What causes those white tips on your blades of grass? Or the grass to laydown insted of staying upright when you mow? This is a sure sign that your lawnmower blade needs to be sharpened and balanced. This is a simple problem to remedy.
You must remove the blade from the mower to sharpen and balance it. To remove the blade, and save your back, place the lawn mower on an elevated surface, such as a pair of saw horses. Place the mower so that you have access to the blade. To remove the locking nut, you need to find a way to hold the blade while you turn the nut. DO NOT HOLD IT WITH YOUR HANDS (EVEN WEARING GLOVES), THIS MAY CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY... remember its harder to mow when your missing a hand. You may, however, use a large screw driver or a pry bar braced against the under side of the mower. NOTE: some models will have reverse threads, meaning that you need to turn the nut clockwise to loosen instead of counterclockwise. (that's right instead of left for all you digital clock owners.) You can tell by looking at the threads on the shaft. If the threads lean down and to the left then turn the nut counterclockwise. Down and to the right, turn clockwise. Or, not recomended, you can simply crank on it untill it strips or breakes, then you know you should have gone the other way.
Once you have the blade off, it's time to sharpen. You may choose to use a file or a grinder, perhaps even a stationary sanding machine. Try to match the angel that is already established on the blade. Be careful with the sharpened edge, taking care not to cut yourself, cutting is bad.
Now that the blade is sharp, you need to get it balanced. If you don't balance the blade it may damage your mower by causeing the shaft to vibrate. Check the balacnce by threading the crook of a clothes hanger (plastic hangers work well) through the hole for the shaft in the center of the blade. Holding the hanger upsidedown, eyeball the suspended blade. (you can compare the straight edge of the blade with a straight horizontal edge in the distance) If the blade is unbalanced it will not hang level. Remove the blade form your home-made hanger scale, and file or grind a little at a time off of the heavy side. Re check for balacne often until it sits level.
Now put the blade back on the mower. Make sure the locking nut is good and tight so the blade wont come off while you are cutting the lawn. That's it, your done, now go mow the lawn you slacker!
You must remove the blade from the mower to sharpen and balance it. To remove the blade, and save your back, place the lawn mower on an elevated surface, such as a pair of saw horses. Place the mower so that you have access to the blade. To remove the locking nut, you need to find a way to hold the blade while you turn the nut. DO NOT HOLD IT WITH YOUR HANDS (EVEN WEARING GLOVES), THIS MAY CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY... remember its harder to mow when your missing a hand. You may, however, use a large screw driver or a pry bar braced against the under side of the mower. NOTE: some models will have reverse threads, meaning that you need to turn the nut clockwise to loosen instead of counterclockwise. (that's right instead of left for all you digital clock owners.) You can tell by looking at the threads on the shaft. If the threads lean down and to the left then turn the nut counterclockwise. Down and to the right, turn clockwise. Or, not recomended, you can simply crank on it untill it strips or breakes, then you know you should have gone the other way.
Once you have the blade off, it's time to sharpen. You may choose to use a file or a grinder, perhaps even a stationary sanding machine. Try to match the angel that is already established on the blade. Be careful with the sharpened edge, taking care not to cut yourself, cutting is bad.
Now that the blade is sharp, you need to get it balanced. If you don't balance the blade it may damage your mower by causeing the shaft to vibrate. Check the balacnce by threading the crook of a clothes hanger (plastic hangers work well) through the hole for the shaft in the center of the blade. Holding the hanger upsidedown, eyeball the suspended blade. (you can compare the straight edge of the blade with a straight horizontal edge in the distance) If the blade is unbalanced it will not hang level. Remove the blade form your home-made hanger scale, and file or grind a little at a time off of the heavy side. Re check for balacne often until it sits level.
Now put the blade back on the mower. Make sure the locking nut is good and tight so the blade wont come off while you are cutting the lawn. That's it, your done, now go mow the lawn you slacker!
