The correct lawn mower blade position should always be maintained, regardless of whether you are sharpening an old mower blade or replacing a new blade. If the blade is not installed correctly on the mower, it will not be able to make clean cuts.
There is also a possibility that it could become displaced from its fittings. If this happens, the mower could sustain damage, and the operator could be at risk and get injuries.
This article will guide you in adequately adjusting lawn mower blades and the correct lawn mower blade position on a riding mower.
Which Side of the Mower Blade is up?
Some mower blades feature marks denoting the face upside, making it simple to determine which direction the blade should be installed on the mower. However, if nothing is marked on the blade, there are still various techniques to determine which side of the mower blade is facing up.
1. Check for Engraved Words on Your Blade
Examine your blade to see if it has Grass Edge carved wording on it. If that’s the case, you don’t need to spend time learning the other ways because you already know which side is up.
2. Closest Blade Edge Should be Sharp
When you check your blade, you’ll see that it has a sharp edge and a dull edge. Most of the time, the side that is dull might have a lifted edge, sometimes called wings. The lifted edge is used to move the lawn clippings up after the grasses have been trimmed or cut so that they can be sent into the lawn collector or get discharged. When installing your blade, you need to ensure its wing (dull edge) is up.
3. Sharp blade moves toward you
There is a short experiment you can perform after attaching the blade and tightening the bolt on your mower to determine if you have an upward mower blade or not. Move the mower’s blade in your direction while it is lying on its side.
The sharp blades move in a clockwise motion and counterclockwise if seen from under; as a result, the sharp edge is typically located on the right side of the mower. When you are satisfied with the correct lawn mower blade position, you should set it and then secure it with the lock bolts.
Do Mower Blades Need to be Timed?
You don’t have to time the mower blades if you are working with a domestic lawn mower that is of the standard stock variety. But if not, timing is typically necessary when blades overlap, so in order to obtain better results, you would first need a different deck with at least two blades moving in sequence.
This is something that is typically found on every zero-turn lawn mower and other similar machines. The blades of your standard home lawnmower are not going to overlap with one another.
These days, some lawnmowers even come equipped with spindles installed in the deck, which prevent the blades from colliding with one another.
The Proper Way to Align Mower Blades (if needed)
There is a correct way to align mower blades, which you should know. It’s essential to figure out the correct lawn mower blade position because unaligned mower blades are one reason the grass might not be cut right. Here are the tools needed and the step-by-step procedure to align mower blades:
Tools and Equipment needed:
- Hand gloves
- Adjusting wrench
- Screwdriver
- Towel
- Woodblock
Aligning Blades (7 Steps)
- Step 1: Check the manual from the manufacturer. There is a possibility that the trouble is connected to the load, which, if it is incorrect, can cause the heaviness of the lawn mower deck to be incorrect. Certain manuals make a statement that the mower blades need to be aligned opposite or perpendicular to each other.
- Step 2: It is necessary to remove the cutting deck before checking to verify if the blades on the lawn mower are correctly aligned. In most circumstances, you will need to take out the screws and washers holding the support arms or lifts in place from both parts. Place them somewhere secure to keep them.
- Step 3: Don’t forget to put on gloves, then move the cutter deck out, take off the deck belt, and turn the machine over. Slowly rotate the blades in opposite directions so that one goes forward and the other points backward. Leave it as it is and insert a block of wood into the deck adjacent to the tip of a blade that needs to be aligned.
- Step 4: You only need to give this blade a little bit of rotation to get it wedged in there. Take off the screw, spring, and spline washer that is attached to the mower blade using your tool, an adjustable wrench.
- Step 5: Locate the adjustment pin, then remove this from the blade. Now, pick the wooden block, and turn this blade carefully, bring it till it is perpendicularly positioned to one another.
- Step 6: Put the alignment pin back where it was, then reattached the screw that holds the blade in place, the spline, and the spring washer. You may prevent the blade from turning by using the wood block as a wedge between the blade and the cutting deck while you tighten everything.
- Step 7: After ensuring that the mower blades are in the correct position, you will need to reassemble the remains of the mower. Move the cutting deck so that it is underneath the mower, then reattach the lift arms or support arms. You need to attach the decking belt to the main pulley at the point where it wraps around it.
In Summary
It is essential to know the correct lawn mower blade position. However, if you are uncertain about the proper way to handle some repairs, it is best to take your lawn mower machine to a shop specializing in repairing small engines. You will save time and generally money if you do it this way. An even more critical point is that your warranty might be voided if the repair is done incorrectly. A trained professional will be able to align your lawn mower’s blades quickly and accurately.