Walk-behind mower blades: part number, length, hole and type

Short answer

Order the blade your mower's maker lists for your model, by part number. RYOBI, for example, lists its AC04025 blade for the RY401014 and excludes the RY401130.^[1] If the number is gone, measure the old blade diagonally and name its center hole before you compare any listing. A "21-inch" label alone does not tell you whether a blade fits.

Picks that fitAll picks and how to choose

• EGO AB2102D high-lift bagging blade set for 21 in Select Cut mowersCheck price on Amazon

• EGO AB2200D high-performance blade set for 22 in aluminum-deck Select Cut mowersCheck price on Amazon

What this topic covers

A walk-behind mower usually has one blade, or a stacked pair on some battery mowers, bolted to a spindle or a blade adapter. The blade has to match three things at once: its length, the shape and size of its center hole, and the mode your deck runs in (bagging, mulching or side discharge). Two blades sold as "21-inch" can differ in all of these. Oregon lists its 96-347 Gator G3 at 21 in with a 5/8 in center hole and zero offset,^[2] and its 91-635 Gator G3 at 21-1/8 in with a 3/4 in center hole, 1/4 in offset and 0.187 in thickness, as a replacement for Cub Cadet.^[3]

This hub covers how to find the right blade, the blade types, genuine and aftermarket parts, and what the makers say about replacement.

The decisions, in order

1. The maker's part number for your model. Start with the OEM part number, from the old blade, the parts list or the manual. Toro's 59534P is a 22-inch Recycler blade that replaces part 59534, and Toro tells owners to verify make and serial number before ordering.^[4] RYOBI's AC04025 is listed for the RY401014, RY401016, RY40HPLM05 and RY40HPLM01, and RYOBI excludes the RY40LM01, RY40LM10-Y and RY401130.^[1] EGO lists its AB2102D high-lift set for the Select Cut LM2130, LM2133, LM2130SP, LM2135SP, LM2150SP and LM2156SP,^[5] and its AB2200D set only for the 22-inch aluminum-deck LM2200SP and LM2206SP.^[6]

2. If there is no number: length and center hole. USA Mower Blades measures length diagonally from one tip to the opposite tip, and warns that a straight end-to-end measurement gives the wrong length.^[7] It measures round center holes by inner diameter and identifies star and bow-tie (H-pattern) holes by name.^[7] The blade measuring guide walks through each figure.

3. The blade type for your deck's mode. Cub Cadet says its 3-in-1 mulching blades discharge less efficiently than standard 2-in-1 high-lift blades.^[8] Oregon says the teeth on its Gator mulching blades circulate cut grass back into the deck several times.^[9] That is Oregon's description of the design, not a measured result.

4. Genuine or aftermarket. Toro's manual for the 21465 Recycler says replacement parts and accessories made by other manufacturers could be dangerous and recommends genuine Toro parts.^[10] An aftermarket blade is matched by the maker's cross-reference, which is that maker's claim. See OEM vs aftermarket mower blades.

Every page on walk-behind blades

Guides

• Mower blade center holes: round, star, bow-tie and S-shape
• Standard, high-lift and mulching blades: what each one is for
• Oregon Gator G3, G5 and G6: what Oregon says about each
• OEM vs aftermarket mower blades: what to check before you switch
• EGO mower blade sets for Select Cut, 22-inch and 30-inch mowers
• When to replace a mower blade, and what the manual says first
• Mower blade claims and what the evidence can show
• How to measure a mower blade: length, center hole, width, thickness
• Find a mower blade by its OEM part number
• RYOBI 40V mower bag and blade: which models

Tools

• Blade center-hole identifier: name your hole shape and see the blades listed with it.
• Mower model parts finder: the blade part numbers each maker lists by model.

Mower models

• Toro 22-inch Recycler 21465
• EGO Select Cut 21-inch mowers
• EGO 22-inch aluminum-deck LM2200SP
• RYOBI RY401014

Deck sizes

• 21-inch walk-behind decks and 22-inch walk-behind decks

Center holes

• Round, 5-point star, 6-point star, 7-point star, bow-tie and S-shape center holes

How to choose

1. Find your model and serial number on the mower's label and match them to the maker's parts list.
2. Order by the listed part number, and read what the set includes. EGO says nuts and bolts are not included with its AB2200D set.^[6]
3. Only measure if no number survives, and then compare length, center hole, width and thickness, not the deck size.
4. Check the seller if a warranty matters. EGO's warranty applies only when the product was bought from an authorized EGO retailer,^[11] and it classes blades as maintenance parts with 90 days of consumer coverage.^[11]

Three approved blades name their mower or the part they replace:

Picks that fit3 products

Choose the EGO AB2102D set only for the Select Cut LM2130, LM2133, LM2130SP, LM2135SP, LM2150SP or LM2156SP, and the AB2200D set only for the aluminum-deck LM2200SP or LM2206SP; EGO says nuts and bolts are not included.

More on choosing

Choose the Toro 59534P (one blade) if your old blade is 59534 or 59534P, after checking your serial number on Toro's parts page. On Amazon, check that 'Ships from / Sold by' shows Amazon.com or the brand.

• High-lift bagging set for 21-inch EGO Select Cut mowers

  EGO AB2102D high-lift bagging blade set for 21 in Select Cut mowers

  Check price on Amazon

• Blade set for EGO's 22-inch aluminum-deck mowers

  EGO AB2200D high-performance blade set for 22 in aluminum-deck Select Cut mowers

  Check price on Amazon

• Toro 22-inch Recycler blade by part number

  Toro 59534P 22 in Recycler blade

Key terms

Diagonal blade length, center-hole diameter, star center hole, high-lift blade, mulching blade, dual-blade system, aftermarket and cross-reference.