How Does Everyone Clock Their Blades? Does It Matter?

[dalola]

Doing some mower maintenance the other day, and the thought randomly popped into my head....does blade clocking make any difference in cut quality? Specifically to a three blade finish mower.

I typically don't set them to any position, just randomly tighten them in place, where they happen to be. As I spun the blades around after they were tightened, I noticed the left & center blade met tip to tip in the rotation, while the right blade was more perpendicular to the center during the rotation.

So, what does the brain trust say? Tip to tip, perpendicular, or no difference?

 

[4get gto]

I believe some slippage in belts will take them out of time real quick. Don't think it matters any.. I believe I tried it once moons ago and weren't even close.

 

[SSdoxie]

Makes no difference. The position of the blade arbors are slightly fore and aft of each other so each blade circumference overlaps the cut of next blade but with center of the blades offset blade tips can not contact each other.

 

[mcfarmall]

Unless the spindles are tied together with a gear train or toothed timing belts and pulleys, they will not be in time with each other for more than a few revolutions.

Blades that are too short due to wear WILL INDEED affect the cut quality. They only need to be a few millimeters short to make uncut lines behind you.

 

[shovelmike]

The only mower I had in which blade clocking mattered was a MTD from the late 60s, horizontal shaft engine, gear driven spindles, and blade travel overlapped, clocked 90 degree spread. I broke a blade adapter and the blades began colliding.

 

[sd455dan]

Doing some mower maintenance the other day, and the thought randomly popped into my head....does blade clocking make any difference in cut quality? Specifically to a three blade finish mower.

I typically don't set them to any position, just randomly tighten them in place, where they happen to be. As I spun the blades around after they were tightened, I noticed the left & center blade met tip to tip in the rotation, while the right blade was more perpendicular to the center during the rotation.

So, what does the brain trust say? Tip to tip, perpendicular, or no difference?

On Some mowers it does matter (rare though), If the blades were to be tip to tip they would be hitting each other.
These style decks use cogged (timing) belts. Last belt i bought for ours was about $75.

 

[RjCorazza]

For what it's worth, my Kubota ZD mower manuals recommend setting the blades to a certain position when servicing the blades. They are not clocked, and end up in different positions during use.

 

[Atchuuu]

I lift the deck, turn the mower on high and use one of those handheld counters like this.



Man that thing is fast.

Thought you meant clocking the speed of the blades.

 

[RjCorazza]

I lift the deck, turn the mower on high and use one of those handheld counters like this.

View attachment 624468

Man that thing is fast.

Thought you meant clocking the speed of the blades.

LOL. Your post got me to re read what I wrote, and my word selection was poor. I meant that the ZD mower blades are not timed with a cogged belt, but Kubota still recommends repositioning them on occasion.