Technical


Mower blades


The sum of all parts...


In this article, Reesink Turfcare’s Clive Pinnock, who has been in the industry for over thirty-two years and is the first in the turfcare sector to achieve a level four in the Landbased Technician Accreditation scheme (LTA), one of the highest training accolades there is, talks blades. Specifically, how these unassuming pieces of metal can mean the difference between frayed and unhealthy grass, or the immaculately clean, healthy cut your turf needs


T


oo often, we talk about how important it is to have a good quality mower and it’s very easy to forget that, just as important as the mower, are the parts you put in it. With so many options for


cylinders, with five, six, seven, eight, ten, eleven and fourteen blades, what’s best for which turf tasks? The number refers to the number of the actual blades in the cylinder, and the lower the number of blades, the higher and rougher the cut. So, for example, grounds mowers - which we at Reesink refer to as the machines used by local authorities and landscape contractors - are generally five and six blade machines. These cylinders can chomp through taller, coarser grass typically found in parks and on the verge- side.


Meanwhile, for that ultra fine finish required on golf course greens the eight, eleven and fourteen blades will deliver the smooth and consistent finish players demand. The tees and fairways and many sports pitches, which need a healthy cut, but do not require such a fine finish, the five and seven blade cylinders are perfect.


Clive Pinnock Blade by design


Perhaps not often taken into account is the design of the blades. It is expected that blades should be designed to fit the cutting unit whatever the cutting unit width and, of course, as with all things, some do this better than others and this should be taken into account when choosing the blades for your machine. Choosing blades produced by the manufacturer of your machine is recommended. Toro parts, for example, will give the best fit and help get optimal performance out of your mower. Choosing a generic blade that is not precisely manufactured for the mower may result in poor quality of cut due to incorrect blade angle and height. But it’s not just the fit to consider, there are also the design capabilities too, which ensure that the blade is designed, or one could say crafted, to better serve the turf’s needs. I know Toro has spent extensive R&D time looking at how blades with sharpened cutting edges at both ends and a sail area that is curved up to create airflow, produce a better quality of cut. Depending on the purpose of your mower and the design of the cutting unit, the blade sail will


PC APRIL/MAY 2017 I 121


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