Blade broke in half

[Shady Brook]

I was running doubles on my 52 Tiger, and while mowing I heard a huge bang, and some load rattleing, then the deck belt shot out the front. It seems the bottom blade, a high lift was broken in half, and ejected though the shoot, destroying one highlift in the middle as it exited. Put a gash in the deck, but thankfully killed no one. It happened in an addition with a area yard sale, with lots of people. Never found anything that I hit, the yard is a beautiful, flat, well kept yard, and the owner knew of nothing in the area that might have broke a blade. Be careful, maybe these blades are metal plated plastic!:p Anyone ever have this happen to them?

Jay

[cos]

Consider yourself lucky. I think that it would have scared the crap out of me. Never had it happen. I think I would to have to stop mowing and think about what just happpened.

[Premo Services]

:eek: THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS :eek:

[HOMER]

You didn't by any chance weld the blades together did you?
I'm very glad no one was hurt.

[TJLC]

That would have been about the time I would have to excuse myself to go to the bathroom. Wow, glad to hear no one was hurt!

[Guido]

I've seen it happen is like what Homer said when I guy welded them in a cross shape so they would stay together .???

:eek:


Sounds like a close call. Glad no one was hurt.

[Shady Brook]

Nope, did not weld them together! Sheared off pretty clean, and broke how I would have expected had they been welded together. Maybe I torqued the bolt down to hard. I dunno, but I am very thankful, I hope no body else gets to have the experience.
Jay

[awm]

SHADY ID HAVE TO LOOK AT THE BLADE ITS SELF.
ive hitum so hard they came out looking like a horse shoe
and never broke one in 25 yrs. sounds like the blade may have been brittle. later now

[odin]

Bet that scared you to death! thank god no one hurt!
take care jay

[mowingmachine]

Sounds like a bad blade. I've never seen or heard of a blade actually breaking. Only bending. They have engineering standards on that as far as how much a blade has to bend and resist breaking. Is there anyway you could post a picture of your setup and one of the broken blade. Maybe that would shed some light on the problem.

mowingmachine

[Richard Martin]

It might be possible for the blade to break if it got very hot and then was cooled rapidly. If I remember correctly this would cause the blade to become brittle. You might want to check the blade spindle that the blade was attached to and see if it's getting hot.

[mowingmachine]

That is true about the heat but the heat would have to be very hot. To the point where the steel has actually turned red. Then if you cool it quickly a brittle form of steel is created. This would be possible if the blade was ever welded and then cooled quickly.

mowingmachine