Lawn mowers not only assist us in keeping our lawns fresh, but they also make sure that the job is completed quicker, and the outcome is long-lasting, something that makes every one of us happy.
However, once your mower starts to vibrate excessively, and trimming is not carried out properly that could be a sign that you need to balance your mower’s blades.
Poorly balanced lawn mower blades not only lead to vibrations but also to a variety of other issues.
Even though several people are not aware of the significance of stabilising their lawn mower blades, even more are unaware of how to do so.
So, if you want to learn how to stabilise your blades and perfectly balance them, keep reading below.
The Significance Of Lawn Mower Blade Proper Balance
Lawnmowers have been used to keep the grass trimmed for many decades. They have evolved into extremely important and necessary garden equipment in every house and organisation over the years.
Knowing how to balance the mower blades is essential for achieving the fresh, spotless, and healthy cut that helps make your lawn look fabulous.
When your grass looks grotty and dull after cutting the grass, or when it gets brownish the next day, the case is you probably have a poorly balanced blade that’s resulting in this disaster.
In the perfect scenario, you should balance your lawn mower blade two times during the main cutting period.
The mower’s blade can roughen as time goes by because of regular usage. When it’s exposed to bits of wood, rocks, or other particles, the blades can get more defective and scuffed.
Trimming your grass with a poorly balanced blade, even when making the smallest cut, increases the likelihood of harming it rather than trimming it, which will actually impact the appearance of your yard, which can result in irreversible harm.
Many people may be unaware of how a poorly balanced lawn mower blade can end up causing serious harm to their lawn mower as they did not recognize the significance of an aligned blade.
This seems to be, regrettably, a great problem that must be dealt with with caution.
Attempting to balance your lawn mower blades entails ensuring that the load of the blade is spread equally from one side to the other.
A mower blade is typically oriented toward the centre, with both sides being equal in dimensions and weight. Yet, mower blades can end up being uneven when you try to sharpen them.
If you scrape more metal off either one of the sides in comparison to the other, the blade does become unbalanced, and one side ends up being heavier than the other.
Whenever anything powerful enough to spin over a thousand times a minute becomes unbalanced, a major issue may arise.
In case you notice an unusual vibration while cutting the grass, the mower blades are probably out of balance. When your lawn isn’t cut uniformly, the blades are probably out of balance once again.
Cutting the grass requires more time than it should because the blades are probably uneven.
As a result, a poorly balanced lawn mower blade can end up causing a number of issues, such as cracking or weakening primary structural studs, putting more work on your shoulders, or creating greater vibration, which will take a toll on the blade shaft, pulley, and, in just about all instances, the motor.
The significance of aligning your lawn mower blades is not only related to the efficiency of the cutting, but also to the damage that occurs on your mower.
Keep the blades aligned if you’d like to keep the mower for longer or if you wish to squeeze more life out of it.
Sharpening The Lawn Mower Blades
Knowing how to sharpen and balance the mower blades is equally as important.
A rough or abrasive mower blade could destroy the grass and render your efforts sloppy-looking.
As a result, for a clean cut, the mower blade should be sharpened on a routine basis. Below are some analytical instructions for sharpening the lawn mower blades:
Collect All Of Your Hand Tools
To maximise safety, you will need both your personal safety gear and your work tools. Eye protection, earmuffs if you are to use a grinder, a metal brush, a wrench to extract the blade, a bench grinder or honing instrument of your preference, and a blade balancer are all recommended.
Remove The Spark Plug To Stop The Engine From Running Unexpectedly
This would be done so that the engine would not start by accident. Remove the spark plug cord and tape it back to prevent it from falling back and touching the plug.
This would be a perfect opportunity to inspect your spark plugs and clean them or consider replacing them if necessary.
Turn The Lawn Mower On Its Side
Flip the mower to the side to make the air filter and carburetor visible. This would keep gas and oil from leaking into the air filter.
Take Out The Blade
To hold the blade in place, insert a short 2×4 between the blade and the deck. Slacken the nut with a long-handled screwdriver. Take out the bolt and blade by twisting in a counterclockwise direction.
Clean It Off Of Any Dust And Debris
Clean the blade from any dust and debris with a metal brush. Examine the blade thoroughly to see if it needs to be replaced.
Sharpen The Blade
Sharpen the blade along the existing angular position of both edges with a file or grinder. Keep the initial angle by filing solely in that direction and removing exactly the same amount of steel from every edge.
Add Marks On The New Blade
Many homeowners make the error of installing the newly sharpened mower blade inverted. The blade will not cut if it is reinserted the other way around. Prior to actually having the sharpened blade removed, spritz it with spray paint. This will inform you on how to put it back correctly.
Test The New Blade
Evaluate the new blade’s efficiency by placing it on a nail. In case you see that a portion of it dips, trim it away till the blades are equal.
Put The Blade Back
Put the lawn mower blade back and tighten the screw or nut. Add the 2×4 in the direction opposite to retain the breaker bar and adjust it.
Tighten the nut thoroughly because a weak blade affects the motor timing, rendering it difficult to start the mower.
Sharpening blades necessitates extreme mental focus and dexterity. In case you realise you aren’t going to pay the required attention, seek the assistance of an expert to prevent any mishaps. You may also employ a blade balancer instead of a nail for higher accuracy.
How Frequently Should The Lawn Mower Blades Be Sharpened?
This is one more of the popular questions arising on this topic. Lawn mower blades might become rough, or the lawn could become frayed with damaged edges, facilitating the development of microbes as well as other lawn epidemics.
Don’t be scared though; as we said, this is probably triggered by the blades not being sharpened.
Polish up the lawn mower blades two times a month or one time if you don’t have the time for a second one.
Spend some time after trimming your lawn to examine it for a harsh cut. When there are torn edges and it appears tattered, it means the mower’s blade needs to be sharpened.
How Do I Rebalance My Lawn Mower Blade After It Has Been Sharpened?
When you have your lawn mower blades sharpened by hand, you will most probably not get it perfectly done, which means that your edges will be uneven.
This will lead to the blade being bulkier on one side than the other, cause severe vibration, weaken several critical inbuilt lug nuts, and ultimately speed up the engine’s structural damage.
The good thing is that testing the rebalancing of the blade and adjusting it as needed prior to actually trying to install it is relatively easy. The following steps analyse the process for dealing with damages:
Place The Blade Over The Nail Head
Hammer a large nail into a piece of wood in your barn or garden shed. Then, using the hole in the centre of the blade, stabilise the blade on the nail base.
Spin The Blade
Twist the blade around a quarter to the right and keep an eye on it. If it remains in place, it is aligned, and you need not be concerned. If it spins back to the starting point, that’s a red flag.
Twist the blade part way to the right once again. If it stays that way, the blade is aligned; if it comes back to the position it began, the blade is poorly balanced, and the portion of the blade that tends to fall down is too bulky.
Sharpen The Blade
Start by removing the blade from the nail and holding it in place to a worktable or a balanced area after identifying which portion of the blade is the heavier one. Make a mental note of the heavy section of the blade.
Trim the edges of the heavier part with a sleek file. As you trim it, try to keep the blade edge at its right angle.
Check The Balance Of The Blade
Take the blade and gently wipe down any dust or metal. Take it back and secure it to the nail head. Twist the blade once more to see whether the same part keeps falling down.
Keep Working On The Blade Till It’s Perfectly Balanced
In case you see that the blade is still not balanced, repeat the same process over and over again until its edges are even.
The Bottom Line
To sum it all up, using a good set of cutting blades will not just improve the look of your garden and grass, but it will also improve your lawn mower’s operation.
We all understand that vibrations can be annoying, but they could also be a significant indication of something dangerous.
As a result, to make sure that your lawn mower will stay with you for longer, make sure to maintain its blades on a regular basis.
Hi, my name is Brian Freis and I have been a local gardener in my hometown for almost 20 years now. There’s nothing I’d rather do with my time than tend to a much-needed garden, whether that’s shaping hedges, planting flowers, weeding, mowing lawns, or more.
Anything that my clients want, I can accommodate. I make a plan with my client, do a great job on their garden, and still have enough time to come home and relax with my wife and our two Golden Retrievers.
Over the years, I like to think that I have gathered quite a respectable amount of knowledge through my gardening, and now I want to share that with any budding gardeners who will listen.
So, I hope that my website will give you enough information to be able to start your gardening journey off on the right foot.
Gardening can be very therapeutic and relaxing, and I want to make it as effective as possible. Good luck, and enjoy it!
