# Someone help...



## ashleykennedy27 (Jun 22, 2020)

Our issue are the frayed/torn tips. It's been going on for about a month now. We cut the grass. green for a day, the next day. Brown haze over the top. It's obviously the tips. We've sharpened the blade atleast 2-3x and no signs of improving. We have two mowers and both seem to be ripping the grass. Now granted, this hasn't always been an issue. We just started noticing the tips about a month ago. Otherwise, our grass has been a nice colored green. We need advice.. Do we take it somewhere to get sharpened? Do we scalp the lawn? We're cutting every 3-4 days (Zoysia grass) 
Needing some advice, or if anyone has had this issue. Thanks


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## ashleykennedy27 (Jun 22, 2020)

We seem to have healthy grass. No signs of fungus or disease. We deeply water 2-3x weekly.


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## Powhatan (Dec 15, 2017)

Cutting blade upside down?


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## Darrell_KC (Mar 20, 2019)

Powhatan said:


> Cutting blade upside down?


I'd agree here. If you are sure that the blades were sharpened, and it's still doing this, then the blade is probably installed upside down. The Lawn Care Nut has a video of him installing one of the TimeMaster blades upside down and his lawn had the exact same kind of cut fraying you are seeing. It happens even to the experts.


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## dacoyne (May 27, 2018)

Powhatan said:


> Cutting blade upside down?


+1 for this. My neighbor was complaining about the same thing. Looked at his mower, blade was upside-down


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## ashleykennedy27 (Jun 22, 2020)

The blade says "grass side" and that side is facing downwards? Our blade is currently faced downwards, Correct?


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## cbagz (May 12, 2020)

Buy new blades, skip the sharpening and see what happens.


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## ashleykennedy27 (Jun 22, 2020)

We did. We bought a new mulching blade and it's doing the same thing. We even sharpened that one.


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## probasestealer (Apr 19, 2018)

This is certainly a blade issue. If you're not convinced I would try borrowing someone else's mower or pay someone to mow it once.

How about a manual reel?


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## Redtwin (Feb 9, 2019)

If you bought mulching blades, make sure the wings are pointing up as to cause lift of the cut material. If the wings are pointed up and you are still getting the chewed up grass, I would revisit your sharpening technique.


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## Powhatan (Dec 15, 2017)

ashleykennedy27 said:


> We did. We bought a new mulching blade and it's doing the same thing. We even sharpened that one.


Are you using the correct Toro blade for your Toro mower? or some generic?


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## ashleykennedy27 (Jun 22, 2020)

Yes, Toro mulching blade. @Powhatan


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## Powhatan (Dec 15, 2017)

It looks like you have classic dull blade frayed cutting. Maybe the bottom of your mower deck is grass layer clogged which is not allowing for optimum suction to lift and cleanly cut the grass blades. As previously suggested, use someone else's mower to check cut quality.


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## ashleykennedy27 (Jun 22, 2020)

Thank you, @Powhatan


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## Powhatan (Dec 15, 2017)

If using a ride mower make sure throttle is full open WOT when deck engaged.


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## Spammage (Apr 30, 2017)

@ashleykennedy27 zoysia japonica blades are notoriously difficult to cut cleanly with a rotary. An inexpensive angle grinder and 5 minutes every two weeks to sharpen the blades will go a long way toward making you happier. Now that you have two blades, this should help you to always have a sharp one on hand. Rotary blades aren't usually supposed to be kept razor sharp, but for zoysia they should be.

Also, you can try raising the deck one notch higher at the back of the mower. This will allow greater blade speed, lessen the number of impacts of the blade to the grass, and hopefully provide a better cut quality.


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## TNTurf (Mar 20, 2019)

I hope you get it figured out because that looks pretty bad. It's something with your blade sharpness for sure. Take the suggestion to try another mower for a cut or two and see what it looks like,


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## Bermuda_Triangle (Sep 20, 2019)

@Spammage @ashleykennedy27 Would it help to sharpen the blades with a secondary bevel and backlap the blade like a woodworking chisel?


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## AlaTex (Mar 27, 2019)

I was having the same problem with my Palisades Zoysia. Not quite as severe but still too much tearing. I tried everything, blade sharpening, new blades etc. Finally went with a manual push reel. Problem solved. No more tearing and the cut quality is fantastic.

Any throttle issues? If it's underpowered it can tear the grass. Especially on Zoysia.


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## ashleykennedy27 (Jun 22, 2020)

@AlaTex which mower did you purchase?


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## ashleykennedy27 (Jun 22, 2020)

Here's our Toro blade. Brand new mulching blade, that has been sharpened a few times. I will leave this picture here, to see if anyone can identify any issues, if there are any. We think the deck height in the front may have been too high? 
Thanks


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## Stellar P (Apr 13, 2018)

Bermuda_Triangle said:


> Would it help to sharpen the blades with a secondary bevel and backlap the blade like a woodworking chisel?


It's my understanding that rotary blades are to be single bevel. But the back side of the edge isn't flat, so I assume a huge curved bur is created when grinding the cutting edge. I lightly use a rasp file to take the bur off. I assume this creates some sort of mini/micro edge on the back side. I don't really understand how you can create a sharp single bevel with a non flat side.


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## Texas_Bermuda (Sep 1, 2018)

AlaTex said:


> I was having the same problem with my Palisades Zoysia. Not quite as severe but still too much tearing. I tried everything, blade sharpening, new blades etc. Finally went with a manual push reel. Problem solved. No more tearing and the cut quality is fantastic.
> 
> Any throttle issues? If it's underpowered it can tear the grass. Especially on Zoysia.


@AlaTex i too have palisades and struggling with the rotary cut quality. What kind of push reel did u get. is it tough to push through such thick turf?


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## MGC (Jun 4, 2017)

Texas_Bermuda said:


> AlaTex said:
> 
> 
> > I was having the same problem with my Palisades Zoysia. Not quite as severe but still too much tearing. I tried everything, blade sharpening, new blades etc. Finally went with a manual push reel. Problem solved. No more tearing and the cut quality is fantastic.
> ...


Im not ala tex, but i use this manual reel, rear roller ( not wheels ) 7-blade , had to be adjusted out of box to paper cut once set it provides a nice cut, as any lightweight reel it can float and waffle cut a little but i cut frequent with no issues .... cheers 
Earthwise 1715-16EW 16-Inch 7-Blade Push Reel


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## Powhatan (Dec 15, 2017)

ashleykennedy27 said:


> Here's our Toro blade. Brand new mulching blade, that has been sharpened a few times. I will leave this picture here, to see if anyone can identify any issues, if there are any. We think the deck height in the front may have been too high?
> Thanks


That looks like a MTD high lift blade to me. Should that make a difference, don't know. What is your Toro's model number and the blade you're trying to use?


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## Ortho-Doc (Feb 3, 2019)

I don't think it's the blades. You have thick bladed zoysia grass and it's a beast to cut cleanly w/ a rotary. I had the same problem last year with my Pallisades and it only got worse once I started to regulate it w/ PGR. I think you either consider going to a reel mower or raise the HOC up higher so the rotatary doesn't have to cut through such density of turf.


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## Texas_Bermuda (Sep 1, 2018)

MGC said:


> Texas_Bermuda said:
> 
> 
> > AlaTex said:
> ...


I was asking alatex because he has palisades like me, and its a notoriously thick one for push reel. Thanks for the input though. I just double cut and heres the edge. Does this look acceptable?


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## AlaTex (Mar 27, 2019)

ashleykennedy27 said:


> @AlaTex which mower did you purchase?


I have the Earthwise 16 inch 7 blade.


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## AlaTex (Mar 27, 2019)

Texas_Bermuda said:


> AlaTex said:
> 
> 
> > I was having the same problem with my Palisades Zoysia. Not quite as severe but still too much tearing. I tried everything, blade sharpening, new blades etc. Finally went with a manual push reel. Problem solved. No more tearing and the cut quality is fantastic.
> ...


It's really not difficult at all. Especially if you're cutting low and often. I cut it every three days at 1 inch HOC. I have the Earthwise 16 inch 7 blade.


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## ashleykennedy27 (Jun 22, 2020)

We're making progress! A few of you suggested raising the HOC and we did. The front was way too low and the back was raised a notch. We cut this morning and can already tell a difference! We're getting our green back! We've worked way to hard for it! Thanks to everyone, who commented! (The blade is fine  )


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## DFW245 (Jul 23, 2021)

ashleykennedy27 said:


> We're making progress! A few of you suggested raising the HOC and we did. The front was way too low and the back was raised a notch. We cut this morning and can already tell a difference! We're getting our green back! We've worked way to hard for it! Thanks to everyone, who commented! (The blade is fine  )


Glad to hear it


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## callmestevee_o (Nov 11, 2021)

So are your front & back heights the same, or do you have the front slightly higher?


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