Sharp Mower Blades Make for a Happy and Healthy Lawn
The torn fibers at the tip of each blade of grass dry out and turn white. Cleanly cut blades of grass that aren't damaged at the tip, hold their chlorophyll and remain bright green. Not only do dull blades harm your lawn, they create additional work for your mower.
How often you need to sharpen your blades depends on many factors, the type of grass you are mowing; is it wet or dry; are you hitting things like sticks and stones, etc.
A rule of thumb is to sharpen your blade after every 8 hours of operation. For many commercial landscapers, that would be every day. Not sharpening your blades does not only lead to unsightly grass, it leaves an open wound on the grass that can enhance disease and stress on the grass plants.
The sharpening process for rotary mowers is pretty simple and shouldn't take more than about forty-five minutes. First, you'll want to remove the blade from the mower. For safety, disconnect the spark plug wire and remove the key to disable the mower. If you need to turn the mower on its' side, remove the gas from the gas tank. We don't want the mower to begin mowing while the blade is being removed.
Remove the blade and sharpen. Make sure you keep the same angle on the blades as original. Do not let the blade get too hot when sharpening or this will cause the metal to become weak and brittle. If the blade is worn to less than half the width of a new blade, it should be replaced.
Once sharpened, replace the blade and make sure it is securely tightened. The lawns you mow will appreciate your efforts and look much better because you have taken the time to sharpen the blades.For more information on this or other maintenance subjects, contact us at: blades@scotttspower.com
