Changing Blades

[Lukacs Property Maintenance]

How do you change your blades. Do you have a hoist or do you take the deck off every time? I have always tried to keep the blades sharp on the pushers. I have a dremel to sharpen the blade on the machine while its still on the machine. Know what i mean? Mike

[musician/lawnman]

Lawn care business tips

As far as edging with a trimmer: I already have the trimmer in my hand & running for one, two I am faster with it than an edger & my lines look just as clean & even at that I find the edger makes a little thin line that grows over in 2 days this time of year, but the trimmer creates about a 1/2" line.... looks good all week. As far as the blades: I run 2 mowers (3 man crews) serving 25-30 properties a day. Some lawns are nice st. Augustine, Some are a mix of bahai, weeds, & sand (very hard on blades). But they are all wet pretty much all day long every day down here so the start cutting poorly. As soon as they stop cutting well, we swap them on the spot at the back of the trailer where ever we happen to be. I have probably 6 sets for my older machine (had it a little over a year) & 3 sets for my new one (about 2 months old). In doing this I find that it makes for a better cut in less passes (easier on the wet lawns down here, multiple passes rut them up pretty bad) saves fuel & labor too. Also because I don't let the blades get so bad that they're essentially flat... they sharpen easily as I don't have to take much off to get a nice edge back. I sharpen them with an angle grinder, no vice.... just hold in one hand & grind with the other! Yes it's on my trailer, & yes I have had blades get bent before & had to sharpen a dull blade once or twice outside a customers house to keep going for the day. Hard to say how long they last as I use multiple sets & replace as needed but I bet I get a new set for each machine about once a month during this time of year so if I have 3 sets... I guess they last 3 months? New in & the oldest out....

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[Steve]

Do you use anything special to change the blades? Like a pneumatic wrench or no?

[justin_time]

My tractor, I have to sharpen them every week. Otherwise I don't get as a nice cut since most of these lawns are rough and have sticks and stones that I don't see. I have another spare set of blades so one of them is always ready to get changed

So my dad is an electrician and I found and old 3 inch counduit pipe in the shed. Used that and put a chain around that and put that across the beams in the shed and put a chain block on there and raise/lower the mower and take off the blades on that

I agree with Chuck on the edging, never used an edger in my life, don't see the point. If someone's edge is overgrown, I do it with a half moon hand edging tool and charge them, then I just maintain edges with the string trimmer, does a great job in no time at all.

I have never seen anyone use an edger to maintain an edge here, only when they're cutting an overgrown edge.

[Steve]

Does anyone use any of the lawn mower jacks out there when changing blades on larger machines or how do you get access to them?

[musician/lawnman]

No I don't use a lift or air guns (I wish!) Just put the deck up & back the back tires about a foot up the trailer ramp & I set the brake.... gives a little extra clearance. Then I swap em out right there & keep going.


Dave,

What is a half moon edging tool? Never heard of it.

[justin_time]

I'll be getting some pictures of my setup today.

[Lukacs Property Maintenance]

The half moon edging tool is sometimes called a spade. Or an edging shovel.

Mike

[Steve]

Like this one?