Do You Balance Your Mower Blades

[WranglerX]

Anybody balance their mower blades...

Have a JD L120 mower with three blades in deck (48 inch deck)... I use Oregon blades because I get them for about half the prices of JD blades and the last longer...

I take them off at several times during cutting season to resharpen and reuse because it "country" and rocks and gopher mounds and stoick's seem to take their toll...

But what is good process to balance blades other then buying a $50-200 balancer?

And definitely not going with this one.,..

Stens 75-5 Blade Balancer: Lawn Mower Blades: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific

And this little guy does not fit the hole on my blades, one step to small, next step to big...

Dale

 

[Bigfoot62]

Yessir. I put one blade in the middle and one on either side!

No, seriously, I don't balance because I don't grind. I buy new factory blades and run them until they're worn, then replace.
But, if you sharpen blades, then I would recommend balancing. Unbalanced blades are hard on spindles.

Something like this would work: Arnold Sharpener/Balancer at Lowes

It's not as accurate, but a nail or screw driven into the edge of your workbench will get you close.

 

[Bird]

Dale, that looks like the same balancer that I use, but the holes in my blades fit just right on it.

 

[mikester]

These blades wing around at very high speeds I dont believe a manual balance by eyeball is going to make that much of a difference in vibration.

I dont re-balance mine. I just grease the spindles regularly and replace the mower blades every spring. I have sandy soil and the blades get sand blasted paper thin after a season.

I also find that my blades get an uneven coating of a hard crust of pulverized grass and dirt. Id have to sand blast the blades to bare metal each time before rebalancing.

I went with a commercial ZTR because the bearings and spindles are beefier and will take a lot more abuse.

 

[oosik]

I bought my JD G100 mid-mount mower brand new in 2003. I remove the blades every spring. Sharpen & balance. I'm still using the OEM blades. I have a light line scribed in the center of each blade. Hatchet in vice - scribed line is set on hatchet blade.

I cut EVERYTHING that the mower can drive over. Lawn, wild roses, Buck brush, pasture, etc. So far, after 17 years, only had to change oil & filter. OH - I've also had to use Gorilla tape on the seat.

Otherwise - it does just great.

 

[grnspot110]

After sharpening, I stick a small diameter screwdriver through the hole in the blade. Then hold the screwdriver firmly against a door post horizontally, check for balance, then turn the blade 180* & check again.

This is similar to the "nail in the wall" procedure recommended in the older John Deere mower manuals!

 

[3Ts]

I use the same balancer as the OP and the holes in my blades don't fit on the balancer either, so I try to center it by eyeball the best I can and balance it from there. When I lived in a sandy soil area I ended up putting hardfacing on the blades which requires a balance afterward. I got reasonably close but not perfect. The spindles lasted 30 years. I don't sharpen my bushhog cutter and don't balance them, suppose I should. Weighing them is the only way I can think of balancing them, but that's not completely correct. Mass and distance from the axis affects the balance, don't know how to do that with separate blades.

 

[TractorGuy]

I use the little cone shaped thingy but a nail sounds like it would be more better.

 

[hawkeye08]

Yep, nail or knife edge... just try to make sure it is not way off.. especially if I have to grind more on one side due to serious ding in edge... I try and even things up.

 

[JerryK]

I have several of the cone thing, but have done it the other way many times...... I try to remove as much grass coating on the blades as possible. Too early to worry a boot this up heah, still have lots of snow bergs.....

 

[Richard001]

I use the same balancer as the OP and the holes in my blades don't fit on the balancer either, so I try to center it by eyeball the best I can and balance it from there. When I lived in a sandy soil area I ended up putting hardfacing on the blades which requires a balance afterward. I got reasonably close but not perfect. The spindles lasted 30 years. I don't sharpen my bushhog cutter and don't balance them, suppose I should. Weighing them is the only way I can think of balancing them, but that's not completely correct. Mass and distance from the axis affects the balance, don't know how to do that with separate blades.

I'm with3Ts on this, if you sharpen you blades and you have to remove a significant amount of metal to get a shape edge, then you need to balance. Typically the hole in the blade is rather large, so just putting a screwdriver in the hole will not give you a good balance. Use the balancer that the OP showed. If I have a blade that shows an imbalance, I use my welder to add just a little material to the light end.


Richard

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I always balance my lawn mower blades, using the nail method.

SR

 

[Thomas]

Also use the cone device plus I keep spare.

 

[JerryK]

I have two also, been trying to find the one I modified to fit a blade that was a little too big for one of the steps. I chucked it in my drill press and filed it down a little so a blade I had at that time would fit. Anywhilst, someday I will find it and post a picture..... someday

 

[ray66v]

I contemplated purchasing a "real" blade balancer, for over $100. Then, I realized how easy it was to make one.

All you need, if you have a round hole in your blade, is a bearing assembly that fits as tightly as possible in that hole. Then, you find a way of attaching that to your bench or whatever, using a bolt or other device that also fits as tightly as possible in the inner hole. (Use of a measuring caliper, and the internet required).

I attached the bearing to a large magnet, so I can stick it on the side of my loader bucket, or what ever is handy when using it.

You may need some washers or bushings to move the bearing away from the mounting surface to give you the clearance you need, for your blade to turn freely.

It is amazing how much different the blades act on this type of balancer, vs the $1.99 "cone type" balancer.

I bought a new set of blades last year, and only 2 of the three were properly balanced. They were good blades, so I never expected that.

Here is a video, where the guy demonstrates this concept in the second half. DIY Mower Blade Balancer - YouTube

 

[Sonny580]

I just grind um and use um on mine---never had any problems doing that. ---around here they are lucky to get ground!

 

[ericm979]

I have used the nail method after grinding and filing mine. I stopped bothering balancing a few years ago and have not noticed a difference.

I finally bought new blades after 22 years. Haven't put them on yet. I had to sharpen them as they came dull with paint on the edges. I should check the balance before installing them.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Every time I sharpen my mower blades I balance them. Clean all the grass off. Sharpen and then balance on the round shaft of a screw driver. If the screw driver shaft is centered in the hole the blade is balanced. And yes the mower runs smoother after balancing.

 

[ericm979]

I checked my new blades yesterday. The screwdriver through the hole method is not nearly as good as I thought it was. Even with a small screwdriver, if you hold the blade down on one side it will stay down. Seems like there is too much friction pivoting on the screwdriver. For a good balance it should be free to move.

I tried an alternate of using a long screwdriver on blocks on my workbench as a pivot but laying the blade on it. The trick there is to get the blade centered. I double checked by swapping the blade 180 degrees in case I was biasing the blade to one side of the screwdriver. This method seems to be more accurate and found one blade that seemed ok from the screwdriver through the hole method to actually be out of balance.

The new blades do run smoother than the old ones that I hadn't been balancing (and were quite worn down from 22 years of use).

 

[Maxify55]

I don't get on my mower without sharpened blaades.
I use the same plastic $5 cone balancer the rest of the guys use.
I do, however, use the XHT hardened blades.
To hold the edge longer for cutting at speed.
With the tough as leather Bahaia grasses down here,
it takes all we can do to cut it.