Re: (ET) Nineteen inch blades?

["Mike Wallace" <metman glasgow-ky com>]

David,

Just use an 18 1/2" blade off any of the 36" decks, like an E8, E10, or any
of the three makes of 36" riders like the GE ER8-36, a New Idea R-36, or a
Wheel Horse A-65.  I'm bettin' Harold Z. or Jim Coate would sell you just
one blade, or you could get a set of two and have a spare.

Another option would be to make a bushing to go from the current hole size
in your Yard Machine blade down to 5/16".  The bigger the hole in the Yard
Machine blade the easier it is to make a bushing.  I have used Gator blades
on a 42" deck with holes that were 3/4" and then it was fairly easy to make
bushings with a 5/16" hole.   

When you say the "tall" motor, I assume you mean the early production 42"
deck motor that was 3 5/16" in diameter and 6 1/2 " tall vs. the later deck
motor that was 4 1/2" in diameter and 6" tall, as measured from the 
mounting
flange to the top of the cover.  I've got some of those motors, but have
never tried to compare things like RPM or current draw as compared to the 4
1/2" motor.  In fact I'm not even 100% sure the threaded hole is 5/16-24.
If by chance it might be a 3/8-24 thread, then a 19" blade with a 3/8" hole
might be pretty easy to find at any lawnmower shop.  

Personally I think it would work fine as that tall skinny motor has a
thermal overload and that's the worst that might happen.

What you might want to look for is a 4 1/2" diameter deck motor off one of
the 36" decks as it is a little bit longer (taller) and slightly more
powerful than a 4 1/2" deck motor off a standard front mount 42" deck.  

Don't rule out your Option B of taking it to the scrap yard, as now you'd
have to string a drop cord from the modified Yard Machine back to your 
large
frame ET tractor to get the 36 volts necessary to run it.

Mike in KY


-----Original Message-----
From: elec-trak-bounces cosmos phy tufts edu
[mailto:elec-trak-bounces cosmos phy tufts edu] On Behalf Of David Roden
Sent: Thursday, July 01, 2010 6:43 PM
To: Elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu
Subject: (ET) Nineteen inch blades?

This is a bit off topic, but not entirely so ...

Last season I whacked a big rock with my Yard Machines 19" plug-in e-mower 
and bent the motor shaft.  When I found out that a new motor cost over 
$300 
(WAY more than I'd paid for the entire mower), I decided to keep using it 
until it shook itself to bits.  

It finally did so this past weekend.  The blade bolt sheared off and the 
blade dig itself a couple of inches into the ground.   (Insert safety 
sermon

here. ;-)

I'm wondering if I can mount one of my spare tall ET mower deck motors on 
it. I can figure out the contactor and power issues, but the Yard Machines 
blade has a big center hole, so it's not usable.  

Does anybody know where I might be able to find a 19" blade that would fit 
an ET mower motor?  And would the ET motor be able to sling it round 
without

gasping for breath and overheating?

Or should I just haul the carcass of the Yard Machines mower to the metal 
recyclers and get something else?  I'm not too impressed with the current 
crop of electric push mowers, but maybe I've missed the decent ones.

I'd appreciate any suggestions.


David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA

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