GATOR BLADE PROBLEMS!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mowman]

I put a set of Gators on my Walker 54" SD and found that they will not work. When I engaged the deck a hell of a racket started down under. They looked the same as the original's, but to my suprise they were not. I took them off and measured them only to find out that they were 1/8" longer than the original blades and were also straight on the ends instead of being angled like the Walker's. I'm hoping the dealer will refund my money. If not, it's a $50.00 lesson not to buy after market parts I guess. Just wanted to share this experience so if anyone else was thinking of Gator's just make sure they are right.
Mowman

 

[CCLC]

We purchased a set of Gator Blades several years ago for a Bunton ZTR a couple of years ago. We had the same problem. They were just slightly longer. I thought they were "close enough". They hit tips the first time that we fired it up. We never tried them after that. I was going through some old blades the other day and found them and tried them on a Toro ZTR and they work great. There is reduced air flow due to the lifters having the teeth in them but they really chew up the leaves.

 

[Eric ELM]

Why don't you use your grinder and shorten them and shape them the same as your OEM blades. Also balance them to make sure they are correctly balanced afterwards. It won't take long to knock off 1/8" of metal. Mark them with a awl so you know how much to take off and the proper angle to make the ends. Just a suggestion to use up the $50 worth of blades.

 

[John DiMartino]

Anytime you run a new set of blades for the first time,always check them for clearance against the baffles and the tip to tip clearance as well.A blade tip to blade tip collision at 19000 ft/minute,with tips going in opposite directions-so double that,could be deadly.I wouldnt want to be around or pay the repair bill on that one.Eric,I was thinking the same thing as you about grinding and balancing them.

 

[bob]

Grind them like Eric said. You wil only have to grind 1/16" off on each end. The dealer pobably won't take them back if their damaged.

 

[landscaper3]

We to own Walker mowers with the GHS systems and purchased 52" S/D decks for them for summer and when ordering the decks they siad only the 42", 52" and the 62" were available with mulching blades and in further research with gator blades they have no listing for the 54" deck. Keep me posted on this im curios on what Gator Blades really fit?

[Edited by landscaper3 on 10-30-2000 at 12:02 AM]

 

[Skookum]

If you bought them from a dealer, take them back to the dealer. He got the part numbers from somewhere. Those parts came from somewhere else where they could have been mislabeled. Maybe the dealer ordered the wrong part #. Check the size against his book.

If his book says Walker 54" then you DEMAND he take them back! Did he warn you ahead that they may not fit properly? So many on this site talk about dealer service and loyalty, see how it works.

If you told him what size or part number to order than grind them off.