JOHN DEERE BLADE COMPARISON

Comparison is of John Deere blades against comparable competitive blades (blades not manufactured by John Deere, but sold to fit the same equipment).

Features	John Deere Rotary Blade	Competitive Blade
Size of center hole	Perfectly sized to spindle alignment boss.	Center hole too large leads to moderate blade and deck vibration.
Location of center hole	Hole is located in exact center of blade.	Mislocated center holes leads to serious vibration and blade-to-blade contact.
Flatness of blade/spindle contact area	Blade remains flat while tightening blade bolt.	As blade is tightened, ends do not remain flat and blades become misaligned.
Material and Heat Treatment	Combines carbon with boron and other materials to provide hardenability for long life without brittleness.	Some competitive companies sell hardness only, compromising safety with brittle blades. Others don't control the material or heat-treating process, resulting in blades that are too soft and wear quickly or are too hard and brittle.

Features	John Deere Rotary Blade	Competitive Blade
Fatigue Test	Blades shaken over 6 million cycles to simulate abusive environment.	Aftermarket blade fragments in stake test. (See results above)
Field Test	All new blades are tested at field test sites in Wisconsin and Florida for wear and longevity.