# Gator blade for MTD/Craftsman/Cub Cadet/Murray 21 inch mowers?



## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

I've heard good things about it, but I'm not sure if there's one available to fit my mower. I sometimes have mulching volume issues with the standard factory blades, so figured I'd check with you all. Anyone know how I can find out?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Go to the Gator website and search with the part number from your mower.

http://en.oregonproducts.com/pro/lookups/selguide_bladelookup.aspx


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

Thanks, but their online tool was no help when I put in the model of the original blade. Their catalog makes it look like they offer something that fits my mower, but I'm so new to customizing things that I'm not used to how these things are cataloged. Think I should contact them?


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

Been a while.

I ended up going through every 21-inch Gator blade that Oregon offered, and looked for the one with the same holes my blades have.

My blade: https://www.sears.com/craftsman-21inch-3-in-1-blade-single-pack/p-07133010000P

The Gator replacement I found for it: https://powertooloutfitters.com/product/blade-mtd-gator-g5-21in-oregon-598-631/

Pretty sure this would fit. It has the same openings.

Anyone think I would see performance gains for leaf mulching using this?


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## ForsheeMS (May 21, 2018)

I use the Gator G6 blades on my zero turn and there is a very noticeable difference as the leave pieces come out about half the size compared to the standard factory blades. Keep in mind however this is on a commercial ZT mower with a blade tip speed of over 18k fpm and I'm discharging (no mulching kit) so your results could be different.

One thing for certain, I don't run these blades in the spring or anytime there is a lot of moisture in the grass. I'm not talking wet grass here, just the amount of moisture in the grass itself. Running the Gators with a lot of moisture in the grass the discharge looks almost like a fogger and the mess it makes under the deck is horrible!


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## haas (Sep 7, 2018)

I would agree with you on that being the correct blade for your mower. My snapper mower uses the same blade but 
I just installed it so I cant speak to its performance. Hopefully I will have time to test it out this weekend.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

haas said:


> I would agree with you on that being the correct blade for your mower. My snapper mower uses the same blade but
> I just installed it so I cant speak to its performance. Hopefully I will have time to test it out this weekend.


Thank you for confirming that. It was hard to see the exact hole shape in the photos, but it was the only one that looked like that. Snapper, I believe, has some lower end models made by MTD, as well, so it makes sense.

I think I'll order one. Let me know how it works.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

ForsheeMS said:


> One thing for certain, I don't run these blades in the spring or anytime there is a lot of moisture in the grass. I'm not talking wet grass here, just the amount of moisture in the grass itself. Running the Gators with a lot of moisture in the grass the discharge looks almost like a fogger and the mess it makes under the deck is horrible!


Interesting. I wonder if that Spring mowing issue would affect a 21 inch mower. I was hoping the blade would handle Spring growth better than the stock blade, which leaves clipoings in the wheel path at times during rapid, thick growth.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

Remington mower looks like an MTD design as well...


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## haas (Sep 7, 2018)

Green said:


> haas said:
> 
> 
> > I would agree with you on that being the correct blade for your mower. My snapper mower uses the same blade but
> ...


I was very happy with the results considering my leaves were a little wet. I did buy the g3 blade. I'm not a big fan of that heavier blade on a push mower, takes too much power.


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## Green (Dec 24, 2017)

Apparently I got the wrong blade (G5). It's wider than the stock blade, a LOT heavier. I'm planning to send it back. There is another one that's listed as replacing my blade number, that's less wide. It's a G3 and not a G5. But it's apparently still heavier than my stock blade. I'm going to talk with a mechanical engineer I know who designs similar rotating systems, and who has repaired his mower recently, and see what he thinks, whether it might cause too much rotational torque on the system, reducing the life of the mower.

@MasterMech 
@g-man



haas said:


> I was very happy with the results considering my leaves were a little wet. I did buy the g3 blade. I'm not a big fan of that heavier blade on a push mower, takes too much power.


Do you feel the G3 is still too heavy? It's apparently still heavier than the stock blade, as I mentioned above. It's hard to find exact weights online for the stock blades. I suppose I can weigh it. Also, did it have the proper bow-tie cutout like the stock MTD blade in the center, or just the rectangular center hole (which they claim still fits the bow-tie opening)?


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