I am having problems getting the blades off of my John Deer Model GT235 (three blades). Is there some special instructions that I need to know. Are the bolts right-threaded or left-threaded? Is there a special lock I need to engage to put on the blades? Thanks
That would, of course, be missing an "e" on Deere... :)
What kind of problems?
They're righty-tighty bolts--nothing fancy. What are you using to try to remove them?
Only problem I've ever had (and it was on much larger mower) was once hit a large enough obstruction that it stretched the bolt significantly. Took the 3/4" breaker bar w/ a 3-ft cheater to get that puppy out.
Unless have done something similar, a 1/2" breaker bar should be ample w/ a block to wedge the blade to keep it in place (although on the the above case I had to use a hard bar in the pulley on the top side of the deck--the first light bar I used simply bent :) ).
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I have a 2 blade (42") John Deere. The bolts were standard right hand threads. The only problems I ran into were that I needed something a bit longer than the standard ratchet handle and the bolt heads were 18mm, which is not found in all wrench sets. I just grabbed the blade with my (gloved) other hand and pulled.
On my 3 blade deck, its an 18mm socket and I use a big long handled
3/4" drive breaker bar. (I guess that agrees with whats already been said) Thats the only way I can loosen those things. I use a stragically wedged 2x4, between the blades and the deck wall, to keep the blades from spinning whiile I apply torque to the screws.The middle blade is a bitch to get loose. Also, I jack up the deck a few inches to allow me to reach under there.
I had the blades changed once by the J.D. dealer and I had to put a 5 ft "torque amplifier" on the breaker bar to get those blades off the first time I had to sharpen them. Never again will I go to that dealer.
-dickm
Best bet for removing mower blades is an impact wrench. Use air or electric, both work well and are much safer than blocking blades and struggling with breaker bars. The pros at the mower shop hold the blades with bare hands when using an impact, not at the sharpened end, of course.
Joe
Joe wrote: ...
Excepting, of course, the problem of clearance. It's far more of a pita to get the deck high enough to get the impact under there than it is to simply remove them manually.
One only needs a breaker bar in the rare instance someone has overtightened or the aforementioned stretching of a bolt.
A breaker bar is handy simply because it has the length to reach w/o having to crawl halfway under the deck...
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In addition to the good advice given by others, be sure you are pulling the wrench the right way. Since you are basically working upside down, it is fairly easy to get it wrong. If your wrench is sticking out on the right side, pull it to the rear. if on the left pull to the front.
The bolts are commonly rusty and very tight with the heads somewhat rounded off. Penetrating oil and a good hard whack with a hammer can help loosen them. Best tool other than an impact wrench is a six point socket with a long pull handle. There are clamps made to hold the blade but they are not really necessary. Just be sure that it is well secured so it doesn't come loose when you give the wrench a good hard pull.
Don Young
Saw and mower blades are held in place by nuts and bolts which always loosen by turning them in the same direction the blade would turn when cutting.
So, a mower blade has a sharpened end, and a not sharpened end? That's a new concept to me. All the mower blades I've seen, sharpened on both ends. Them newfangled ideas always coming out with.
replying to beecrofter, James Pott wrote: Thanks! that was really the only thing I needed to know
replying to Don Young, Dan Mack wrote: Good way of framing the solution. I am having problems getting my new tractor blades off and expected as such, as they were installed at the factory. Will give it more of a push now with your advice. Really want to put these mulching blades on for the remainder of the cutting season.
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