Lawnmowers save the lives of the fans of spending time outdoors in our own garden. They can even be a work tool if you are looking for a side gig or if you want to specialize as a gardener. However, one problem lawn mowers have is the blades. Then you will find here everything you need to know about the 7 best secrets you need to know about lawn mower blades.
They are the ones that cause a lot of headaches. There are times when they are not sharp, they are not balanced, or they do not cut the grass as they should.
This may sound confusing, or you might think that there are hundreds of rules you need to learn in order to ensure your blades work properly. Fortunately, this is much easier than you think.
In this article, we will tell you 7 best secrets you need to know about the blades of the lawnmower. We will recommend which ones are best for your machine, how often you should change them, how you should sharpen them, and much more.
Also, If you do not wish to get tired, you really need to go with an electric mower, check the best 7 electric lawn mowers. Nevertheless, note that if you expect to mow with wet grass, there are specific mowers, we crafted an overview for you with the best lawn mower for wet grass.
On the other side, if you are around lawn mowers the whole day as your day job, check the best commercial lawn mowers, these last a lifetime and are prepared for all kinds of weather conditions and to overcome most of the obstacles that other lawn mowers couldn’t.
If you are limited on your budget plan, we additionally have you covered, check our overview on the 7 Best Manual Lawn mowers this year.
1. Best Lawn Mower Blades
When it comes to lawn mower blades, the brand does not always matter, but the most important thing is that it is a type of blade suitable for your machine. If you buy a smaller one, or a very large one, it will simply not be useful to you.
Therefore, before choosing a lawn mower blade, you should check which one you already have. Once you know the model of your lawn mower blade, you can buy the one that is best in its style.
With that being said, we’ll recommend a few blade styles for you to consider, mostly based on the type of grass you need to cut. That’s another factor you have to take into account: how big the field is, what type of grass it is, etc.
If you have hard grass, then it is recommended that you buy gator blades or shredding blades. This type of blade is prepared to cut on hard grass without any problems. For this same reason, you should be extremely careful to avoid cutting other things.
If these blades run into stones, they break them, and the pieces of the stones are thrown to any side, which can be dangerous if they go in your direction.
Remember that the lower power cutters are not prepared to support the weight of a shredder blade, so if you need one you should buy a machine that can support that type of weight.
If you have a regular type of grass, which is what is found naturally in areas with a temperate climate, then the low lift blades or standard blades are perfect for you.
If you have to cut the grass and it has grown a lot, then you should go for high lift blades. These types of blades are used to cut long grasses without any problem.
Keep in mind that at the end of the day the most important thing is that the blades are sharp. If they have the right edge then they can be used practically on any type of grass, even if they are better on a certain type.
2. How To Replace A Lawn Mower Blade?
Some people think that to replace lawn mower blades you need to take them to a technician or let a professional take care of them. Although this is a good idea in case you don’t feel safe doing it, the truth is that you can also do it yourself without any problem.
First of all, the best secrets you need to know about the blades of the lawnmower it is always recommended that you wear some kind of protective gloves. These gloves should protect your hands and allow you to move your fingers without a problem.
Once you have your safety geared up, it’s time to get down to business. You must remove the retaining screw, it is recommended to block the blade with a board. This way, you prevent it from coming loose and hurting you.
Once the screw is out, and the blade is loose, you can carefully remove it. There you can determine if it needs to be changed completely or if you can fix everything by sharpening it.
Once you determine this, all you have to do is make the change and put the new blade on the mower. It is important that if you buy a new one it has the exact measurements, otherwise, you can run the risk of breaking your machine while trying to put it on.
Finally, put the screw and make sure to give it all the necessary turns so that it is correctly hooked on the machine. It is very important that you make sure that the screw is properly tightened, otherwise, you run the risk of the blade flying off while cutting the grass.
3. How To Know If The Mower Blade Is Upside Down?
To know if the blade is upside down, the first thing you should do is know which side is correct. You can tell this by looking at which is the cutting and sharp edge, differentiating it from the side that is blunt. Some blades come with labels that help you know which side is up and which is down.
If they don’t, then you should know that the cutting edge should face the grass, while the blunt edge should face the “inside” of the mower.
It is important that you make sure that it is on the correct side before using the lawn mower, since you can damage the machine if you use it incorrectly, and it will also not work to cut the grass.
4. How To Balance Lawn Mower Blades?
Lawn mower blades can become unbalanced if you sharpen them unevenly. This means it is not done uniformly so there is one side that is thicker, and consequently, heavier than the other. This causes a lack of balance and that is what makes the blade lean more to one side than the other.
It is always essential to check the balance of a blade before replacing it, so as not to put your mower or your safety at risk.
To check if you can drive a nail into a wooden plank and balance the mower blade on the end of this nail by putting the hole in the center of the blade over the nail head.
Then you need to turn the blade and release it. If it stays in place, that’s a good sign. If it continues to move and leans to one side then this means it is not balanced.
Look at which side it tilts, so you can know which one has a problem (since it is the heaviest). You can sharpen that side until it is the same weight, and so your blade is back in balance. Or you can take it to a specialist to fix it for you.
5. How Often Should Blades Be Sharpened?
Although this depends on each blade, there are certain average numbers to know how long you should wait to sharpen your blade. On average, a lawnmower blade should be sharpened after every 20 to 25 hours of use.
Of course, this can vary depending on how often you mow, how long the mowing lasts, and the most important factor is the type of grass. There are longer grasses that practically ruin your blade with a single cut. Or if you cut the grass when it’s damp or wet this also dulls the blade faster.
New lawn mower blades do not need to be sharpened because they are always sharpened during manufacture. However, lawnmower blades generally need to be sharpened at the start of each new season.
6. How Often Should The Blades Be Changed For New Ones?
It is always recommended to have your lawnmower blades changed annually. If the blade continues to cut grass effectively, once a year is a good amount of time, but there are several factors that can affect this.
You may need to replace the blades sooner if they become damaged. It is always important to make sure you take protective measures whenever you have to sharpen or change your lawnmower blades at home.
As we said before, if you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, you can take it to a technician without any problem and they will complete the job right away.
7. What Are The Best Brands For Blades?
The most used brands and the favorite fan are John Deer, EGO, Oregon, 8 TEN, Maxpower, Craftsman, and others.
They are the favorites of people because they have a good relationship between quality and price. They are not super expensive and are durable with great utility.
At the end of the day, the brand does not matter so much, but the fundamental thing is that it is useful for your lawn mower and for your budget.
Although of course, the better the references it has, or the more recommended it is, then the more likely it is that it will work better for you.
In Conclusion
As you can see, the world of lawnmower blades is wide, but as you get to know it in depth, it stops being so intimidating.
At the end of the day, what matters is that the blade you use is useful for cutting your lawn. If you see that it does not work for that, then you should consider sharpening it or buying a new one.
Now that you know the 7 best secrets you need to know about blades, you can get to work and leave your garden perfect at any time of the year.
