Excellent idea! Already have the router bearing set up. Just balanced my blade earlier today on a nail. Worked good as the lawn mower runs very smooth. But your idea is way better. Thanks.
I still use this setup on a weekly basis. I bought a more expensive Oregon blade balancer but haven't set it up yet as this still works great years later. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers
Mr. Brant, I loved this video of how you made a blade balancer using a block of wood and a set of router bearings. I just bought a blade sharpener that uses an angle grinder to very efficiently grind a sharp edge at the correct angle, but the nail in the wall and the cheap cone-shaped blade balancers were just not accurately correct. So, after watching your video from 3 years ago, May 2020, I decided to try to construct one using the router bearing set also. The balance sensitivity is amazing! Blades that show "balanced" on the cone balancer and on the "nail" proved to be "out of balance" using your router bearing set design! You had a real winning idea and it works!
@@brantsmallenginerepairs Happy, Happy, Happy. Got my bearings in today and made a blade balancer and it worked really well. I checked it against my old cone balancer which is many, many years old which provided close to the same result but not as pronounced which is somewhat of a relief. By putting the 5/8" bearing on a screw and nut and running the bearing in by using a high speed drill for several minutes it loosened the grease and seals on the new bearing which provide a more accurate balance. I am now splitting hairs because the bearings in the deck spindle would easily absorb the minimal out of balance that was then being shown. Again it worked great and I also used a metal clip to push the blade against the back bearing to minimize the lateral runout.
Something I always have to keep telling myself…KISS! (Keep It Simple Stupid). I’ve been trying to design my own balancer as well. After selecting various parts (bushings, bearings, steel rod, stop collars, etc.) on Amazon I was up to $35 in parts and hadn’t even tested my design yet and if I would need even more parts to complete it. I found the bearing set you used on Amazon for $14 (as of 7/29/22) and it obviously works…no further “over-engineering” needed! Thanks for the video!
I found a balancer for $34 on Amazon. Two screws to hold it to the wall, and done. Magnets hold the blade, and a rod to check to see if the blade is bent.
The only tweak I can see is to have the jig canted back slightly, just enough so the blades won't fall off of the end but still rotate easily. Great job!
Great Video and design. It would be interesting if you would have used a new blade too (never used). I've often wondered if new blades are factory balanced like they say.
Glad you enjoyed the video. You make a great point about the new blades. So I just went out into the shop and tested a new blade for a Toro Recycler and wouldn't you know it. It was not even remotely balanced. Guess I'll have to start checking all my new blades before install. Cheers
I bought a new USA Blade for an MTD Honda powered Mower and put it on my Oregon Blade Balancer. It was way heavy on one end. Took quite a bit of grinding to get it balanced. I spent roughly $100 on my balancer but have charged friends and neighbors a small fee to sharpen and balance their blades. Owner of a John Deere Zero-turn, I think 61", they thought I'd done magic as the mower was so very smooth afterwards. Anyway. I've paid the cost of my balancer doing side jobs.
Clever and well done. Have you kicked around the idea of introducing a magnet to the assembly to aid in the blade’s stability? It might provide for a more stable mount for oval, bow tie and star center hole blades. Good work and thanks for sharing.
I have seen others build their own custom ones also which included a magnet system. I have contemplated adding small rare earth magnets some how. Maybe a future project and video update. Thanks for watching. Cheers
Hi, welcome from over the pond, England, nice video, being of the same mind as you and thinking, I could make something like that years ago, I popped into my local bearing shop and got a selection of bearings all with the same i.d. as far as possible but needed a couple of bushes to reduce the i.d. of a couple of the larger ones. To mount them I used a piece of rod, which I threaded at one end for approx 6 inches, ran a nut up the thread to act as a stop for the bearings and spot welded it to the bar, tapped out the other and and as in yours used a socket headed screw and washer to retain the bearings. Now for the crafty bit, I don't have a lawn but being a retired motor engineer I get all and sundry calling by to see if I can fix or weld something, from strimmers, mowers, chain saws, bicycles and stump grinders to mention a few. So because I don't use the balancer that often I have fitted a piece of threaded tube into the the front edge of one of my benches that has a vice on, it takes two seconds to screw the balancer in and just a quick nip up with the nut and away I go, it saves so much time because the blade doesn't foul anything and is alongside the vice. An added bonus is when folk, who usually sharpen their own blades, comment that the mower has never been as smooth since it was new.
I haven't thus far but might not be a bad idea. I have blown them off with compressed air and sprayed silicone lubricant on them though. I believe they have sealed bearings but probably wouldn't be a bad idea to cover it. I do use it pretty much every day though so that could be a pain. You know, for the price of the bearings, I could buy a new set and easily swap them out. But definitely worth thinking about. Cheers
Update! $100 blade balancer just as good as $15 diy balancer. Tested both balancers, also used a piece of paper weighing 0.5 grams to check for sensitivity (probably not the right word) but got same result. What I’m wondering is, how good is the mag 1000? At $200 I guess we will never know.
Howdy Brant, the center hole for my blades is 11/16". On this tree, the blade hole would fit over the 5/8" bearing with 1/16" to spare. Do you think the 1/16" of open space around the bearing will keep the blade hole from hanging centered on the bearing ? Thanks
Hi Grey. Thanks for checking out my channel. As for your question, considering that a lot of service manuals suggest balancing your blade on the end of a nail pounded into the wall, I don't think the 1/16" gap will make any difference. I have had many blades with hole sizes that are not exactly the same size as the bearing and haven't had a problem. I am also not an engineer either so maybe someone smarter than I would disagree. If you have an operation where you need exact precision then maybe spending the hundreds for a precision manufactured item might be worth the investment. For homeowners and small engine repair mechanics like myself, this works great. Cheers.
I guess I don't see the difference between what tool you created and just a nail as far as balancing goes. I wished you would have done a comparison between the nail and your tool.
The difference is the bearings spin when the weight of the blade is on them and the blade is unbalanced. A nail does not do this. But feel free to use whatever method you like. Thanks for watching. Cheers
The problem with the little gray one is you need it on a level area to start with. You need to clean off all the crummy grass with a wire wheel too. If not you are wasting your time. The bearings are a good idea but with the grass on it you are starting with a very unbalanced blade to start with. I like my balancer because you can take the 90 degree rod and check for bent blades too. I took four magnets off because off the width of the blades. I do all kinds of blades. Get the excess grass of and you won't hear and vibration or noise. Blades now are stamped out so fast that if that blade move on little bit during stamping its trash. Grab a brand new blade and put it on the balancer and see.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Check out one of my recent videos where I compare this homemade balancer to a $100 Oregon balancer. Cheers
Are you referring to the cheap blade balancer I show at the beginning? Yes you can but doesn't work great for all blade types. And not as accurate but will do the job. I have one but it collects dust in my toolbox since I made this balancer. Or are you talking about the bearing set I used to make my own balancer. If it's the latter then thanks for the tip. Unfortunately we don't have Harbor Freight here in Canada. Cheers
@@brantsmallenginerepairs seriously it’s a circle that needs a cone to go in the middle to “show” you the weight of one side of the blade to the other. You need a $200 tool for that??
@@brantsmallenginerepairs Yes. First...I want to apologize...im sorry.. it was by the new blades and you can get the cone by itself- there was something similar for like $12
@@brantsmallenginerepairs I don’t have a link or anything but I can take a pic. I took small engines and I used the nail in the wall approach. You having a business I can now see why it may be more in tune with pin point accuracy
Not sure what you're referring to. At no time in the video can you not see the balancer. Do you mean when the blade is sitting on it? Why do you need to see the bearings at that point? Feel free to clarify what you mean. Cheers
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Have been using my router bearing set as you're showing for years now. Works great. No vibration in my mower.
Glad it has served you well. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers
Excellent idea! Already have the router bearing set up. Just balanced my blade earlier today on a nail. Worked good as the lawn mower runs very smooth. But your idea is way better. Thanks.
I still use this setup on a weekly basis. I bought a more expensive Oregon blade balancer but haven't set it up yet as this still works great years later. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers
Mr. Brant, I loved this video of how you made a blade balancer using a block of wood and a set of router bearings.
I just bought a blade sharpener that uses an angle grinder to very efficiently grind a sharp edge at the correct angle, but the nail in the wall and the cheap cone-shaped blade balancers were just not accurately correct.
So, after watching your video from 3 years ago, May 2020, I decided to try to construct one using the router bearing set also. The balance sensitivity is amazing! Blades that show "balanced" on the cone balancer and on the "nail" proved to be "out of balance" using your router bearing set design!
You had a real winning idea and it works!
I'm glad this worked out for you! I still use mine to balance all my blades. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers!
I always liked improving my accuracy, but to include low cost solution is unbelievable. Thanks
Glad it was helpful William. Cheers
@@brantsmallenginerepairs Happy, Happy, Happy. Got my bearings in today and made a blade balancer and it worked really well. I checked it against my old cone balancer which is many, many years old which provided close to the same result but not as pronounced which is somewhat of a relief. By putting the 5/8" bearing on a screw and nut and running the bearing in by using a high speed drill for several minutes it loosened the grease and seals on the new bearing which provide a more accurate balance. I am now splitting hairs because the bearings in the deck spindle would easily absorb the minimal out of balance that was then being shown. Again it worked great and I also used a metal clip to push the blade against the back bearing to minimize the lateral runout.
@@user-uh8zq5qv7h that's great. Glad it helped. Cheers
Something I always have to keep telling myself…KISS! (Keep It Simple Stupid). I’ve been trying to design my own balancer as well. After selecting various parts (bushings, bearings, steel rod, stop collars, etc.) on Amazon I was up to $35 in parts and hadn’t even tested my design yet and if I would need even more parts to complete it. I found the bearing set you used on Amazon for $14 (as of 7/29/22) and it obviously works…no further “over-engineering” needed! Thanks for the video!
Glad I was able to help out. Be sure to Like the video and Subscribe to my channel if you haven't already done so. This helps me out as well. Cheers
I found a balancer for $34 on Amazon. Two screws to hold it to the wall, and done. Magnets hold the blade, and a rod to check to see if the blade is bent.
The only tweak I can see is to have the jig canted back slightly, just enough so the blades won't fall off of the end but still rotate easily. Great job!
I've had it mounted this way for years now and have never had one fall off. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers
I have JD blades (round center)...bought this unit and it works GREAT! Thx for sharing this video!
Glad it was helpful. Cheers
Genius moment. New subscriber because you deserve it.
Appreciate you watching and being a subscriber. This helps me out. Cheers
Bought this off Amazon, can’t wait to mount it and balance blades ! Thank your for the video
You're welcome. Glad it helped!
Very nice, thank you! Definitely beats the nail in the wall method.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching. Cheers
Very impressed with your idea. I just ordered mine from Amazon! Thanks!
Glad you like it Dale. Been using it now for a few months and it still works great
Great Video and design. It would be interesting if you would have used a new blade too (never used). I've often wondered if new blades are factory balanced like they say.
Glad you enjoyed the video. You make a great point about the new blades. So I just went out into the shop and tested a new blade for a Toro Recycler and wouldn't you know it. It was not even remotely balanced. Guess I'll have to start checking all my new blades before install. Cheers
@@brantsmallenginerepairs Well, damn! lol Kinda sad you have to check new blades. Thx again!
@@EM-gr1ps I was pretty surprised myself. But then again, everything is made so cheap these days that quality control suffers.
I bought a new USA Blade for an MTD Honda powered Mower and put it on my Oregon Blade Balancer. It was way heavy on one end. Took quite a bit of grinding to get it balanced. I spent roughly $100 on my balancer but have charged friends and neighbors a small fee to sharpen and balance their blades. Owner of a John Deere Zero-turn, I think 61", they thought I'd done magic as the mower was so very smooth afterwards. Anyway. I've paid the cost of my balancer doing side jobs.
Nail in bench works and yes new blades are pre balanced son
Clever and well done. Have you kicked around the idea of introducing a magnet to the assembly to aid in the blade’s stability? It might provide for a more stable mount for oval, bow tie and star center hole blades. Good work and thanks for sharing.
I have seen others build their own custom ones also which included a magnet system. I have contemplated adding small rare earth magnets some how. Maybe a future project and video update. Thanks for watching. Cheers
Hi, welcome from over the pond, England, nice video, being of the same mind as you and thinking, I could make something like that years ago, I popped into my local bearing shop and got a selection of bearings all with the same i.d. as far as possible but needed a couple of bushes to reduce the i.d. of a couple of the larger ones.
To mount them I used a piece of rod, which I threaded at one end for approx 6 inches, ran a nut up the thread to act as a stop for the bearings and spot welded it to the bar, tapped out the other and and as in yours used a socket headed screw and washer to retain the bearings.
Now for the crafty bit, I don't have a lawn but being a retired motor engineer I get all and sundry calling by to see if I can fix or weld something, from strimmers, mowers, chain saws, bicycles and stump grinders to mention a few.
So because I don't use the balancer that often I have fitted a piece of threaded tube into the the front edge of one of my benches that has a vice on, it takes two seconds to screw the balancer in and just a quick nip up with the nut and away I go, it saves so much time because the blade doesn't foul anything and is alongside the vice.
An added bonus is when folk, who usually sharpen their own blades, comment that the mower has never been as smooth since it was new.
Thanks for commenting. Sounds like you have a decent set up there. Cheers from Canada.
You did a good job finding something that works for the job. +1
Appreciate it Paul!
Great idea! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks for the comment. Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers
Do you cover it to keep dirt out of the bearings
I haven't thus far but might not be a bad idea. I have blown them off with compressed air and sprayed silicone lubricant on them though. I believe they have sealed bearings but probably wouldn't be a bad idea to cover it. I do use it pretty much every day though so that could be a pain. You know, for the price of the bearings, I could buy a new set and easily swap them out. But definitely worth thinking about. Cheers
Uitstekend,prakties en effektief! DANKIE🌝
Dit is 'n plesier
Update! $100 blade balancer just as good as $15 diy balancer. Tested both balancers, also used a piece of paper weighing 0.5 grams to check for sensitivity (probably not the right word) but got same result. What I’m wondering is, how good is the mag 1000? At $200 I guess we will never know.
Thanks for letting us know your test results. Glad this worked well for you. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers
Thanks for the video, simple and affordable.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching. Cheers
Looks like a good idea. Is it still working out okay.
Have a good one from west Tennessee
Still use it multiple times per week. I did buy an Oregon balancer to do a comparison video. Stay tuned for that.
Nice job god bless
Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers
Howdy Brant, the center hole for my blades is 11/16". On this tree, the blade hole would fit over the 5/8" bearing with 1/16" to spare. Do you think the 1/16" of open space around the bearing will keep the blade hole from hanging centered on the bearing ? Thanks
Hi Grey. Thanks for checking out my channel. As for your question, considering that a lot of service manuals suggest balancing your blade on the end of a nail pounded into the wall, I don't think the 1/16" gap will make any difference. I have had many blades with hole sizes that are not exactly the same size as the bearing and haven't had a problem. I am also not an engineer either so maybe someone smarter than I would disagree. If you have an operation where you need exact precision then maybe spending the hundreds for a precision manufactured item might be worth the investment. For homeowners and small engine repair mechanics like myself, this works great. Cheers.
@@brantsmallenginerepairs Thanks Brant, I'm just a simple DYI homeowner. I'm placing my order for one on Amazon. Take care !
@@greyholcombjr.9623 glad to help. Cheers
I guess I don't see the difference between what tool you created and just a nail as far as balancing goes. I wished you would have done a comparison between the nail and your tool.
The difference is the bearings spin when the weight of the blade is on them and the blade is unbalanced. A nail does not do this. But feel free to use whatever method you like. Thanks for watching. Cheers
brilliant! market it
Appreciate the comment and thanks for watching. Cheers
The problem with the little gray one is you need it on a level area to start with. You need to clean off all the crummy grass with a wire wheel too. If not you are wasting your time. The bearings are a good idea but with the grass on it you are starting with a very unbalanced blade to start with. I like my balancer because you can take the 90 degree rod and check for bent blades too. I took four magnets off because off the width of the blades. I do all kinds of blades. Get the excess grass of and you won't hear and vibration or noise. Blades now are stamped out so fast that if that blade move on little bit during stamping its trash. Grab a brand new blade and put it on the balancer and see.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Check out one of my recent videos where I compare this homemade balancer to a $100 Oregon balancer. Cheers
i just ordered 1
Hope it works out well for you. I know it has for me. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers
Excellent thank you
You are very welcome. Thanks for watching. Cheers
Thx for your design mate. I think you saved about $100 AUD
Glad I could help. Still using it today. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers
You can get that pyramid bit cheap at Harbor Freight.
Are you referring to the cheap blade balancer I show at the beginning? Yes you can but doesn't work great for all blade types. And not as accurate but will do the job. I have one but it collects dust in my toolbox since I made this balancer. Or are you talking about the bearing set I used to make my own balancer. If it's the latter then thanks for the tip. Unfortunately we don't have Harbor Freight here in Canada. Cheers
We do have other like Princess auto
Fancy! nail in the wall works too :)
Correct. Many repair manuals have suggested this method for years.
There is a vid showing it to not work nearly as well. I've always done that but going to upgrade to something with a bearing.
Be interesting to try a nail and then put a spacer in the blade hole to center the same nail in the blade for a comparison. 🤔
By experience, I have found unbalanced blades just coming out from the factory.
I have noticed this also. Dont6make stuff like they used to. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment. Cheers
You can hết thật ất Hảrbor Freight.
You can get that at Harbor Freight cheap.
Thanks for letting us know. Cheers
Why aren't you clever using router bearings as a balancer. Nice job and idea too. VF
Thanks VF. Works well!
I think it's not made for wall mount should be table top
@@C33ChevyGOT it fella.
$200!!! I think there’s one for $15.00 at Lowes
Not sure I understand what you mean. This cost less than $20 and is way more accurate than the cone type.
@@brantsmallenginerepairs seriously it’s a circle that needs a cone to go in the middle to “show” you the weight of one side of the blade to the other. You need a $200 tool for that??
@@Jasonthehammer it was less than $20
@@brantsmallenginerepairs Yes. First...I want to apologize...im sorry..
it was by the new blades and you can get the cone by itself- there was something similar for like $12
@@brantsmallenginerepairs I don’t have a link or anything but I can take a pic. I took small engines and I used the nail in the wall approach. You having a business I can now see why it may be more in tune with pin point accuracy
Correct your camera angle , can’t see the balancer !
Not sure what you're referring to. At no time in the video can you not see the balancer. Do you mean when the blade is sitting on it? Why do you need to see the bearings at that point? Feel free to clarify what you mean. Cheers
Very dexterous replacing bearings on the shaft with gloves on. Damn, what a good idea! Cheers bro, eh! 🍁🍺
Thanks for watching. Take care.