Ryobi 54" zero turn gets Kavli Finisha blades! Big improvement!! ZT540e 

You are not kidding about going up and down 17 times because that was us!

Thank you Karen we get that a lot but not even one mower manufacturer or blade manufacturer has made the initial contact. We have tried on different levels with no success. We are still confused as to why?

Thank you

You mentioned that you were going to replace the stock batteries with LiFePO4 batteries . Do you have to change out the whole system or will those batteries work with the original setup?

Sorry it took so long. I've had the blades for a while. My fault.

@@Something2LookAt great job Mike

Indeed. A night-and-day difference!

Happy to do so. It's really a great machine, with lousy stock blades. But once the blades are replaced, it's awesome!

Thank you for those kind words.

@@johnkavli8181 Do you make blades for the 42” Ryobi mowers?

I just bought some for the 42” ryobi, I emailed John and got a response very quickly. Excited to try them out.

Thanks!

Ha, yes. The Cheetah can mow the power line trails. You should see those trails now. I don't think a brush hog could mow them now. I keep watching them to see what kind of machine they bring to mow them. They are long overdue.

@@Something2LookAt i would guess a skid steer with a quality mower deck, seen the guy at the i dig it channel do some tall tall thick stuff on power trails in his area.

@@jojodancer4947 I love the I dig it channel!

Yep!

Sure, probably any blade other than the stock blades would do better. But from a lot of experience the Finisha blades are on another level. Teeth pointed downward on the ends are gonna beat the other blades. And oh, I forgot to show it. The battery meter still showed 95% left on the battery after mowing this. I sensed no extra resistance running these blades. Oh boy, that was an important part of this test. Sorry John! I meant to say there was no increased battery drain noticed.

@@Something2LookAt thanks Mike we are going over the questions and as we are you are answering our questions. Your subscribers are asking the right things and we are getting what we require.

Oh, the Cheetah is heavy duty commercial. This mower is not even commercial. You really can't compare them. If it were trying to mow all the yards that the Cheetah mows, it would last probably about a month. lol. But given that it just mows a few nice yards, it should last many years.

@@Something2LookAt it sure has a commercial price tag though….

@@Something2LookAt oh it's no comparison really just as far as how will the motor last just doing home yard mowing, all electric motors go week over usage over time .

@@FishFind3000 Oh, all the battery operated stuff costs a bundle. The prices will come down as manufacturing increases. Just look at the Tesla prices.

@@Something2LookAt that's not necessarily true since the lower prices you see are just cheaper models with less features and tech.

Indeed, They are probably made that way to have less resistance for the electric motors. But it turns the Kavli baldes just fine.

2nd upper blade is to chop the cut grass into finer small so IMO who cares remove the 2nd uppper blade for increse in RT

Oh, no. No no no. We're not gonna push this mower to the extreme. What you see in this video is about as high as I'll go with it.

@@Something2LookAt Hey no wait a minute if I’m not mistaken you said you really wanted to test that lawn more I challenge you Mike to do that to see the results on buddy

@@bradolsen8629 agreed. You bought this to TEST it…. So let’s really test it.

Mike level with us you Buy that to test it is that right????

Oh, you're going to have to email them and tell them that you have the same Ryobi electric mower that Mike has. Ryobi's mounting holes look like a geometry quiz. I had to send them detailed pictures and measurements but they were still off by a bit and I had to grind some. I noted the change and sent it to them so I hope they make them perfect now. It's worth it because the mower mows outstanding now.

Hi Michael, it has been challenging but eventually we got there with Mike's help.

@@johnkavli8181 What ended up being the appropriate blade to order for this mower? I have the same one and my geometry skills are insufficient to the task. Thanks!

@@johnkavli8181 I sent an email wanting to order blades for the 54 inch ryobi mower and haven't heard back from anyone.

Actually no. They seem to sound the same. Which is surprising because they do sound different on a gas mower.

I haven't had a single problem with this one.

I have had the 42 inch mower for two years and the 54 inch for over a year and zero problems other than blades and I cut through 4ft tall weeds/grass while it's wet/dry and I mow over sticks pine cones hit stumps and dirt mounds that will cut the motors off until I restart them again .I use my mower to haul/drag heavy stuff like logs,cars,and small 5x8 trailer loaded and zero issues.I had two 62 inch commercial mowers brand new and it was nothing but maintenance and issues and both had one side of the hydraulic motors go out,started getting weak after about an hour of cutting.

I'm using the Finisha blades by themselves. Having 2 blades on each spindle might cut even better, but it would surely use up the battery faster. Try the Finishas alone. That's how I mowed the field in this video. Question though, did your mower actually mow 5 acres on one charge?

@@Something2LookAt I don't get the whole lot in one sweep. But almost. This time of year in Northern CA, the lot is almost entirely short, dormant brown/amber wild grasses and obnoxious mustard weeds that grow a foot in a day or two; all this on flat hardpan dirt. I cover a lot of ground quickly. In the spring, the grass is thick, green, wet and sticky and takes 3 charges to cover the whole lot. It's those mustard plants and other tall reedy grasses where the Finisha blade is really knocking them down.

@@realtoast7036 Indeed, they would be perfect for that. Glad they are working out for you.

Interesting. And I had to go look at that. You are right, that's what it says. But, the low speed cut button is also your higher torque button for going through really thick grass. In my experience running it on normal grass using the low speed cut button, it zaps the battery much faster, either mowing thick or thin grass. It made sense to me to run it on the low speed cut. But in normal grass, in my experience, the normal high speed cut is better on the battery. Bogs down easy. So it's high speed but lower amps. Low speed cut is low speed but high amps. Funny that I can't find that in the manual. But try that on your machine. I think you'll notice the difference in run time. So you run yours in low speed cut all the time?

@@Something2LookAt I've run with the low blade speed setting just a couple of times. It did not increase my mowing time per battery charge. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1QGwOMUJnMk.html at 10:40 the amperage of the mower is measured to be 30 amps at regular blade speed and 23 amps at low blade speed. You find that lower blade speed at 23 amps is higher amps than 30 amps at higher blade speed? I'll call Ryobi on Monday to sort this out.

@@datarite4955 I did not know the actual amperages. But I am sure that the low speed cut does zap the battery faster. It also has much more torque. Very noticeable when going through thick grass. I don't know why, but that is what I experience many times.

This one was specially made for the Ryobi, and it was a test. There was just one tweak on the mounting holes and we've got it figured out now. He gets a lot of questions about this mower that he can answer now so just tell him what you got and he'll hook you up.

If you are having problems just email us we are quite happy to have a chat

@@johnkavli8181 I have this mower and am interested as well. Best way to contact you? Thx!

Found my old comment and I want to update. Got the blade very late. Not John's fault. USPS lost my package 🤬 called them and they told me to file a claim. Sat on it for a week or 2 only to find it delivered to my door. Now to to good stuff. The blades live up to the hype. I'm noticing much less clumping. Even when my mower was new, the stock blades would clump up the grass. Even dry grass. These finisha blades really do a good job. Not only is the cut cleaner but I can get everything or just about everything in 1 pass now. I'm tempted to let my grass grow a bit taller next season to try them out. Here in new England, we have a mix of grass and my property is too big for me to isolate species. As long as it's green, I don't care. It does get thick and wet even days after a shower. I have a similar Bungie cord system that pulls up the chute shroud and that helps expel the grass. These blades also do a better job at some light brush compare the the stock blades. I feel like I have a brand new mover. Now in curious if the finisha x-treme would be better. Overkill perhaps? Idk but that's on the wishlist. Tldr: order a set. The kavli finisha blades are the real deal.

@@johnkavli8181 id like to order but the website is confusing....

I forgot to show it. It showed 95% remaining on the battery, which is about normal for this mower. These blades did not drain the battery faster.

They were custom made by Kavli. If you mention that it is this mower, I think he still has enough information to make a set. Ryobi did make it very tricky though.

@@Something2LookAt Thanks! I did make the purchase. The receipt included an email address to which I immediately forwarded that receipt and described my model. I received a prompt response and affirmation they knew the model and what to do.

@@realtoast7036 Great! Yes, mine was the guinea pig. It was a challenge to make those blades just from pictures and measurements. But it was necessary because the blades that come with this mower are the worst performing blades I've ever encountered. And it performs perfectly with the Kavli blades.

Those are utility line markers, If anybody is going to be doing any digging, you call this number and they come and mark electric, cable, phone, water lines with these little flags. Problem is that there is no person that comes and removes them when they are done with the job, and there's no way to know when they are done with the job. So these little flags are everywhere from years ago sometimes.

Hi Scott, before you buy new batteries try our blades. If possible take a photo of your blade with a tape measure on it. Cheers

I don't know the blade tip speed, but they are spinning faster than a normal mower. But, they lack power. i. e., they won't stay spinning that fast in thick grass. Electric is a whole different thing.

Yes! There is definitely more wind at the chute and the clippings are cut finer. I have one on my 21 inch Cub Cadet with a bagger and it really inflates the bag.

That or get high lift blades

Oh, you got this mower? If so, yes, it will miss the bahia seed whips with the stock blades. I made a video showing that. I had to mow the whole yard twice.

Most everybody emails them to make sure. The cut on the Finisha is fantastically better than the stock blades. You'll be amazed.

@@Something2LookAt - I’ve emailed them and gotten a reply. Will be ordering tomorrow. Thanks!

@@SubieSleeper so was the answer to just order under the ryobi mower tab? Or was emailing him necessary?

​@@SubieSleeper Hey... What was the answer? How do you feel about the blades?

@@wesleybelcher9225 - Emailed directly and got the specific part. Definitely worth the money. The “Stringers” that the original dual blade setup used to leave are all but gone when I mow now. Battery usage went down a bit, but I barely mow a full acre and it’s mostly flat.

Hi Justice Cook all we need is length of blade and hole size. Please give us make and model so we can cross check

It's a custom size with a custom mount. You have to email them.

I think the factory blades are a 2-in-1 or 3-in-1 type blade, they don't do any of those tasks proficiently. Like cars, they know people will change wheels & tires so they put the cheapest stuff on they can to get them out the door...so lawn mower companies do the same with blades, they throw the multi-purpose blades on knowing those who actually know their stuff will swap them out anyways. With electric mowers they use a thinner, lighter weight, low lift blade in order to give a high battery usage number, but they don't work very well. You put the right blades on, you get lower run times, but a much better quality cut.

@@wildbill23c Somewhat, the factory blades aren’t sharp at all……….I sharpens mine to razor sharp and it cuts really well now!

It is not a standard size, plus there are side holes that don't even match each other. You'll have to email them and tell them which mower you have, same as Mike's.

@@Something2LookAt thanks I got with them, they’re going to send me an invoice

Awesome! Always get a kick out of your lyrics. :)

@@Something2LookAt Glad I could provide "Something 2ReadAT"! 😛 Glad I could provide some kicks in a world becoming rapidly void of them. ... And In enjoy the vids. Thanks

Just saw this are we allowed to use it on our site with your name? Just great.

@@johnkavli8181 Yes, of course John. Use anything you like. :)

@@johnkavli8181 Sure... not a problem!

Yes. You have to contact them to order for this mower. And it probably will take quite a while for them to arrive. They are really great though once you have them.

I don't think he did, he's in Australia. And I don't know of anybody trying them here. But I'm sure they would work wonderfully!

Oh, just give it time, and realize that the hydros are extremely precise. Even slight inputs on the levers are part of the control. It just does take a bit of time. Most of the people I've seen drive one for the first time cannot drive in a straight line. But you will!

@@Something2LookAt OK Mike I will take your advice I think you’re right though because when I see you mowing you’re really good at it but that of course is with experience I will let you know how my tiger chew works out for me so far this thing is a beast beast what I had before appreciate your help and your advice happy mowing Brad from Minnesota

@@bradolsen8629 one tip is only move one arm/lever to correct the path your mowing. Also you can hold the levers lower so you have less leverage and it won’t be as sensitive to your inputs. If I remember correctly I believe some zero turns have dampers you can adjust to make the levers more or less sensitive.

@@FishFind3000 thanks dude appreciate it I’ll keep that in mind I better I just paid 28,000 for the damn thing but I’m loving it👍👍👍

They will custom make them, as they did for this Ryobi, but you have to send them all the measurements.

@@Something2LookAt how much is that tho ? I wouldn't want to spend more than 30$ a blade, I went with exmark gator blades for now but would prefer to support small American businesses if I can afford it.

@@throlyhd9448 Oh I hear you. And I love Gator blades too. I've run them for years. I don't know the cost for these Ryobi blades from Kavli. He sends them to me for free to do the videos. You got me curious though, Does Oregon (Gator) makes specific blades for this Ryobi? There is a very unique mount.

@@Something2LookAt no idea lol just recently got into mowing as I got acreage. I always just pushed mowed but would like a good cut, been watching your videos for long time and would have bought a scag bc of you but everything is super inflated at the moment and found a great deal on this exmark radius with only 58 hrs on it

@@throlyhd9448 Oh I'm sorry, that's right. You're talking about the Exmark. Yea, they'd have the Gator blades for that. You'll like them.

You mean the deck design?

@@Something2LookAt the driving speed. It just seams your driving slow. Unlike the gas powered mowers.

Yes we do

Yea, you just have to email them. They are all pretty much made to order. If you tell them this mower model number, they will know it.

Hi Victoria, Mike is right if you like email us and we will be able to help.

I'm so sorry. The blades really are great when you can get them.

I'm ready to give up, I'm just wondering if I cancel the order will they then keep 20% for a "restocking fee". Or will they return ANY of my money for that matter because right now I'm thinking I may have been ripped off.

@@NDZ-jf8ur Oh, I don't know about all that. I'm just showing the blades and they are awesome. I have heard some people say it took a long time to arrive, but they did arrive. It's all up to you. Sorry I don't know their policies.

Oh, it's a collection of metric sizes and side hole shapes. Best to contact Kavli because he has the measurements.

We cannot get Ryobi to reply. Many attempts. Trust me, they provide less drain and cut much much better than the Ryobi blades. In fact, I would say they are a necessity for tall grass or anything with tall seed whips or stalks. The Ryobi blades miss that stuff constantly.

@@Something2LookAt Okay I'm trying to order the blades from lawn-mowerblades which isn't very easy/user friendly. So I sent them a message asking which of their blades are compatible with my Ryobi, here is their answer; "Thanks for the interest, your blades are $28.00 USD each and shipping cost is about $38.00 USD for your parcel. We have to send you a PayPal invoice, your blades are not on our list." I said okay and asked if they'll be sending the invoice to me via email or directly to PayPal, my guess is email but I'm still waiting. I'm beginning to think they don't want my money.

@@NDZ-jf8ur Yea, they're just pretty busy. You may want to follow up and remind them.

@@Something2LookAt I finally got the invoice last night just as I was just about ready to give up - $122.00 delivered.

@@NDZ-jf8ur Good. I hope they mount right up for ya. I made clear notes to them.

You just have to email them and ask for this mower. It was very specific with a weird mount hole setup.

It has the power to easily go up slopes and it has a kind of automatic braking for downhill because it's electric, But I don't know about sideways stability.

@@Something2LookAt Thanks. Downloaded the owners manual and it recommended not trying any hills greater than 15 degrees in slope.

lawn-mowerblades.com/ Just contact them and ask.

Yep

I have not. And I wouldn't recommend it on Bermuda that is maintained at a very low height like they do on the golf course. But for people who have an infestation of Bermuda in their St Augustine maintained at a high height I'm sure it would work.

Thanks I have a better understanding. And see a bigger picture. Love your cheetah. It just to big for what I need. Im looking at the 48 tiger cat or v ride. Love the velocity deck.

Exactly!