Mower Cutting Blades
The blades normally “factory installed” on a mower afford the best grass cutting performance on the majority of grasses and mowing conditions; however, there will be occasions whereby the grass type, stage of grass growth, soil conditions, and weather conditions will require different cutting blade types. Since the mower decks are designed so that over-lap of the cutting blades generally exceed 1.5”, there is no need for orientation of one cutting blade to an adjacent blade (I.E., the blades do not need to be “timed” nor synchronized).
Hi-lift— These are generally the best cutting blades for most grasses and mowing conditions. These blades will provide extra “lift” for the thinner leaf grasses, will handle lush grasses, and will provide maximum grass and debris discharge. These blades are generally required for material collection systems. More horsepower is required for these blades when compared to others, and they generally produce the highest noise levels.
Medium-lift— These blades require less horsepower than the hi-lift, and they generally work well in wider leaf grasses and some mulch applications.
Low-lift— These blades require less horsepower than hi-lift and medium-lift blades, and they generally work best with wide leaf grasses, sparse grass growth, and sandy soil conditions. They generally produce the lowest noise levels. Bahia blades are configured without offset, and with a maximum amount of sharpened cutting edge.
Mulch — These blades are generally designed for use in cutting decks equipped with mulch baffles. The shape of the blade generally produces higher turbulence in order that the grass can be repeatedly cut and re-cut into smaller pieces. These blades generally require more horsepower than other blades. Mulch blades work best when the grasses are cut at the highest levels, minimal lengths of grasses are removed, and grass conditions are generally dry.