# Lawnmower blades?



## Buckshot00 (Jun 25, 2015)

When I mow the lawn my mower swathe leaves 2 little ridges of grass where the blades don't quite meet. Can I pull the blades and fix this?


----------



## CentaurG2 (Jun 26, 2015)

It sounds to me like you need to sharpen your blades. The fist ¼” of the blade does most of the cutting with the blade tips doing most of the work. As the blades begin to get dull, the blade tips tend to round off and you could get a strip of grass where the two blades meet. Pull the blades and pop on a new set and see if it solves the problem. Be sure to clean off the underside of the deck as best you can when you are under there and check the spindles for play. If the new blades and cleaning does not solve the problem, you might need to adjust the deck settings. Good luck.


----------



## Buckshot00 (Jun 26, 2015)

Think I'll pull them and sharpen. A new set of blades cost $50.00. Thanks.


----------



## CentaurG2 (Jun 26, 2015)

Sharpening mower blades is kind of a pain. To do it properly you need to pull the blades and clean them. I use a bench vice and a 4” angle grinder with a speed cup wire brush. You want to strip off all the rust and paint. Once clean, check over the blade carefully for cracks paying close attention the foils/lifts on the back of the blade. If worn thin or cracked, toss the whole set.

To sharpen, I use angle grinder and a flap disk. Try to copy the factory angle (30 degrees) and remove as much metal on the face to get the tip of the blade back to square with the edge. Lite (homeowner) blades are easy and go quickly. Heavy blades or brush hog blades can take a lot of grinding time to get the tips back. Curvy mulching blades are just a pain in the ascot.

Last step is to balance the blade. I use a magna-matic 1000. Expensive tool but if you do a lot of blades it is worth its weight in gold. You can get a cheap “cone” balancer at most home stores that work alright. Some folks use a nail and others don’t bother balancing at all. The magna-matic 1000 will also check to see if a blade is bent. A little defection tip to tip is allowed but anything much more than 1/8” the blade should be discarded. Note: you can make a good knife out of a used mower blade. Good Luck.


----------



## fordf150 (Jun 26, 2015)

balance the blade even if it is just by hanging it on a nail


----------



## alleyyooper (Jun 27, 2015)

I would measure to make sure you have the right blades.







My eXmark suggest sharping the total blade from center hole to the tip.

 Al


----------



## 066blaster (Jun 28, 2015)

Also clean the grass from under the deck ... it can cause issues too. Your blades Might Be bent.


----------



## Buckshot00 (Jul 3, 2015)

I pulled the deck and cleaned it up. I then sharpened the 3 blades. Cuts good now. Thanks for all the help.


----------



## Stihlofadeal64 (Jul 4, 2015)

Another problem solved right here on AS!


----------

