We all know that ‘change is the only constant’ and everything needs to be replaced after a certain period. If you enjoy gardening, you must know what a lawnmower is. We often use lawnmowers to keep the garden’s grass healthy. You might notice that your lawnmower is not cutting the grass properly as it is leaving the grass field in an unstable state. One of the primary reasons behind that might be that the lawnmower blade has worn out with passing time. So to keep the efficiency of your lawnmower intact, you need to replace the blade present in the lawnmower. If you are unsure about changing a lawnmower blade, let us tell you that it is not a difficult task. Now it is time to inform you how to change your lawnmower’s blade on your owṇ.
Things That You Need to Check Before Changing the Lawn Mower Blades
Irrespective of your lawnmower’s blade, the steps you need to follow while blade changing are the same. Still, there are quite a few issues that you need to look for before you remove and replace lawn mower blades.
1. Style of blade: As mentioned earlier, most lawnmower blades are universal in shape and size. You can check the blade in your lawnmower manually, or you can take the help of the user manual.
2. Size of the bolt used in installation: To remove the bolts attached to the blade, you need to use a socket wrench. Which size of socket range you need to use must be determined by checking the bolt size. Usually, three-sized bolts are used while attaching lawn mower blades, and they are ½ inch bolts, ¾ inch bolts, and ⅝ inch bolts. Before removing, keep the wrench ready based on the bolt size.
3. Type of bolt: Regular bolts that we often see can be tightened by moving towards the right side, while we can loosen them by moving towards the left. In some lawnmowers, reverse threaded bolts can be seen, which works exactly opposite to the regular bolts. So, you might find it difficult to tighten or loosen it by yourself.
Take a Close Look for Inspection and Remove Old Blades
- At first, you need to inspect whether there is a need to change the mower blades or not. To do the job, use a vise and lift the deck of the lawnmower. After exposing the blade, look at the carburettor and the oil compartment. Do not spill the oil all over the engine and other places in the process. If you want to avoid these, it is better to remove all the fuel from the lawnmower.
- It is ideal for removing the spark plug from the socket to be on the safe side. If any oil or gas comes in contact with the spark plug, it will cause electrical flaring.
- After that using a socket wrench and remove the mounting present over the blade. While removing the blade, remember from exactly where you are removing it to make it easy for you to install the new blade.
Step By Step Guide To Install of New Blades
1. REMOVING THE BLADE: Depending on your lawnmower you need to buy a new blade. Some lawnmowers have only a single blade, while others have two shorter blades on both sides. Purchase the new one according to your lawnmower model.
2. INSTALLING THE BLADE: Now you need to install the new blades in your lawnmower. With the wrench, mount the new lawnmower blade. After installing the blade, remount it with the help of a washer and nuts. You need to ensure while changing lawn mower blades that the size of the new blade does not differ from the old ones. Throughout the process, wear mechanical gloves to avoid any unfortunate events. Do not overtighten the blades, which will reduce the speed of the mower blades.
3. DISCONNECT THE SPARK PLUG: Once you are done installing, remove Spark plug you might have used while installing. Wait for at least half an hour so that the oil can get back in the tank. To avoid any wobbling, make sure that the new blade is installed firmly for one final time.
4. REFILL THE OIL TANK AND RECHECK THE MOWING: Check the air filter before you start reusing it. The air needs to pass appropriately so that the oil inside of the mower does not reach the foam filter and saturate it. Then put the spark plug back in position; finally, after refilling the oil tank, start cutting the grass of your garden.
Why Lawn Mower Blades Worn Out?
The durability of the lawnmower blades entirely depends on the surface on which you are using your machine. Typically the edges of the blade become dull and worn out with heavy uses and fail to deliver the desired grass cutting. If the field on which you are mowing is sandy or an uphill surface, then there is a high chance the blade will get damaged.
How Often Should You Remove Lawn Mower Blades and Change it?
We all want a sharp-looking lawn. Now, as you know how to remove a lawnmower blade, you should know how frequently you should inspect and change the edges of your lawnmower. To maintain the perfect lawn by using a lawnmower, you need to check the blades of your machine at least once or twice a month. If you are dealing with the problem of worn-out lawnmower blades, you can also choose to resharpen it solely depending on the condition of the blade. You can resharpen the blade several times. If you notice that the lawnmower is not delivering the desired performance even after sharpening, it is time to change the blades. Statistics show that after every 25 hours of lawn mowing, the owner should resharpen the blade of the equipment. Moreover, after approximately 200 hours of use, you should change the lawnmower blade.
Conclusion
We all love a lawn filled with evenly cut green grass. To ensure the garden’s beauty, you need to do lawnmowing from time to time. But as now you know how to keep the lawnmower fully functional, never compromise with the grass quality on your lawn. Please keep everything discussed in the above article in mind and form the next time, and you need not call the mechanic to replace the lawnmower blade.
With a push reel mower, you can mow whenever you want without disturbing your neighbours. In the morning and evening, it is usually cooler and healthier for you and the grass.
As you stroll by, you can hear birds singing and neighbours saying hello. You don’t have that tingling feeling in your arms as if you just used a jackhammer