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Tried to spend most of the day yesterday finishing up the utility trailer and getting it ready for service on various tasks that need done , as in NOW as the weather here has changed drastically . Temps yesterday hit the mid-60s but it came with 40mph winds . Hard to even concentrate but I got the lift assist cables done and everything works as it should . Loaded up the little Deere lawn tractor I use at times to mow /backup as well as the engine hoist and the old push mower - those items need to go out to the storage unit asap and get out of the way and weather . Late afternoon I looked at the yard and realized that grass had gone crazy on a growth spurt the last few days of rain/warmer weather - decided to mow "real quick" . The Deere did a lousy job last time and left a lot of clumps as usual - it's discharge plugs up far too easily and it can't handle cutting any more than about 1-1/2" at a time . I wanted to knock it down to "one notch off dirt" and the 16 Auto has my "good" 48" deck that I run doubled blades on - standard hi-lift on the bottom and Gator blades above those , it mulches up the grass great and seems to discharge much better . I cut almost 4" off the top and left it pretty short for winter - same as always and the grass always comes back nicely in the spring . Went pretty well , the old Kohler rattling along and barely ever touched the governor - until I just barely caught the drainage inlet in the lower back yard - the ground has sunk this summer from some really heavy rains/flooding and the cover is sticking up more than usual . That was a bad hit and it caught both blades on the discharge side - cast iron versus hardened steel at high rpm is never a good thing .... Can't believe the blades actually cut a notch out of that 60lb cast iron cover - those things are very tough and designed to withstand heavy equipment running over them . What is even more surprising is it did not damage the spindle - it still runs dead true with zero wobble . The hit did bend the deck housing slightly just inboard of the spindle - a few choice whacks with a 4lb hand drill and a block of wood fixed that - it was trying to hit the blade tips to the center spindle . Deck still cuts nice and flat now , just as it always has - amazingly tough parts . Both blades suffered some pretty heavy damage but luckily didn't break or shatter as they sometimes do - I was glad of that . Caused a 20 minute delay swapping the blade set for some old used ones ( I always save a couple old sets) and fixing the bend in the deck shell . Finished the rest of it in the dark and it looks great - temperature dropped 38* last night and today the high is 43* with high winds , again . Glad I got it done , hauling out the load to the storage unit later today . Here's the crazy property I mow where we rent - lot of hills and holes and places where no Kohler K series should ever go except up/down , never side hill it when mowing . I'll have to grab a pic of the one blade that got the worst of it - held up amazing well against that cast iron . Sarge
