Changing My Riding Mower Blade

I have a 10 year old Deere lawn mower, and decided to have the blade sharpened. The last time I did this was about 4 years ago. I made a ramp for one set of wheels, left probably, from a 2x6 and used 8" high concrete brick then drove up it. I got the blade off pretty easily, as I recall. Not so this time. Maybe rust or something has tightened it up. This time I put two

2x6s on bricks and rolled it up. The center of the blade is about 3" from the left wheel track and the distance from the ground to the blade increased by maybe 4-6", so clearance is tricky to work. I have no vehicle to put the mower into, or I'd be tempted to take it to a dealer.

Any suggestions on how to build a ramp that would make this easier to service?

Reply to
W. eWatson
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After reading your other post concerning a heavy tool box, I am suggesting (like another poster) you get a engine hoist,cherry picker, shop crane (they are all the same thing, just different names). They can be bought brand new for under $200. Used ones for about $100. You will learn that it will save you TONS of money and frustration. Sorry about the pun.

Hank

Reply to
Hustlin' Hank

Easiest thing IMO is to just take off the mowing deck.

Reply to
dadiOH

Thanks, and I very much enjoy puns.

Reply to
W. eWatson

Interesting idea. I'll look in the manual. There may be instructions on how to do that.

Reply to
W. eWatson

I have two riding mowers. The Craftsman deck is easy to remove. The Monkey Wards is very difficult. But I agree, at least on the Craftsman, is it would be easier just to remove the deck.

Reply to
Ulysses

I'm not so sure I would say "easy" but it isn't awful.

It would be easy if the holes in the studs were on the outboard side so I could actually *see* the pins to pull or place them. Somewhere there is an engineer that cackles merrily everytime he thinks of people trying to blindly find the damn holes.

Reply to
dadiOH

Do any of your friends own a set of automotive wheel ramps? Might be the way to take care of this.

Impact wrench might help, with removing the nut from the shaft.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Some people run the fuel tank dry, drain the oil, remove the battery, and either stand the mower up on its back end or lay it over sideways. Requires strength and care to prevent damage or injury but it is done.

Don Young

Reply to
Don Young

For a Deere, removing the deck may be overkill, especially if it's been on for a decade.

For my Deere, I tried the car ramp thing but for reasons I've forgotten, didn't think it would work. My next effort was to drive it up the edge of a ramp going into the storage shed, which was possible but still awkward. Finally I went to Sears and got a light-weight hydraulic car jack for about $30. Now I can just jack up one side and do the work, or put supports under it, jack up the other side and have it completely raised up.

Reply to
JimR

I was kind of looking forward to using a fairly high ramp, but when it got down to it, my neighbor's long handled wrench did the trick. I did get it up on an 8" slanted ramp, and with some fooling around while lying on one's back, and using a 2x4 to make sure the blade didn't move, off it came. Actually, there were two blades--to my surprise. The blades are now off getting sharpened.

Reply to
W. eWatson

We knew you could do it. Good job.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

As someone else pointed out, it's easy to put them back on improperly. For that reason, and for convenience, I bought a second set of blades, so when it's sharpening time I take the dull pair off and immediately put the sharpened ones on. Then I can sharpen the removed blades at my convenience. It's half as much work because the hardest part is getting the dang thing up high enough to work on the blades, and this way I only have to do it once.

Reply to
JimR

I use a come-a-long and hoist the front end high off the ground and lay on the floor with an air wrench to remove the blades for sharpening. Put some grease on the bolts before you replace them and next time......

Reply to
Hipupchuck

A come-a-long and a sky-hook, right?

Reply to
DerbyDad03

re: you get a engine hoist, cherry picker, shop crane (they are all the same thing, just different names).

Kind of reminds me of the kid's game of "One of these things is not like the others."

Engine Hoist:

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Cherry Picker:
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Shop Crane:
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Reply to
DerbyDad03

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