Caring For Lawnmower Blades

Your lawnmower will only ever be as good as its blades, and as they get worked pretty hard it is worth looking after them to ensure years of good service. There are a few things to consider in order to do this properly and in a safe way.

How Blades are Made

Blades tend to be made of either tool steel or carbon steel. Tool steel blades can be expensive and more difficult to look after as you cannot sharpen then yourself. On the other end they do tend to remain sharp for much longer. Carbon steel blades are easier to care for and can be sharpened with a few simple tools. It is quite crucial to have sharp blades for mowing as blunt blades would affect the way your lawn looks and grows.

How To Sharpen Your Lawnmower Blades

Sharpening your lawnmower blades is a fairly straightforward job that you can take care off easily and quickly. You can follow the simple steps below to do so, regardless of the make or model you own: just double check the right procedure to remove the blade that is detailed in your owner’s manual.

1. Take out the power source to avoid serious injury or even death, in case the mower could start accidentally. If your mower is electric make sure it is unplugged, and remove the spark plug if it is gas-powered engine.

2. Use spanners to carefully remove the blades: ensure that you are in a position that limits the risk of the spanner slipping, which could result in a nasty cut.

3. Number the blades as you remove them to ensure that you put them back in the correct position when you’re done. If there are balancing weights directly attached to the blades do not disassemble. By leaving the weights on the blades you are making your life a lot easier and saving time when it comes to putting it all back together.

4. Work on each blade individually, holding it firmly in place by using a vice.

5. Take either a grinder or file along the outline of the blade to sharpen it. Be really careful when checking that the sharpening is done to your satisfaction as this could be unpleasant on the fingers! Handle the sharp blades with caution.

6. Put the sharpened blades back in place, along with the balancing weights if you did remove them.

7. It is possible to sharpen the blades in situ, without removing them from the mower at all: you will need an angle grinder with a flexible shaft in order to do so. This could be a much quicker option if you have access to this tool.

8. Once you’re done you should check that the blades are properly balanced using a blade balancer to avoid any unnecessary vibrations when mowing the lawn.

If you follow these simple steps you can keep your lawnmower blades sharp very easily yourself.