How To Change A Lawn Mower Blade – Follow These Steps

Are you tired of spending money at the repair shop every time you need to change or replace your blades? Well I can assure you that you don’t have to waste any more money reason being in this I will be giving very clear steps on how you can change a lawn mower blade and without wasting too much effort. We all know that much as sharpening helps to keep the blade of mower in good performing condition there will come a time when it is completely worn out and you will have to change it so in such times you will needs steps like the ones I am about to give you. The surprising thing actually is that, the task of changing a lawn mower blade does not require a lot of time, below are the steps.

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• Find access to the mower blade:before you do anything first disconnect the spark plug. In all mowers whether modern ones or traditional ones the blade I located under the deck and the only way of accessing it is by tilting the mower to the side. As you tilt the mower, be as careful as possible to make ensure that you don’t end up making oil leak into the carburetor and filter. If you have a gas mower, make sure that there is completely no gas in mower.
• Take out the bolt holding the blade: a socket wrench I the most appropriate tool to use for unbolting the blade, use your one hand to clamp the blade in one place and prevent it from moving as you take off the bolt. Keep all parts in place to be able to place back when you are re-installing the blade. If you spot any other bolts, make sure you untie them as well so that it is much easier for you to remove the blade. To remove the bolt, turn the socket to the right and move it clockwise until the bolt loosens.
• Remove the blade:look very keenly at how the blade is before getting it out, this will help you avoid any mistakes while installing the new blade. Different have some slight changes in how the blade is placed but just to avoid any regrets later carefully look and memorize it.
• Look for the perfect blade replacement: you will find that blades are different in the different types of mowers so you need to look out for a blade that is exactly similar to the one you are removing or look for one that is compatible to particular mower that you have. Buying a replacement blade will only cost you a few bucks so don’t worry about the expense.
• Install the new blade: wear thick leather gloves and place the blade exactly the way the old one was placed and then put back the nuts and bolt. Make sure you turn the bolts in the right direction and follow instructions as they are given in the manual. If the manual does not direct to tighten the bolt then do it simply do as the manual says. Take not of small details like the length of the blade reason being it has to be similar to the blade that you just removed from the mower.
• Inspect to see if you replaced the blade perfectly:don’t just look at it, touch and feel if it is not shaking when the mower is moved from one spot to another. If you feel confident that you installed the blade well then you can put the mower back into its right position. Do not start using the mower there and then, give some minutes so that all is settled then you can resume your mowing activity.
• Trace out any oil leakages: check around the carburetor and filter to see if oil spilled there by any chance as you were tilting the mower and if that is the case then you need to clean that oil off first before you start using the machine again.

When is it necessary to change lawn mower blades?

You don’t just change the mower blade any moment you feel like, sometimes just sharpening the blade is enough to keep your mower functioning perfectly. However there are times when it is not even necessary to sharpen the blade and all you have to do is replace it so below are those incidences that for changing of the mower blade;

• Corrosion and cracks: corrosion simply means the blade has rusted and it needs to be replaced, there is no sense in trying to sharpen a rusted and cracked blade. These are signs that the old blade has worked enough and now needs to be replaced.
• Blunt or dull: if you have sharpened the blade several times then you have no reason to waste your effort anymore just replace the blade.
• After 6 months: it really depends on who the manufacturer is but in most cases you will find they advise that you change the blade after every 6 months so that the mower stays in excellent condition.

Safety tips:

• Don’t risk working on the mower before being sure that it is off and will not be starting at any moment without your notice. The only way to do this is by disconnecting the spark plug, if the mower starts accidentally you could get badly injured more so since you are working on dangerous areas like the blade.
• Wear thick gloves, in order to keep your hands safe, make sure you wear gloves just in case anything goes wrong you will be well protected and have nothing to worry about.
• Try not to tilt the mower too much, there is oil in there and the moment it spills into parts like the engine, air filter or carburetor it can be really dangerous.
• If you have a gas mower, first all have all the gas removed before making any progression into changing the blade. Gas is very dangerous and you can get really burned if you are not careful.

In conclusion, if you want excellent results from your mower time to time then you will not neglect it, take very good care of especially the blade which is the most essential part of the lawn mower. A mower with a sharp and new blade will definitely perform excellently on all types of grass and weed.