Blade installation lawn mower

You can save some time and money by sharpening your own lawn tractor mower blades. There are several different tools that can be used to sharpen your blades including a metal file, drill powered blade sharpener or a disc grinder. Follow these steps to sharpen your blades:. Use a rag to clean the dirt off your mower blades.

A wire brush can be used for stubborn areas of buildup. Securely place your blade in a vice to keep it from shifting during sharpening. After sharpening one side, you will flip the blade and secure in the vice while you sharpen the other side. Sharpen with a metal file. Sharpen with a drill powered blade sharpener.

Sharpen with an angle grinder or bench grinder. It is necessary to make sure your lawn tractor blades are balanced after sharpening them. Unbalanced blades can cause excessive vibration, spindle damage and potential engine damage.

A balanced blade is a blade with equal weight on each side of the mower blade. To properly check a blade to make sure it is equally weighted, use a blade balancer. This inexpensive item can save you from a large repair expense due to not having your blades properly balanced. To balance your blades, shave metal off the heavy side of the blade until the weight of the blade is equal on both sides. Shave metal off the side that hangs lower until the blade sits level.

I can sharpen my mower blades myself and I even have the tools to do so, but I still choose to have my local lawn mower dealership sharpen my blades. I drop them off at the dealership and pick them up a couple days later. You may choose to have a professional sharpen your blades because:. You can minimize the problems you encounter with your lawn tractor by completing a full service before the mowing season.

Read my article on servicing your lawn tractor where I address these items:. We're just a guy and a girl obsessed with outdoor power equipment! We are excited to share the knowledge and tips we have learned over our combined 55 years in the power equipment industry. We have both ran equipment dealerships and took pleasure in helping our customers everyday providing equipment repair, parts, purchasing, and business tips to our residential and commercial clients.

We hope our blog will help you with your next purchase, repair, or project. You take pride in your home and keeping it in good condition. This includes giving your home a nice curb appeal. You purchased a lawn tractor to help you do just that. A lawn tractor is a significant The first sign of smoke from your Toro lawn mower can be alarming. Signs of smoke could be a simple fix or it may be an indication you have a severe problem that could result in needing a new engine Skip to content Taking care of your mower blades and regularly replacing or sharpening them is required to continue to give you a nice cut.

Check Your Lawn Tractor Blades for Damage It is possible for your lawn tractor blades to become very worn or damaged from normal wear and tear. Here are the conditions to look for when checking your blades for wear and damage: Wearing on the Lawn Tractor Blade Sail The blade sail is the high side of the blade that is used to create air movement under the deck as it rotates.

Lawn Tractor Blade is Bent Hitting a solid stationary object can cause impact to the blade and bend it. Here are a couple ways to check for a bent lawn tractor mower blade: Check for a bent lawn tractor blade by removing from the deck Remove your blade from your mower deck and place it on top of a new blade to check for a bend in the blade.

Check for a bent lawn tractor blade while installed on the deck You can also check for a bend in your blade while it is installed on your lawn tractor. To do this, park your lawn tractor on a hard level surface. Take a measurement from the ground to the blade tip and then rotate your blade degrees and take another measurement from the ground to the blade tip.

Lawn Tractor Blade is Cracked A blade that has a crack in it must be replaced right away. Here are a few items that can damage a lawn tractor mower blade: Sticks, Rocks and Toys Items left in your yard like sticks, stones and even toys can damage your lawn tractor blade. Need a new blade? Or three? Start here:. Original Equipment Manufacturer Number. The easiest way to find replacement lawn mower blades is with the OEM number.

The OEM number is the numerical part number of the blade assigned by the manufacturer. In most cases, just typing this number with the manufacturer name into a search engine or online store will be enough to bring up some promising results. Not to worry, it is easy to find. Check the manual that came with the mower. Be sure the blade is mounted correctly and has no wobble when you move it up and down, firmly.

Remove any jacks or props used to hold mower in place and wait about minutes for oil to return to motor to prevent issues or motor damage. Check the oil before use to ensure it is within the proper limits. Refill the gas tank and do a pre-check before mowing. Check the air filter to be sure that oil did not saturate the foam filter, if necessary, and reattach the spark plug wire.

After a quick inspection, you should be able to start up your mower and start cutting that grass much more efficiently with your new blades. It depends on the definition of stripped. Is it the head of the bolt or the threads?

If it's the head of the bolt it may be tricky, but an EZ out and a drill tap would get the job done, or a good pair of strong vice grips and a little heat from a propane torch should also assist with removing the bolt. If it's stripped threads on the bolt then probably take the bolt to your local hardware store and get an exact copy of the bolt depending on the threads if it's coarse, fine or whatever.

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 4. The sharp edge of the blade should be installed facing the grass. If the blades have tabs to fit into the housing, then go ahead and fit the tabs into the housing around the shaft. Always wear gloves though preferably leather. Not Helpful 4 Helpful 4.

Use a 6 point socket or box wrench that fits the blade nut and a long extension on it for added leverage. The blade has to be held or wedged with a short 2x4 piece of wood between the shroud and blade.

Be very careful of tool slipping off the nut due to not being straight-on or the wedge slipping. What do I do if one blade on my riding lawn mower won't stop automatically when disengaged?

Get a new lawn mower or take it to someone to have it fixed. This is very unsafe. Not Helpful 7 Helpful 4. Try turning the nut to the left counterclockwise. If that doesn't work, then try turning it the other way. Not Helpful 42 Helpful I would recommend starting with a general online search that describes your lawnmower.

For example, you could search for "small engine black push mower. Not Helpful 6 Helpful 2. The blade moves clockwise when the mower is in its normal position when cutting the grass.

However, when you have the mower up on its side when working on it, the blade needs to turn the other way, counterclockwise! Not Helpful 5 Helpful 5. Check the air filter to see if it has any oil, check the oil level, check the spark plugs, but most importantly, check to make sure that the blade can spin.

Not Helpful 1 Helpful 1. Use steel wool to remove rust from your lawnmower blade and then polish it with WD Not Helpful 2 Helpful 0. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published.

You Might Also Like How to. How to. Co-authors: Updated: June 17, Categories: Lawn Mowers. Article Summary X Before you can change a lawn mower blade, make sure there's no gas in the mower and disconnect the spark plugs, then lift the deck of the mower to expose the blade.