A sharp mower blade is essential for a healthy lawn. It allows for proper mulching, causes less stress on the engine, and is safer to use. Sharp lawn mower blades will cut the grass cleanly and evenly. Grass that has not been mowed evenly will not lay down correctly. This can create a patchy appearance on the lawn.
A sharp mower blade will also help to reduce the amount of fertilizer required for the lawn. If the grass is not mowed properly, it will become thin and will not shade out weeds and grasses that are not wanted.
This article is to help you decide how often to sharpen mower blades. This is a fairly simple subject that is often misunderstood.
How Often Do You Need to Sharpen Mower Blades?
Contents
If you cut grass frequently, it is important to have your mower blades sharpened every 2 or 3 months. If you cut grass less often, then you could wait 6 months to sharpen your blades. That is unless you are experiencing problems keeping your lawn looking good.
If you are having problems keeping your lawn looking good, you should definitely get your mower blades sharpened. The reason for this is that dull or damaged blades cause the mower to tear and shred the grass instead of cutting it. This results in a ragged, unprofessional-looking lawn that is not very desirable. It also takes more effort to mow the lawn because the mower has to work harder.
How Often to Replace the Lawnmower Blade?
Blade replacement is usually necessary when the quality of the cut deteriorates when the lawnmower starts to work too slowly or when the blade is worn down. When this happens, it is advisable to change the blade so that you can continue mowing your lawn without any problems.
Regularly changing the blade is also a good idea for safety reasons. Worn blades can cause the lawnmower to work slower and jerk. In addition, they can also be dangerous. If you are not replacing the blade after a certain number of hours, the blade may become loose and increase the risk of injury.
If you want to know how often to replace the lawnmower blade, you can refer to the manufacturer’s manual. There are some brands that require you to replace it after 10-15 hours of use. Others require the replacement after 20-25 hours.
How to Sharpen Lawnmower Blades?
So can you sharpen lawn mower blades? The good news is that sharpening your mower blades is an easy process that you can do yourself. To sharpen your lawnmower blades, you will need a bench grinder, a hammer or a rubber mallet, a file, and some sandpaper.
To start, remove the spark plug wire from the spark plug to make sure you do not start the mower while working on it. This is for safety reasons! Next, disconnect the spark plug wire from the spark plug.
Then you will need to loosen the bolt on the blade using a wrench. Once the bolt is loose, you can remove the blade. Then you can sharpen the blade using the bench grinder. You will need to place the blade on the side of the grinder, with the flat side of the blade facing the grinder.
Using the hammer or mallet, you will need to tap the blade against the grinder, moving from one side of the blade to the next. Repeat this process on each side of the blade.
After you have sharpened both sides of the blade, you will need to file and sand each side. This will give the blade a smooth finish and will allow it to cut grass better. Once you have finished sharpening your blade, you can put it back on the mower.
You will need to make sure the bolt is tightened back on the blade. You should now be able to cut your grass with a sharp-looking lawn.
Tips on How to Sharpen a Mower Blade
Mower blades should be sharpened between cutting seasons. If you notice that your mower is leaving a strip of uncut grass, even when set to the highest setting, the blades have become dull and need to be sharpened.
If the blade has become extremely dull, you may need to replace the lawn mower blade.
If you purchase a new mower, check the owner’s manual to see what the manufacturer recommends for sharpening the blade. This will ensure that you are maintaining your mower properly to ensure long life.
The Bottom Line
There are a lot of variables to consider when determining the best frequency sharpening mower blades. How often to sharpen mower blades is a decision you must make based on your lawn, the size of your lawn, and how often you mow.
