carbide. The process does an electric arc transfer of carbide to the steel. It is not glued on, it is welded on. The coating is about .004 thick. Given that it is carbide, it doesn't wear as easily as steel. As the steel wears away it leaves behind a .004 thick layer of carbide. It is very sharp so it cuts well. The reason you don't want to hit rocks is the exposed carbide edge can break. The steel edge will wear back and expose the carbideccagain hence the self sharpening. These were developed for commercial use in Sandy soil and have proven to work.
Mower Deck - Air blow-out with a wand after every mow. At seasons end, a full scrape/de-scaler clean up under deck and then a waste oil coating for winter storage. Been doing this for decades with the same deck and have not had any problems.
For used decks that have heavy rust, first clean off the chipping layered rust to tight rust. Use some oxalic acid to turn it black. Get some agri- guard and apply two coats as per instructions. It dries super hard and even battery acid or fertilizer will not touch the stuff. Expensive at forty per quart but do worth it
Silicone spray lubricant might also help prevent rust and crud sticking to the deck. Worth a shot. Works well for preventing snowblower chutes from getting clogged
How come you don't use the built in washer nozzle? After I mow, I hook the hose to the unit, turn on the water and then turn on the mower and let it run.. Cleans it up and out nice.. After it dries just spray with some WD 40 to prevent rust in any area showing metal.
when putting blades back on do they have to be all facing in same direction i have 2 big outside ones and 1 small one in middle . to keep deck balanced? also have you oiled the deck after cleaning?
Anything that says John Deere is expensive. My dad had a John Deere mower with a 30 inch single blade deck. He would go through 2 blades each season as they wore the lift wings off. I welded hardfacing rod on the new blade along the cutting edges, across the end, on the wings, sharpened and balanced them. He could mow for 3 seasons on a blade and said it threw the grass out better. I've done it to the blades on every mower since then.
Wow. Been mowing with my Country Clipper for 11 years and haven't needed to replace a blade yet, just resharpen once a year. And yes I mow several acres a week with it.
Hi there, nice video. I wanted to ask, how about a 2020 update on these blades along with an hour usage measurement? Could help consumers make more informed choices for the upcoming peak season! Keep up the good work.
When I buy a new mower I always sandblast the underside of the mower deck and prime it before applying automotive chip guard . And after a few years check to see if it needs any touchup , and the deck will never rust out .
Informative video..I just get restless listening to so much explanation. Thanks for your time and a good find for 50 hrs.. Good info for those that are not around mowers and such but once a week or so.
Sorry about that. had no idea this video would get such broad views. This was more of just a standard 'vlog' style video which happened to discuss the blades as well. We try to be much more focused in our newer episodes. Welcome to our channel.
also note if you are mowing two different types of grass you want to clean the deck so you dont spread grass seed from one type to another, we did alot of Bahia and st. Augustine grass, so we would cut the Bahia first clean our decks and clean our blades with vinager and do a quick touch up sharpening before we would start with the st Augustine
if you spray it with cooking oil at the beginning of the mowing season grass will not stick to the bottom of your deck whether your grass is wet or not when you mow i have been doing this for years
@@joshywashy4039 Depending on how regular you mow, the cooking oil application will last for 8 weeks before you apply the next application. Please note that the cooking oil does not stop the grass sludge from building on the housing of the mower. You will still grass sticking but not as much. What it does is simply makes it very easy to remove during a cleaning op.
I recommend you power watch the underneath of the deck. Scrapers will scrape paint protection and rust will happen sooner. For longevity, use water spray. Good video.
You need to get one of these then (my device that I invented to reduce damage from hitting metal and rocks). Feel free to sub if you like. Helpful video. I invented a device to prevent blade damage. Subscribe if you like it. ruclips.net/video/eDZeLPgYBvg/видео.html
Hi Tim, I had the under side of Mine Sand Blasted , then had it Rhino Lined pickup bed spray on Liner. That was 10 years ago I just scrape it off Once a year,No Rust makes it a Little Quieter Too! Sure beats paintingit every Year! Tou could do it with that Roll on Liner they have today too!
Did you do an update that perhaps I missed? I would like to see you try a set of meg-mo blades and hear your comments if you have time for this small stuff. Thanks
Well - while I agree they can work -he left a few things out on the description such as - if you have rocky, poorly maintained fields - per the manufacturer, their self sharpening blades aren’t for you. Or that they work best in sandy soils. Note, these aren’t self sharpening like big paper cutters or even old fashion self sharpening reel mowers that sharpen themselves as the blades pass each other. On those, the angle is such that they just graze each other and some of the blades have a piece of abrasive material that sharpens on each pass. Below is John Deere’s description and qualification on their take on self sharpening blades. But before I paste that info in - if you are a professional landscaper or even a diligent homeowner with a nice lawn -- please maintain and sharpen/replace your blades as frequently as needed depending on the use - once a month or daily on 4-6+ lawns. I’ve gotten rid of more landscapers for not maintaining their equipment especially dull blades. If they work by the hour, their poorly maintained equip breaks down often and I don’t like paying for their maintenance time. But even at a flat rate, there are problems. One recently told me he never sharpens his blades (in anything) - just waits til they have been on a couple years and has them replaced or throws away the smaller tools. Blades that aren’t sharp don’t cut the grass cleanly - it rips it - leaving split tips which in just a day or so dry and turn brown, leaving an dead haze. But even worse, like with loppers, hand pruners, saws, etc - rough, raggedy cuts allow moisture and disease to get into the plant - especially fungal but also allows microscopic insects and other diseases easy entry. AND IT JUST LOOKS BAD - very unprofessional. Another issue - if you don’t clean your under carriage - in addition to rust and shorter overall life, you also transfer disease, insect eggs, and weed seeds to other properties. The best and only real landscaper I have ever seen - had a pressurized tank of water and chemical disinfectant - before loading mower back on his truck, he had a setup that tilted it sideways and he pressure washed the under carriage after every lawn. It just took a minute or two. Everything he did was just as meticulous - I was so sorry when he retired - he was a true landscaper, groundsman, plant specialist/horticulturist, garden designer, and he knew soil and soil improvement inside out. He was not a glorified grass and weed cutter who call themselves landscapers. This guy was a whiz! His 1st career after being European college trained in landscape design and horticulture was working at United Kingdom private estate and public gardens; 2nd career after retiring was moving to USA to be close to family and working as landscaper to “rebuild the coffers”; 3rd career at 75-80 yrs old was moving to lake front mountain property, to teach trout and bass how to be caught and be the chief tester of his wife’s wonderful cooking. I was fairly versed in gardening but this guy was a marvel and taught me so much. Maintaining a pretty lawn is time consuming, expensive and not particularly good for the environment due to the typical high amounts of water, fertilizer and chemical usage whether a small residential lawn or a large commercial or park property. You can help lessen this impact with smart practices (always do soil tests annually or at least every other year until you see how the pH is maintained by the soil; keep pH appropriate for what you are growing 6.5-7.2*; mow high particularly in dry, hot months; water deeply and less often encouraging the roots to go deep; use organic fertilizers; maintain calcium (and sulfur) levels so plants can take up what you feed them using gypsum if no pH change is needed or, if you need a pH increase along with magnesium and calcium - use dolomitic limestone; utilize micro-clovers or even the larger Dutch white to allow nitrogen fixing to help feed the soil; if you use clovers, avoid herbicides that kill them, instead use weed prevention methods; spread a thin layer of compost each fall after core aeration & after a long rain so the cores go as deep as possible; mow leaves and leave in place along with grass clippings; if you have heavy weed pressure, know them and their seed cycle - vacuum grass clippings when weeds are maturing and going to seed; finally, but not least - keep sharp blades to prevent disease). Having to treat disease adds to the environment issues and causes more use of chemicals to treat a problem that should have never gotten started. I have seen people being fooled into excessive fertilizing and chemical treatments that could have been solved by soil testing and following the above recommendations. *warm season grasses can tolerate slightly lower pH levels over cool season which need the higher range up to 7.2. Too acidic or too alkaline will affect nutrient uptake. Each nutrient has its own prime level for optimum uptake - try to hit the sweet spot for your soil, environment, and grass type. So, off my “dull blade” and “landscaper” soap box - here is John Deere’s description. I hope it helps someone considering whether to buy or not. “The John Deere self-sharpening blade is a patented technology that applies a layer of extremely hard material on the bottom side cutting edge of the mower blade (highlighted in the below photo). Mower blades have a significant impact on the cut quality and are a component that requires regular maintenance to keep the blades sharp. The amount of time that is required to remove, sharpen, and reinstall is a pain point for your customers. This constant sharpening of blades can also result in shortened part life when sharpened by hand due to the inherent inaccuracy in how much material is removed during each sharpening. This solution addresses the customer pain point by reducing the need to sharpen blades saving time/labor and reduces the human aspect of blade sharpening extending the life of the blade. The layer of hard material wears at a slower rate than the standard steel mower blade. By creating a different wear pattern, the hard material is exposed continuously creating a sharp edge. As the mower blade is used, the base steel of the mower blade continues to wear faster than the added material which provides a continuous edge that essentially self sharpens itself. These blades work best in abrasive conditions like sandy areas. There are several benefits for the customer using these John Deere self-sharpening blades. Reduces the time needed for maintenance of a mower blade by only requiring the mower blade to be removed when it is needing to be replaced. Helps to ensure the full life of the blade by preventing excess material from being removed unnecessarily during sharpening or removing the temper from the blade resulting in weaker metal and quicker wear. Helps to prevent damage to other components during maintenance (such as striping the spindle threads). Improve overall health of grass by constantly having a sharp blade. ( I wonder if they meant stripping?) The John Deere self-sharpening blades are not to be used in abusive conditions with non-turf objects such as rocks, litter, roots, stumps, or other debris. These conditions can typically be found when mowing roadsides, unmaintained fields or even some parks. You can tell if a blade is used in abusive conditions if there are big indentations in the blade or if it is bent. Qualify your customers by asking the right questions for example what their mowing conditions are, where are they mowing and do their blades have big indentations.” -- Sorry, another soapbox - So the advertisement shows a big foo-paw (or more accurately a “faux pas”) ....loose clothing around a PTO shaft - the tractor isn’t running but obviously you wouldn’t be fooling with it unless you were planning on doing so. Always make sure you have a guard in place that is in excellent condition - not broke, cracked, missing parts, etc. whether you have a guard or not - if the tractor is running - never ever consider it safe to work on the PTO just because you have it disengaged. People die, lose limbs, etc every year when PTOs have unexpectedly re-engaged, or their loose clothing got caught, or they decided to step across instead of going around, or even worse - children slip off the tractor and fall in to a running PTO. It happens frequently and farming is considered the most accident prone industry. If you don’t believe me - search “tractor PTO accidents” . It takes just a couple of seconds - too quick for help to get to you and certainly too fast for you to be able to get yourself loose. It won’t take but one time to scare you straight - however, that one time may be fatal - to you, a child, or to an employee or family member.
Hey Rob , agreed on the undercoating as I worked for a school board and I used it on not only mower decks ( rotory type ) , and heavier bush hog type mowers . Something else I did was spray the top of the decks with ' snow plow ' wax . . . .Had folks scratching their heads as this was in Florida. Worked great not only for rust prevention but the mower operators loved it at days end as an air hose replaced the wash rack for the little clippings that hadn't already blown off while transporting. The under coating idea followed me from a previous job where the shop I worked at maintained parking lot sweepers . The vacuum boxes were always wearing through from the sand here in Florida . After spraying the inside of the vacuum and chute areas and we'd get almost three times the life out of them doing the same routes. Other posts on here said truck bed liner works well also . Never tried it but it makes sense although we experimented with plastic and rubber liners etc. , and found the softer undercoat seemed to last longer than anything harder . Hope this helps folks .
We have found the blades to wear very evenly. See the Blades of Grass video series for some well worn blades. Notice how they look the same on each end.
Tim... I just purchased a 1025R. After mowing a few times I can't get the 60d mower deck to mow evenly. It basically not cutting even resulting in a terrible look and often scalps. Do I go back to the dealer, or is there an easy fix. NOTE: air pressure is accurate, and I've used different scalp wheel heights to try to correct. No luck.
Tim, great video! Where did you get that /really/ long-handled wrench you used to unbolt the blades from the bottom of the deck? I've been trying to get a super-long socket just like that and haven't been able to locate one.
I just finished mowing my newly seeded lawn for the second time but the middle blade on my 60" deck doesn't seem to be cutting as well as it should. I've yet to turn the deck over and inspect but has anyone else had a similar issue with their new 60"? Thanks
Traded the mower after only a few hours mowing. We have a follow up video. I think it is linked in the end screen. Overall, not great for us, but probably would be best used in sandy soils that typically dull blades very fast.
When I clean my deck I take the blades off as I'm probably going to sharpen them or replace them . I use a4.5 inch angle grinder with a 36 grit flap disk. I've tried those self-sharpening blades and with all my ant dens rocks don't last any longer than the originals.
I use an impact on taking off and putting on my blades. A lot easier and safer. My dad cut the tendon on the back of his thumb into. Wrench slipped off while putting on sharp blades.
I give mine a light mist with fluid film or used oil to stop the rust .leave it tipped up over night to let all the extra to run to bottom and wipe it up when done and store for the winter
You can skip to around 6:20 before he starts talking about the self sharpening blades ….not good for those of us with a short attention span.....lol thank you for the explanation it was good but took a long time to get to it.
I didn’t mow much with them. Not enough to see the positive effects...they must wear for the self sharpening to work. On the negative side, there are some chips on one of the blades. I’m not sure these are well suited for this area. I think they are more appropriate for more sandy areas...like along the coasts.
another point if you got the loader for that pupose why not have the drive system for the mower up there where it should be, much easier to maneuver mower also greater for mowing under trees
hey tim got an idea i wonder how taking the mower deck and have the underside rhino lined sprayed that would make it like a no stick frying pan and super easy to clean
@@lockmaster50169 my pick up bed has an X-liner that is rough. My idea of the liner being rough under the mower might be a problem with grass sticking.
im just thinking it might make the grass stick or build up less and would be super easy to hose off but im just assuming i know it has texture but i think it might not bind to it like it doez to metal if you could afford to ceramic plasma spray it nothing would ever stick to it again i used to plasma thermo spray coatings and it was awesome but super expensive i sprayed alum oxide ceramics tungsten carbide chrome moly zinc galvume and alum titania itsa 1000 x slicker than any teflon
@@lockmaster50169 honestly I have never heard of the ceramic spray. Anything with ceramic would probably be high priced. I think it would be better for semi dump trailer boxes or dump trucks. Cheaper for more area to be treated.
Interesting concept, I'm curious how well they'll work. Personally I would be a little worried about what might happen if you do hit rocks and sticks, like maybe the blade will delaminate. The load and go system looks pretty slick. I don't mow with my tractor, but a pair of Ken's Bolt on Hooks work great for picking up the mower so I can swap blades...
Hey Tim. Can these be used with the 60D mulch kit installed? When I bought my mulch kit, it came with different blades than were standard on the 60D used as side discharge mower.
I have sand in my yard too. Sand can really dull a blade. It's like sanding the edge right off. When it's dry there's really no avoiding hitting it either. Well, I can just not mow. That'd avoid it.
@@1pcfred me too. We live in Florida. We have an acre. It's all sand. I ordered a set of Laser Edge blades today from our local JD dealer just to see if they'll hold up under the repeated sand blasting. Time will tell.
@@bbblehead1 lawn mower blades have to be a soft tough alloy to make sure they won't shatter if you do hit something with them. I sharpen my blades like every other mow. Which does wear them down. The lift surfaces get worn too. I'm about due for a new set of blades now. I get maybe two years out of a set?
I had a welding shop for 35 years and I can say with confidence those blades will last 3 to 5 times longer than regular blades if they are using the correct material. I can say that because we applied tungsten to the underside of mower blades and that worked exactly as you described. With that said, never is a long time and calling them never sharpen is an overstatement of the effectiveness.
My dad welded a bead of stainless to the edge of a set years ago. It worked well and lasted longer but with the mole hills and everything else that you hit when you don't have a golf course yard they dulled as well.
Never sharpen for the life of the blade. I think Beach River Landscaping is getting 40 hours before replacing. Saves him hassle of sharpening in between. He loves em. Just mentioned them in a video recently.
Load and go mower lift attachment: I've been told that it does not work on the 60D mower for 2038R. They appear to be the same deck. So, do you think it would work? If so, could you please try it?
Hi Tim, I just started watching your videos as I am in the market for a tractor for the first time i.n 30+ years (just moved back to God's country from CA). When I was a kid building farm equipment, ~`80, we used to hard-face lawn mower blades like we did plow blades with Castolin Eutctic alloy. We did the same with dragging buckets. It worked like a charm. I have no idea what they do these days but as soon as I get my 1025r, I'm doing the same with the mower blades. Thanks for the great info! Ted
How do you keep the tractor from overheating every time I mow the grill gets full of grass and before I know it overheating had to buy a zero turn so I didn’t grenade my tractor
Me too!! How America needs to get back to God!! "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) God Bless You Tim!!
I used to live up north where they used salt on the highways every winter. I can’t even remember how I started using a spray and bar luv under my truck and cars but it stops rust. Then I started using it underneath my mower decks for the same reason. If the oil you buy is too thick to spray, just dilute it with alcohol, or a bit of diesel fuel. I don’t recommend gasoline. Let it set for a couple days and then just mow like you always do. If you get it up in the air like you did on the video. I would just give it another spray. If you like the power washer, that’s good but keep the bar oil on it as best you can. I sure wish I was at that auction where this fairly new tractors were going at such a good price. I would even drive all the way out there but I don’t have a heavy duty trailer to haul it back to Arkansa. Thanks Tim. Good luck in getting your wife to do all the mowing. Later
Question. Was running my craftsman 42" 6speed mower and the blades started making like a scraping sound. Turned off mower and everything to check. Got back on to start and now it won't start . No click no nothing. What happened?
There trying to reinvent the wheel. Jack the price up on some blades that are no doubt getting nick's and chips from typical yards. When I start mowing Pebble Beach, and Augusta golf course, I'll check em out. I wanna see the self sharpening chainsaw next. I'll stay tuned!!
@@mathieuagee1090 I've got a john deer and they make the worst blades I've ever seen they break to easy I've changed mine 4 times so now I buy my blades at tractor supply no problem since I switched
@@mathieuagee1090 There is a self sharpening chain saw concept. It is a whole system, chain and saw. I suspect it is kind of boutique for now and likely $$$ cannot recall where I "saw" it.
Sam Fuller (had to delete the at symbol, would not post my reply) The ole ink jet printer concept! Except JD does not give away its mowers so they make money all around.
I sharpen my mower blades once a year. My trick is to weld hard surface on the upper side of the edge of the blade. Just three passes with a stick welder and the shape just keeps. The hours of my tractor cutting two acres is about two hundred hours roughly. They hold up really nice. The duty of cut is just standard and NOT ROUGH MOWING. Worked for me.
Sharpen when they get dull, replace when they can no longer be sharpened. Your operator's manual should give you a guide as to what a blade looks like when it should be discarded. As for hours, there is no right answer as everyone's conditions are different. Some folks may need to sharpen every few weeks whereas folks like me only need to sharpen a few times a year. Inspect your blades regularly to get an idea on how often you need to sharpen for your conditions. Many folks find it convenient to have two sets of blades and swap them when they get dull. You can then sharpen the spare set at your leisure and always have a fresh sharp set ready to be installed.
I just ordered a set of Laser Edge blades pt# UC15951 for my JD Z425 from our local JD dealer this am. I'm about ready to find out. They come in Tuesday.
No hate man, loved the video. Like I said, I do things like this often. So focused on getting things DONE, I kill myself in the process, only for it to dawn on me later!
Yes, I use used cooking oil. Or any lubricant will work. As long as it is tacky it will stick. The clippings adhere to the oil but don't bake in. Spray off in seconds and reapply the oil.
Okay, so bottom line is this... if you have a really nice lawn with no rocks or stumps you should be in good shape with these blades and they will last you a long time. I can see where golf courses may benefit from blades like these. However, if you're like the majority of homeowners, your yard sucks and it has a lot of objects that beat the hell out of the blades over time. Common sense is to not mow large branches, rocks, or other large debris in your yard. There will always be some rogue items in people's yards that made ding & dull their blades. Whether these hardened surfaced blades are cost-effective or not will depend entirely on the ground they are used on and the operator. What will work for some won't work for others. All I can say is that you need to try them first, and make a your own judgement as to if they are worthwhile or not.
How's is it that listening to you makes me smile and laugh... and you're not trying to be funny but your repetition for emphasis and little details of why and what you're doing things is delightful... maybe you missed your calling to be a teacher :-)
Thanks for the kind words. Welcome to our channel. We hear folks echoing your sentiment frequently. BTW, this is FAR from our best episode! We had no idea it would get so many views. Check out some of our other content!
@@TractorTimewithTim Around our house we talk tech of all sorts from Zoom to Zerk fittings. I've got a flex trade background but it all began on the farm. A 1025r would have sweet back then. Those days are gone, but I kept milk separator and our small butter churn. Ty TTWT
my eyes rolled back in my head after watching you clean the underside of the mower for five minutes. Really? I was fascinated by the topic of "never sharpen" blades, and confused that with "self-sharpening" blades. My bad. But, it was an excellent video for all that. Thanks.
Jason Starr Have to agree with “eyes rolled back in my head” - @ 6:52 *finally* start on the title subject, oops, no, first a little more digression, 😂. A lot of good and useful info but almost thirteen minutes to get to ‘we’ll see in the next video’ what we clicked on this one to find out... Not quite clickbait because of all the extra info being good, so definitely a “like”, but close.
Sorry Harold. We have 450+ episodes on our channel. We never thought about this single episode taking off like it has. If we had known, we would not have included all the other stuff. Stick around. We would love to have you as a regular on our channel!
Tractor Time with Tim Understood. Comes from the “recommended” push. Maybe re-title this on as “part 1” then the one that later goes to some after-usage of the self sharpeners as “part 2”? Just thinking out loud. 450+? Wow, that’s going to take awhile! 👍
I have a push mower with a briggs and stratton engine and I’m curious if any model of deer blades would work on it because I hate sharpening the blades since the motor doesn’t seem to like starting after being on its side and I’ve been looking for a decent set of high lift blades since I side shoot 24/7
@Jeff N the title should have said " products that don't work as advertised". They have been marketing gimmicks for a long while. What happened to the saying " if it seems too good to be true it probably is" ? I guess the universe forgot this nugget of truth .
Not new technology. I hard faced a set of tiller tines on one side with a torch/powder type. The base metal wears away faster than the hard face material. These tiller tines lasted for years.
I love that you are looking out for us Tim with the new equipment reviews and discounts to save us money. I have a 62D deck that is unfortunately incompatible with these neat additions you're showing. But you ain't steered me wrong yet on the stuff that does fit my tractor!
I've had them on since I saw them here still happy with them still doing a good job.
I like the bible quote at the end. God bless you.
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Lightweight is good and what did I use it for it’s a lawnmower ruclips.net/user/postUgkxTPN04aT-Qdjr_KS3ql7ng8wnU3wwsCqk also recommend Yes it is lightweight so hence not as robust as our old one. But if you take care it does the job really well.
I am a retired lawn care professional. I'd like to offer 2 tips. Don't cut too low. Most lawns are butchered and the blades take a beating. Next, find a puddle and run the mower into it and let it work for a while. Then park it o ernight and let it dry. Then grease the spindles. These self sharpening blades need some tome to prove themselves.
You talk about cleaning beneath your deck to prevent the deck rusting out. If you clean beneath the deck really well, then spray the underside with spray in bed liner. The bed-liner will last a complete mowing season, the grass won’t stick to the underside, and it will seal the deck against rust. Each year you will need to touch up the bed-liner because the grass will wear it down in spots. I’ve used this method for over 10 years and my deck looks like new.
even better idea, EZ Slide graphite based friction reducing paint. its a wear coating, but it is sold for AG purposes. Often a coat a season for a lot of mowers. The point of the coating is its rather harmless to anything it gets on when its dried because its mostly graphite and inert substances. Its a little funny to go on, but you can also put more layers on in a proper manner and it will last longer. Its just the idea that its meant to lubricate and wear as function/design but the important part Is LUBRICATE!!! bedliner spray is not a low friction thing. In a mower deck, low friction means stuff wont stick, especially since it sheds off if it tries, but also that if you have a discharge or using on wet grass etc, it reduces the amount of effort the engine has to put down to spin the blades because the grass is not resisted nearly as much. If you have a side discharge and mow your grass infrequently on the larger field part of the lawn(like me lol) it makes the engine free up a good amount and you can get a more proper cut which when its overlength and possibly not fully dry its alreadfy hard on the grass and presents issues... the increased speed assuming you move the same speed means more clean cuts which is better for everyone invovled. If you dont care about that, it allows your 26hp and 54 inch deck to make quick work in half the time.. lol.. not literally half but some times time is a valued commodity. And just the not-sticking to the deck is wonderful on its own.
On our john deere mowers I am gong to get the inserts for the deck washing thing so you can easily clean your deck and Im going to put the decks to the pressure washer and perfecltly knock down the grime and grass and even the graphite paint, get it cleaned up where its rusty, get it primed and painted with some hardened implement JD yellow, then properly put my graphite paint on in a few good coats per the cans and then store for winter so I can just get to it in the spring. Also put a new blade set on the one mower and sharpen the other ones :) Grease my spindlkes of course of course. Belts are good. One deck needs an idler. I may be a mess in life but One thing next year wont have on me is deck or grass unpreparedness lol
What about non-stick cooking spray?😂
Good point as mentioned (and warned), that when considering the self sharpening, it works with the condition that the blades cut grass only. They aren’t made to self sharpen if roots and rocks are an issue.
I've been running self sharpening blades for 20 years, every day I self sharpen.
Not sharpening the blades is great and all, but do they stay balanced? Most of the issues that you will have with blades are due to being out of balance, not because they get dull. A log of guys balance them on a screwdriver shaft or one of those little plaster cone balancers. Those are not very sensitive. If you can find a good "friction-less" balancer, you will notice a considerable difference in how well you can balance the blades. When I got one of these I did a comparison and found the results to be vary noticeable. The deck ran smoother and quieter. This will reamatically extend the life of your sheave bearings. I have over 1500 hours on my deck now and no issues with sheaves or bearings so far.
After cleaning my deck out, I spray the bottom side with truck bed liner, best to do this when new before ever using the mower.
I also have a 2015 1025 r. I love the machine. Never fails. Very easy. Almost 400 hours of pure grass cutting so far so good. Wears blades out like no tomorrow.
Like others have commented,I am also a fan of using impact ratchet to remove blades. It is extremely easy. Good video!
Yep, needed stitches after wrench slipped installing blades! Impact drill only for me!
Have you tried cross blading? I find it more efficient on my 61 deck when dealing with heavy grass growth.
The "bottom layer" is carbide. The process does an electric arc transfer of carbide to the steel. It is not glued on, it is welded on. The coating is about .004 thick. Given that it is carbide, it doesn't wear as easily as steel. As the steel wears away it leaves behind a .004 thick layer of carbide. It is very sharp so it cuts well. The reason you don't want to hit rocks is the exposed carbide edge can break. The steel edge will wear back and expose the carbideccagain hence the self sharpening. These were developed for commercial use in Sandy soil and have proven to work.
Do they make a mulch blade version?
You can hold the blades with a gloved hand, if you use an impact wrench to take out the bolt's.
I'd be MIGHTY careful. If your method fails, the damage will be swift and massive.
Tim, where did you get your exit chute? Is that an 8" or 10" hose on the outlet?
Mower Deck - Air blow-out with a wand after every mow. At seasons end, a full scrape/de-scaler clean up under deck and then a waste oil coating for winter storage. Been doing this for decades with the same deck and have not had any problems.
I ruffed mine up with a wire brush on a minnie grinder and coated the under side with fiberglass resin years ago. Nothing sticks to it.
For used decks that have heavy rust, first clean off the chipping layered rust to tight rust. Use some oxalic acid to turn it black.
Get some agri- guard and apply two coats as per instructions. It dries super hard and even battery acid or fertilizer will not touch the stuff. Expensive at forty per quart but do worth it
Silicone spray lubricant might also help prevent rust and crud sticking to the deck. Worth a shot. Works well for preventing snowblower chutes from getting clogged
@@docmadhattan Pan spray from Costco or Sam is cheaper still and completely harmless.
Tim...what is that rack that you set your deck on in this video? Thanks
How come you don't use the built in washer nozzle? After I mow, I hook the hose to the unit, turn on the water and then turn on the mower and let it run.. Cleans it up and out nice.. After it dries just spray with some WD 40 to prevent rust in any area showing metal.
How are these holding up- good for another season? Follow up video?
It's rare you see a man in this world willing to be publicly faithful to God these days. God bless you Tim and thanks for another great video
when putting blades back on do they have to be all facing in same direction i have 2 big outside ones and 1 small one in middle . to keep deck balanced? also have you oiled the deck after cleaning?
Anything that says John Deere is expensive. My dad had a John Deere mower with a 30 inch single blade deck. He would go through 2 blades each season as they wore the lift wings off. I welded hardfacing rod on the new blade along the cutting edges, across the end, on the wings, sharpened and balanced them. He could mow for 3 seasons on a blade and said it threw the grass out better. I've done it to the blades on every mower since then.
Wow. Been mowing with my Country Clipper for 11 years and haven't needed to replace a blade yet, just resharpen once a year. And yes I mow several acres a week with it.
Hi there, nice video. I wanted to ask, how about a 2020 update on these blades along with an hour usage measurement? Could help consumers make more informed choices for the upcoming peak season! Keep up the good work.
When I buy a new mower I always sandblast the underside of the mower deck and prime it before applying automotive chip guard . And after a few years check to see if it needs any touchup , and the deck will never rust out .
Informative video..I just get restless listening to so much explanation. Thanks for your time and a good find for 50 hrs.. Good info for those that are not around mowers and such but once a week or so.
Sorry about that. had no idea this video would get such broad views. This was more of just a standard 'vlog' style video which happened to discuss the blades as well.
We try to be much more focused in our newer episodes. Welcome to our channel.
I also found with an impact wrench I didn't need to use a wooden block to wedge the blades.
Same here. No wooden blocks with an impact wrench. Much easier and safer than a breaker bar.
also note if you are mowing two different types of grass you want to clean the deck so you dont spread grass seed from one type to another, we did alot of Bahia and st. Augustine grass, so we would cut the Bahia first clean our decks and clean our blades with vinager and do a quick touch up sharpening before we would start with the st Augustine
if you spray it with cooking oil at the beginning of the mowing season grass will not stick to the bottom of your deck whether your grass is wet or not when you mow i have been doing this for years
How often do you gotta respray the deck
@@joshywashy4039 Depending on how regular you mow, the cooking oil application will last for 8 weeks before you apply the next application. Please note that the cooking oil does not stop the grass sludge from building on the housing of the mower. You will still grass sticking but not as much. What it does is simply makes it very easy to remove during a cleaning op.
Can you also use non-stick cooking spray?
on my ferris 48" I see a substantial power demand delta between newly sharpened blades and dull ones. Plus I like the result better.
I recommend you power watch the underneath of the deck. Scrapers will scrape paint protection and rust will happen sooner. For longevity, use water spray. Good video.
Wonder how well a deck would hold up if you put a smooth spray on bed liner on the bottom side how much that would effect the flow
I hit rocks with my blades frequently as well. Usually get a new set once a year.
You need to get one of these then (my device that I invented to reduce damage from hitting metal and rocks). Feel free to sub if you like.
Helpful video. I invented a device to prevent blade damage. Subscribe if you like it.
ruclips.net/video/eDZeLPgYBvg/видео.html
@@DuctTapeMechanic How can that work with rocks that are not iron ore?
@@Cotronixco switching to a capacitive sensor will allow you to detect objects regardless if they are metallic or not
Y'all's crazy
Hi Tim, I had the under side of Mine Sand Blasted , then had it Rhino Lined pickup bed spray on Liner. That was 10 years ago I just scrape it off Once a year,No Rust makes it a Little Quieter Too! Sure beats paintingit every Year! Tou could do it with that Roll on Liner they have today too!
My experience is clean the deck dry. In my experience water will ruin your bearings, even sealed ones.
Did you do an update that perhaps I missed? I would like to see you try a set of meg-mo blades and hear your comments if you have time for this small stuff. Thanks
Well - while I agree they can work -he left a few things out on the description such as - if you have rocky, poorly maintained fields - per the manufacturer, their self sharpening blades aren’t for you. Or that they work best in sandy soils. Note, these aren’t self sharpening like big paper cutters or even old fashion self sharpening reel mowers that sharpen themselves as the blades pass each other. On those, the angle is such that they just graze each other and some of the blades have a piece of abrasive material that sharpens on each pass. Below is John Deere’s description and qualification on their take on self sharpening blades. But before I paste that info in - if you are a professional landscaper or even a diligent homeowner with a nice lawn -- please maintain and sharpen/replace your blades as frequently as needed depending on the use - once a month or daily on 4-6+ lawns. I’ve gotten rid of more landscapers for not maintaining their equipment especially dull blades. If they work by the hour, their poorly maintained equip breaks down often and I don’t like paying for their maintenance time. But even at a flat rate, there are problems. One recently told me he never sharpens his blades (in anything) - just waits til they have been on a couple years and has them replaced or throws away the smaller tools. Blades that aren’t sharp don’t cut the grass cleanly - it rips it - leaving split tips which in just a day or so dry and turn brown, leaving an dead haze. But even worse, like with loppers, hand pruners, saws, etc - rough, raggedy cuts allow moisture and disease to get into the plant - especially fungal but also allows microscopic insects and other diseases easy entry. AND IT JUST LOOKS BAD - very unprofessional. Another issue - if you don’t clean your under carriage - in addition to rust and shorter overall life, you also transfer disease, insect eggs, and weed seeds to other properties. The best and only real landscaper I have ever seen - had a pressurized tank of water and chemical disinfectant - before loading mower back on his truck, he had a setup that tilted it sideways and he pressure washed the under carriage after every lawn. It just took a minute or two. Everything he did was just as meticulous - I was so sorry when he retired - he was a true landscaper, groundsman, plant specialist/horticulturist, garden designer, and he knew soil and soil improvement inside out. He was not a glorified grass and weed cutter who call themselves landscapers. This guy was a whiz! His 1st career after being European college trained in landscape design and horticulture was working at United Kingdom private estate and public gardens; 2nd career after retiring was moving to USA to be close to family and working as landscaper to “rebuild the coffers”; 3rd career at 75-80 yrs old was moving to lake front mountain property, to teach trout and bass how to be caught and be the chief tester of his wife’s wonderful cooking. I was fairly versed in gardening but this guy was a marvel and taught me so much. Maintaining a pretty lawn is time consuming, expensive and not particularly good for the environment due to the typical high amounts of water, fertilizer and chemical usage whether a small residential lawn or a large commercial or park property. You can help lessen this impact with smart practices (always do soil tests annually or at least every other year until you see how the pH is maintained by the soil; keep pH appropriate for what you are growing 6.5-7.2*; mow high particularly in dry, hot months; water deeply and less often encouraging the roots to go deep; use organic fertilizers; maintain calcium (and sulfur) levels so plants can take up what you feed them using gypsum if no pH change is needed or, if you need a pH increase along with magnesium and calcium - use dolomitic limestone; utilize micro-clovers or even the larger Dutch white to allow nitrogen fixing to help feed the soil; if you use clovers, avoid herbicides that kill them, instead use weed prevention methods; spread a thin layer of compost each fall after core aeration & after a long rain so the cores go as deep as possible; mow leaves and leave in place along with grass clippings; if you have heavy weed pressure, know them and their seed cycle - vacuum grass clippings when weeds are maturing and going to seed; finally, but not least - keep sharp blades to prevent disease). Having to treat disease adds to the environment issues and causes more use of chemicals to treat a problem that should have never gotten started. I have seen people being fooled into excessive fertilizing and chemical treatments that could have been solved by soil testing and following the above recommendations. *warm season grasses can tolerate slightly lower pH levels over cool season which need the higher range up to 7.2. Too acidic or too alkaline will affect nutrient uptake. Each nutrient has its own prime level for optimum uptake - try to hit the sweet spot for your soil, environment, and grass type.
So, off my “dull blade” and “landscaper” soap box - here is John Deere’s description. I hope it helps someone considering whether to buy or not.
“The John Deere self-sharpening blade is a patented technology that applies a layer of extremely hard material on the bottom side cutting edge of the mower blade (highlighted in the below photo). Mower blades have a significant impact on the cut quality and are a component that requires regular maintenance to keep the blades sharp. The amount of time that is required to remove, sharpen, and reinstall is a pain point for your customers. This constant sharpening of blades can also result in shortened part life when sharpened by hand due to the inherent inaccuracy in how much material is removed during each sharpening. This solution addresses the customer pain point by reducing the need to sharpen blades saving time/labor and reduces the human aspect of blade sharpening extending the life of the blade. The layer of hard material wears at a slower rate than the standard steel mower blade. By creating a different wear pattern, the hard material is exposed continuously creating a sharp edge. As the mower blade is used, the base steel of the mower blade continues to wear faster than the added material which provides a continuous edge that essentially self sharpens itself. These blades work best in abrasive conditions like sandy areas.
There are several benefits for the customer using these John Deere self-sharpening blades. Reduces the time needed for maintenance of a mower blade by only requiring the mower blade to be removed when it is needing to be replaced. Helps to ensure the full life of the blade by preventing excess material from being removed unnecessarily during sharpening or removing the temper from the blade resulting in weaker metal and quicker wear. Helps to prevent damage to other components during maintenance (such as striping the spindle threads). Improve overall health of grass by constantly having a sharp blade. ( I wonder if they meant stripping?)
The John Deere self-sharpening blades are not to be used in abusive conditions with non-turf objects such as rocks, litter, roots, stumps, or other debris. These conditions can typically be found when mowing roadsides, unmaintained fields or even some parks. You can tell if a blade is used in abusive conditions if there are big indentations in the blade or if it is bent. Qualify your customers by asking the right questions for example what their mowing conditions are, where are they mowing and do their blades have big indentations.”
--
Sorry, another soapbox -
So the advertisement shows a big foo-paw (or more accurately a “faux pas”) ....loose clothing around a PTO shaft - the tractor isn’t running but obviously you wouldn’t be fooling with it unless you were planning on doing so. Always make sure you have a guard in place that is in excellent condition - not broke, cracked, missing parts, etc. whether you have a guard or not - if the tractor is running - never ever consider it safe to work on the PTO just because you have it disengaged. People die, lose limbs, etc every year when PTOs have unexpectedly re-engaged, or their loose clothing got caught, or they decided to step across instead of going around, or even worse - children slip off the tractor and fall in to a running PTO. It happens frequently and farming is considered the most accident prone industry. If you don’t believe me - search “tractor PTO accidents” . It takes just a couple of seconds - too quick for help to get to you and certainly too fast for you to be able to get yourself loose. It won’t take but one time to scare you straight - however, that one time may be fatal - to you, a child, or to an employee or family member.
6
Any idea how these would perform/hold up in sandy soil lawns?
They are made for sandy lawns. Check out the follow up episode linked in the end screen
@@TractorTimewithTim Thank you, I did watch the other video and went to the mfg website. Looks perfect for our coastal yard.
Yes. Probably the best application for this blade!
I'd say a little undercoating spray would help keep it from rusting. I just can't get to mine that easy lol.
Hey Rob , agreed on the undercoating as I worked for a school board and I used it on not only mower decks ( rotory type ) , and heavier bush hog type mowers . Something else I did was spray the top of the decks with ' snow plow ' wax . . . .Had folks scratching their heads as this was in Florida. Worked great not only for rust prevention but the mower operators loved it at days end as an air hose replaced the wash rack for the little clippings that hadn't already blown off while transporting. The under coating idea followed me from a previous job where the shop I worked at maintained parking lot sweepers . The vacuum boxes were always wearing through from the sand here in Florida . After spraying the inside of the vacuum and chute areas and we'd get almost three times the life out of them doing the same routes. Other posts on here said truck bed liner works well also . Never tried it but it makes sense although we experimented with plastic and rubber liners etc. , and found the softer undercoat seemed to last longer than anything harder . Hope this helps folks .
It wears off pretty fast , I don't know about the expensive stuff ( RAPTOR ETC . )
i would wory about balance over the season if you have soft areas will they wear even
We have found the blades to wear very evenly. See the Blades of Grass video series for some well worn blades. Notice how they look the same on each end.
Thanks for the scripture verse at the end. And the video was interesting to although I'll never be able to afford any of that.. but who knows right?
Tim... I just purchased a 1025R. After mowing a few times I can't get the 60d mower deck to mow evenly. It basically not cutting even resulting in a terrible look and often scalps. Do I go back to the dealer, or is there an easy fix. NOTE: air pressure is accurate, and I've used different scalp wheel heights to try to correct. No luck.
I recently did an episode showing how to adjust the deck
Probably wouldnt work for me cause I run over anything that gets in my way. When I change blades there isnt anything left to sharpen. lol
Lol
Preach
😂😂😂 mow it all trees and all
Me to lmao
😂😂😂
Tim, great video! Where did you get that /really/ long-handled wrench you used to unbolt the blades from the bottom of the deck? I've been trying to get a super-long socket just like that and haven't been able to locate one.
Tim a battery operated impact wrench makes it a little better ant when all clean spray with silicone spray grass will not stick
A cordless impact, well ain't you fancy? Now get over there and roll the air hose up.
Hey Tim, how have those blades held up? I ordered some, and have them, for my 3046R, but plan to put them on for next season.
I didn’t run them long. Traded the mower.
Not good when hitting small rocks.
Good for sandy regions.
I just finished mowing my newly seeded lawn for the second time but the middle blade on my 60" deck doesn't seem to be cutting as well as it should. I've yet to turn the deck over and inspect but has anyone else had a similar issue with their new 60"? Thanks
Any updates to how these blades have been holding up?
Traded the mower after only a few hours mowing. We have a follow up video. I think it is linked in the end screen.
Overall, not great for us, but probably would be best used in sandy soils that typically dull blades very fast.
When I clean my deck I take the blades off as I'm probably going to sharpen them or replace them . I use a4.5 inch angle grinder with a 36 grit flap disk. I've tried those self-sharpening blades and with all my ant dens rocks don't last any longer than the originals.
how do they fare against sticks downed from wind?
I use an impact on taking off and putting on my blades. A lot easier and safer. My dad cut the tendon on the back of his thumb into. Wrench slipped off while putting on sharp blades.
Uh BYU700
Yeah I use an impact gun to remove and install my tractor blades.
Battery operated impact wrench from cordless drill set works perect too.
I give mine a light mist with fluid film or used oil to stop the rust .leave it tipped up over night to let all the extra to run to bottom and wipe it up when done and store for the winter
You can skip to around 6:20 before he starts talking about the self sharpening blades ….not good for those of us with a short attention span.....lol thank you for the explanation it was good but took a long time to get to it.
How did the blades end up after the season?
I didn’t mow much with them. Not enough to see the positive effects...they must wear for the self sharpening to work.
On the negative side, there are some chips on one of the blades.
I’m not sure these are well suited for this area. I think they are more appropriate for more sandy areas...like along the coasts.
another point if you got the loader for that pupose why not have the drive system for the mower up there where it should be, much easier to maneuver mower also greater for mowing under trees
hey tim got an idea i wonder how taking the mower deck and have the underside rhino lined sprayed that would make it like a no stick frying pan and super easy to clean
Wouldn't rhino lined keep more grass with the liner being a rough texture?
i think it would actually make the surface slicker even with the texture i think it would be awesome
@@lockmaster50169 my pick up bed has an X-liner that is rough. My idea of the liner being rough under the mower might be a problem with grass sticking.
im just thinking it might make the grass stick or build up less and would be super easy to hose off but im just assuming i know it has texture but i think it might not bind to it like it doez to metal if you could afford to ceramic plasma spray it nothing would ever stick to it again i used to plasma thermo spray coatings and it was awesome but super expensive i sprayed alum oxide ceramics tungsten carbide chrome moly zinc galvume and alum titania itsa 1000 x slicker than any teflon
@@lockmaster50169 honestly I have never heard of the ceramic spray. Anything with ceramic would probably be high priced. I think it would be better for semi dump trailer boxes or dump trucks. Cheaper for more area to be treated.
Interesting concept, I'm curious how well they'll work. Personally I would be a little worried about what might happen if you do hit rocks and sticks, like maybe the blade will delaminate.
The load and go system looks pretty slick. I don't mow with my tractor, but a pair of Ken's Bolt on Hooks work great for picking up the mower so I can swap blades...
any type of hardening treatment will make the edge brittle and rocks will chip the edge
Hey Tim. Can these be used with the 60D mulch kit installed? When I bought my mulch kit, it came with different blades than were standard on the 60D used as side discharge mower.
I would recommend that you stick with the mulch specific blades.
Tractor Time with Tim Thanks 🙂
Paint the deck after cleaning it, cheap to do and helps big time.
If I get holes in my deck I'll just weld some scab plates to it.
My 54C deck has a washing fixture that I use each time I mow. I've never had grass cake up on the underside like shown here.
If I stopped hitting roots, sticks and gravel my regular blades would last longer also.
I have sand in my yard too. Sand can really dull a blade. It's like sanding the edge right off. When it's dry there's really no avoiding hitting it either. Well, I can just not mow. That'd avoid it.
But if I didn't have roots, sticks, and gravel, I'd have no yard at all.
@@1pcfred me too. We live in Florida. We have an acre. It's all sand. I ordered a set of Laser Edge blades today from our local JD dealer just to see if they'll hold up under the repeated sand blasting. Time will tell.
@@bbblehead1 lawn mower blades have to be a soft tough alloy to make sure they won't shatter if you do hit something with them. I sharpen my blades like every other mow. Which does wear them down. The lift surfaces get worn too. I'm about due for a new set of blades now. I get maybe two years out of a set?
Just took a set off that have been on a commercial mower since july 1st, and still sharp
I had a welding shop for 35 years and I can say with confidence those blades will last 3 to 5 times longer than regular blades if they are using the correct material. I can say that because we applied tungsten to the underside of mower blades and that worked exactly as you described. With that said, never is a long time and calling them never sharpen is an overstatement of the effectiveness.
Have you ever used Stellite to hard face. We hard faced some Banberry Mixers for Firestone, and tried it on some blades.
My dad welded a bead of stainless to the edge of a set years ago. It worked well and lasted longer but with the mole hills and everything else that you hit when you don't have a golf course yard they dulled as well.
Never sharpen for the life of the blade. I think Beach River Landscaping is getting 40 hours before replacing. Saves him hassle of sharpening in between. He loves em. Just mentioned them in a video recently.
@@stevecarr1992 Very bad for the grass
Load and go mower lift attachment: I've been told that it does not work on the 60D mower for 2038R. They appear to be the same deck. So, do you think it would work? If so, could you please try it?
I don’t have 60d for 2038r. Sorry
Waiting for the self-mowing tractor to go along with those blades.
You should plant that emo grass..... it's too lazy to grow and cuts itself
No need to wait. It has been around for a few years.
@@porkchop1605 Hilarious!!!
hi there!
mine is self mowing, maybe every other week I have to take her out to dinner
Hi Tim, I just started watching your videos as I am in the market for a tractor for the first time i.n 30+ years (just moved back to God's country from CA). When I was a kid building farm equipment, ~`80, we used to hard-face lawn mower blades like we did plow blades with Castolin Eutctic alloy. We did the same with dragging buckets. It worked like a charm. I have no idea what they do these days but as soon as I get my 1025r, I'm doing the same with the mower blades. Thanks for the great info! Ted
Welcome! Hope you stick around to see some of our other episodes!
Love the Load-N-Go quick attach tilt for the deck. Too bad I can't get those for my Garden Tractor's 54" deck.
How do you keep the tractor from overheating every time I mow the grill gets full of grass and before I know it overheating had to buy a zero turn so I didn’t grenade my tractor
Appreciate your Bible verse at the end.
Dean Barr You will enjoy RUclips video “you words” by Third Day” this verse is in the lyrics towards the end
Me too!! How America needs to get back to God!! "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV) God Bless You Tim!!
I used to live up north where they used salt on the highways every winter. I can’t even remember how I started using a spray and bar luv under my truck and cars but it stops rust. Then I started using it underneath my mower decks for the same reason. If the oil you buy is too thick to spray, just dilute it with alcohol, or a bit of diesel fuel. I don’t recommend gasoline. Let it set for a couple days and then just mow like you always do. If you get it up in the air like you did on the video. I would just give it another spray. If you like the power washer, that’s good but keep the bar oil on it as best you can. I sure wish I was at that auction where this fairly new tractors were going at such a good price. I would even drive all the way out there but I don’t have a heavy duty trailer to haul it back to Arkansa. Thanks Tim. Good luck in getting your wife to do all the mowing. Later
I haven’t sharpened my 52” Scag walk behind in 10 years. Cuts beautiful.
Probably like my swissmar I haven't run it for 10 years I use the weed eater
Push mower I haven't run in 10 years
So you never use it.
Thats cause your hubby had them sharpened while you wefe away.
it's called carbide, used on forage harvester knives since dirt, but yes they will chip
Hustler has blades that are hardened on bottom of cut edge, the dull just like any other blade.
Question. Was running my craftsman 42" 6speed mower and the blades started making like a scraping sound. Turned off mower and everything to check. Got back on to start and now it won't start . No click no nothing. What happened?
Interesting concept. Yes, most blade makers act like everyone has a golf course for a lawn. Please make a video on how they work.
There trying to reinvent the wheel. Jack the price up on some blades that are no doubt getting nick's and chips from typical yards. When I start mowing Pebble Beach, and Augusta golf course, I'll check em out. I wanna see the self sharpening chainsaw next. I'll stay tuned!!
@@mathieuagee1090 I've got a john deer and they make the worst blades I've ever seen they break to easy I've changed mine 4 times so now I buy my blades at tractor supply no problem since I switched
@@mathieuagee1090 There is a self sharpening chain saw concept. It is a whole system, chain and saw. I suspect it is kind of boutique for now and likely $$$ cannot recall where I "saw" it.
Sam Fuller (had to delete the at symbol, would not post my reply) The ole ink jet printer concept! Except JD does not give away its mowers so they make money all around.
Tim... have you had any luck using the spray system for the deck after it cools, it never seems to work for me all that well on my 54D auto connect.
The water hose thingy? Nope. Useless.
Tip , after you clean , spray ATF on it
I sharpen my mower blades once a year. My trick is to weld hard surface on the upper side of the edge of the blade. Just three passes with a stick welder and the shape just keeps. The hours of my tractor cutting two acres is about two hundred hours roughly. They hold up really nice. The duty of cut is just standard and NOT ROUGH MOWING. Worked for me.
Neat. Hopefully they will remain sharp. A follow up video after several usages will be nice.
How fast are you able to mow with the machine and still get a decent cut providing a normal grass height, not cutting 3 inches plus off at one time
Tim if clean your deck really well and then spray Rhino liner. The grass doesn't stick to the Rhino liner. God bless
Rhino liner is extremely porous it will collect grass and dirt debris and make the deck extremely. Heavy
Does John Deere make a mid mount rear discharge mower deck?
The grass isn’t corrosive 😂 it’s the moisture in the grass that rust the deck
What kind of tractor was that and about how much do they cost? Just wondering
Looks like you took the fun out of mowing lawn. Looks like a real work out.
Wow new self sharpening mower blades!!! I like that idea brother please let us know how they work!!!
how many hours should someone typically go before sharpening or replacing?
I dunno how to answer that.
Sharpen when they get dull, replace when they can no longer be sharpened. Your operator's manual should give you a guide as to what a blade looks like when it should be discarded. As for hours, there is no right answer as everyone's conditions are different. Some folks may need to sharpen every few weeks whereas folks like me only need to sharpen a few times a year. Inspect your blades regularly to get an idea on how often you need to sharpen for your conditions. Many folks find it convenient to have two sets of blades and swap them when they get dull. You can then sharpen the spare set at your leisure and always have a fresh sharp set ready to be installed.
I'd be willing to try them on my ztrac zero turn if they made them for it.
I just ordered a set of Laser Edge blades pt# UC15951 for my JD Z425 from our local JD dealer this am. I'm about ready to find out. They come in Tuesday.
Love how you pulled the blades off AFTER you scraped around them for 30 minutes! Reminds me of something I would do. : )
I would have done the same and cursed as I bang my knuckles in the blades
Yes, admittedly, this wasn't my brightest moment. Oh well. Real world.
No hate man, loved the video. Like I said, I do things like this often. So focused on getting things DONE, I kill myself in the process, only for it to dawn on me later!
Here is a tip when you have finished mowing for the year power wash under the deck then paint it with oil help stop it rusting
Wonder if you sprayed an oil under the deck. If that would help keep from getting the grass build up on it.
Yes, I use used cooking oil. Or any lubricant will work. As long as it is tacky it will stick. The clippings adhere to the oil but don't bake in. Spray off in seconds and reapply the oil.
I use my mower as a rock processor!!!!
20 horsepower hi speed repeating slingshot!
Removal of the blades makes it easier to scrape the old clippings ?
Okay, so bottom line is this... if you have a really nice lawn with no rocks or stumps you should be in good shape with these blades and they will last you a long time.
I can see where golf courses may benefit from blades like these.
However, if you're like the majority of homeowners, your yard sucks and it has a lot of objects that beat the hell out of the blades over time.
Common sense is to not mow large branches, rocks, or other large debris in your yard. There will always be some rogue items in people's yards that made ding & dull their blades.
Whether these hardened surfaced blades are cost-effective or not will depend entirely on the ground they are used on and the operator. What will work for some won't work for others.
All I can say is that you need to try them first, and make a your own judgement as to if they are worthwhile or not.
How's is it that listening to you makes me smile and laugh... and you're not trying to be funny but your repetition for emphasis and little details of why and what you're doing things is delightful... maybe you missed your calling to be a teacher :-)
Thanks for the kind words. Welcome to our channel. We hear folks echoing your sentiment frequently. BTW, this is FAR from our best episode! We had no idea it would get so many views. Check out some of our other content!
@@TractorTimewithTim Around our house we talk tech of all sorts from Zoom to Zerk fittings. I've got a flex trade background but it all began on the farm. A 1025r would have sweet back then. Those days are gone, but I kept milk separator and our small butter churn.
Ty TTWT
my eyes rolled back in my head after watching you clean the underside of the mower for five minutes. Really? I was fascinated by the topic of "never sharpen" blades, and confused that with "self-sharpening" blades. My bad. But, it was an excellent video for all that. Thanks.
Jason Starr Have to agree with “eyes rolled back in my head” - @ 6:52 *finally* start on the title subject, oops, no, first a little more digression, 😂. A lot of good and useful info but almost thirteen minutes to get to ‘we’ll see in the next video’ what we clicked on this one to find out...
Not quite clickbait because of all the extra info being good, so definitely a “like”, but close.
Sorry Harold. We have 450+ episodes on our channel. We never thought about this single episode taking off like it has. If we had known, we would not have included all the other stuff.
Stick around. We would love to have you as a regular on our channel!
Tractor Time with Tim Understood. Comes from the “recommended” push. Maybe re-title this on as “part 1” then the one that later goes to some after-usage of the self sharpeners as “part 2”? Just thinking out loud. 450+? Wow, that’s going to take awhile! 👍
Are they more expensive and if so are they more durable
I think it is safe to say they are more expensive
Great video Tim. Informative as always. Interested to see how blades perform 🤷♂️
I have a push mower with a briggs and stratton engine and I’m curious if any model of deer blades would work on it because I hate sharpening the blades since the motor doesn’t seem to like starting after being on its side and I’ve been looking for a decent set of high lift blades since I side shoot 24/7
I am a small engine mechanic and this is B.S. No such thing as self sharpening. Do not fall for the B.S.
Thanks for the truth. Who is dumb enough to think this is even possible. I suppose this guy.
@Jeff N the title should have said " products that don't work as advertised". They have been marketing gimmicks for a long while. What happened to the saying " if it seems too good to be true it probably is" ? I guess the universe forgot this nugget of truth .
Not new technology. I hard faced a set of tiller tines on one side with a torch/powder type. The base metal wears away faster than the hard face material. These tiller tines lasted for years.
I love that you are looking out for us Tim with the new equipment reviews and discounts to save us money. I have a 62D deck that is unfortunately incompatible with these neat additions you're showing. But you ain't steered me wrong yet on the stuff that does fit my tractor!
Thanks Denise! Always appreciate your encouraging words!