TWO Blades on each Spindle

[Eric ELM]

I noticed someone mentioned using 2 blades on each spindle and it was questioned how do you do that by a new member. I have written an article on my website on page 7 called Double Blades that you are welcome to go read with a comparison picture taken in the spring when grass grows fast and thick. I've been using this method for 12 of the past 15 seasons, so it is field tested. I looked for the old post on this, but I couldn't even find it. If anyone is interested, go read it. My website has other information and is mainly for the guys here at Lawnsite, I don't use it for gaining business. We have all the work we can do. If interested, click on my signiture below.


[Edited by Eric ELM on 08-05-2000 at 03:00 AM]

[tony58]

Eric<br>Thanks for the post.One of the new members.<br> Tony

[Eric ELM]

Welcome aboard Tony. The last discussion on this subject that I couldn't find had about 60 posts. Maybe all the other new guys have heard of this or found the discussion I can't find. :)

[Edited by Eric ELM on 08-05-2000 at 03:27 AM]

[CandJ]

Eric, looks like great info, this spring I had a request to bag up a 2 acre lawn so his lawn wouldn't look like a &quot;damn hayfield&quot;. I will have to give this a try.<p>----------<br>Jim<br>

[Jim White]

It looks as though your post has disappeared, more than likely because you used the two finger typing method. (Ha Ha) anyways, for anyone still looking into this subject, I have tried using two blades on each spindle, and I swear it gives the best cut i've seen. My system is mounted on a 2000 Bobcat ZTR2200 61&quot; with a 25Hp. Kolher. If anyone is familar with this machine the Factory blades are set up with an offset of about 3/4&quot; with a slight bend in the blade to the tip's(also a highlift type blade). Because of this I used a Gator blade on the bottom and the offset blade on top. The offset high lift blades still make the lower cut eventhough it's on top the position.<p>Great Idea ERIC. !!!!<p>I've told my freinds in the industry about this and they just shake their heads. I think everyone is afraid that the blades are going to come flying off (ya right)or that spindle life will be compromised. I actually think your spindle life will improve, because the radial loads are more balenced with the blade tips at 90 degrees rather than at 180 to each other. <p>anyone else????<p><br> <p>----------<br>Jim White<br>

[TGCummings]

I plan to implement the two blade system by Spring growth, possibly sooner. I think it's brilliant in it's simplicity, and kudos to Eric for the discovery. Right now, it's not a pressing concern since we're heavy into our dry season out here, but I'm looking forward to giving it a try...<p>-TGC

[Jim Snyder]

Eric, What a great Idea! It reminds me of 2 other blades on the market, the Piranah by John Deere, and the Ninja by Snapper. I have been having trouble with clumps in the discharge of my new 48' Snapper hydro w 17 hp Kaw. My dealer sold me two sets of Steins High lift blades which have titanium edges (awesome edges!!!) I will try the double blades per your article on your web site (nice site!!!) Do you recommend using the standard blade, the high lift or a combination? What are your thoughts? Anyone else out there?<p>Thanks, Jim

[Eric ELM]

I have tried 2 sets of regular blades, high lift and Gators, 2 sets of high lifts, 2 sets of Gators, Gators on top, Gators on the bottom. Just try different combos. Just use what you have before going out and buying special blades. I run a high lift on top and a Gator on the bottom. The reason I do this is, I think Gators are easier to sharpen and the top blades don't need to be sharpened each time. They just chop clippings and the bottom one does the cutting. The Gators don't slow down the RPM's as much. 2 highlifts will slow them down more. See what works for you

[Edited by Eric ELM on 08-05-2000 at 03:28 AM]

[Cutter1]

Eric....What keeps the two blades in a + formation?? Do you use washers in between the two blades? What happens if you hit something out in the field? Do you have to go home and re-adjust? Is the top balde the same size as the bottom or is it smaller? Sorry all the questions, just curious!!

[Eric ELM]

Cutter1: I don't put anything between the blades on the old Chopper. I just put the blades in a + formation and torque them down like I would one blade and I use both blades the same size. You can use an older worn out blade on top, because it just chops the clippings. If you hit something solid, a blade will move, but I just pull over to the trailer and loosen the bolt, adjust them, and retighten the bolt. The new Chopper I got, I got a set of brackets that keep them in a + formation. They threw the brackets in on the deal, so I took them, but I don't think they are that necessary. It was last year when we had to adjust the blades last, after hitting a rake that the home owner had left in the tall grass and I didn't see it. OOOOpps :)

[Jim Snyder]

Eric I wrote atout this 2 days ago. I went out last evening and did 6 yards while doubling up 2 high lift blades on each spindle... I was in bliss!!! it worked very well. When I was done I took a peek under the deck and the blades were still in the + formation. There was a bit of drag or lag due to a total of 6 high lift blades on my 48' snapper hydro. I think I will try a high lift and a standard.

I have 1 yard on a hill in a nice $300k neighborhood that they planted some sort of annual Rye grass in the back yard that is ALWAYS 5-6" tall. THe owner dosen't care what the back looks like. I usually have chuncks/ clumps that just roll out of the side chute like a hay bailer... NOT THIS TIME!!! I was thinking of the photo on your web site showing your lawn next to the competitions. There was a 3' clowd outside the chute!!! The double blading cut it down to 1/4" clippings that layed down nice. No more hay bailing!!! The stripes were also a higher contrast (lighter and darker)

I'v been doing this for about 9 years now... I was very excited to learn something new!!

Thanks

Jim

[Eric ELM]

If you have a set of Gators, try putting one of them on with a high lift. It will have less air drag because of the slots in the Gators. Two regualar lift blades will be a lot less too, so you won't loose so much RPM's. :)

I've been in this business for 15 years and I'm still learning things from this forum. I'll have to see if I can find some other hot topics for you newer members. I'm glad to hear that you have already benefited from Lawnsite.

[Runner]

Hey Eric, I use double blades as well and itdoes work great! I prefer to run a 2 level low lift mulching blade on top of a high lift Dixie Chopper blade. I run this combo on a Lazer EPS 60". One question I would like to ask you, is do or did you use longer spindle bolts to make up for the 1/4" loss? I think this is a good idea, since on the Exmark for instance, the is only about 3/8" of an inch thread penetration into the spindle. This could really stress those threads when torquing. If anyone else has changed bolts, please respond as well. Thanks!

[Eric ELM]

I would use as long of a bolt as possible. On my machines, I have at least an inch and 1/4 of thread to screw in. Don't be doing this if you don't feel it's safe. You must not of had to much thread to start with if you only have 3/8" now. Be Safe guys. :)

[BRL]

Well I have to throw in my $.02. Thanks Eric! I don't know when this particular thread started but I didn't have time to check here anyway. I'm in central NJ and Mother Nature thought it was April again & dumped 9" of rain during the past 10 days. Needless to say the grass started growing way too fast and I was getting tired of double & triple cutting all of the lawns.:( I remembered this idea & figured now was the time to try it. Wow. I put 2 sets of gators on both mowers and we were finally able to single & double cut some of the jungles. Grass has grown anywhere from 5" -8" in one week and it was getting to be a real pain. I even took a mower into a commercial drain basin that I couldn't get into for 3 weeks. I wouldn't have ever even considered before using the double blades for a day. Knocked down 12" - 14" of grass & weeds in 2 passes. I'm definitely amazed at this idea. I'm also glad that I read the post about using longer bolts because I didn't figure that one out, and I'll be buying a new set of bolts tomorrow. Thanks Eric & others! :)

[lawnnut]

The bolt is a
5/8 = 11 gr 8

With 2 blades and a washer off the old bolt, we can use
a 1 1/2" bolt on ours but that is the absolute max.
Most good hardware stores can supply you with these.

[Evan528]

Has anybody tried double blades on a toro mower yet? what do you do with the blade craddle and do you need a longer bolt? Now that my lawns are gowing an inch a day double blades would be great right about now to reduce all those clippings. Between the super flow deck and double blades the clippings would probly disperce 25 ft. Lanws that i cut thursday already could use cutting again... this is crazy! Nutsedge is growing about 2 inches a day and crabgrass is juicier than ever! help!

[lawrence stone]

Evan wrote:

>Nutsedge is growing about 2 inches a day and crabgrass is juicier than ever! help!

That is not crabgrass. It is annual bluegrass (poa anna).

[accuratelawn]

The crabgrass is pretty juicy here also... no its not poa anna blue.
Its crab...very juicy also fox tails etc.

[Scraper]

AMEN! I too just tried the double blade set up on my 52" Scag. Man O Man!!! Grass at least 6" high from all the rain wacked down perfectly first pass! I am a believer

Thanks Eric!

[Eric ELM]

You can learn new tricks from an old DOG. :)

[kutnkev]

Eric,
will two blades work on a lesko /toro push mower or a 32 lesco?

[TGCummings]

Anyone using the 2-blade system on the Exmark 36 yet? I've got the Turf Tracer HP and am just about ready to take the plunge. I'm looking for suggestions on the best setup... ;)

-TGC

[Eric ELM]

I would think this would work on any mower that has just one bolt hole in the blade and no blade bracket that is attached to the spindle. Just make sure you have plenty of threads to screw in the spindle hole and the extra blades you use have the same size hole that the bolt has. Be safe when trying this. We don't want anyone hurt. I can't really tell you for sure Kevin, without seeing this mower. The only mowers I have are 2 Dixie Choppers and a 60" JD and a 21" JD push mower.

[TGCummings]

Eric, do you use two blades on your 21" push mower, too??

-TGC

[Eric ELM]

No, I don't use double blades on the push mower. It is bolted with 2 bolts. I don't use it much anyway, just around swimming pools and a couple small fenced in back yards with tiny gates, but it mulches the grass pretty good without.

[Eric ELM]

Just torque them down like a normal blade. If you have a mower that has to have the blades timed, it may not work, otherwise you don't have to worry about the blades hitting each other.

[Eric ELM]

I have been getting a lot of Email about double blades asking will this work on my mower too. It should work on any brand that doesn't have a saddle type blade holder built into the spindle or a mower that has the blades timed so they don't hit each other. Just use a longer bolt if you have less than an inch of threads going into the spindle and make sure it is a hardened bolt equivalant to what you already have. After putting them on, turn them by hand to make sure the blades will not hit anything, torque them down like you would any normal blade and give them a try. The top blade doesn't need to be new or that sharp. Good luck and be safe.

[Runner]

Sorry to open a can of worms on you about the cradle issue ERIC! I just removed my cradles from my Gravely Pro 300 and took them down the road to my friend, a machinest. After doing some measuring, level checking on the mill, and so forth, we found something that could be done. We're cutting out a cross section of the bottom of the cradle to hold a second blade. I'm not sure yet EXACTLY how much he's taking off, but he has a few of my older blades down there with the cradles. The trick is to make sure the groove is centered to the center of the spindle hole. Because the cradles themselves were off lengthwise by a few thousandths (which doesn't really matter anyway for just the one blade) That's just how they were stamped. I'll let you know how it works.

[Eric ELM]

Good idea. I have never had a mower that had a cradle, so I wasn't sure how they were attached. Someone mentioned that they were part of the spindle on one brand of mower, but I guess the cradle could be ground down on those mowers too. My John Deere has a 3/4" diameter chamfer sticking down the thickness of a blade with a 5/8" bolt holding it. When I used it to mow, I used a blade with a 5/8" hole on the bottom to double blade it and the stock 3/4" holed JD blade on top. There is a way to do about anything if you try hard enough. :)

[Phishook]

Well sprig is almost here. Just thought I'd put this at the top to help the "double blade uninformed".

[crawdad]

Thanks for bumping this ol' thread. I intend to try doubles this spring on my Scag 48" Hydro WB with a Kawasaki 17. What blade combos have others found to work well on such a machine?
Wow, now they're really gonna say, "That's too much money, it only took you .... minutes!"
Crawdad

[rodfather]

Originally posted by Phishook
Well sprig is almost here. Just thought I'd put this at the top to help the "double blade uninformed".


Glad to see someone is wide awake at the switch:D

[walterslawn&landscap]

just got a new set of gators i think i will try this.

[Gravely_Man]

This is some really great info. Now how many questions will result from this post being moved to the top? Eric would love to see his knowledge is still being used!


Gravely_Man

[FrankenScagMachines]

Gravely man I will step up to the plate! Can I run regular lift and gators on my 52" 14hp (Kaw FC420V) hydro Scag? I know that is pushing it but 65Hoss said he did it on his 52/14 Encore - he also said to get a tach and check that your RPM's are keeping up.
If I can do that, should the gators go on top or bottom? It is the old style baffle-less Scag deck if that makes any difference (vs. the new Advantage).
I've tried doubles before on my single blade RER with no noticable difference in regular summertime lawn. Didn't require any more power but didn't do any more chopping or striping either. I also tried it on the Wheel Horse tractor 48" deck double high lifts, it really bogged down the 20hp Onan twin (can't do that with singles in thick stuff even!) and didn't help any either. It made the clippings finely shred but they clumped together and windrowed making it look nasty. I'm sure that on the commercial deck it will work better so I am willing to try. Oh yea, will double gators be better for me because they have less drag or will they mulch too much and give me the same clumping I had on the Wheel Horse?
Also do doubles help the mulching action when the OCDC is closed or does that just make it blowout more and not realy mulch any more?
Thanks!
Eric

[Organic-man]

I need some double blade advice as well. I need a blade that is FLAT. I already have the excalibur blades on my exmark Lazer 52" HP, and don't need any extra lift. A flat blade on the bottom would be great for mulching without any extra wind resistance.
Is there such a thing out there? I might go with gators later, but only in conjunction with a flat blade if it exists.

[Fareway Lawncare]

Sorry Kids but IMO Double Blades were a Passing Fad...Like Bell Bottom Jeans or New Coke....

They Certainly Blew out the Clippings Like Dust but Also Burned Electric PTO's like Matches....Mabe Just My Old Toro Ogura Clutches Couldn't Handle it.

[ALarsh]

Do they really burn electric pto's? I was going to try it on my toro but...

[THill3]

Thank you very much. Very Very Helpful

[Gatewayuser]

I would like to try this but elec pto cost too much to ruin. Has anybody had this problem and how long does it take for it to go bad, and was it worth it in time and money saved.

[txlawnking]

Exclusivly in fact on my Old 52" Super Surfer. It didn't burn out my clutch, or do any other damage.. What it did do, was make a beautiful cut, and turned a clogging buzzard into a real mower.. Just imagine what doubles will do for a REAL mower. Just remember to engage and disengage the blades at idle or just above it ( if doing it at idle stalls the engine).. Good luck, and Thanks again Eric :angel:

[ALarsh]

Do they really burn electric pto's? I was going to try it on my toro but...

wait.. I think the clutch is electromagnet. Can anybody confirm this on a 2004 Toro Z557? Do doubles do any damage to a electromagnetic setup?

[lawnman_scott]

wait.. I think the clutch is electromagnet. Can anybody confirm this on a 2004 Toro Z557? Do doubles do any damage to a electromagnet setup?
No, fairway is just being a "richard" as usual.

[ALarsh]

I fell for another fairway prank!?http://www.cclawnservice.com/Personal/Pictures/Icons/brickwall.gif

[Fareway Lawncare]

My Old Toro Walks use an Ogura Electro-Magnetic Clutch...They Burned Like Matches w/the Doubles...Regardless it was the Only Way to get a Half Decent Cut w/the SFS Decks.

I Had no Problems w/the Manual Clutch's on the eXmark Walks...

[rodfather]

Sorry Kids but IMO Double Blades were a Passing Fad...Like Bell Bottom Jeans or New Coke....

They Certainly Blew out the Clippings Like Dust but Also Burned Electric PTO's like Matches....Mabe Just My Old Toro Ogura Clutches Couldn't Handle it.

On those 21 inch toys you run of course Kelvin.

[K&L Landscaping]

Is anyone else surprised we haven't heard from Meg-Mo yet?

[Gatewayuser]

Has anyone tried this on a Gateway?

[traman]

for all you people that run doubles is it for side discharing only ,or can you still run them with mulch kits

[traman]

well after all i read , i decided to try double blades . put them on an exmark hp 23hp 52inch deck with mulch kit . conclusion take them off
1) didn't see any improvement on lawns cut, over singles blades
2) power was way down ,even when cutting at higher height
3) with engine rpm down, steering was sluggish ,due to hydro speed slower
4) with everything running slower ,top speed of mower down
5) blow out from front of deck ,oh my god the blowout
6) gas consumption way up ,cut 20 lawns in two days at least 3gals of gas
i tried 3 different blade types and combinations,changing what blade was on top or bottom ect only slight change , this mower only has 350 on it ,so everything is in good shape ,plugs and air filter are new . most lawns were a little on the damp side with a good amount of spring growth ,but hay this florida, in the summer it would be even worse.

[METRO 36]

couldent find my owners manual. are the blades timed on a metro 36? I assume they are i just bought this mower at the end of last season so i havent even had the blades off yet just wonderin if anyone could tell me
:cool2:

[JKOOPERS]

no they are not .

[METRO 36]

thanks alot i didnt think they were but it wouldnt be the first time i was wrong thanks again.:cool2:

[LawnBoy89]

Can you run doubles without the double blade bracket?

[Precision]

Can you run doubles without the double blade bracket?


yes, so long as your mower doesn't use timeing to keep the blades from hitting, you just need to make an "x" with the blades and torque them down. If you hit something, stop and check to see if they got messed up. Just like you normally would.

all of this assumes you are running double or triple spindle mowers with flat spindle to blade surfaces. 21" mowers will not work, nor will mowers with a blade positioning bracket (usually means it is timed).

Eric Elm was before my time, but I am sure he would be happy to see people still requesting his advice.

[NJdreamscapesNJ]

This will be my second season using this method and i love it!!!!!!!!!!
Fills a bag like no other, a 6 bag lawn turns into a three and a half bag lawn amazing. Two gator blades on a belt driven 17hp kawi 48' doesnt slow it down. Plus cuts like a walker!!!

[Jeds_Lawn_Care]

If interested, click on my signiture below.

I'm sorry, but it doesn't work.

[Skimastr105]

has anyone tried double blades on a 60" turf tracer?

[Roger]

I'm sorry, but it doesn't work.

This thread was started in 2000. EricELM has since passed away.

http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?t=27241

Here is a web site that remains in his memory. There is a place to click for double blade information.

http://www.elmlawnsite.com/

[Eclipse]

has anyone tried double blades on a 60" turf tracer?

Ran them for a couple years, I went back to singles last season.

[darryl gesner]

TTT for those who have been asking about running double blades.

[yardguy28]

was not able to get to the link in the original thread but......

i would be concerned about what double blades on each spindle would do the spindle and mower itself.

my other concern is on mowers like my toro grandstand. it has a "bracket" the single blade fits into.

[clc19chase]

well after all i read , i decided to try double blades . put them on an exmark hp 23hp 52inch deck with mulch kit . conclusion take them off
1) didn't see any improvement on lawns cut, over singles blades
2) power was way down ,even when cutting at higher height
3) with engine rpm down, steering was sluggish ,due to hydro speed slower
4) with everything running slower ,top speed of mower down
5) blow out from front of deck ,oh my god the blowout
6) gas consumption way up ,cut 20 lawns in two days at least 3gals of gas
i tried 3 different blade types and combinations,changing what blade was on top or bottom ect only slight change , this mower only has 350 on it ,so everything is in good shape ,plugs and air filter are new . most lawns were a little on the damp side with a good amount of spring growth ,but hay this florida, in the summer it would be even worse.

same here man, back to the original wavy mulchers for me.......although i do have a 23 52 side discharge mower that i tried double low lifts on and will never go back to singles. This thing will clean up a messy yard!!!! Doubles all the way for me on a side discharge!!

[darryl gesner]

There probably is some additional wear on a machine from running doubles, particularly the electric PTO. I run them mostly on my Turf Tracer HP which has a manual clutch, but even on that machine it's a part time - as needed thing. I really do like them for fall though, when growth gets away from me in the spring and when I have to cut in wet conditions. This time of year I think they're great...Gator on top and high lift on bottom discharging with my chute down (concentrates the air better). It gives enough wind to mostly blow the next row clear of leaves so that the few that remain are mulched up and you end up with a row of leaves blown to the uncut side of the lawn that you can then bag or grind up. It's like running a mower and blower at the same time. The blowout can be a problem though. I also would not run doubles with a mulching kit or chute blocker.

[StanWilhite]

There probably is some additional wear on a machine from running doubles, particularly the electric PTO. I run them mostly on my Turf Tracer HP which has a manual clutch, but even on that machine it's a part time - as needed thing. I really do like them for fall though, when growth gets away from me in the spring and when I have to cut in wet conditions. This time of year I think they're great...Gator on top and high lift on bottom discharging with my chute down (concentrates the air better). It gives enough wind to mostly blow the next row clear of leaves so that the few that remain are mulched up and you end up with a row of leaves blown to the uncut side of the lawn that you can then bag or grind up. It's like running a mower and blower at the same time. The blowout can be a problem though. I also would not run doubles with a mulching kit or chute blocker.

Running doubles along with a chute blocker would just about cause a mower to hover! Hey, you might be able to trim hedges like that! :laugh:

[grassman177]

was not able to get to the link in the original thread but......

i would be concerned about what double blades on each spindle would do the spindle and mower itself.

my other concern is on mowers like my toro grandstand. it has a "bracket" the single blade fits into.

interesting, ours dont have that. ]

and wow, this is an original eric elm thread, what a legend.

[darryl gesner]

interesting, ours dont have that. ]

and wow, this is an original eric elm thread, what a legend.

I resurect his threads sometimes on purpose because for one, they're informative, secondly because the tone of people back then was more cordial, and lastly, in honor of him. Eric actually took and interest in me when I was first starting out and gave me quite a few pointers and got me started in the right direction.

[yardguy28]

interesting, ours dont have that. ]

and wow, this is an original eric elm thread, what a legend.

what year of grandstand do you have? i have the 09 model.

the spindles have that blade bracket just like the 21 inchers have. the blade fits in the bracket.

personally when there is any talk on this forum about anything, running double blades, trimmers with no guards, etc. i usually also check around my neck of the wood to see how things are being done.

most around here don't run double blades for anything. leaves are usually bagged up with grass catchers and either hauled away or left at the curb for the city to pick up.

grass is mostly side discharged during the summer and bagged as needed in the spring.

for me i will be sticking with single blades on each spindle. i've seen the way a yard looks after leaves are pulverized into the ground. there is a brownish tint to the turf. people around here want there lawns to look green like they do in the spring when the leaves are removed. the only to get that look is to bag them or blow them and haul them away or leave them at th curb.

[darryl gesner]

I'm not into mulching large quantities of leaves either. I generally bag them and either haul them away or put them in the customers compost pile. I have a number of properties where the leaves are just blown into the woods too. But using doubles for what I call nuisance leaves in the way I described works for me. I do a second cut and after that there really are no visible leaves. I'm mostly using the mower with doubles as a blower so that I'm NOT running over leaves.

[StihlMechanic]

Well I tried doubles and like it. I could go full speed through Bahia without a double pass. I have one lawn with lush St Augustine near a pool that I usually bag with my snapper so as not to leave clippings in the pool. Running double with the discharge away from the pool worked great and saved me tons of time on this lawn in particular, I left the snapper on the trailer. I may not run them year round because I am convinced its not the best for the PTO but this fall I am looking forward to leaf cleanups. I am running an atomic toro blade on top (gator blade) and a toro hi lift.

[darryl gesner]

Well I tried doubles and like it. I could go full speed through Bahia without a double pass. I have one lawn with lush St Augustine near a pool that I usually bag with my snapper so as not to leave clippings in the pool. Running double with the discharge away from the pool worked great and saved me tons of time on this lawn in particular, I left the snapper on the trailer. I may not run them year round because I am convinced its not the best for the PTO but this fall I am looking forward to leaf cleanups. I am running an atomic toro blade on top (gator blade) and a toro hi lift.

Cool huh? For those who argue it's more wear and tear on the machine, you just illustrated a point I just made on another thread. So you single cut instead of double cutting like you usually would have had to. Double cutting would have been twice the wear and tear of single cutting and twice the gas. But I doubt that running doubles is twice the wear and tear of running singles and it certainly doesn't use twice as much gas. So although you may be causing more wear per hour on your machine, the hours themselves are less, so you end up ahead.

[StihlMechanic]

Cool huh? For those who argue it's more wear and tear on the machine, you just illustrated a point I just made on another thread. So you single cut instead of double cutting like you usually would have had to. Double cutting would have been twice the wear and tear of single cutting and twice the gas. But I doubt that running doubles is twice the wear and tear of running singles and it certainly doesn't use twice as much gas. So although you may be causing more wear per hour on your machine, the hours themselves are less, so you end up ahead.

All true. Also less time, which is more important to me. I'm ok with the wear, the machine still has nearly 4 years of warr left. If I wear a clutch I will just walk into the Dealer that keeps trying to hire me and exchange it.

[darryl gesner]

You've probably got a pretty good ear for knowing when you're straining an engine too....I'd hope so anyway.

[StihlMechanic]

Yeah I try to engage the PTO at 1/2 throttle. As far as I can tell, the extra load from the blades doesn't drop WOT RPM's down much at all. I have yet to mow anything overgrown with the set up so we will see. I stalled the deck out many times mulching leaves during my last leaf job. I was just running hi lift blades with the chute open. I am hoping this improves with double blades.

[darryl gesner]

You've probably got a pretty good ear for knowing when you're straining an engine too....I'd hope so anyway.

I stalled the deck out many times mulching leaves during my last leaf job.

Well there goes my theory! :laugh:

[White Gardens]

So what did happen to Eric? Of course I understand he passed, but wasn't sure the circumstances.

[Turf Tracer]

Stroke got him.

running doubles had nothing to do with his untimely demise

[grassman177]

I resurect his threads sometimes on purpose because for one, they're informative, secondly because the tone of people back then was more cordial, and lastly, in honor of him. Eric actually took and interest in me when I was first starting out and gave me quite a few pointers and got me started in the right direction.

fatastic reasons man, very admirable from my end

[grassman177]

as always, if you lookd for it, there is still his website that has pics of his work, and it is simply amazing. almost never see pics on here that even compare. it is that good.

[Groh's Mows]

Eric Elm was a class act. Many of the older posts show a spirit of cooperation that is missing on this site today. Many posts now just quickly denegrade into which brand of equipment is best or who has the most/best accounts and so on. When I found this site I felt it was a tremendous asset. I'm not sure I would think that if I came here today for the first time...

[grassman177]

sup fellow kansan!!!

i think the same thing, though i still like it very much. it is a different place now

[BayouGator]

Has anyone tried this product, see link http://therazorblade.com/Quad-Blade.html

[darryl gesner]

I haven't tried. Intersting but my first thought is that it looks a lot like 2 Gator blades mated and I have problems with Gators causing clumping in lush or wet grass. But what I'm thinking is that you could just run one of those blades at the discharge side of the deck. You can't really mix and match singles and doubles unless you start adding spacers because they're stacked, so you'd get an uneven cut.

But they don't claim they vaporize grass or self balance the way Meg-Mo blades do...cleary an inferior product, lol.

[Lawn Pawn]

Did the two blades per spindle today after hearing about it for years.

WOW!!!! I sure am sold on it. Medium lift on top... and a Gator type on the bottom.

Made the leaves evaporate with the door shut.... and left the best cut and stripes ever on a nice green lawn with door open. Should have tried it years ago.

Thanks for digging up this old thread. Eric must have been a good man.

[darryl gesner]

Eric was the best. Have you seen the stripes he layed down. His site is still maintained in his honor. http://www.elmlawnsite.com/lawn_pictures_page.htm

[Lawn Pawn]

Even with singles... it always sent a chill down my spine when I hear somebody engage the blades balls-to-the-wall followed by the belts squealing for mercy and the engine going Chug-chug-chug.....

What has always worked for me is.... warm engine at half throttle, and just as you pull the engage knob, drop the throttle down to quarter throttle. They spin up smooth as silk.

May need to modify to your specific machine... but this technique has always served me well.

[Snapper Jack]

Did the two blades per spindle today after hearing about it for years.

WOW!!!! I sure am sold on it. Medium lift on top... and a Gator type on the bottom.

Made the leaves evaporate with the door shut.... and left the best cut and stripes ever on a nice green lawn with door open. Should have tried it years ago.

Thanks for digging up this old thread. Eric must have been a good man.
You'll get better results with medium on bottom for suction lift and gator on top for slice and dice action. Want a far superior cut and stripping,mid lift or high lift on bottom with a G6 on top but you'd best be packing some HP to rotate that extra mass due to extra strain placed on the motor.

[grassman177]

last time i put on doubles it was too much strain on the engine. every mower is dif, so that doesnot mean anything. the power to the blades is dif on every brand, cuz of pulleys etc. and power loss thru the system.

thanks daryl for bringing up his site. makes me smile to look at those immaculately maintained lawns he did. really awesome.

[grassman177]

as far as those razor blades, actually look promising for the purpose intended. who knows though without trying them. i certainly wont cuz they are really not made for ztrs, and dont think the sizes will match. plus the price, wow!!!!

[yardguy28]

Even with singles... it always sent a chill down my spine when I hear somebody engage the blades balls-to-the-wall followed by the belts squealing for mercy and the engine going Chug-chug-chug.....

What has always worked for me is.... warm engine at half throttle, and just as you pull the engage knob, drop the throttle down to quarter throttle. They spin up smooth as silk.

May need to modify to your specific machine... but this technique has always served me well.

yep modified to my specific machine since the day i purchased.

it's called the manual......

engaged at full throttle each and every time. no belts squealing, no engine going chug-chug-chug.