removing the blades. Thinking that there had to be a better way, I began the design process. My first drawings of the new designs were in late 2008 at my home. At that time, I worked as a purchasing agent for a large company. In spring of 2009 during the recession I was laid off from my job. I wasn’t able to find work, so I accelerated the lawn mower blade design using a local machine shop in my area. One of the primary designs was forming and machining a tube to accept the plastic cutting blade. After months of trials and testing at my local machine shop, the blade holder was formed. During my years purchasing resin for the automotive industry I wanted to design an affordable, replaceable cutting blade. I felt plastic would be inexpensive, durable
and surely could withstand cutting grass without getting dull. With that thought in mind, I contacted a company that builds molds and produces plastic parts.
After continuous design chang-
es on the first replaceable cutting blade, we field-tested the product with encouraging results. I applied for a utility patent and attended a few trade shows. I knew this product was needed in the industry when the replaceable cutting blade was awarded 1st place in the 2009 NAEDA (North American Equipment Dealers Association) magazine. After the show I received calls asking for samples from commercial and golf course companies. I rePage 15