Not sure how I never realized I posted this but here’s the links to the 2 products in here I use to balance and sharpen my blades. They’re not affiliate links, I don’t have a discount code for either of these companies. ⬇️⬇️ Model 5005 sharpener - www.allamericansharpener.com/5005 Balancer - www.magna-matic-direct.com/products/mag-1000-balancing-instrument.html
Sorry I’m late for responding to this! Thanks for watching! Links below ⬇️ Model 5005 sharpener - www.allamericansharpener.com/5005 Balancer - www.magna-matic-direct.com/products/mag-1000-balancing-instrument.html
Good info complimented with lots of good feedback. I think the fine folks at SCAG got the memo on rigidity. Built like a tank on the 61” advantage deck.
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness very good machine. Wildcat demo that I bought about fifteen years ago. Only available for two. Specs were pretty much one way but exactly as I would have done it if I had a free hand.
Your lawn, even with the raised lines looks much better than my yard after mowing. I find if I mow too low this happens (under 3") but if I raise it then it's not as bad. It's also hard for me to see it when I am mowing in the afternoon. I don't notice it until evening then the light angle changes and I see them.
Much appreciated! It’s on the struggle bus this year, we haven’t got much rain. 😔 I find my mower cuts TERRIBLE at anything between 3.75 and 4.5. I typically cut at 4.5 in the summer but can’t go much lower unless it’s 3.5 or under in the Spring. My next cut will be high. I know what you mean by the sun playing tricks on your eye, that’s such a pain!
@@bertroost1675 People who are cutting more than four inches high are NOT mowing your typical yard.. such as..."LAWN SERVICE " people. They are not mowing at ALL.... probably 1/2 ass weed eatin'. All you can see after is tire tracks and grass tops skimmed. Next day...(let alone next week)..it looks like it was never mowed. Who cuts higher than 4 inches anyway.... some one who is bush hogging?
Appreciate that! Thanks for watching. Links to both below ⬇️ Balancer: www.magna-matic-direct.com/products/mag-1000-balancing-instrument.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItfH1md2OgQMVuExHAR1VHwQfEAQYAiABEgKIkvD_BwE Sharpener jig: www.allamericansharpener.com/5005?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy6HlwN2OgQMV5dvICh2YFwbCEAQYASABEgLLJ_D_BwE
Usually a spindle problem or worn out deck mounts but since I have a "politically correct" yard that consists of prairie weeds I usually don't sweat the small stuff. My "grass" is Indian Paintbrush, Dandelions, Bluebells and clover. Best of all I don't have to feed or water it. Thanks for the video.
@fistsofsteel5 glad to know it wasn't just me🤣🤣🤣 it was cutting all jacked up and I thought blades were messed up, then thought it was the deck lol🤦♂️ tire pressure the whole time
I have the same issue after replacing both blades this year. I have the 5 star center holes on the blades. I found that the previous blades had distorted the star on the spindle. This caused the old blade to be hard to remove and the new blade would not go on the spindle until after I filed off the burrs on the spindle. At this point, only replacement of the spindle will fix the issue.
In my long experience -- cuz I'm old-- for sure a bent blade can cause all kinds of problems including vibration that will ultimately take out a bearing. However, after considerable wear and sharpenings, the very end of the cutting tip gets rounded off and thereby can shorten the blade enough to cause it to leave ridges of grass in the lawn as you described. On another point of sharpening: if you are being as aggressive as shown, the metal will heat up enough to lose its temper and dull real quickly thereafter. It needs ongoing cooling by dipping in water when sharpening. Using your technique with the angle grinder, I can see how the blade would need balancing. By the time you are done doing that, you could end up with a toothpick of a blade just the right size to throw it on the metal garbage pile.
Never had that problem, only blades I’ve ever tossed were bent and a set I had that I hit not 1 but 2 shovels in some tall grass with (new property I had never serviced before). I don’t take them down enough for them to be razor sharp, although it may look like that in the video.
Because he’s wrong about bent blades causing the problem. A bent blade would gouge a circle into the yard assuming you don’t drive forward. And if you do drive forward it’s actually going to just cut it evenly, low everywhere
It's not always a bent blade but a bent deck. All blade tips should be on the same plane. I've seen a blade tip 1/4" above or below plane leave a 3" or more mohawk on the lawn.
I see people say that a lot and the only last resort fix is making sure the tire pressure is the same between the back tires and the front casters. Other than that I’m at a loss for what it could be.
I wish I had the confidence to give you an answer on that one but I really have no clue. Reel mowing is a whole different world to me. Maybe there’s a video on here about problems with reel mowers not cutting correctly. I just don’t wanna give you bad info because I honestly don’t know anything about them.
You can balance a blade on the wall with a 16 penny nail Straight into a stud or you can put a bolt thru a small square plate or wood and mount the blade to the bolt and measure the distance top and bottom to see if blade is bent 2 or 3 bucks or you can buy expensive unit as well
Appeared to me that if your blade may have been bent and would have been even more apparent if you checked out at the very end? I check mine by spinning each blade to see if ends align and are level to each other? Interesting equipment though, first time I have seen either apparatus?
I used the gauge on the back of my balancer. I MIGHT have been able to tell by comparing them to each other but then who’s to say I’m comparing 1 bent blade to another. I just went ahead and checked them all anyways while they were off the machine. Thanks for watching!
Not sure if this helps but here’s a link to someone working on the mower deck of that machine. I just searched your question in the TH-cam search bar. 👇👇 th-cam.com/video/abkYyqgC9Mc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=_a0OAxkv8FYjxqOU
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness thanks, I did see that video. My cables aren’t coated plus they go up towards the back under seat area. There’s a video on that but showing how to dissemble to get to the cables is what was looking for.
I use an All American Sharpeners Model 5005 to sharpen them, it’s a jig that holds the blade and grinder at the perfect angle to sharpen them. Then I balance with a MagnaMatic mag 1000 balancer.
I've gone round and round with cub cadet. I've had two of their lawn tractors. Both left a strip around 8" wide of partly cut grass from under the left side of the deck. They both cut that way new from the dealer. The last one I put into the factory service center and they changed the blades and releveled the deck. Came back no better so I will no longer buy their products. I believe it's a deck design issue. At any rate I bought a badboy zero turn and it looks like a pool table smooth after mowing. Unfortunately after mowing for an hour I shut the mower off to walk a bit and then when I got back on it, it wouldn't start. Batteries hot but no ignition so I had to put a mower with one hour on it in the shop to be repaired.
I know this is an old comment but I had the same problem with my Cub Cadet GT2250 and drove myself crazy trying to fix it. Finally figured out that the frame the idle pulleys are strung to was deformed. That seemed to prevent the belt from being as tight as it should so one of my blades just wasn't spinning as fast as it should...or rather none of them were spinning as fast as they should and I never could get that one sharped just right. Works like new now.
Once a new blade was installed, the cut went back to being perfect again. Crazy how much something so simple can effect that. I think I just replaced this whole set after this video, I can’t remember. I made this a long time ago 😂
Would you get them tools to work with I'm not talkin about the DeWalt using I'm talking about the practice you got made up on your bench and that Mac 1000
It’s an All American Sharpeners, I love it! I did a video on it awhile ago, I’ll find that too. The link below is to thier website and should be the exact sharpener I have. www.allamericansharpener.com/5005?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzoPriqWZ-gIVCYnICh2bcQVwEAQYASABEgKIT_D_BwE
Over the years I learnt just replace the blades with new by sharpening them you make the blades off balance and it start messing up the spindles after a while not right away but you get what I’m saying if you been doing it for awhile
Once , my tires had a small pin hole leak , so my tires wouldn't go completely flat , but just enough that it did leave unevengliness . Looks like you just have tire marks on your lawn , though !
My left tire did that FOREVER. It would be fine then randomly be flat. I took it off with intentions of taking it to get checked out and just never did. Threw it back on and it’s never given me a problem again 😂 must have scared it. As for the tire marks, my grass was just growing good and was nice and thick so the tires left some nice impressions.
The balancer is a Magnamatic blade balancer and the arm is an All American Sharpeners. A more in depth video can be found here! ⬇️ th-cam.com/video/yJlMXT5PTjc/w-d-xo.html
All American Sharpeners, this is the link to the exact one I have! 👇 www.allamericansharpener.com/5005?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs6KAutjzgAMVNU5HAR2sOwuAEAQYASABEgLoj_D_BwE
My riding mower is set to the highest setting yet it cuts grass too short. Any idea? Everything appears to be installed correctly, and the tires have enough pressure.
I know one other thing that must be done is have the wheels all set evenly. That could also mess up a lawn and maybe even make the mower abnormally hard to push. I just hope that if it happened to someone they cut their grass too high and might be able to set it right as if nothing ever happened. It is one of those things you would want to fix if possible and never say a word about it to anyone.
I have a 3 blade zero turn mower that has cut higher on just the left blade ever since I bought it new. I've switched the blades around 3 times with no change. I've also measured the deck height and spindle height. Everything measures exactly the same from side to side. Still get the left cutting noticeably higher. Any suggestions?
Something is causing the deck to torque out of level . and probably a factory defect . A certain green mower you can get at Lowes is notorious for that .
My mower mows evenly but then it just starts digging up the ground? I didn't hit anything and it was fine until towards the end of mowing? is that the same problem as the uneven grass in your video, just more extreme? Thanks so much
I’m not quite sure what you mean by that. Like it seems that your mower deck is lowering and scalping? Or your cut is even sometimes then randomly isn’t?
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness Yes! Thank you for your reply!! So, right before the last five or six rows, the mower just started smoking and scalping the lawn! all the way down to the ground so the row looks brown!?
@@AL-dd6oz is there a way to adjust the height of the deck? Could be the lever/pedal isn’t engaging and is allowing the deck to drop suddenly. What kind of mower do you have?
@@AL-dd6oz that’s a tough one man. Without seeing it, it’s hard to say what the problem is but it sounds almost as if the deck isn’t holding itself up. As in it isn’t staying locked into whatever setting you have it in. What kind of mower is it?
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness Hi, it's a Briggs-Stratton (?). The front wheels were bent but a shop pounded them bac in place as much as possible and seemed fine. Would that possibly cause the "deck" to not hold up? I did not use the mower prior to the front wheel damage...
I'm getting this with my mower. I even got brand new blades and it's still doing it. I can't figure it out. Also seems like my right blade is ever so slightly lower than my center blade. They all have the same spacers.
that balancing tool you use reminds me of a bicycle wheel truing station. it seems great for making sure your blade is not bent but how does that balance the blade? The tool that I have is much cheaper but it just lets you place the blade on a flat surface and then you can let gravity tell you if one side is heavier than the other...
Same principle with this it just places the blade parallel with the wall you mount it. The indicator on the back allows to check if a blade is bent then you fold it out of the way and let gravity tell you if the blade is balanced. If it spins to one side, the blade is heavier on that side. I like it but man is it sensitive, very rarely do I spend time making them perfect, just getting close works for me 😂
Bought it. It’s an All American Sharpeners 5005. Love it! www.allamericansharpener.com/5005?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlrGvjMCf-gIVzvbICh1WZQNiEAQYASABEgLDwvD_BwE
No, blades should never get bent back in shape. They need to be replaced. Attempting to bend them can break them or cause them to be stressed and you put them back on and they become dangerous when using.
This is all well and good but what about the rest of us who don't have the fancy balancer? How do we check and fix our blades without this neat fancy tool?
Some people have success with using a nail, some people have success with using a cheap balanced thing from Lowes or Amazon. Kind of up to the user and how much they want to spend.
I wound up replacing it. I wouldn’t sharpen a bent blade. I had some other sets laying around I was gonna toss but found one that wasn’t bent and just put it in service with that specific set.
I had this problem and then realized my one back tire would loose quite a bit of air pressure every week. Now I just bring the pressure back up before I mow and alls good.
@@fredparsons5134 I had that problem too when I first bought this mower. Had a very slow leak in the left rear. I took it off the machine and changed my mind about taking it to the dealership and it never leaked again 😂😂 I must have scared it
Haven’t watched this whole video but right off the bat how the hell would a bent blade moving in circular motion gouge a straight line as you travel forward wouldn’t it gouge a circle when you first turn the blades on without moving the mower forward?
my JD rider does that and I was told I had a bent deck.. I got it from home depot and they said it was a return after 1 week. Well , bent deck will not give an even cut!
That’s a pretty unique scenario. The stamped decks on those machines are easily bent, previous owner probably did it loading/unloading it or hit something with it while mowing pretty hard.
Do you wire brush off the the grass that is stuck on the blades before you balance the blades. The sharping tool is an all American grinder and they work real nice. They have 3 models but one of them has 6 different degrees that you can set it at. It swivels at the base up and down. Put it in the balancer and find the heavy end, mark it with soap stone and start with that side so you don't take of to much of the blade and go from there. Use flapper wheels, they are more gentle than hard wheels and give you a flatter edge instead of a rounded edge.
I just bought a wright stander b 36 cut like this they think im crazy . 8k a cuts like shet.. trying everything... that b. Something if its a bent blade... im about to sell it with 10 hrs... never buy a wrights mower ever agin. But they looked at it again. .. think they would of coaught that... im checking that. Thanks man.. ? You cant fix bent blads just get nrw ones...
I’m sorry to hear that! Hope they can figure out what’s wrong. I would not service a bent blade, it can lead to some serious damage either during sharpening or during use.
@ProgressiveLawnService they sharpen them both.. idk. Im out 8k how i look at it. Might try the scag 32 if i can find one or they just give me new 36 b. Handel's like champ cuts like a chump. 🙈
Back in the good old days on eighth of an inch run out on your mower blade was the limit of run out that was acceptable.... So don't be throwing. . away a good blades... I'd like you to know the standard of run out still applies to modern day so that way you won't misunderstand what I said... A blade can have a 1/8 inch run out..😮
Never sharpen your lawn mower blades razor sharp sharpen them at a 30° angle and the edge of the blade should be 25,000 radius.... The first quarter inch of your blade does most of the cutting... Make sure your deck is level from side to side in the front should dip down a quarter inch lower than the rear... That's The Sweet spot...😊
First thing I would check is the spindle in the middle. Get under there and grab it and see if it’s loose, if it is you need to get it fixed ASAP. Next thing it could be is possibly the deck is out of balance to the front or back.
Mine is doing it as well John Deere 915e bought brand new ones same issue. I kinda am leaning towards the spindle never greased them when I should have. Any update on yours joe. I’m gonna buy the spindle and replace it this weekend so I’ll let ya know if that was my issues
Not necessarily. Could have came from a bunch of stuff. Now I hit a shovel one time that was under some tall grass…that was a sound I’ll never forget 😂
If you have a bent blade won't it just mow higher or lower than the other blade(s). Wouldn't a stripe mean a bent spindle? I have the same problem and it's driving me crazy(short drive anyway)1
Someone has suggested the spindle was bad as well but I checked them and they’re fine. I also thought tire pressure was off on the first time I noticed this but it wasn’t. They were dead even.
I made this video well over a year ago, might be closer to 2 years ago actually. I do know that I tossed the blade. You shouldn’t repair a bent blade, it’s bad for the spindles and cuts bad.
If a blade is bent more than an 1/8 pitch it or scrape it. They are made out of hardened tensile steel if you try to heat it could fracture and break. They are heated and stamped on big presses to the shape and and left to cool that is why you see those lines running down the sharpening point. you should run a few passes on that before you put them on and balance them .
A bent blade should never be straightened. The metal becomes too brittle doing that and can either break while trying to do it and cause you harm or break while cutting grass causing it to be a nasty projectile. Thought I mentioned that somewhere near the end. Been a few years since I uploaded this video.
I use a wire brush and putty scraper to do that. Not sure if it can be seen nor do I remember if I did that for this video, it was uploaded over 2 years ago now. But that is correct.
MOST of the uneven cuts are because your land is not flat. There are dips, etc and if you use a riding lawn mower then this happens more often. A push mower has less space between front and rear wheels so the cut will be more even than riders. If your blade is bent then you'd feel a vibration.
My yard had never done this previously and hasn’t since. And I cut in different directions every time. I tossed that blade out and swapped it for a new one. Worked great! But you’re right, that is a common problem
I can see it on the going and return strip I don't know which side it is but its coming from the same blade crooked blade bent spindle or low air in the tires.
@@rickgledura3194 you don’t. A bent blade needs to be thrown away, it will become weak and brittle if you try bending it back. Just replace with a new one. I made this video quite awhile ago, I barely remember how it goes without watching it again
i look at a lawn like yours and wonder what would bend your blades. something much easier and faster is check tire pressure. you probably have a flat tire. 9 out of 10 times it is a low tire not a bent blade
At the time of filming this I was also cutting grass as a side business. But I don’t recall hitting anything. I think the blade was just worn, it had quite a few hours and lawns on it
I barely remember what I did in this video. Made it like 3 years ago and the algorithm randomly shot it up in views. I took the blade that was bent and threw it away and replaced it with a new one
Absolute rubbish about a bent blade leaving ridges! You are using a ROTARY mower,ergo the blade/s rotate in the horizontal plane, therefore the low AND high side of the blade/s both pass over the area of grass multiple times as you mow. A bent blade will result in an uneven cut if you rush the. Mower! II too am in my 70’s and have been cutting grass for over 50 years!
Sharpening blades has nothing to do with a UN-even grass cut. Either your deck was plugged up with grass or your deck was not level in according to specks.
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness well, then I'm just flat out wrong 😶. I've lived in about a dozen states. Ohio was my second guess 😐. Born in Maryland, too, lol 😣.
I’m not buying the bent blade either. If the spindle is fine then you have a bent deck. Turn the deck upside down and see if the blades match. More common than you would think. A bent blade moving on a level plan will still cut level. Not as efficient but won’t leave a ridge.
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness I didn’t say you did. If you corrected your issue good for you. What I said was if there is a strip of grass left higher or lower it usually caused by the blade not running parallel to the ground. A bent deck or bent spindle would be the most common causes.
If you’re referring to mowing, I’d certainly hate to hand cut over an acre of grass. If you’re referring to sharpening the blades, there’s a difference between laziness and just working smarter.
Not sure how I never realized I posted this but here’s the links to the 2 products in here I use to balance and sharpen my blades. They’re not affiliate links, I don’t have a discount code for either of these companies. ⬇️⬇️
Model 5005 sharpener - www.allamericansharpener.com/5005
Balancer - www.magna-matic-direct.com/products/mag-1000-balancing-instrument.html
Excellent video. Very informative over a common, and frustrating occurrence for a lot of people.
Appreciate that! Thanks for watching
Where did you get that balancer and grinder mechanism?
Sorry I’m late for responding to this! Thanks for watching! Links below ⬇️
Model 5005 sharpener - www.allamericansharpener.com/5005
Balancer - www.magna-matic-direct.com/products/mag-1000-balancing-instrument.html
Good info complimented with lots of good feedback. I think the fine folks at SCAG got the memo on rigidity. Built like a tank on the 61” advantage deck.
Much appreciated! I’d love to get my hands on a SCAG one day, thier cut quality seems amazing! Thank you for watching
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness very good machine. Wildcat demo that I bought about fifteen years ago. Only available for two. Specs were pretty much one way but exactly as I would have done it if I had a free hand.
I have the exact same balancer and just love it!
It moves so freely.
They’re sweet!
Your lawn, even with the raised lines looks much better than my yard after mowing. I find if I mow too low this happens (under 3") but if I raise it then it's not as bad. It's also hard for me to see it when I am mowing in the afternoon. I don't notice it until evening then the light angle changes and I see them.
Much appreciated! It’s on the struggle bus this year, we haven’t got much rain. 😔 I find my mower cuts TERRIBLE at anything between 3.75 and 4.5. I typically cut at 4.5 in the summer but can’t go much lower unless it’s 3.5 or under in the Spring. My next cut will be high. I know what you mean by the sun playing tricks on your eye, that’s such a pain!
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness If I cut more than 4" high then I need to mow twice a week.
@@bertroost1675
People who are cutting more than four inches high are NOT mowing your typical yard.. such as..."LAWN SERVICE " people. They are not mowing at ALL.... probably 1/2 ass weed eatin'. All you can see after is tire tracks and grass tops skimmed.
Next day...(let alone next week)..it looks like it was never mowed.
Who cuts higher than 4 inches anyway.... some one who is bush hogging?
Where did you get that balancer,gadget to find bent blades. and grinder tool , awesome video
Appreciate that! Thanks for watching. Links to both below ⬇️
Balancer: www.magna-matic-direct.com/products/mag-1000-balancing-instrument.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItfH1md2OgQMVuExHAR1VHwQfEAQYAiABEgKIkvD_BwE
Sharpener jig: www.allamericansharpener.com/5005?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy6HlwN2OgQMV5dvICh2YFwbCEAQYASABEgLLJ_D_BwE
Usually a spindle problem or worn out deck mounts but since I have a "politically correct" yard that consists of prairie weeds I usually don't sweat the small stuff. My "grass" is Indian Paintbrush, Dandelions, Bluebells and clover. Best of all I don't have to feed or water it. Thanks for the video.
Spindles are fine 🤷♂️ Thanks for watching!
Thanks for the “spindle or worn out deck mounts”. I replaced all three blades yesterday and still have the same issue as posted in video. Thanks
That’s just anal
My kind of lawn. Keep up the good work! Ban weed and feed!
Tire pressure plays a huge part
That’s correct, I’ve cut most of the yard before and realized tire pressure was off on one side
yeahhh. jacked my yard up last time bc of that. dang it.
@fistsofsteel5 glad to know it wasn't just me🤣🤣🤣 it was cutting all jacked up and I thought blades were messed up, then thought it was the deck lol🤦♂️ tire pressure the whole time
I have the same issue after replacing both blades this year. I have the 5 star center holes on the blades. I found that the previous blades had distorted the star on the spindle. This caused the old blade to be hard to remove and the new blade would not go on the spindle until after I filed off the burrs on the spindle. At this point, only replacement of the spindle will fix the issue.
No more quality control anymore
In my long experience -- cuz I'm old-- for sure a bent blade can cause all kinds of problems including vibration that will ultimately take out a bearing. However, after considerable wear and sharpenings, the very end of the cutting tip gets rounded off and thereby can shorten the blade enough to cause it to leave ridges of grass in the lawn as you described. On another point of sharpening: if you are being as aggressive as shown, the metal will heat up enough to lose its temper and dull real quickly thereafter. It needs ongoing cooling by dipping in water when sharpening. Using your technique with the angle grinder, I can see how the blade would need balancing. By the time you are done doing that, you could end up with a toothpick of a blade just the right size to throw it on the metal garbage pile.
Never had that problem, only blades I’ve ever tossed were bent and a set I had that I hit not 1 but 2 shovels in some tall grass with (new property I had never serviced before). I don’t take them down enough for them to be razor sharp, although it may look like that in the video.
I agree. Old dudes know shit like this.
Thanks for sharing but I put brand new blades on and still get this issue
Bent deck frame?
@@bertroost1675 not sure but a friend gave me a new mower so I don’t have the issue anymore
Because he’s wrong about bent blades causing the problem. A bent blade would gouge a circle into the yard assuming you don’t drive forward. And if you do drive forward it’s actually going to just cut it evenly, low everywhere
It's not always a bent blade but a bent deck. All blade tips should be on the same plane. I've seen a blade tip 1/4" above or below plane leave a 3" or more mohawk on the lawn.
I also have a 60in mower, I have put new blades, spindles, and belt, also had my deck re-leveled and it still leaving Mohawks like that.
I see people say that a lot and the only last resort fix is making sure the tire pressure is the same between the back tires and the front casters. Other than that I’m at a loss for what it could be.
Two toro dealers I’ve took it too checked all tire pressure, blades, check deck, and they test mow with it and say their lost as well.
ive same issue and wondering what 'deck releveling' is ?
@@roytaylor6602th-cam.com/video/JvaMxEdah5s/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
Sam, how do you fix a similar problem with a reel mower?
I wish I had the confidence to give you an answer on that one but I really have no clue. Reel mowing is a whole different world to me. Maybe there’s a video on here about problems with reel mowers not cutting correctly. I just don’t wanna give you bad info because I honestly don’t know anything about them.
You can balance a blade on the wall with a 16 penny nail
Straight into a stud or you can put a bolt thru a small square plate or wood and mount the blade to the bolt and measure the distance top and bottom to see if blade is bent 2 or 3 bucks or you can buy expensive unit as well
That’s awesome. If you have a balancer, which no one I know does.
A blade balancer? I know a lot of people with them. Not necessarily this one but at least something.
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness Wish I did. I’ll need to get one.
No clue how to do this without the balancer
A nail in the wall of your shop can serve as a perfectly serviceable balance fixture.
I’ve put 3 new blades on mine, also had all 3 spindles replaced and still doing that to my yard
@@roytaylor6602 could be the deck not being balanced at that point. Or tire pressure is off. I’m not really sure what to tell you
Helloo Mr and where I found this magnet and the piece in the wood table for maintenance the blade
Thanks for watching! Links below ⬇️
Model 5005 sharpener - www.allamericansharpener.com/5005
Balancer - www.magna-matic-direct.com/products/mag-1000-balancing-instrument.html
Appeared to me that if your blade may have been bent and would have been even more apparent if you checked out at the very end? I check mine by spinning each blade to see if ends align and are level to each other? Interesting equipment though, first time I have seen either apparatus?
I used the gauge on the back of my balancer. I MIGHT have been able to tell by comparing them to each other but then who’s to say I’m comparing 1 bent blade to another. I just went ahead and checked them all anyways while they were off the machine. Thanks for watching!
I'd like to know how to replace the deck lower cables on a Cub Cadet LT 1018, please. Just a site to get the info would be nice. Thanks
Not sure if this helps but here’s a link to someone working on the mower deck of that machine. I just searched your question in the TH-cam search bar. 👇👇
th-cam.com/video/abkYyqgC9Mc/w-d-xo.htmlsi=_a0OAxkv8FYjxqOU
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness thanks, I did see that video. My cables aren’t coated plus they go up towards the back under seat area. There’s a video on that but showing how to dissemble to get to the cables is what was looking for.
Noticed your sharping set up, where can I get one?
My blade in the middle is is about 3mm above the other two and I get that same little stripe like you showed
I did that once and realized I forgot to put one of my washers back on when I put new blades on. Could be a spindle issue as well, can’t say for sure
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness had the spindle rebuilt I put washers on it to make all blades even see what happens when I go out mowing customers
What is that system you used to sharpen your blades...looks awesome
I use an All American Sharpeners Model 5005 to sharpen them, it’s a jig that holds the blade and grinder at the perfect angle to sharpen them. Then I balance with a MagnaMatic mag 1000 balancer.
I've gone round and round with cub cadet. I've had two of their lawn tractors. Both left a strip around 8" wide of partly cut grass from under the left side of the deck. They both cut that way new from the dealer. The last one I put into the factory service center and they changed the blades and releveled the deck. Came back no better so I will no longer buy their products. I believe it's a deck design issue. At any rate I bought a badboy zero turn and it looks like a pool table smooth after mowing. Unfortunately after mowing for an hour I shut the mower off to walk a bit and then when I got back on it, it wouldn't start. Batteries hot but no ignition so I had to put a mower with one hour on it in the shop to be repaired.
I know this is an old comment but I had the same problem with my Cub Cadet GT2250 and drove myself crazy trying to fix it.
Finally figured out that the frame the idle pulleys are strung to was deformed. That seemed to prevent the belt from being as tight as it should so one of my blades just wasn't spinning as fast as it should...or rather none of them were spinning as fast as they should and I never could get that one sharped just right. Works like new now.
How did you fix the off-set in the middle blade?
Once a new blade was installed, the cut went back to being perfect again. Crazy how much something so simple can effect that. I think I just replaced this whole set after this video, I can’t remember. I made this a long time ago 😂
So what did you do to fix rhe bent blade?
@@kirill42069 threw the bent one away and got a new one.
great video brother
Thanks! Appreciate that! 👊
i need that awesome set up
Thanks man!
what setup do you have for the balancer and sharpener setup thx
@@craigryder3712 I made a video on that specifically, let me send you the link!
@@craigryder3712 th-cam.com/video/yJlMXT5PTjc/w-d-xo.html
Would you get them tools to work with I'm not talkin about the DeWalt using I'm talking about the practice you got made up on your bench and that Mac 1000
Your bad stripes, are much better then my best stripes lol. Good video, thank you.
Much appreciated 😂 thanks for watching!
If your blade is bent, what do you do with it? Can it be fixed or is it time to buy a brand new blade?
Gotta get a new one. Trying to bend it can cause the metal to become brittle and make it break very easy.
What kind of blade sharpening set up is that I love that guide arm set up
It’s an All American Sharpeners, I love it! I did a video on it awhile ago, I’ll find that too. The link below is to thier website and should be the exact sharpener I have.
www.allamericansharpener.com/5005?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzoPriqWZ-gIVCYnICh2bcQVwEAQYASABEgKIT_D_BwE
th-cam.com/video/yJlMXT5PTjc/w-d-xo.html
Here’s the video, it’s been awhile but I think I go in depth a good bit about it.
Where did you get the blade balancer from?
It’s made by a company called Magnamatic.
www.magna-matic-direct.com/blade-balancers/
Over the years I learnt just replace the blades with new by sharpening them you make the blades off balance and it start messing up the spindles after a while not right away but you get what I’m saying if you been doing it for awhile
Once , my tires had a small pin hole leak , so my tires wouldn't go completely flat , but just enough that it did leave unevengliness . Looks like you just have tire marks on your lawn , though !
My left tire did that FOREVER. It would be fine then randomly be flat. I took it off with intentions of taking it to get checked out and just never did. Threw it back on and it’s never given me a problem again 😂 must have scared it. As for the tire marks, my grass was just growing good and was nice and thick so the tires left some nice impressions.
@ProgressiveLawnService Yeah , I didn't think it was an uneven cutting , just a visual effect that made it look uneven !
Where did u purchase those 2 cool gadgets? The blade balancer and that other arm you used with the grinder?
The balancer is a Magnamatic blade balancer and the arm is an All American Sharpeners. A more in depth video can be found here! ⬇️
th-cam.com/video/yJlMXT5PTjc/w-d-xo.html
What is the tool or the vise where you set the baldes for re-sharpening?? Where can i get that??
Where does someone pick up that sharpening system?
All American Sharpeners, this is the link to the exact one I have! 👇
www.allamericansharpener.com/5005?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs6KAutjzgAMVNU5HAR2sOwuAEAQYASABEgLoj_D_BwE
My riding mower is set to the highest setting yet it cuts grass too short. Any idea? Everything appears to be installed correctly, and the tires have enough pressure.
Unless I missed it, you never showed how to take that end out so it will mow evenly.
Replace the blade. If it’s out of balance or too bent it shouldn’t be used. Could damage spindles
I know one other thing that must be done is have the wheels all set evenly. That could also mess up a lawn and maybe even make the mower abnormally hard to push. I just hope that if it happened to someone they cut their grass too high and might be able to set it right as if nothing ever happened. It is one of those things you would want to fix if possible and never say a word about it to anyone.
So what you have to get rid of the Bent Blade and get a new one
Yessir, trying to bend them back will make them brittle and dangerous.
I have a 3 blade zero turn mower that has cut higher on just the left blade ever since I bought it new. I've switched the blades around 3 times with no change. I've also measured the deck height and spindle height. Everything measures exactly the same from side to side. Still get the left cutting noticeably higher. Any suggestions?
Tire pressure even?? I’ve had that happen to me, tire pressure was off and the cut wasn’t level.
Something is causing the deck to torque out of level . and probably a factory defect . A certain green mower you can get at Lowes is notorious for that .
Thanks. I think you nailed it!
My mower mows evenly but then it just starts digging up the ground? I didn't hit anything and it was fine until towards the end of mowing? is that the same problem as the uneven grass in your video, just more extreme? Thanks so much
I’m not quite sure what you mean by that. Like it seems that your mower deck is lowering and scalping? Or your cut is even sometimes then randomly isn’t?
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness Yes! Thank you for your reply!! So, right before the last five or six rows, the mower just started smoking and scalping the lawn! all the way down to the ground so the row looks brown!?
@@AL-dd6oz is there a way to adjust the height of the deck? Could be the lever/pedal isn’t engaging and is allowing the deck to drop suddenly. What kind of mower do you have?
@@AL-dd6oz that’s a tough one man. Without seeing it, it’s hard to say what the problem is but it sounds almost as if the deck isn’t holding itself up. As in it isn’t staying locked into whatever setting you have it in. What kind of mower is it?
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness Hi, it's a Briggs-Stratton (?). The front wheels were bent but a shop pounded them bac in place as much as possible and seemed fine. Would that possibly cause the "deck" to not hold up? I did not use the mower prior to the front wheel damage...
I'm getting this with my mower. I even got brand new blades and it's still doing it. I can't figure it out. Also seems like my right blade is ever so slightly lower than my center blade. They all have the same spacers.
that balancing tool you use reminds me of a bicycle wheel truing station. it seems great for making sure your blade is not bent but how does that balance the blade? The tool that I have is much cheaper but it just lets you place the blade on a flat surface and then you can let gravity tell you if one side is heavier than the other...
Same principle with this it just places the blade parallel with the wall you mount it. The indicator on the back allows to check if a blade is bent then you fold it out of the way and let gravity tell you if the blade is balanced. If it spins to one side, the blade is heavier on that side. I like it but man is it sensitive, very rarely do I spend time making them perfect, just getting close works for me 😂
Did you make that swing arm for your grinder, or buy it somewhere?
Bought it. It’s an All American Sharpeners 5005. Love it!
www.allamericansharpener.com/5005?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlrGvjMCf-gIVzvbICh1WZQNiEAQYASABEgLDwvD_BwE
My lawn looks terrible and I have uneven cuts all over. I guess a small engine shop can bend the blades back?
No, blades should never get bent back in shape. They need to be replaced. Attempting to bend them can break them or cause them to be stressed and you put them back on and they become dangerous when using.
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness Okay thanks for the advice, Ace Hardware here I come.
This is all well and good but what about the rest of us who don't have the fancy balancer? How do we check and fix our blades without this neat fancy tool?
Some people have success with using a nail, some people have success with using a cheap balanced thing from Lowes or Amazon. Kind of up to the user and how much they want to spend.
Put a smooth nail or rod in your vise and check. Grind material from the heavy end.
I just replace both blades every year or two. Cheaper and less time than using special tools.
So did sharpening the blade fix the problem or did you replace the blade?
I wound up replacing it. I wouldn’t sharpen a bent blade. I had some other sets laying around I was gonna toss but found one that wasn’t bent and just put it in service with that specific set.
I had this problem and then realized my one back tire would loose quite a bit of air pressure every week. Now I just bring the pressure back up before I mow and alls good.
@@fredparsons5134 I had that problem too when I first bought this mower. Had a very slow leak in the left rear. I took it off the machine and changed my mind about taking it to the dealership and it never leaked again 😂😂 I must have scared it
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness , I might have to try that! 😆. I'm tired of airing it up. Lol
Bearings in spindle let go and the blade shaft dropped down lower then the other blades
One of the things I first thought as well (and was worried about). Swapped the blade out and it cut great again
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness much cheaper then new spindle. Be well.
@@CC-nq7mp that’s right! You as well, thanks for watching
Haven’t watched this whole video but right off the bat how the hell would a bent blade moving in circular motion gouge a straight line as you travel forward wouldn’t it gouge a circle when you first turn the blades on without moving the mower forward?
my JD rider does that and I was told I had a bent deck..
I got it from home depot and they said it was a return after 1 week. Well , bent deck will not give an even cut!
That’s a pretty unique scenario. The stamped decks on those machines are easily bent, previous owner probably did it loading/unloading it or hit something with it while mowing pretty hard.
Wow, does it really matter? Especially if the average person doesnt even notice it. Looks great to me.
I mean it really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, it’s just a TH-cam video man. But thank you
That's good. Unless you have a bent spindle.
New blade solved the problem. I was very worried that’s what it was.
Uneven stripes are caused by dull/bent blades and or uneven tire pressure
That’s correct
Do you wire brush off the the grass that is stuck on the blades before you balance the blades. The sharping tool is an all American grinder and they work real nice. They have 3 models but one of them has 6 different degrees that you can set it at. It swivels at the base up and down. Put it in the balancer and find the heavy end, mark it with soap stone and start with that side so you don't take of to much of the blade and go from there. Use flapper wheels, they are more gentle than hard wheels and give you a flatter edge instead of a rounded edge.
Yes, it’s a pain in the a$$ but it works! I have the 5005 from All American. Works great
I just bought a wright stander b 36 cut like this they think im crazy . 8k a cuts like shet.. trying everything... that b. Something if its a bent blade... im about to sell it with 10 hrs... never buy a wrights mower ever agin. But they looked at it again. .. think they would of coaught that... im checking that. Thanks man.. ? You cant fix bent blads just get nrw ones...
I’m sorry to hear that! Hope they can figure out what’s wrong. I would not service a bent blade, it can lead to some serious damage either during sharpening or during use.
@ProgressiveLawnService they sharpen them both.. idk. Im out 8k how i look at it. Might try the scag 32 if i can find one or they just give me new 36 b. Handel's like champ cuts like a chump. 🙈
Back in the good old days on eighth of an inch run out on your mower blade was the limit of run out that was acceptable.... So don't be throwing. . away a good blades... I'd like you to know the standard of run out still applies to modern day so that way you won't misunderstand what I said... A blade can have a 1/8 inch run out..😮
killer graphics for your logo.
Thanks!
Never sharpen your lawn mower blades razor sharp sharpen them at a 30° angle and the edge of the blade should be 25,000 radius.... The first quarter inch of your blade does most of the cutting... Make sure your deck is level from side to side in the front should dip down a quarter inch lower than the rear... That's The Sweet spot...😊
What if i noticed my mower cutting low on the middle blade and leaving the strips of grass so I got new blades and it’s still doing it
First thing I would check is the spindle in the middle. Get under there and grab it and see if it’s loose, if it is you need to get it fixed ASAP. Next thing it could be is possibly the deck is out of balance to the front or back.
Mine is doing it as well John Deere 915e bought brand new ones same issue. I kinda am leaning towards the spindle never greased them when I should have. Any update on yours joe. I’m gonna buy the spindle and replace it this weekend so I’ll let ya know if that was my issues
You may not have the deck set to have blade tips 1/8" lower than the rear and may also be mowing grass that is too long or deck that is too low.
@@keithruffner7168 No sense replacing the spindle if it is not noisy (good bearings).
She’s still cutting like crap but I will try to see if it’s the spindle
With a bend like that wouldn’t you have heard when it got damaged?
Not necessarily. Could have came from a bunch of stuff. Now I hit a shovel one time that was under some tall grass…that was a sound I’ll never forget 😂
If you have a bent blade won't it just mow higher or lower than the other blade(s). Wouldn't a stripe mean a bent spindle? I have the same problem and it's driving me crazy(short drive anyway)1
Someone has suggested the spindle was bad as well but I checked them and they’re fine. I also thought tire pressure was off on the first time I noticed this but it wasn’t. They were dead even.
hmm...dont have that tool...I will have to improvise tomorrow...
You never showed us what repair the bent blade needed. Do they fix the blades or do I buy a new one? Otherwise, what was the purpose of the video?
I made this video well over a year ago, might be closer to 2 years ago actually. I do know that I tossed the blade. You shouldn’t repair a bent blade, it’s bad for the spindles and cuts bad.
If a blade is bent more than an 1/8 pitch it or scrape it. They are made out of hardened tensile steel if you try to heat it could fracture and break. They are heated and stamped on big presses to the shape and and left to cool that is why you see those lines running down the sharpening point. you should run a few passes on that before you put them on and balance them .
Unfortunately you didn't show how to straighten the bent blade.
A bent blade should never be straightened. The metal becomes too brittle doing that and can either break while trying to do it and cause you harm or break while cutting grass causing it to be a nasty projectile. Thought I mentioned that somewhere near the end. Been a few years since I uploaded this video.
seems to me that grass residue and rust should be removed before putting on balancer to check for bent blade or balance...
I use a wire brush and putty scraper to do that. Not sure if it can be seen nor do I remember if I did that for this video, it was uploaded over 2 years ago now. But that is correct.
👍👍👍
Thanks
Uneven tire pressures will cut unevenly also. Thanks
MOST of the uneven cuts are because your land is not flat. There are dips, etc and if you use a riding lawn mower then this happens more often. A push mower has less space between front and rear wheels so the cut will be more even than riders. If your blade is bent then you'd feel a vibration.
My yard had never done this previously and hasn’t since. And I cut in different directions every time. I tossed that blade out and swapped it for a new one. Worked great! But you’re right, that is a common problem
I can buy the bent blade or the bent spindle but the land not being flat and making the strip he's talking about ? Come on. Lol .
Low air in the tires on one side
I can see it on the going and return strip I don't know which side it is but its coming from the same blade crooked blade bent spindle or low air in the tires.
You didn't show how to fix the bent blade
@@rickgledura3194 you don’t. A bent blade needs to be thrown away, it will become weak and brittle if you try bending it back. Just replace with a new one. I made this video quite awhile ago, I barely remember how it goes without watching it again
i look at a lawn like yours and wonder what would bend your blades. something much easier and faster is check tire pressure. you probably have a flat tire. 9 out of 10 times it is a low tire not a bent blade
At the time of filming this I was also cutting grass as a side business. But I don’t recall hitting anything. I think the blade was just worn, it had quite a few hours and lawns on it
Great video, but I won’t be spending bout $250 on a balancer. Thanks for the info though.
You only showed us you sharpened them, but you didn’t show us how to fix the problem
I barely remember what I did in this video. Made it like 3 years ago and the algorithm randomly shot it up in views. I took the blade that was bent and threw it away and replaced it with a new one
I’ve always noticed that in my yard but I just thought the yard was uneven
The way I seee it is , if it freaking cuts! Use it
That’s one way to put it 😂
Absolute rubbish about a bent blade leaving ridges! You are using a ROTARY mower,ergo the blade/s rotate in the horizontal plane, therefore the low AND high side of the blade/s both pass over the area of grass multiple times as you mow.
A bent blade will result in an uneven cut if you rush the. Mower!
II too am in my 70’s and have been cutting grass for over 50 years!
You’re right. I made this up. How did you know? 🙄
Nothing wrong with that yard. Its just grass. Way to many important things to worry about.
$216 for the balance tool mounted to the wall! Wow!
They were $175 when I made this video several years ago.
Sharpening blades has nothing to do with a UN-even grass cut. Either your deck was plugged up with grass or your deck was not level in according to specks.
@@rickjohnson4725 you’re right, the blade was bent, not dull. Deck wasn’t clogged and it’s not unlevel.
Pennsylvania accent fo sho
Negative. I’m from Southern Maryland. Only been to PA probably 5 times in my whole life.
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness well, then I'm just flat out wrong 😶. I've lived in about a dozen states. Ohio was my second guess 😐. Born in Maryland, too, lol 😣.
No excuses when a man cuts a yard he will do it right
That’s not enough bend to cause a issue
spindle leaning
I thought the same thing recently actually. Someone pointed it out not long after I filmed this video but spindles are fine.
I’m not buying the bent blade either. If the spindle is fine then you have a bent deck. Turn the deck upside down and see if the blades match. More common than you would think. A bent blade moving on a level plan will still cut level. Not as efficient but won’t leave a ridge.
@@hflora1049 why would I make that up? I changed the blade and the cut went back to being normal.
@@3rdTACGolfandFitness I didn’t say you did. If you corrected your issue good for you. What I said was if there is a strip of grass left higher or lower it usually caused by the blade not running parallel to the ground. A bent deck or bent spindle would be the most common causes.
I don't worry about that stuff . It's grass and it's cut is my only concern.
If you don’t start the engine it won’t mow like that.
Tires deck not properly adjusted dull blade an or bent blade Shame after all that you put a grinder to the blade
The blade in question was tossed out and replaced with a non bent one.
People are getting lazy. We've forgotten how to do things by hand.
If you’re referring to mowing, I’d certainly hate to hand cut over an acre of grass. If you’re referring to sharpening the blades, there’s a difference between laziness and just working smarter.
Wow, a $200 blade balancer.
coz ur mowing in different direction mow the lawn in only 1 direction, youll see what i mean
Git a John Deere mower z370R
All that safety equipment and no gloves.smh
Yeah no thanks
Move your finger so I can see what you are talking about.
Watch the video and you’ll see 😉
More out of balance than a bent blade.
If u drive slower, itll cut more evenly.
Noooo sound..
If your blade was bent it would vibrate so bad and ruin your mower even the slightest bend
That’s bs