mowerman1193 40 #1 Posted June 22, 2015 I have most experience with the rear discharge decks.. Then I added one of those mulch plates a few years ago to my rear discharge deck and the blades was wider.. like 2" wide rather than the Rear discharge desk 1- 3/4 ish blades.. Anyway now I am using a side discharge deck.. and needs new blades. Does anyone know if the RD and SD blades are the same? I was always under the impression that they was different since years ago there were talks of the gator blades not being available for the RD but was for the SD decks.. But looking up in the parts viewer the only number I find for blades for the 42" decks is the same number 106636.. If the RD blades work then I don't need to buy blades as I have 2 new sets from before I installed that mulch plate in the RD deck..So school me on the 42" decks guys.. I aways have a hard time finding the correct parts because the manuals I look in cover both RD and SD and somehow I end up with the wrong part, LOLIf it matters we are talking 1984 era decks and tractors..Thanks,Kevin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,309 #2 Posted June 22, 2015 1984 42" rear discharge model 05-42MR02 uses blade set 1066351984 42" side discharge model 05-42MS03 uses blade set 106636Mower blade charthttp://www.wheelhorseforum.com/files/file/675-chart-blades-and-spindle-cups-rotary-mower-15-pages-492-0392pdf/Garry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mowerman1193 40 #3 Posted June 22, 2015 Awesome!! Thank you for the link.. didn't know it was on here.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
doc724 925 #4 Posted June 23, 2015 As I recall, the difference in the blades was the "lift" (the bend on the wing at the end). Side discharge needed the high lift blades. RD could use the low lift blades. I have used high lift RD's without problem. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PaulC 342 #5 Posted June 23, 2015 The difference is the length of the blade, the RD decks use a 14 1/2 inch blade and the SD use a 13 7/8 long blade. The extra length of the RD blades on a SD deck will cause interference issues, blades potentially hitting each other and the deck. I had a set of RD blades I didn't need anymore so I cut a little off of each end and used them on my SD, I would highly recommend having a good way to balance them after if you do this. Although after I started balancing my blades I recommend that to anyone for any blades that you sharpen yourself.There is a direct replacement gator blade for the SD, Oregon 90-643. There is the proper size gator blade available for the RD but it comes with a 11/16" hole instead of 3/4" so some guys have bought those and opened the hole up, Oregon 96-303. Also what I have saw others do and plan to try myself next time I mow is put the 90-643 gator blade on top of the standard RD blade in a "X" pattern and mow that way. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,309 #6 Posted June 23, 2015 Someone asked Oregon once why they did not have a Gator blade for a very popular application. The answer was the Gator was not an improvement over the OEM blade so they never made one.Garry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mowerman1193 40 #7 Posted June 23, 2015 The difference is the length of the blade, the RD decks use a 14 1/2 inch blade and the SD use a 13 7/8 long blade. The extra length of the RD blades on a SD deck will cause interference issues, blades potentially hitting each other and the deck. I had a set of RD blades I didn't need anymore so I cut a little off of each end and used them on my SD, I would highly recommend having a good way to balance them after if you do this. Although after I started balancing my blades I recommend that to anyone for any blades that you sharpen yourself.There is a direct replacement gator blade for the SD, Oregon 90-643. There is the proper size gator blade available for the RD but it comes with a 11/16" hole instead of 3/4" so some guys have bought those and opened the hole up, Oregon 96-303. Also what I have saw others do and plan to try myself next time I mow is put the 90-643 gator blade on top of the standard RD blade in a "X" pattern and mow that way.Back in the late 1980's I used to run 6 blades ( 2 each spindle ) on my RD deck to help mulch up the grass better.. worked pretty good too.. I had not even put the two separate blades together to see if they are different.. but I guess if I had I could have answered part of my own question as one is longer than the other... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PaulC 342 #8 Posted June 26, 2015 The difference is the length of the blade, the RD decks use a 14 1/2 inch blade and the SD use a 13 7/8 long blade. The extra length of the RD blades on a SD deck will cause interference issues, blades potentially hitting each other and the deck. I had a set of RD blades I didn't need anymore so I cut a little off of each end and used them on my SD, I would highly recommend having a good way to balance them after if you do this. Although after I started balancing my blades I recommend that to anyone for any blades that you sharpen yourself.There is a direct replacement gator blade for the SD, Oregon 90-643. There is the proper size gator blade available for the RD but it comes with a 11/16" hole instead of 3/4" so some guys have bought those and opened the hole up, Oregon 96-303. Also what I have saw others do and plan to try myself next time I mow is put the 90-643 gator blade on top of the standard RD blade in a "X" pattern and mow that way. Ok I did end up doing the "X" pattern with both sets of blades and wasn't at all happy with the outcome. Grass did grow like crazy this week so it was thick but the clumping was just as bad as before. The SD decks do great until you make it to the last few passes in the middle and then all your clumps are right there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skrusins 128 #9 Posted June 27, 2015 I have a 42"RD recycle with the insides taken out and a 48"SD both have 6 blades on each.I've used them for over 2 seasons without any problems actually it creates a better lift.I then put 6 blades on my 60"SD Kubota zero WOW what a difference. Sounded like a wind tunnel. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
