Customer Reviews

Oregon 95-900 96-900 21-Inch Gator Mulcher 3-N-1 Lawn Mower Blade For AYP/Poulan

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I purchased a pair of Oregon Gator blades to replace the worn/bent Sears blades on my Craftsman 42" riding mower. The Oregon Gator blades are MUCH heavier duty, thicker, and are on a whole different level than Sears blades when it comes to quality. These blades can hit stumps, rocks, and other debris and are bulletproof. No signs of wear at all after 5-6 mows of tall, thick grass.

A word of advice - make sure you install the blade properly. The teeth on the back of the blade must be pointed upward toward the top of the mowing deck. I made the mistake of installing them upside-down, and unfortunately mowed about 1/2 my lawn with the blades in the wrong position. Surprisingly the cut looked fine, but a few days later I noticed the badly torn grass blades, and knew that I installed the blades improperly. Dumb move, I know, but I had already taken off my other blades (which were bent/worn) and didn't bother to double-check the orientation of the cutting edge before installing the new blades. Just made the wrong assumption that the teeth should curve down toward the grass, and torn grass blades were the result.

These Oregon Gator blades would have received 5-stars, but I rated it 4-stars because there was no "grass-side down" marking on the blade, as is always the case with Craftsman mower blades. Otherwise, these blades I'm sure will outlast the mower as they are made of hardened steel and are much thicker gauge than other mower blades. Do NOT sharpen these blades out of the box, the protective layer of paint on the edge makes the blade feel dull, but it will wear off during the first mow, revealing the sharp edge. The blades are sharpened by precision at the factory for the most ideal cut, so by trying to sharpen the blades when they are new, the efficiency and effectiveness of the blade is reduced.

The Oregon 21" Gator blades will outlast most other mower blades sold at Sears and other stores, they are a smart investment as you'll save $$ by not having to sharpen/replace these every year.

This is a good blade but is not a "miracle" blade. I live in the country and my "yard", or I guess it should more aptly be "the area I mow on a regular basis", conists of some grass (St. Augustine, Bermuda) and more weeds than grass. I mow my approximately 1/2 acre "yard" with a 42" riding lawnmower.

Pro: This blade cuts well in the grass. It mulches everything small enough that I don't have to worry about thatch buildup. And, it has accomplished what I wished when I purchased it. I now mulch when mowing versus catching the grass or just exhausting it out the side. This is much better for my "yard" and hopefully it will help the grass run the weeds out. One great advantage is that my mowing time has decreased from 2-3 hours to 1 - 1/2 hours by not having to dump bagging bins or go over the yard several times to mulch the clippings, so that in itself is worth the price of the blades.

Con: This blade is no better than any other I've tried with the weeds. Most of the weeds are just too tough for mowing at any speed other than low speed and cutting consistently in one pass. I think that this would be the case with whatever blade used but I was hopeful this one would be different, but that is not the case. Don't know that this is a knock on the blade as much as my "yardening" for not taking care of the weeds!

Overall, I am well satisfied with the blades and will continue to use them.

Other reviews have noted how long these last. I've only used the blades for a short time this season, so I'll have to hold judgement on that to see what kind of effect the weeds have on blade wear and tear.

I received this product 2 days after I order it. It cuts great and leaves grass in fine particles. No need to go back and rake or bag. Saves money all around. I have a craftsman mower and they fit perfect. I would recommend this product to anyone who wants a great cut and and to save money in the long run. You will not have to replace these blades every year. They should last a long time.

Great product!!!! The blades work great as they should!! They chop up grass clippings and leaves down to nothing!!

This is our second purchase of these blades. Our first set performed so well that we decided to order them again! For seven seasons we tried every blade from Amazon and elsewhere that fit our Craftsman 42" mower. Some of the blades didn't even last the season without bending, distorting or just requiring resharpening when cutting our acre of thick Zeon Zoysia grass. We found the blades manufactured by Oregon generally superior to others we tried. These Gator blades are really no more resistant to bending or becoming dull than other heavy-duty Oregon blades, and they are more expensive. What makes them worth it is their performance. They cut cleanly into very fine pieces and distribute the pieces relatively evenly into the lawn, with or without the mulching attachment installed. The result is faster mowing, less raking and a very pretty lawn!

The blades live up to all the good things said about them. I have gone through several different blades from various manufacturers starting with the craftsman, which broke the first year. All have clogged, cut unevenly or just did a poor job until these. The cut is fairly fine and the grass is blown out with nearly zero problems compared to past blades. We mow both our two acre yard and a large lawn at our church, so the blades get a workout.

No cons on this recommendation. A very fine blade.

These blades live on my Husqvarna 42" 20hp mower. I live in an area where rocks grow almost as fast as the weeds. The blades are far thicker and heavier than stock blades or Home Depot type replacement blades. I made it through the mowing season without having to replace them, which is a first for me. With other blades, while mowing thick grass, my discharge chute would clog frequently. I have not had that problem with these blades. The only downside I can see to these blades is that if you live in a rocky area it will make it tougher on the rest of your mower, i.e. belts, pulleys and mandrels...these blades don't "give" as readily when they hit something besides grass. For my purposes and the results I expect, these blades are 5+.

Put Gator blades on a Simplicity lawn tractor with a 38" deck. For those of you that don't know, Simplicity tractors cut cleaner than any other lawn tractor out there. Best deck design by far, Two blades offset with one larger than the other. Tip speed on the blades is outrageous compared to other lesser mowers. And that speed is what makes the Gator blades shine. These blades do a great job with the summer mowing but it's the fall when they really show their worth. I used to fill countless bags of leafs. Not any more. I simply raise the deck, "corral" the leaves and then obliterate them. Might bag a few leaves but not often.

You can mess around with other replacement blades but I don't know why. Mine have been on for at least five years and after one sharpening, they still cut fine. No shake, no wobble, still perfectly straight and I've been known to hit a few branches here and there. If you have a mower with good power and can spin these at the speed they need, that's where they really make a difference.

This is by far the best blades I have ever bought! My yard is full of sand, rocks and many other surprises that eat up blades on a regular basis and I have had no issues whatsoever with these. I have been using them for a few months now and with other blades i would have been ready to replace the second time over already. I use fresh mulch to fertilize my gardens and these blades help me make my own and save money. If you cut all to one side, it makes it very easy to just pick up the fine-cut mulch and throw on the plants. I will never buy another brand again.

I ordered 2 Gator blades, and they matched the size on my 42" Craftsman rider mower very well. I think these are a big improvement over the older style mulching blades I had used. Even with keeping the old blades sharp, these Gator blade fins seem to do a much better job of getting the grass chopped into small pieces. I get a better looking cut, more even grass dispersal, and I have been able to run the mower in a higher gear. All good so far. They are heavy and look like they will last quite a while. These blades cost me a little more money, and are a bit louder, it seems, but provide a big improvement to my mowing. So far, I like them very much. They are keepers.