I’m always looking for ways to improve efficiency. In the past I’d put two blades on a spindle to chop leaves to dust and not have to pick them up and remove them.

My new mower is different, it has a spindle insert.

Ballard, inc. came out with a cross blade kit and I’m not having confidence in its design. Can you tell me if this much play between the blade and the spindle is within tolerance or if it is unacceptable?

I balance my blades precisely and if something is off, you can feel it in the vibrations of the deck. I have not tried these on the mower because of the amount of play. I do not want to ruin the spindle on a machine that’s still under warranty.

Here is the video.

https://youtube.com/shorts/18r2LdR1zT0

Edit - trying to embed

Not. A. Chance. I'd. Run. That.

Did it not come with a sleeve of some sort to center it?

quote:

Originally posted by stoic-one:
Not. A. Chance. I'd. Run. That.

Did it not come with a sleeve of some sort to center it?

No, just the salesman telling me he just put these on a fleet of Toros.

I agree with you. I’ll try to get a refund. I really don’t want to ruin a family business but I’m going to have to post this on lawn site. These will most likely ruin a spindle or two or all three. And those are about $300 each, IIRC.

Short video for sure, do both blades wobble, hard to tell, sure wouldn't run that, the imbalance would tear up the bearings jmo...

Looks like some kind of sleeve would be needed to take up the space, I'd just post the video on your your lawn site and ask about it. See what the vendor says how they took care of the issue.

Agreed. That ain’t right.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Short video for sure, do both blades wobble, hard to tell, sure wouldn't run that, the imbalance would tear up the bearings jmo...

Looks like some kind of sleeve would be needed to take up the space, I'd just post the video on your your lawn site and ask about it. See what the vendor says how they took care of the issue.

The bottom blade does not wobble because the hex spindle has a round part that takes up the space. I think Toro designed it this way to prevent putting on double blades.

Nope nope nope

That’s the wrong blade for that spindle. Hole in blade should be same diameter as spindle shaft.

No way I'd run it that way.
That blade is obviously used. Is the hole worn (a new one might fit) or other reason for the no fit?
You could use a sleeve if somethings available or easy to source.

quote:

Originally posted by Patriot:
Nope nope nope

That’s the wrong blade for that spindle. Hole in blade should be same diameter as spindle shaft.

No, it's the correct blade for the spindle, that's a factory blade. It's just that there is only one place on the spindle insert that the blade can rest on and adding a second blade is the issue. I'll add an image showing the insert:

The round part at the bottom is where a single blade sits. Adding a second blade causes it to ride higher on the shaft and the hex part is slightly smaller than the round part of the shaft causing the out-of-tolerance issue in the video above.

My hustler has a cupped washer on the bolt that goes through the blade, into the spindle. They're less cupped after 10 years, but still apply pressure prior to the bolt bottoming out. It helps to center somewhat, but there is little play between the blade & bolt as it is, so it's more for anti-loosening. It might solve the play in the above video, but I'd look for a better solution first.

quote:

Originally posted by snidera:
My hustler has a cupped washer on the bolt that goes through the blade, into the spindle. They're less cupped after 10 years, but still apply pressure prior to the bolt bottoming out. It helps to center somewhat, but there is little play between the blade & bolt as it is, so it's more for anti-loosening. It might solve the play in the above video, but I'd look for a better solution first.

Yeah, I'm probably going to have to machine something to fit two blades because this gimmick isn't going to work for me.

I don't have to be a mower expert to know that ain't right.

Looking at Ballard's website, you're missing the reducing bushings or you have the wrong kit. I think the correct kit is XBE-H.

Link to a picture

You need #5 in Detail A.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:
Looking at Ballard's website, you're missing the reducing bushings or you have the wrong kit. I think the correct kit is XBE-H.

Link to a picture

You need #5 in Detail A.

Actually, that’s the kit they sent me. It’s not the correct kit.

About 20 years ago I used 2 blades on each spindle of my Dixie Chopper based on the results Eric Elm pictured on Lawnsite. Did not use an adapter and it worked ok.

Around that time Dixie Chopper developed their own adapter for double blades and it was a device similar to what you pictured. I bought a set and they worked fine but now that Gator G5 and G6 blades are available I no longer see the need to use double blades.

quote:

Originally posted by doublesharp:
… but now that Gator G5 and G6 blades are available I no longer see the need to use double blades.

Really? Gator blades make an actual difference? I’ve been skeptical and have heard both they work and they don’t. Maybe I’ll try a set.

G6 is the heavy duty version of G5 and both are much better than the original G3 gator blades. The G6 is 3" wide and 1/4" thick - pretty robust and holds up well.

https://www.oregonproducts.com...-16-1-2%22/p/391-614

quote:

Originally posted by doublesharp:
G6 is the heavy duty version of G5 and both are much better than the original G3 gator blades. The G6 is 3" wide and 1/4" thick - pretty robust and holds up well.

https://www.oregonproducts.com...-16-1-2%22/p/391-614

When I worked for someone else back around 2002 we tried them and they made no appreciable difference. I’m sure they’ve improved them so I’m going to order one set.

If you can't source the step down washer, perhaps welding the blades in a cross pattern might do the trick.

quote:

Originally posted by architect:
If you can't source the step down washer, perhaps welding the blades in a cross pattern might do the trick.

I’m thinking that would be pretty impossible to machine. The dimensions would need to have a hex interior and be maybe three to five thousandths at the vertices.