Never fails. I put 3 new blades on my Kubota mower deck, Saturday , mowed grass today, looks like every rock popped out the ground under the deck.

And I was being careful!
I don't have a manicured lawn, ( 4acres), but I don't have a quarry either.

Moles with tiny trebuchets...

FYI just sharpening a blade brings it back to its original rock attraction state.

Step 1: Sharpen blade or replace with new blade.
Step 2: Walk the lawn, removing stones, rocks and any other hard objects.
Step 3: Start mower and run through the lawn finding rocks that grew after you checked.

Don't forget the long-buried metal fenceposts that suddenly surface for air. And that garden hose you accused the wife of misplacing.

quote:

Originally posted by Sunset_Va:
Never fails. I put 3 new blades on my Kubota mower deck, Saturday , mowed grass today, looks like every rock popped out the ground under the deck.

And I was being careful!
I don't have a manicured lawn, ( 4acres), but I don't have a quarry either.

It must be the red dirt we have around here. It seems to cultivate rocks.

I mow pretty high, ~3 1/2 inches, but try to remember to drop my deck 1/2 inch below normal and mow one last time before a blade sharpening in an attempt to find those buggers.

Oh, the gouges can be ground out, but banging rocks unbalances the blades muy pronto.

Depending on conditions, I keep the deck height up some.

My neighbor lady likes it really low. I did some work on her mower a few years back, fixed everything, raised the deck, talked about it, her blades were trashed.

Later I see her beck is back down.

Yes, a good check, especially after winter or 1st mow.

I normally have rhe deck height about 3-1/2", and seems the rocks I hit are 3 -3/4"

How often do you check your tire pressure? Lower Pressure = lower deck height.

I blame it on the squirrels, if it's round they will "hide" it somewhere. I've found round rocks nearly 2 inches in diameter on top of the outside window sills and on top of the covers for the sconces on the garage. Also find a lot of these rocks in my grass, with the mower.

Finding rocks goes way back -- the early farmers thought that rocks grew in the soil during the winter and that was why there were so many lying on/in the surface in the Spring. The old stone walls often found in areas the woods have reclaimed, were often made of these stones.
Truth be known, at a later date, that the freeze/thaw cycle was the true culprit.
Early urban homes in the 60's built on what was farm land. So, ya - rocks and dandelions aplenty. Sharping the blades monthly with the use of an electric drill & specialty bits was ritual.
One that in retirement I miss not.

Precisely the reason I’ve been putting off changing the blades this year.

Right there with you. I mow at 1.5” with our zoysia. Ended up with two sets of blades for the Honda as it’s easier to have one sharp and ready to go for the inevitable.