If the proprietor of your lawn mower is something just like the proprietor of mine, they generally neglect the blade for manner too lengthy. What can I say? If it nonetheless cuts, sharpening tends to slip my thoughts. However for those who use your lawn mower the blade will get boring. And efficiency will drop off over time. Immediately we’ll present you ways to safely remove and sharpen a lawn mower blade, for a quicker, cleaner lower that requires much less effort and fewer fuel (or electrical energy). Let’s get busy; that lawn isn’t going to mow itself!
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Not The Sharpest Instrument In The Shed
For the previous almost two years I’ve been responsible of chopping the lawn with a boring mower blade. It doesn’t have to be tremendous sharp to “cut” grass; whack something arduous sufficient and it’ll rip aside (suppose “string trimmer”). However with a boring blade you’ve to stroll slower and make a second move over taller, thicker grass. It additionally places extra put on and tear on the engine.
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A standard advice is to sharpen each 20-25 hours of mowing time. Except they do a ton of mowing, nevertheless, the common home-owner can possible restrict sharpening to annually. But when they run over plenty of sticks – like I do (and often on function) – they need to in all probability be sharpening twice a yr.
Hazard Will Robinson! – Pull The Plug On That Spark Plug, Energy Twine, Or Battery!
WARNING! Whether or not your fuel powered mower is pull begin or key begin, the very first thing you want to do is disconnect the cable from the spark plug to remove any likelihood of an unintended begin. For electrical mowers, unplug the facility wire or remove the battery pack.
Everytime you manually rotate a lawn mower blade, you’re performing precisely the identical motion because the starter. And as you’ll be able to think about, the very last thing you need is to have the engine begin – and even strive to begin – whilst you’re messing round within the undercarriage.
There are various kinds of mowers and blades. Mine is a primary 20” walk-behind fuel push mower with a pull starter and facet ejection chute. Yours could fluctuate, however the identical concepts will be tailored to just about any mower or blade. One factor that undoubtedly carries over is that it is best to pull the spark plug cable earlier than making an attempt to remove or set up a blade.
Tip The Mower On Its Facet – The Appropriate Facet
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Mower fuel caps by no means appear to seal very nicely. So I like to wait till I’ve run the tank dry earlier than sharpening the blade. In any other case, fuel will spill out onto the bottom.
Lay the mower on its facet to entry the blade. For fuel powered mowers, be sure the carburetor facet of the engine faces up. It’s often the identical facet of the mower that the grass blows out of (your proper, as you stand behind the mower), however look to ensure. If laid with the carburetor down, oil can run by means of and gunk up the air filter (and trigger different issues).
Rebuilding a lawn mower carb isn’t all that troublesome, but it surely may take me away from the extra gratifying carb-indulgent actions: junk meals and beer.
Eradicating The Blade – Lefty Loosey Righty Tighty
A block of wooden clamped to the housing holds the blade nonetheless whilst you loosen (or tighten) the mounting bolt.
How To Sharpen A Lawn Mower Blade
Some folks sharpen lawn mower blades with a file or bench grinder, but it surely’s faster and simpler to use an angle grinder. Grind the bevel, not the flat, backside floor of the blade. Do your finest to protect the bevel angle (often round 45°) and don’t enable the leading edge to get too scorching.
Whether or not you utilize a file or a grinder, begin every move or stroke closest to the middle of the blade and work in the direction of the top. This lowers the probability of catching on the corners (or rounding them over). The identical goes for mulching blades – which often have a hump in the course of the leading edge – however you’ll have extra contours to navigate.
Sharpening With A File Or Angle Grinder
Clamp your blade to a sturdy bench and begin on one of many two chopping edges. You need to hold the blade in stability. So don’t strive to sharpen one facet suddenly. As a substitute, make slightly progress on one, then rotate the blade and do the identical variety of passes on the opposite. Proceed backwards and forwards till each chopping edges are sharp. Reapply marker as wanted.
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With an angle grinder, I like to use the suitable facet of the grinding disc (the facet coming in the direction of me) as a result of there’s much less of an opportunity of catching on the blade. However I could also be biased by my left-handedness. Do what works finest for you. Simply ensure the blade is clamped tightly, put on eye safety and watch out.
Burr – Chilly, Exhausting, Sharp Metal
As you determine the recent leading edge, it’s typically finest to deal with notably nasty dings just by deviating from the road slightly. A pointy, wavy edge beats a blunt, straight edge all day lengthy. Protect the unique contours one of the best you’ll be able to, sure; however don’t waste away half of the blade chasing the right edge. And bear in mind, for those who remove plenty of materials from one finish of the blade you’ve to do the identical to the opposite.
Additionally, your sharpening efforts could elevate a burr on the again facet of the blade. Remove it with a fast move of the angle grinder or with a flat file angled almost flat towards the again of the blade. A fast de-burring could make fairly a distinction.
Conserving Your Lawn Mower Blade In Steadiness
Earlier than reinstalling your newly sharpened blade, confirm that it’s fairly nicely balanced. An out-of-balance blade will trigger extra vibration and may make your palms really feel numb and springy. It additionally topics your mower to pointless put on and tear. And if it’s dangerous sufficient, it will possibly vibrate bolts and different elements unfastened. So it’s price checking.
So long as you’ve eliminated about the identical quantity of fabric from each chopping edges of the lawn mower blade, you’re in all probability good to go. But when one facet is slightly heavier, make a number of extra passes over that facet’s leading edge and verify once more. Proceed till the blade sits stage on the balancing cone.
Reinstall The Blade
Reinstall the blade with its wings and sharpening bevels dealing with “upwards”, in the direction of the underside of the mower and away from the bottom. The chopping edges ought to lead because the blade rotates (counter clockwise, when considered from the underside). Lastly, remove the wood block, set the lawn mower upright and, for fuel mowers, reconnect the spark plug cable. Now refill the fuel and lower some grass!
If in case you have to rock the mower backwards and forwards by means of denser grass; if in case you have to push the mower slower to get the identical outcomes, or; in case your grass develops brown ideas a day or two after mowing, it’s in all probability time to sharpen your lawn mower blade. Given how simple it’s, there’s no cause to put it off so long as I did or to waste cash shopping for a brand new one each time it will get boring.
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