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I agree with everything you said Ed. Especially the balancing of the blades. I never do either. Another thing I do is I take the covers off the belts and leave them off. Ive done this for the last 30 years and have not had a deck rust out since. I know the purpose is for protection but, they catch a lot of grass which in turn eats out your deck. Also leaving the covers off gives you amble opportunity to hose off the top of your deck.
Thanks Dean. Personally, I'd be concerned about brush or sticks getting caught in the pulleys and damaging or throwing the belt. As I mentioned, I do push this mower a bit in tall grass and brush. Thanks for your comments and for watching! -Ed
Good job Ed. Thanks for pointing out not to make the sharp edge too thin. I discovered that when I sharpened my lawnmower blades myself for the first time. They didn't last long at all. Steve Rob Reviews does a video on how to sharpen mower blades. He uses a little die grinder/ drummer tool. The advantage there is you can see what you are doing so much better that way. Thanks Ed. Full watch and a thumbs up. See you for the next one.
Hi Ed. After 3 yrs and my brother occasionally want to run tractor (he mows too close or overlaps the neighbors gravel driveway). It was cutting like it need attention so I went to the Kub store and picked another set of blades. Swapped them out and my other brother had a do-all chipper blade sharpener. He claims that it looks like a mirror (they do!) and if you breath on an edge after he sharpens it it will cut molecules in half. Told him didn't need be that sharp. Point is that I've always had an extra set of blades to swap out quickly and sharpen at the proper angle and replace if it gets a big booger in it. And one trip under the deck.
Good Morning Ed. Good maintenance video with a lot of good points for new owners of this equipment. One of my Kubotas has a loader lock down at the control valve. I don't know if that's a standard item or not, but its a little horseshoe kinda looking thing that pulls forward and twists to lock the loader in the up position. On the loader tractors that do not have that function, I cut pieces of angle iron just shy of the length of the ram, and sit that on the ram then gently release the loader back down until the weight rests on the angle iron. To eliminate damage to the hydraulic ram, rest the angle on a piece of old innertube or other suitable buffer. The big tractors get an angle iron on both rams. I don't know if its recommended but that's what we've done for years and years for safety. I might do an uncharacteristic 'safety' video on that and tag you as the impetus for it....LOL Again, this was a pleasant video to start the day !!
Good morning, Eddie, great safety tips...especially never trusting hydraulics!!! YES! Grinding guards are very important!!! Some good greasing lessons for inspiration of my own push mower...I will tell my partner 🦸♂️
Balancing mower blades is really only necessary on push mowers that have an aluminum flywheel and rely on the weight of the blade to balance the engine. This being said, I’ve never balanced a blade on any push mower I’ve ever serviced, and I’ve never had an issue.
Ed, to make it easier to removed and in stall blades on my tractor I use an impact gun. Plus I keep an extra set of blades sharpened so I can swap them out. I change my blades twice a year, Spring and mid summer. I do have a balancing cone, but never use it. Great videos.
@@randrowe9660 Believe it or not but Amazon. You need the length and the size and shape of the hole from your old blades. In the description of the blades you will find what tractors they fit. Good luck.
Nice job. The blades work great. I use my impact gun to remove the blade bolts without having to try to prop the blade from spinning. I ordered a set of the gloves using your link. Thanks for the recommendation.
Hey Ed👍 I was wondering when you were going to put your gloves on 😂 I use the balancing tool you were taking about they are cheap enough but a nail works too.Have a great day 🚜💨💡😁👍
Great vid! That shiny bolt on top of the mower drive case is actually a dip stick, I'd use that instead just in case you can't catch the side screw right away and lose some gear oil.
Ed, The outside corner of the mower blade does MOST of the cutting therefore it wears the fastest. Keep that corner square to the cutting edge. I don't feel dead on balance is all that important on a mower blade because the load isn't balanced in operation when cutting grass. My 2 cents
hey ED. sorry to bother you again but you got a book with your quick hitch I did. In my book it said you need a floating top link kit. it hooks to your implement top link and your quick hitch top link. that's what the Kubota dealer look it up and your mower has 4 wheels and you can rase the mower of the ground to transport it. he look up quick hitch to mowers and that's what it should. i hope that will help you
ummm.. No mention of the ant colony at the 11 minute mark! HAHA nice video, and well done. I wished my Zero Turn had greaseable zerks for the bearings.
Nice video Ed. I’ve never balanced a blade either. Never had an issue. This is my 6th season with this mower. I sharpened the blades once. Still cuts nice and I mow 3 acres. I bought new blades. I’m going to put them on before I put it away. It’ll be kind of like having a new mower next spring.
Good evening Ed, I like to use the dewalt impact on the mower blades as you wont have to block the blade to remove them. Very nice camera work with the M50 the close up shots of the blade edges look great. Still have a little more learning to do with ours, maybe a new lens in the future. -Richie
Hi Ed! Well done and you provided some good tips along the way. I just have a brush hog so I only have two blade edges to maintain. Thanks for sharing!
Good Video Ed I will have to perform same maintenance here soon also on my Landpride finish mower Great tips on blade sharpening I’ve been doing it wrong Thanks for sharing Have a great day !
Hello I too sharpen mower blades with a small grinder. I see you use a grinding wheel for such. Please try sanding wheels that fit your grinder. They come in different grit levels. I use these sanding wheels on my grinder to sharpen mower blades and I find them smoother than a hard grinder wheel, giving me a sharper blade and remove less metal while keeping the blade cooler. Also I find my impact gun with a socket easier to remove blade nuts Thanks for your video
1) I use the pyramid balancing tool. Why not? Simple, easy, no guess work and eliminates any unnecessary vibration. 2) Always maintain the cutting angle (usually 30 degrees) on the blade edge for a more uniform cutting results between the three blades. 3) As your blades wear, check the weight differences between them to further ensure against unnecessary vibration in the mower where potential damage to other parts of the mower (belts, bearings, gear box, drive shaft, etc.) can become a critical issue. 4) Lastly, keep the underside of your mower deck clean from dirt, mud, and "grass-pookie" buildup to better ensure proper air-flow particularly for mulching effectiveness. And finally, 5) avoid causes of rust.....rust is NEVER your friend! Sharp blades, a balanced operation and proper air flow are essential elements to keeping the mower deck effective and "Happy"!
@@MyClutteredGarage oh heck yea, thanks for getting back with me real quick, I have a kubota compact tractor, it’s the 2880 series with the FDR1660 finishing mower like yours and I’ve been mowing at 2000 RPMS, so I’m glad I’ve been doing it right, have you ever bought new blades yet
Hi Chris. The finish mower says it’s quick hitch compatible, but apparently there are additional parts needed. But it’s still easy to connect without the quick hitch since all the connecting point “float”.
Not being mean, but did you know that most spindles have sealed bearings in them and "greasing" them is just a waist of grease .. but we still grease them just to ease our minds ....I think it's a cruel juke that the manufacturer is playing on us
Hey Mike. I’ve heard that before, especially with inexpensive mowers. I hope that’s not the case with land pride, and all that grease has to be going somewhere!? 😄
@@MyClutteredGarage I've worked on many different types of lawn mowers including hustler, Husqvarna, Craftsman, John Deere, and many others all have sealed bearings and have large cavities that grease can collect is it possible that a small amount can get passed the seal.. I suppose so 🤷 but I am willing to bet that they build them to last a few years and we hit something and damage the housing and have to replace the spindle and start the process over ... I think I have a old one I could take it apart and make a short video if you think you would like to see inside .. just let me know
@@mechanicmike2858 Good comment, I have a John Deere 22 hp E130 riding lawnmower that I (used to)grease thru the grease fittings on the mower deck until I discovered the bearings were in fact sealed so no grease could get into the bearings. JD could not tell me why the grease fittings are even there as they seem to serve no purpose.
I just watched this video last week on the topic of sealed bearings with a tip on how to get grease in them. Not sure I'm totally bought into leaving the one side of each bearing off but it's an interesting idea. ruclips.net/video/d3eC2OIg85o/видео.html
Hi Tomas. That’s exactly why I never worked under the loader and stayed off the side. There are certainly always ways to improve safety. Thank you for your feedback. -Ed
A) that's no the "Back" side of the blade and B) there are much better tools to use for blade sharpending. An Angle grinder is the worst thing to use and if not done properly can ruin a good blade beyond repair.
Armature, use a 3/4 impact to remove the blades. Wasting time trying to be a star. oh no endless promotion , next you will tell us your favorite toilet paper.
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Loved the "cut paper" test, very funny!
Thanks, D.A.
I agree with everything you said Ed. Especially the balancing of the blades. I never do either. Another thing I do is I take the covers off the belts and leave them off. Ive done this for the last 30 years and have not had a deck rust out since. I know the purpose is for protection but, they catch a lot of grass which in turn eats out your deck. Also leaving the covers off gives you amble opportunity to hose off the top of your deck.
Thanks Dean. Personally, I'd be concerned about brush or sticks getting caught in the pulleys and damaging or throwing the belt. As I mentioned, I do push this mower a bit in tall grass and brush. Thanks for your comments and for watching! -Ed
I balance my short blades to minimize vibration in the machine. I have found it makes a difference. Happy cutting.
Thanks for the suggestion, Gary!
Good job Ed. Thanks for pointing out not to make the sharp edge too thin. I discovered that when I sharpened my lawnmower blades myself for the first time. They didn't last long at all.
Steve Rob Reviews does a video on how to sharpen mower blades. He uses a little die grinder/ drummer tool. The advantage there is you can see what you are doing so much better that way.
Thanks Ed. Full watch and a thumbs up. See you for the next one.
Thanks very much, Gary. I hope all is well!
Hi Ed. After 3 yrs and my brother occasionally want to run tractor (he mows too close or overlaps the neighbors gravel driveway). It was cutting like it need attention so I went to the Kub store and picked another set of blades. Swapped them out and my other brother had a do-all chipper blade sharpener. He claims that it looks like a mirror (they do!) and if you breath on an edge after he sharpens it it will cut molecules in half. Told him didn't need be that sharp.
Point is that I've always had an extra set of blades to swap out quickly and sharpen at the proper angle and replace if it gets a big booger in it.
And one trip under the deck.
Hey Rand. Now that’s sharp 😄. I should plan ahead and order some extra blades. No doubt I’ll need them sooner than later!
Blade balance absolutely matters. The more the blade is sharpened, the more out of balance it gets. That causes vibration and wear on the mower.
I always use anti-seize on the blade bolts when I put them back on. Makes removing them easier the next time.
Good Morning Ed. Good maintenance video with a lot of good points for new owners of this equipment. One of my Kubotas has a loader lock down at the control valve. I don't know if that's a standard item or not, but its a little horseshoe kinda looking thing that pulls forward and twists to lock the loader in the up position.
On the loader tractors that do not have that function, I cut pieces of angle iron just shy of the length of the ram, and sit that on the ram then gently release the loader back down until the weight rests on the angle iron. To eliminate damage to the hydraulic ram, rest the angle on a piece of old innertube or other suitable buffer. The big tractors get an angle iron on both rams. I don't know if its recommended but that's what we've done for years and years for safety. I might do an uncharacteristic 'safety' video on that and tag you as the impetus for it....LOL Again, this was a pleasant video to start the day !!
Hey Wendell! Yes do have the hydraulic lever lock. Great idea to brace the cylinders. I look forward to your video on the subject!
Good morning, Eddie, great safety tips...especially never trusting hydraulics!!! YES! Grinding guards are very important!!! Some good greasing lessons for inspiration of my own push mower...I will tell my partner 🦸♂️
Thank you, Margaret. I’d be willing to bet there are no grease fittings on your push mower but I good blade sharpening is always in order!
Its extremely important to balance them . It will wear the bearings
Balancing mower blades is really only necessary on push mowers that have an aluminum flywheel and rely on the weight of the blade to balance the engine. This being said, I’ve never balanced a blade on any push mower I’ve ever serviced, and I’ve never had an issue.
Ed, to make it easier to removed and in stall blades on my tractor I use an impact gun. Plus I keep an extra set of blades sharpened so I can swap them out. I change my blades twice a year, Spring and mid summer. I do have a balancing cone, but never use it. Great videos.
Thanks Dennis. Keeping an extra set of blades is a good idea. I think I’ll use my impact gun next time too!
Dennis…where did you buy your new blades?
@@randrowe9660 Believe it or not but Amazon. You need the length and the size and shape of the hole from your old blades. In the description of the blades you will find what tractors they fit. Good luck.
Nice job. The blades work great. I use my impact gun to remove the blade bolts without having to try to prop the blade from spinning. I ordered a set of the gloves using your link. Thanks for the recommendation.
Thanks Chad! Definitely trying the impact gun next time!
Hey Ed👍 I was wondering when you were going to put your gloves on 😂 I use the balancing tool you were taking about they are cheap enough but a nail works too.Have a great day 🚜💨💡😁👍
Ha! Thanks Mitch!
@@MyClutteredGarage Use a nail in the wall to balance the blade. You would be surprised how much they will be off after a few times.
Good job Ed! It's ready for another season. Cheers!
Not as clean as yours, GP! :)
Great vid! That shiny bolt on top of the mower drive case is actually a dip stick, I'd use that instead just in case you can't catch the side screw right away and lose some gear oil.
Ed, The outside corner of the mower blade does MOST of the cutting therefore it wears the fastest. Keep that corner square to the cutting edge.
I don't feel dead on balance is all that important on a mower blade because the load isn't balanced in operation when cutting grass. My 2 cents
Thanks Dave!
Not sure. Maybe not.
hey ED. sorry to bother you again but you got a book with your quick hitch I did. In my book it said you need a floating top link kit. it hooks to your implement top link and your quick hitch top link. that's what the Kubota dealer look it up and your mower has 4 wheels and you can rase the mower of the ground to transport it. he look up quick hitch to mowers and that's what it should. i hope that will help you
Thank you!
ummm.. No mention of the ant colony at the 11 minute mark! HAHA nice video, and well done. I wished my Zero Turn had greaseable zerks for the bearings.
Good eye Ross! They were NOT happy!
@@MyClutteredGarage 🤣👌😉
Nice video Ed. I’ve never balanced a blade either. Never had an issue. This is my 6th season with this mower. I sharpened the blades once. Still cuts nice and I mow 3 acres. I bought new blades. I’m going to put them on before I put it away. It’ll be kind of like having a new mower next spring.
Good to hear. Honestly it was still doing a pretty good job with dull blades. Great mower!
The paper test made my day haha
😄
Good evening Ed, I like to use the dewalt impact on the mower blades as you wont have to block the blade to remove them. Very nice camera work with the M50 the close up shots of the blade edges look great. Still have a little more learning to do with ours, maybe a new lens in the future. -Richie
Just use a filter. I damaged my $400 lens with sparks from the grinder! 😫
@@MyClutteredGarage Yikes! Maybe we will need to look into some filter options!
Hello from Minnesota. Great job.
Thank you, Ricky!
ED, the floating top link kit works. that's what you need
Hi Ed! Well done and you provided some good tips along the way. I just have a brush hog so I only have two blade edges to maintain. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks very much, Martin! Hope all is well!
Good Video Ed
I will have to perform same maintenance here soon also on my Landpride finish mower
Great tips on blade sharpening
I’ve been doing it wrong
Thanks for sharing
Have a great day !
Hey Phil. Thank you. What were you doing wrong?
Hello
I too sharpen mower blades with a small grinder. I see you use a grinding wheel for such. Please try sanding wheels that fit your grinder. They come in different grit levels. I use these sanding wheels on my grinder to sharpen mower blades and I find them smoother than a hard grinder wheel, giving me a sharper blade and remove less metal while keeping the blade cooler.
Also I find my impact gun with a socket easier to remove blade nuts
Thanks for your video
I’ve heard about using sanding disks. I’ll try that next time. Thank you! -Ed
1) I use the pyramid balancing tool. Why not? Simple, easy, no guess work and eliminates any unnecessary vibration. 2) Always maintain the cutting angle (usually 30 degrees) on the blade edge for a more uniform cutting results between the three blades. 3) As your blades wear, check the weight differences between them to further ensure against unnecessary vibration in the mower where potential damage to other parts of the mower (belts, bearings, gear box, drive shaft, etc.) can become a critical issue. 4) Lastly, keep the underside of your mower deck clean from dirt, mud, and "grass-pookie" buildup to better ensure proper air-flow particularly for mulching effectiveness. And finally, 5) avoid causes of rust.....rust is NEVER your friend! Sharp blades, a balanced operation and proper air flow are essential elements to keeping the mower deck effective and "Happy"!
Hi Dwayne. You make really great points here. Thanks so much for these thoughtful comments! -Ed
Ed, you have inspired me today. :)
Well it took me 2 seasons to get inspired! 😂
@@MyClutteredGarage I got it jacked up but can't break the nuts loose. I'm having some Wheaties and give it another shot...
@@HomesteadEngineering I hope you’re recording 😄
@@HomesteadEngineering long pipe on a breaker bar or impact wrench should do it.
Thanks for this! I gotta do it.
Balanced blades are easier on equipment and operate smoother.
You could off take some time to clean under the deck and also the top, it's also part of maintenance washing your Equipments Mister.
Agreed!
How often do you clean the bottom of your deck?
Generally just at the end of the season so that there are no “clumps” holding moisture over the winter. Thanks for watching!
Get yourself a battery powered grease gun. It's a game changer!!!
Thinking about it! Thanks!
There should be a lock on your loader stick to make sure nobody bumps it. Should be near the bottom.
You’re right indeed! I was going to show that but forgot to. Thank for watching. -Ed
How many rpm’s do you run while mowing
Hi David. I run all PTO attachments at 540 (at the PTO) which is about 2000 on the engine.
@@MyClutteredGarage oh heck yea, thanks for getting back with me real quick, I have a kubota compact tractor, it’s the 2880 series with the FDR1660 finishing mower like yours and I’ve been mowing at 2000 RPMS, so I’m glad I’ve been doing it right, have you ever bought new blades yet
@@bhuntn4life not yet, but I have sharpened them. See video number 71 in my library.
Why don't you use a1/2 inch impact
Next time!
Hi Ed, does your quick hitch not work well with the finish mower?
Hi Chris. The finish mower says it’s quick hitch compatible, but apparently there are additional parts needed. But it’s still easy to connect without the quick hitch since all the connecting point “float”.
@@MyClutteredGarage thanks, your finish mower videos have definitely helped convince me to get one. Very helpful
LMAO at the paper test....
You need an impact gun.
I have one. I didn’t think to use it. Next time for sure! 😄
Not being mean, but did you know that most spindles have sealed bearings in them and "greasing" them is just a waist of grease .. but we still grease them just to ease our minds ....I think it's a cruel juke that the manufacturer is playing on us
Hey Mike. I’ve heard that before, especially with inexpensive mowers. I hope that’s not the case with land pride, and all that grease has to be going somewhere!? 😄
@@MyClutteredGarage I've worked on many different types of lawn mowers including hustler, Husqvarna, Craftsman, John Deere, and many others all have sealed bearings and have large cavities that grease can collect is it possible that a small amount can get passed the seal.. I suppose so 🤷 but I am willing to bet that they build them to last a few years and we hit something and damage the housing and have to replace the spindle and start the process over ... I think I have a old one I could take it apart and make a short video if you think you would like to see inside .. just let me know
@@mechanicmike2858 that would be interesting to know!
@@mechanicmike2858 Good comment, I have a John Deere 22 hp E130 riding lawnmower that I (used to)grease thru the grease fittings on the mower deck until I discovered the bearings were in fact sealed so no grease could get into the bearings. JD could not tell me why the grease fittings are even there as they seem to serve no purpose.
I just watched this video last week on the topic of sealed bearings with a tip on how to get grease in them. Not sure I'm totally bought into leaving the one side of each bearing off but it's an interesting idea. ruclips.net/video/d3eC2OIg85o/видео.html
You preach about not relying on the hydraulics too work on heavy equipment, but you do it anyways. Of course bad things only happen to other people.
Hi Tomas. That’s exactly why I never worked under the loader and stayed off the side. There are certainly always ways to improve safety. Thank you for your feedback. -Ed
A) that's no the "Back" side of the blade and
B) there are much better tools to use for blade sharpending. An Angle grinder is the worst thing to use and if not done properly can ruin a good blade beyond repair.
Armature, use a 3/4 impact to remove the blades. Wasting time trying to be a star. oh no endless promotion , next you will tell us your favorite toilet paper.