Belly mower does a ragged job - why?

[ning]

+1 to having a spare set of blades - make sure you have spare belts and any other typical wear items. Then when it's mowing time, you can fix things right away if they're not right and order replacements at leisure.

 

[IXLR8]

You are quite correct. It simply didn't occur to me that the blades would be so dull after 75 hours or so of mowing grass. These are the original blades, so I didn't really have a good idea of how long I could expect them to stay usable.

Now I do. I'm ordering a set of new blades and will put them on the shelf. In 50 hours or so of mowing time, I'll see if I need to swap them out, and if so, I will do it. As you say NEXT TIME, my first stop will be to look at the blades.

Best Regards,

Mike/Florida

Blade tip speeds should be around 18,000 ft/min, which works out to about 200 mph. At that speed even grass is very abrasive to the steel blades.
I sharpen the blades on my z-turn mower every 10 hrs for best cut.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Yes, it has a little red square at 2,800 rpm.

On every other vehicle of the many, many vehicles I have ever owned equipped with a tachometer, the red line/red mark is the top allowable RPM for the engine. I'm talking cars, motorcycles, airplanes, boats, exceed red line and you'll blow it up.

I went and looked through the Kubota manual and I didn't SEE a red line! (I may have missed it, or it may not be possible to get there under load.)

In any event, 2,800 rpm seems to be the design target speed for the engine. Henceforth, that's where the needle will be and I'll wear my ear protectors (I do anyway).

Best Regards,

Mike/Florida

It's governed like a lawn mower engine. You can't over rev.