Do You Need To Sharpen New Mower Blades | A Complete Guide

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A lawn mower comprises revolving blades that help the mower cut down the lawn in an even order.

The revolving blades of the mower also help you make your lawn surface look neat and precise. Even though the freshly chopped grass looks and smells fresh, doing it with rusty blades makes it a cumbersome job.

But if you have recently bought a new mower, you must have this question of whether the blade of the mower needs sharpening.

Don’t worry; we have sorted every answer for you.

This article gives professional advice if you’re unsure about when to replace worn-out blades or when to sharpen them.

We’ll address questions from beginners about lawnmower blades in this article. Likewise, advise things you must avoid when changing your lawnmower’s blade.

Do New Lawn Mower Blades Need to Be Sharpened?

Do New Lawn Mower Blades Need to Be Sharpened
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The answer would be very straight. No, you do not need to sharpen the new mower blade.

Why? Because during the whole manufacturing procedure, blades get through the sharpening process. It means that they already sharpened the blades you get with the mower from the factory.

People believe new blades need sharpening since most replacement blades have a painted surface. The blade’s surface shall feel dull to you and is noticeably thicker around the cutting edge.

But there is a reason behind employing paint on the new blade replacements. The paint finish serves several purposes: rust prevention, injury prevention, and blade protection against damage.

You don’t need to remove the protective finish, even when it makes your blade surface feel dull.

Possible Disadvantages Of Sharpening a New Blades

You might never have thought about it, but sharpening a new mower blade can lead to many disadvantages.

A new blade’s integrity may be jeopardized, and its balance may be affected by pointing. When mowing, unbalanced blades can have several knock-on effects that significantly increase vibration.

It can also lead your spindle, engine, and blade shaft under noticeable stress, eventually chopping off the lifespan of the mower short.

How Often is it Good to Replace The Blade of The Mower?

How Often Is It Good To Replace The Blade Of The Mower
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The usual time to replace the blade is when you notice some considerable destruction or if the edge is torn beyond repair. Curved edges and broken blades are two common causes of damage to lawn mower blades.

You may get 400 hours of use out of high-quality blades like those from Oregon Mower Blades. However, different mowers have different guidelines for changing the edge. It is wise to adhere to the manufacturer’s suggestions.

The fundamental rule of thumb is to change the blades after 200 hours of use in case you’ve lost the guidelines.

We recommend you have a periodic examination of your mower blade. Have a look at how smoothly your blades are performing the lawn cutting. Once you find a flaw in the blade’s function, that is the right time for the blade to replace.

Remember that a severely damaged blade could break off while being used, resulting in harm to the equipment and a severe accident to the user too.

Also Read:- How to Change a Lawn Mower Blade?

How Does It Matter If The Blade of The Mower is Sharp or Not?

How Does It Matter If The Blade Of The Mower Is Sharp Or Not
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If you, too, are like any other gardener, you must have this question once in a while; Do the sharp blades of mowers make any difference?

Well, the answer is yes.

Yes, they make a noteworthy difference. You could imagine that your lawn mower’s blades would still function appropriately despite being dull. While worn-out blades can still cut grass, they will only rip through it and leave behind jagged points.

And eventually, the texture of your lawn will get distorted and unhealthy.

When you use torn tipped blades on your grass, it makes grass vulnerable to diseases and pests. Also, the grass turns yellowish or brown and dead.

But, when you use the shart and fresh blade, it offers a healthy and sharp cut to the grass of your lawn. Trimming the grass neatly gives your property a wonderful aroma and beautiful plane surface.

Before the mowing season begins each year, most homeowners sharpen their lawn mower blades. However, if you mow your lawn for hours at a time virtually every day, you’ll need to sharpen your blades twice a year.

Always avoid mowing over harsh items like rocks because it can damage mower blades and cause them to become much more quickly dull. When colliding with a hard surface, the life span of the mower blade gets down, and you need to change it frequently.

The frequent replacement costs you a good amount of expense. Hence, it is better to have protection than loss.

It is Necessary to Balance the New Blades of the Mower?

It is Necessary to Balance the New Blades of the Mower
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You can feel it, as it will frequently vibrate when you use it. That is not always the case, but a few blades come in an unbalanced texture. In that case, it becomes necessary to balance the new blades of the mower.

Balancing ensures that your blade’s weight is spread equally across the two sides.

Usually, the blade becomes imbalanced when you sharpen it when one of its sides undergoes more matter-gridding than the other.

In these situations, all you need to do is use a balancer, which can be as easy as using a wall nail to test the balance, and a grinder to remove material from the heavier side of the blade until it is balanced.

Our Advise on Sharpening on the Mower Blade

Our Advise on Sharpening on the Mower Blade
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If you have never done sharpening of the blade, it is beneficial to know what kind of tools and materials you will need for effective sharpening.

Also, keeping a tab on what safety measures for your protection are also needed.

For the Blade

  • A metal grinding blade for an angle grinder for honing the blade,
  • Socket or wrench to adjust the blade nut.

In Case the Wrench is Unable to Remove the Nut, You Will Need

  • A breaking bar and penetrating lubricant for holding the blade, two clamps.
  • A block of wood to stop the blade from reversing direction as it loosens.
  • A plastic bag to stop the mower from tipping over and the gas from seeping out the vent hole.

For Yourself

  • A pair of work gloves
  • A pair of safety glasses
  • For facial protection/safety
  • A hearing protection
  • A long-sleeve shirt

Also Checkout: Best Self Propelled Mower Reviews

FAQ’s

How tight should mower blades be fixed?

We advise you to tighten the mower blade in such a way that it neither remains to loosen nor fasten tightly. Never fasten so that the blades face trouble while rotating. Our suggestion would be to employ an amount for torque, as stated in the mower manual, 330-foot-pounds.

Which is the most recommended way to tighten?

The best way to tighten the mower blade is to move it in the right or clockwise direction. But the blade’s holding bolt, you need to loosen alternatively, and rotate counterclockwise when taking the blade out.

Can a lawn mower blade be sharpened without removing it?

You can sharpen the blades without detaching them from the machine, but the outcome will not be that effective.

Can one sharpen a mulching blade?

The fact is that the structure and, therefore, the maintenance of the mulching blade is a little more complex the more than the standard blades. In contrast to other mower blades, mulching blades contain over two cutting edges, using several types of files to sharpen them. As a result, sharpening must be done with caution. 

Which side of the lawn mower blade is facing forward?

Examine the sides of the blades with clear vision. A lawn mower blade contains two edges; one is an angled or san harp edge, and the other is a blunt edge. The sharp edge faces sedges the ground as it involves cutting the grasses. Therefore, the blunt part will be up.

Conclusion

Once a person buys the lawn mower or replaces the torn blades with brand new other ones, the question arises: do new lawn mower blades need to be sharpened?

We have tried to answer your question along with every detail detailing a brand-new mower blade for you in this article.

Although brand-new blades come already sharpened to you, they require care and maintenance after a while. To keep yourself and your yard hassle-free, we recommend you keep the happen after frequent uses.

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