Gravely vs Husqvarna - OE vs Aftermarket

[DEEPNHOCK]

(Pre-Apology).. I meant for this to be in the Stove Huggers forum, but messed up and dumped it in here..and Dick replied, so I can't kill it...
Hmmm...OK!
Gravely is way better than Husqvarna!
There... That'll fix it


Bear with me for a sec....
Bought a new riding mower for the wife...[}]
She mows with pure joy
Yesterday she complains that the blades need sharpening, because it is leaving strips and gaps.
(Nooo...Couldn't possibly be the loose nut behind the steering wheel[])
Being the practical guy that I am (and I had a package financing deal), I bought a second set of blades when we got the tractor.
So...
Off I go to check it out....
Hmmmm... A whole 16 hours on the unit (hourmeter built in to make you feel guilty right off the bat)
All three blades are shot. Sandblasted, and the lift up tabs are breaking, or broken off.
Grrrr
So I go and get the new blades out.
They are huge compared to the OE blades!
Makes you wonder if they put the lightweight ones on knowing darned well they'd wear out in a few mowings....
Admittedly, it is real sandy here in Jawjuh...
That, and the new owner has knocked down the rough outside that pasture fence...
But 16 hours?[?]
Sheesh...
Jeff[8D]

http://community.webshots.com/user/deepnhock

[Dick Steinkamp]

My yard is A LOT smaller than yours. It takes me about 1/2 hour to mow it with a walk behind mower. I calculate that I mow it twice a week for 8 weeks and once a week for 20 weeks....that's 36 mows or 18 hours. By the end of the season the blade clearly needs to be sharpened...so I do it before I put the mower up for the winter.

Therefore...16 hours doesn't seem totally out of line, but hopefully your new blades will go a little longer....they might need to be sharpened before they wear out, however.

[bams50]

We should have a separate forum for non-Stude discussion, so as not to clutter things up... [)]



Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions"- 311

"With your Lark you're on your own, free as a bird, alive as a Lark. You've suddenly discovered that happiness is a thing called Larking!"

[Guido]

Just be glad you are not replacing them on a Bushhog. [:0] This one that I owned had 6 blades!



The good news is that they had the exact same curvature as the pot metal rear bumper brackets on my '90 F-250. A little work with the band saw and I had a bumper that was never leaving the truck.



Guido Salvage - "Where rust is beautiful" and real Studebaker horsepower lives

See pictures here: http://community.webshots.com/user/GuidoSalvage

Hiding and preserving Studebakers in Richmond, Goochland & Louisa, Va.

[DEEPNHOCK]

No way!
I might find another Studebaker, and that would be real trouble![B)]
Jeff[8D]

quote:Originally posted by Guido

Just be glad you are not replacing them on a Bushhog. [:0] This one that I owned had 6 blades!
<snip>

[bams50]

I mow about 2 acres total. I love the groomed, open space, just takes some work- and equipment. I have a Grasshopper commercial mower with 3 cylinder engine and shaft-driven 62" deck. Cuts grass (and small trees) like a beast.

When weather or schedule puts me behind in my mowing I get bothered, and can't relax until it's done... and I have to do it myself, so it's just how I want it.

Hey, I never said I WASN'T a head case [)]



Robert (Bob) Andrews Owner- Studebakeracres- on the IoMT (Island of Misfit Toys!)
Parish, central NY 13131

"Some people live for the rules, I live for exceptions"- 311

"With your Lark you're on your own, free as a bird, alive as a Lark. You've suddenly discovered that happiness is a thing called Larking!"

[Roscomacaw]

11 YEARS of cutting what's gotta be close to a half acre of lawn here and I only sharpen the blades MAYBE once a year on our 42" cut Yard Machine rider. Thought about replacing them this year just because... didn't tho.

BTW, I have a Hawk horn button stuck to the middle of the steering wheel - there's your Studebaker content![:0]

Miscreant Studebaker nut in California's central valley.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

[Lark8girl]

We just put new blades on the John Deere , and there is a difference in the grass. Dull blades rip the grass, and the fresh new or sharpened blades cut the grass. As the grass grows it is now greener in appearance.
I use a dremel tool with grinding stone and do not remove the blades from the deck. Easy enough to do this several times a season

LarkVIII girl

[gordr]

Biggs, I have a Hawk steering wheel on my ancient Massey-Ferguson riding mower. But it doesn't have a horn button, nor a horn.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[Roscomacaw]

Heh! Gord, I contemplated doing that to our mower - just to ease the turning effort with the larger diameter wheel. Trouble is, the BCF comes into play, since the steering shaft's already so close to the driver's seat.[xx(]

Miscreant Studebaker nut in California's central valley.

1957 Transtar 1/2ton
1960 Larkvertible V8
1958 Provincial wagon
1953 Commander coupe
1957 President two door

[DEEPNHOCK]

Ya have to love the Internet...
Just when you thought mowing the lawn was a peaceful and normal thing to do...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziwk3YgvmOQ&feature=related

Jeff[8D]

quote:Originally posted by bams50

I mow about 2 acres total. I love the groomed, open space, just takes some work- and equipment. I have a Grasshopper commercial mower with 3 cylinder engine and shaft-driven 62" deck. Cuts grass (and small trees) like a beast.
When weather or schedule puts me behind in my mowing I get bothered, and can't relax until it's done... and I have to do it myself, so it's just how I want it.
Hey, I never said I WASN'T a head case [)]