lawn mower blade balancer

[justen]

Here in Minnesota we are getting ready to mow lawns, I decided to sharpen my lawnmower blades, all 9 of them lol. Instead of using the old handle of a screwdriver balance trick, I looked around for something better. So I found this thing at Runnings fleetfarm. And figured I would show some of you that don't have one of these what they look like. It cost $3.69 It works really good.

[olddog]

Yep. I have had one for a dozen years now. I like it. Cannot remember the price. I need to use it before the grass gets any taller!

[FieroSpeeder]

Originally Posted by olddog

Yep. I have had one for a dozen years now. I like it. Cannot remember the price. I need to use it before the grass gets any taller!

hmm, dozen years ago. 45 cents at woolworths?

So how does it work? Just slap a couple wheel weights on your blade? I have never been concerned about blade balance. Should I be?

[carsandcycles]

Originally Posted by dancerman

So how does it work? Just slap a couple wheel weights on your blade? I have never been concerned about blade balance. Should I be?

You grind or file down the heavy side until it is balanced. This will reduce vibration and will actually help your lawn mower engine last longer. The time you do this balancing is when you are sharpening your lawn mower blade(s); this you do for a healthier lawn. (you gotta remember, we got some older members here that half to do yard work, probably some younger ones too, and like some things, i.e. car work, we would like to do all things properly)

[Daniel Wood]

Makes sense C&C, but y'all have to forgive this ole country boy. I've never heard of it before. It certainly one on me.

When I first started reading this, I thought someone was joking.

[dougbfresh]

I finally bought one a week or so ago to balance a blade I've sharped at least 1/2 dozen times-it was dead on with no grinding. Probably a waste unless you took a big chunk out of the blade(s) on a rock.

[olddog]

Yea Doug your right that most of the time its close enough. The larger the blade the quicker is gets off ballance. The more you sharpen it, the further off it gets. I'm still running the 1969 sear 12 hp garden tractor my dad bought new. I think it is on its 3rd set of blades. I put them on 2 yrs ago.

Although some of these new mowers spin the blades very fast. Ballance has to get more important on these.

My blade sharpening procedure consists of laying the blade across an old 2x4 and giving it the business end of a handheld grinder. I try to get both sides even. This is the eyeball balance method, lol. My lawn machine until last year was a 1985 John Deere 160. Had two blade deck and served me well. I used it hard (pulled small stumps and graded several yards). Had to rebuild the tranny the year before I sold it (that was fun). I used to have nearly 2 acres to cut now I have less than 1/2 acre so I bought a cheapo craftsman push mower. Don't think I'll be buying a balancing gizmo.

[justen]

C&C is correct. you grind the heavy side until both sides balance out. I keeps vibration down and keeps wear and tear off the engine. Or in my case the mower deck bearings. Also I've heard it helps the lawn stay more healthy having a better cut. So I guess it's all thee above lol.
I usually use my little 4 inch grinder for lawnmower blades. I can follow the original edge. So I keep the same angle. I have 3 blades on my deck which is a 60" cut so balance is important with them big blades.
My neighbor has a tractor much like mine, he was mowing one day hit a rock and broke a blade in half. LOL that would be scary.

Originally Posted by olddog

The larger the blade the quicker is gets off ballance. The more you sharpen it, the further off it gets.

Here's a story you might like. My Dad lost his assembly job at Bucyrus Erie in the early sixties. He decided to go to the Lincoln Electric welding school in Cleveland to get trained in fabrication. He landed a job at GE welding locomotives. He loved welding and was constantly bringing scrap metal home to built his own projects. The project that this thread has reminded me of was the homemade bushhog. He had a 40 acre field that he had always cut with a sicle bar. A bushhog was what he wanted to speed things up. So picture this... he fabbed the typical deck (copied an proven design) using HEAVY plate steel. Then, he removed one axle from an old car rearend and amputated the housing. He closed the wound by welding a plate over the hole. He mounted the diffy on the hog deck with pinion shaft down. The remaining axle end was adapted to receive power from his tow tractor PTO; a '51 Farmall Super C. He built a large blade and mounted it to the pinion shaft. The blade was 3 pieces; a center section about 3 1/2 feet long and 2 blades, about 18 inches long that attached to each end of the center section on pivots. I don't know what the gearing was but the whirl from that thing sounded like a Huey on steriods. If the thing wasn't so darn heavy it may have lifted off. His first run over the field was a complete success until he encountered a rather large rock that sheared the pinion shaft. He got another third member from the neighbor and fixed it. It ran for many years without problems. I can't remember all the details of his design as I was about 10. I don't think he balanced the blade assembly but it didn't vibrate much so it must have been close.

[Racerock]

Originally Posted by dougbfresh

I finally bought one a week or so ago to balance a blade I've sharped at least 1/2 dozen times-it was dead on with no grinding. Probably a waste unless you took a big chunk out of the blade(s) on a rock.

While I've often thought about getting one over the years, like some of the posts above, I use a good smooth steel rod for balancing. After doing my tractor blades today, will have sharpened about 12 or so in the last 2 weeks.

Had a guy give me a mower recently. He had one of those yellow blades with the 4 teeth looking things on it. He had hit something really hard. When looking at the thing when it was on, the back side of the blade where the teeth are was pretty twisted, not sure if it was the design, or what. Still something was amiss. Then it hit me:

He had mounted the blade on upside down!

[Racerock]

Originally Posted by justen

Here in Minnesota we are getting ready to mow lawns, I decided to sharpen my lawnmower blades, all 9 of them lol. Instead of using the old handle of a screwdriver balance trick, I looked around for something better. So I found this thing at Runnings fleetfarm. And figured I would show some of you that don't have one of these what they look like. It cost $3.69 It works really good.

Here in Maryland, we have been mowing lawns for a couple of weeks.

Just sharpened the three blades on lawn tractor. They are the heavy thick ones. Balanced well, and the deck is pretty smooth when it kicks on. Like I said above, been considering one of those. Did you see any difference?

[justen]

oh yeah I can tell a difference, But if you've been using a rod all this time, I guess that work about the same. I just like this gadget where I can throw the blade on it check balance and grind a little more off. I know it's centered by using the hole in the blade.

[olddog]

Originally Posted by dancerman

Here's a story you might like. My Dad lost his assembly job at Bucyrus Erie in the early sixties. He decided to go to the Lincoln Electric welding school in Cleveland to get trained in fabrication. He landed a job at GE welding locomotives. He loved welding and was constantly bringing scrap metal home to built his own projects. The project that this thread has reminded me of was the homemade bushhog. He had a 40 acre field that he had always cut with a sicle bar. A bushhog was what he wanted to speed things up. So picture this... he fabbed the typical deck (copied an proven design) using HEAVY plate steel. Then, he removed one axle from an old car rearend and amputated the housing. He closed the wound by welding a plate over the hole. He mounted the diffy on the hog deck with pinion shaft down. The remaining axle end was adapted to receive power from his tow tractor PTO; a '51 Farmall Super C. He built a large blade and mounted it to the pinion shaft. The blade was 3 pieces; a center section about 3 1/2 feet long and 2 blades, about 18 inches long that attached to each end of the center section on pivots. I don't know what the gearing was but the whirl from that thing sounded like a Huey on steriods. If the thing wasn't so darn heavy it may have lifted off. His first run over the field was a complete success until he encountered a rather large rock that sheared the pinion shaft. He got another third member from the neighbor and fixed it. It ran for many years without problems. I can't remember all the details of his design as I was about 10. I don't think he balanced the blade assembly but it didn't vibrate much so it must have been close.

If the man was sharp enough to design build this. I would bet that he had weighed the parts for ballance. My hat is off to him! American enginuity at its best.