Ballard blade review

Today we look at the Ballard blades initial thoughts.

[@JohnnyMow]

Been using the Ballard blades for a week now. Very good. No issues and keeps its edge!

[@DS-TRUCKS]

Cool!

[@ramirocortez6392]

You CONVINCED me to try a set!!! I purchased the high rise blades

[@MyF-qx1tp]

great video, I have the Toro 4000 52in deck zmaster with the twin vacuum bagging system. should I leave the stock toro blades on or change them to the high lift short tails? tried Amazon and ebay for super high lift blades with 15/16 center bolt but no luck finding other than high lifts. any suggestions or blade item where I can order from. thankyou for your help

[@TaylorGrayson33]

I have a Toro Timemaster, i mulch my lawn. Are the Rippers better than OEM blades?

[@sethhardin4351]

You have said they are soft like 8 times? Did you rockwell test them? If not what are you basing the “softness” on? The sound of a putty knife on them?

[@nicolasdill3236]

The high lifts don’t keep the grass in the deck longer they spit it out faster. The blades that you are calling high lift are just a solid medium lift blade, the razor is a notched medium lift blade. Get you some hi-rise from Ballard and I bet you will never run anything else.

[@freeportlawncare5997]

Good video, thanks for sharing.

[@olukayodeokunowo4631]

Thank you so much. You have helped me alot. I would have shown you a blade to help me about but unfortunately is not possible

[@garrettbuckeye]

Maybe they are designed lighter so that they work well in the X blade configuration?

[@JohnnyMow]

Lee Ward good thought

[@danyoder2988]

How does a blade that’s a 1/16 of an inch thinner then another make an inch difference in cut height. I think not

[@vinceschannel8927]

But Johnnyyyy... I’ve ran mulching blades on my mower year round for 7 or so years now and it makes a big difference in the cut quality. I was thinking about trying out some Oregon gator blades for my new mower to make it a leaf monster Lol

[@MrOzzyosborne88]

Hows the blades holding up?

[@LansingLawnServiceLLC]

For whatever reason I have found that my turbo force deck cuts better with long tail blades over short tail. When I run short tail blades I don’t seem to get enough lift.

[@JohnnyMow]

Lansing Lawn Service LLC I run the factory blade I have no issues with lift and cut. How did your mulching the leaves up with the deck on the a setting?

[@LansingLawnServiceLLC]

Johnny Mow for me moving the baffle to the A position really helped in my opinion. I wouldn’t recommend it is the grass is still tall, but if your just taking off a little bit and your using gator blades I think it really helps.

[@joelstanhope7231]

The steel feels a little softer . Did you determine that by banging your head against them ?

[@tonyal6380]

Lol

[@philliphall5198]

Some blades pack the grass under the deck and is very hard to clean out after every job I may try them soon

[@chrismiesner6973]

Thanks man I was going to try them not now like you said thin metal guess the Oregon are better

[@JohnnyMow]

Chris Miesner they have worked well so far for me

[@crflawnandlandscaping2285]

Actually by a third-party reviewer they were rated as the best blades like on the market. Jesus bless y’all.

[@jgalt99]

Mower blade steel should be a little soft, imo. A softer steel will deform from an impact, a harder steel will shatter. You can grind out deformations, you have to grind down a lot more steel to fix a chip. That said, I have never seen a mower blade made from a truly "hard" steel. All the blades I have dealt with were mild steel and when you hit a rock you get a dent or the entire blade bends. Dents I can deal with, a bent blade is just done. So the key is to get the hardness down within a certain range, probably rockwell 45-52ish. A good knife is going to be 60+, a good machete 55. Like that. You're going to hit something you didn't see no matter what. What you want in a blade is something you can repair later, and not have to replace the blade itself prematurely.

[@1175drh]

I am buying a 60" Ferris on Monday. Would the razor be your blade of choice for this years wet, fast growing grass? Have you tried the gold blades!!

[@JohnnyMow]

Yes the razor would work but not in the summer have not tried gold blade yet

[@JohnnyMow]

Not a fan of mulching blades until leaves are present

[@lakesidelawns5309]

so do u know if your old blades are .203 or .250 metal

[@JohnnyMow]

Not sure

[@michaelkamphaus1725]

I'm on the fence about getting the ripper blades. And also on the fence about the x blade for leaves.

[@JohnnyMow]

Not a fan of x but those blades did perform well the last week

[@michaelkamphaus1725]

@@JohnnyMow good to know. I've been using Toro atomic for years in the fall. Thought I'd switch it up this year. Why don't you like the x blade other than extra wear on spindles.

[@JohnnyMow]

Michael Kamphaus does the atomic work well for you? Too much house power draw on x

[@michaelkamphaus1725]

@@JohnnyMow I love the atomic but I wait until the very last minute to switch to them. I leave my high lifts on until the leaves start coming down good. I got a 34hp fuel injection motor. I wonder if it would handle the x. I just want it for leaves I wouldn't mow with them all year

[@JohnnyMow]

Michael Kamphaus this is my first year with atomic snot sure how they will do.

[@garrettbuckeye]

You have a blade sharpener or just use a flap disk?

[@JohnnyMow]

Hillcrest Property Maintenance blade sharpener

[@jeremymcclanahan2389]

I cut a 5/16" steel cable in half with oem scag blades...left a nice divot but was able to be ground out....try that with ballards blades...they will turn into a boomerang if you hit something substantial

[@JohnnyMow]

I agree Ballard blades would be totally destroyed

[@jasonkramer3857]

I bought some of the Ballard blades and they are softer. They chip very easily, and sharpen very quickly. The OEM Excel blades take 3-4 times as long to sharpen, and don't chip as easily. The only conclusion I can reach is they are made of softer metal.

[@Draega007]

I've come to the same conclusion. I have a gravely pro turn 152 and these blades aren't as thick as the oem and were beyond sharpening after a little over a week of use. Wasn't too satisfied with them and I'm trying to find another brand already.

[@rebeccarobinson7024]

Where's follow up how blades did lol looking through your videos after this and nothing was said how they did or wasn't in title

[@JsCrazyCutzLLC]

Let know how those Ballard blades hold up👍

[@JohnnyMow]

J's Crazy Cutz, LLC gotcha

[@kennethdurham1022]

Johnny Ballard says these blades are 45 Rockwell that's about as hard as a file. That is not soft check them out. Most machine shops have a Rockwell hardness tester test them thanks for the review.

[@NewHopeCutzandLawnCare]

I have the rippers and they performed well.

[@JohnnyMow]

New Hope Cutz and Lawn Care good to know

[@bubbafudpucker397]

Wow! Not a single "But Johnny" in the entire video. What a letdown. Sarcasm off. Thanks for another video Johnny, you are becoming a lawn care legend!

[@JohnnyMow]

Bubba Fudpucker but bubbbbba😂 thanks

[@jr42a1]

If you have to sharpen them out of the wrapper that costs extra time (not much but still....).If you take your blades to someone to sharpen them and pay them then they are not a deal. I bought a set of lasers and are disappointed.I can buy a set of high lift OEM Spartan blades for a few bucks more than these for my 72" units with 36hp motors and they'll last a half a season.When I mid season change oil I pitch em and put on a new set.

[@MRPlow-gj4qg]

Perfect timing on your video. I just got two Sets of the Ballard x blades razor ripper combo. Putting them on two 60 inch X Mark Lazer Z‘s trying one with the mulch kit the other without a mulch kit and just The exmark shoot blocker. We will be trying them out next week. I’ll give you an update and see how we like it after that.

[@JohnnyMow]

MR. Plow please let me know

[@MRPlow-gj4qg]

I got to try the x blades out yesterday. Do not put them on a mulch kit creates too much wind turbulence and just blows the leaves out the front of the deck and does not mulch them at all even if you slow the RPMs down still blows out the front. However it is worth putting them on a mower with just a shoot block they grind up pretty well. I will be taking them off the mower I have a Mulch kit on and be running just the ripper blades on it.

[@tomgreen1721]

How are they holding up

[@JohnnyMow]

Got rid of them. Soft metal easy to sharp but not good if you hit something.

[@tomgreen1721]

@@JohnnyMow 10-4 thanks

[@hammer1bad]

I just bought the ripper blades are use them yesterday all day initial impressions great Mow! I thought they were supposed to be stay sharp blades we will see!

[@JohnnyMow]

Dan Burgess they are sold out or else I would get a set

[@hammer1bad]

Johnny Mow Yeah I noticed they’re sold out I tried to buy the razor blades and now they’re gone LOL

[@imagelawnservice1348]

wanna know something in lawn care....Johnny Mow is the way to Go!!

[@imagelawnservice1348]

also salting,, You taught me so much about spreading salt

[@JohnnyMow]

Thanks my man

[@spengali857]

I don’t think a sound review is laying some new blades on a table and describing how they look? I would use the blades then give a review.

[@JohnnyMow]

Ok

[@shanepipkin4041]

short tall don't work on big decks on icd

[@dclandscapemaintenancellc9922]

like

[@jeffreyprezalar220]

You are out of your head, the decks and blades are designed to work together for max flow. Your issue is not the highlift your issue is trying to run the mower to fast thru grass you cannot process because its too tall and wet.

[@JohnnyMow]

Ok that’s what it is. That’s why the other blades works better.

[@paulmarion7578]

From what I saw of there mulching blades there flat not curved like real mulching blades so I’ll pay the extra money for John Deere mulching blades JD is also harder metal so I’ll stick with them .

[@garrisonfamilyalbum3901]

👊🏼🧔🏻

[@joelstanhope7231]

He tells what the ballord blades do but hasnt put them on yet to find out . Sounds like a leftest professor

[@JohnnyMow]

They have been used and they are not up to par

[@Orefamilylawncare]

@@JohnnyMow in what reguards?