Best Method for removing blades for sharpening

[UGA]

I own a 52" Great Dane Surfer that I bought with only 100-150 hrs which was less than 2 years old for $2400 about 2.5 years ago. I am only cutting about 5 acres per week during the season and bought it due to my 3 acres took about 2 days with my old Snapper Comet. I am loving this machine but one of the problems I am having is finding an easy method of removing my blades for sharpening. The little attachment on the end of the drill only works so well. I have a renewed appreciation for keeping sharp blades on after this last season. The main problem I have is getting the blade secured enough to apply pressure with a breaker bar and rachet to the spindle nut on top. I saw some kind of brick shaped object somewhere (Scag site?) that is used to wedge in between the blade and the deck but I don't know anything about it.
Enough rambling.......anybody have any suggestions?:blob4:

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Air impact wrench or one of the electric one work pretty good as well.

Just hit the button and off they come.

Also NorthernTool has somthing you can put on to hold the blades. Just put www./.com on the name and you have the web site.

[KirbysLawn]

Just pull it up on the ramp of your trailer, get 2 15/16th wrenches and take them off, I have Danes and can change the blades in just minutes.

[2 man crew]

Impact wrench.:D
If you have to use a wrench I would jack up the front of the deck and use a box wrench on the bolt under the deck and a ratchet on the nut (topside). I would also use a little anti-seize lube on the threads so when you have to sharpen again all you have to do is break the nut loose and do the rest by hand. If you really want something to hold on to the blade you could use a length of boxed rectangular steel. Then slip it over the blade like a breaker bar.

[andyslawns]

I am wiht Mike on this one, Air impacts work great. There is no effort in takeing them off on your part. Also it saves your knuckles!!:D

[gogetter]

I use two rachets, one on top, one on bottom. I put a 30" length of pipe on each rachet handle for leverage. I don't have to hold the blades, and there's no effeort required at all using the pipes.
Same basic concept as breaker bars, just cheaper.

This year I'm probably going to switch to open end wrenches and permanately attach them to the pipes because the rachets tend to slip put of the end of the pipes making it a bit of a juggling act trying to hold both rachets on at once.

[mdb landscaping]

many people disagree about it, but i use the impact wrench too. press one button and off they come, and no fussing with boards and wrenchs. i used to hate changing blades, but its really easy by yourself to just use the impact wrench.

[davesgs75]

Go with the Impact wrench. A trip to the emergency clinic, and 13 stitches later, I bought my air compressor and inpact wrench. lesson Learned.

[keifer]

I dont really know the mower setup but in some catalogs they sell a tool call blade buster that holds the blade so you can break the nut loose. it sells for about 8 dollars.

[KirbysLawn]

I keep hearing people talking about bleeding, hospitals, and such when talking about changing mower blades, is this really that difficult?

When my blades need changing I pull the front of the mower up on the trailer ramp. I place a 15/16th wrench on the nut under the deck and turn the top nut until the wrench below touches the side of the deck, I remove my hands and turn the wrench on top and take the blades off using the deck as a leverage point. Guess what, I reverse the process to put them back on.

Never had a problem or a scrach from doing it this way.

[awm]

get the 12 volt impact. also a good jumpstarter ,which u will use many times if u have it. u dont have to hold anything with these.
just put it on the nut and itll hit it hard enough to take it off ,usually without holding anything.really a good little tool .
later now.

[1grnlwn]

Impact wrench and a set of sockets. You will use them on everything. Wheels, wifes wheels there easy and fast and great fot the solo operator.
Mark

[SCAPEASAURUSREX]

I put a breaker bar on the bottom bolt ( under the deck ) then the impact gun up top on the nut and SHAZZZZZAAAAAAAAMMM !!! off they come , mere seconds, ... I use a jack stand to hold up the deck ( front of mower ) on the walk behinds, that takes longer than actually taking the blades off.... Then in the vice, out comes the 4" grinder, zip... out of the vice and wham , back on the road, 10 minutes later.... But I still Hate doing it anyway... LOL...

[mdb landscaping]

after all this talking, i was wondering why they dont change the technology on how blades go on and off. you think there would be some other easier way to get them off by puttling a cotter pin etc. i know they spin extrememly fast, but if we can put someone on the moon, im sure there is an easier way.

[TJLC]

My dealer also told me on my new Lazer hp to just pull it up on your trailer gate to change blades. He said that's what most guys do. For my Exmark w/b I just lift up the front end and set it on a jackstand. I hate to admit but I am one of those guys who had to get cut before going out and buying a compressor.

[TLS]

If the Great Danes have through bolted spindles, I find that 2 15/16" box wrenches are about the easiest. No blade holders needed. If its a single short bolt without a nut, then I find the air impact works the best.

I have been cut by a blade, but never while removing or installing them. Only when handling them while sharpening...I like em sharp :cool:

[walker-talker]

Air impact wrench!

MATT

[UGA]

I think I'm going to try what 2 man crew said with the anti seazing grease. I have had problems with the nuts that hold the deck on seizing up also so this should solve both problems without having the expense of buying an air compressor and impact wrench. I would love to have both but I can't justify the fundage for the 100 hrs or so I mow a year

[Hobart]

Try this

http://www.gadgetcorner.com/hardw/blade/blade.htm

[UGA]

Just bought one of those blade busters on that gadget site. Hope it works, I've tried big C clamps as well as other things but nothing has worked very well.

[Hobart]

Got mine a few weeks ago. It works.