Dakota8338 115 #1 Posted May 7, 2019 The OEM Scags blades I have been purchasing from the dealer Have such a limited life, I decided to purchase a set or Oregon mower blades, since my experience with other Oregon products has been favorable, and see it they last any better. They were in a sealed cardboard box, when I purchased them. When I got them home and opened the box, the Oregon blades are not even sharp. Actually they look like the entire blade, including the cutting edge, was just stamped from a sheet of metal, then painted black. Oregon can rest assured, I will not be purchasing any more of their lawn mower blades. At least the Scag's blades were sharp. Have we reached the point in this country, idiots are preventing working instruments from being manufactured properly? 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JAinVA 4,619 #2 Posted May 7, 2019 (edited) They had your interests at heart.Pre dulled blades with no mounting required. With that said I don't like the quality of most Oregon products. Edited May 7, 2019 by JAinVA Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge 3,463 #3 Posted May 8, 2019 Personally, I think Oregon has seriously slipped in both quality and finished product shaping - for competition reasons. I'm seeing this trend elsewhere, good old manufacturers are leaving out finishing steps to cut their costs trying to hold onto some profits and try to stay afloat when competing with cheaper Chinese or otherwise goods. It has really reared its ugly head in the tool market, particularly in power tools. Even with the more Industrial tools, they have cut product quality to compete in both the general market and with other competitors in the Industrial market lines - none of this is a good thing. We're seeing proof now with new businesses buying up older tools, refurbishing and rebuilding/restoring them to new condition and re-selling them. This has boiled down even into garden tractors and some of the mowers as well - there are folks out there that are tearing into older equipment to completely restore it to new condition from the ground up - then selling it to a new owner and at times even with a warranty. The last 3 sets of Oregon blades I bought were crap - and like yours, not even close to being sharp. One set had a flat land that was over 1/8" thick - that's pretty bad. Try measuring them as well - I've found sets that are not the full 16-1/16" long tip to tip diagonally as they should be, most are 3/16" of too short. This causes the offset overlap of a mowing deck to leave lines and once the blades wear slightly the problem really gets a lot worse to the point that the set is junk. I wonder, has anyone ponied up for the Toro blades lately - and further, how is their quality/fit/finish? Sarge 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
classiccat 548 #4 Posted May 8, 2019 (edited) I picked up a toro blade (pn: 108-3762-03) 2 years ago for my older recycler pushmower... it was $17.55 directly from Toro. It arrived sharp and holds it's edge pretty well on my residential lawn (fescue and bluegrass); I typically re-sharpen after 4-5 cuts of my 1/2acre lawn. Edited May 8, 2019 by classiccat Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sarge 3,463 #5 Posted May 8, 2019 I'm lucky if I can get one full season out of a set of Oregon blades - in the summer and fall the dry conditions, dust and rocks will eat the blades to nothing. The first half of the season, due to weather and our soil quality creates a race just to keep up with the grass. In some months I'll have to mow it at least every 4 days and that is the minimum to keep up with the stuff - sometimes it needs to be done in only 3 days of growth. Our soil here is like bagged potting soil - but actually, better. I swear you can take any seed, toss it on the ground and urinate on the thing and a plant will pop up in record time. There are spots around here that the rich, black topsoil is over 10 feet thick and more in some places. Some developers have bought large tracts to build subdivisions, pushed back all of the top layer down to the clay and laid out their infrastructure - then, put 2 feet of that top layer back down and start building. The remaining huge pile of topsoil is then run through a portable pulverizing plant and bagged to be sold. The money generated off of just the soil that was left over is nearly enough to pay for the initial land purchase - it's pretty crazy. Most farmers have gone to no-tilling operations to save our topsoil and prevent so much wind and water erosion - which is a good thing. It took centuries of prairie growth to create this soil - we need to preserve it to continue to serve as our country's breadbasket. Sarge 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rmaynard 15,427 #6 Posted May 8, 2019 I just finished rebuilding a 42" deck. I ordered a set of Stens 350-116 blades because they were .203" thick as compared to other aftermarket blades which were only .183". The Stens blades were sharpened, then painted. The edge was sharp, but not enough to cut you since it has a thick layer of paint (or maybe powder coat). They were well balanced, each measured 13-7/8". After making my first pass around the yard, I was impressed. Good clean cut. Set of 3 was $34.50 delivered from eBay. 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Tuul Crib 7,336 #7 Posted May 8, 2019 Maybe osha had something to do with it! people might get hurt with sharp objects! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 62,791 #8 Posted May 9, 2019 14 hours ago, The Tool Crib said: Maybe osha had something to do with it! people might get hurt with sharp objects! A lady I worked with years ago had no children. She told me “My mom says stupid people shouldn’t breed.” It was a reproduction issue, but was still a very good point! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tractor boy 239 #9 Posted May 9, 2019 I work at a scag dealer and most of the scag blades last the professional landscapers one season. I do agree that the don't really come that sharp. Maybe try a new dealer or buy some online? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
clueless 2,976 #10 Posted May 9, 2019 Interesting story, the old local WH dealer was the WH district rep for Georgia, Alabama, and Northwest Florida from 1970 to 1982, he doesn't have anything good to say about Toro, but says the WH is the best garden tractor built. I was talking about the price of WH blades a while back, he said back in the early 70's dealers down here were complaining about the blades not staying sharp and not lasting long in this sandy soil. WH brought in a metallurgist and changed the metal formula. He told me there is a company down in Homosassa Spring Fl. that had acres of grass and weeds where companies could have their equipment tested. He said the new blades stayed sharper and lasted 30% longer the the old formula, that's why the cost more. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakota8338 115 #11 Posted May 10, 2019 Maynard, I have used a variety of Stens products and found them to be very reliable. After reading all the comments, I went to the Stens Lawn Mower Blades charts and from that source, I found a set of blades with a rolled back, rather than the fast wearing notched back which will fit my mower. The are also designated XHT (Extreme Hardness & Toughness) blades, which have proven to be 25 - 40 % harder than standard lawn mower blades, according to Stens, which produces a sharper and longer cutting edge in these blades. I really hope the XHT to be completely true! If it is, I will clap for joy! The old Wheel Horse blades had a rolled back, IIRC and they could be obtained in a low lift version also, but I don't remember the hi-lift version wearing down that swiftly. I am remembering the older Wheel Horse blades could be sharpened 4 - 6 times before they were wearing out, but they were considerably thicker that the blades which I have been purchasing for my Scag. I have only purchased one set of Wheel Horse blades for the 42 inch mower in the last couple of years, but they were still thicker that the El Cheapo Scag blades I have been using. Just out of curiosity, I will check the old Scag blades, the new Oregon blades & the old Wheel Horse blades for thickness Friday morning and see what each measures with calipers. I have been unable to find a low lift blade for my Scag anywhere, but the notched back is usually mostly worn down or completely missing by the time the blades are showing need of sharpening or replacement in their performance. With the notch gone, the blades are virtually a single use item. I will be ordering a set of the Stens rolled back XHT blades which fit my Scag, and if they perform half way satisfactory, they will probably become my blades of choice. I will report back on their performance given time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lee1977 6,642 #12 Posted May 10, 2019 XHT blades are made by Sunbelt. I have had one on a Snapper rer for 6 years and haven't sharpened it yet. It is the mower I use to cut rough areas, and Snappers are well known to scap. I have since bought two sets for my 48" Wheel Horse decks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dakota8338 115 #13 Posted May 13, 2019 Not to be argumentative Lee1977, but I went back and reread the description and admittedly there may be misinformation in the description, but it states: by Premium Rplc for Stens (3 Pack) Stens Premium Rplc 18" x 2 1/2" High Lift Lawn Mower Deck Blades / 310-110 310-508 315-876 330-647 330-753 Product features: This is a brand new 3 pack premium replacement lawn mower deck blade! Top quality premium replacement replacement part! (I repeated exactly what was in the description and the repeated replacement is not an error on my part or typing.) Center hole 5/8" Length 18" Thickness .197 Width 2 1/2" 36 inch cut using two blades; 52 inch cut using three blades; Fits commercial walk-behind; Fits snapper pro series Replacement XHT lawnmower blade. XHT (Extreme Hardness & Toughness) blades are 25 - 40% harder than standard lawnmower blades. Benefits of the XHT blade are sharper and longer lasting cutting edges. More resistance to bending. Tighter tolerances in the aftermarket vs. OEM. XHT blades also offer greater impact toughness. Product description: This is a brand new 3 pack premium replacement lawn mower deck blade! Doing some further looking, I did however find apparently the exact same blades by Sunbelt, which also indicated Premium Rplc for Sunbelt. I don't have a clue as to who or what Rplc is, and could not find any further information on Rplc, so apparently the Rplc (whoever or whatever they are) actually make the XHT blades for both Stens & Sunbelt. If Rplc is the actual manufacturer, I don't understand why they wish to remain anonymous. If you have any further information on this matter please share it. I have my own curiosity aroused at this point and would like to know the rest of the story. . . . . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
