As you know, working with a dull blade isn’t the most productive way to accomplish your lawn tasks. So when buying a mowing machine, the first question every newbie asks is, do new lawn mower blades need to be sharpened?
To shorten the guesswork, our mowing experts will answer all your queries about mower blades and show how they’re properly maintained.
Do You Need To Sharpen a New Lawn Mower Blade?
The short answer is no, you don’t need to sharpen brand-new lawn mower blades. More often than not, these lawnmower parts underwent a strict manufacturing process, including making the grass blades sharp.
Some users may think a new lawn mower blade needs to go through the sharpening process because of the paint finish on its surface.
If you inspect these parts closer, you’ll notice that most replacement blades have thick finishes around the cutting edge. The blade edge can even have a dull texture.
Although it makes the blade feel dull, you must know that it protects the operator from potential injuries. This protective finish also helps your lawnmower blades to withstand rust and other external damages in the long run.
How Frequent Do You Sharpen Brand New Mower Blades?
As previously mentioned, new blades are often already pre-sharpened. The best way to maintain your lawnmower blade is to sharpen it at least once a year. However, remember that it still depends according to your geographical location.
You may not know, but weather conditions can affect how well your mower blades can cut grass. Therefore, consider the changing seasons when deciding how often you need to sharpen dull blades.
After every mowing season, don’t forget to clean the machine with a pressure washer to remove debris and grass clippings. After that, remove the dull lawnmower blade from the equipment and sharpen it.
If you’re not experienced or confident in handling sharp blades, we recommend wearing safety gear or taking it to the nearest service shop.
How Does a Lawn Mower Blade Powder Coating Paint Help?
When your equipment comes with a powder-coated cutter, it doesn’t mean you have a dull lawn mower blade. These grass blades can cause injuries or wear out faster without a protective coating on the cutting edge. Here are other perks you can expect from this feature:
Prevents Blade Corrosion
New lawnmower blades are often made of durable steel, but you should know that they’re more at risk of rusting [1] when exposed to moisture and oxygen extensively.
It’ll make your blade feel dull, but powder-paint finishes are the ones standing against corrosion.
Prevents Blade Damage
Admit it or not, sharp mower blades aren’t sufficient to stand against debris and other obstructions in the lawn. Evidently, your new blade could get damaged with curved edges and cracks without the powder-coating paint to protect it.
And when your cutter is damaged with ragged edges, you’ll have no choice but to buy a new blade for your brand-new lawn mower.
Protects You When Replacing a Brand New Blade
Besides preventing damage to the new blades, this protective coating keeps you safe from cuts, lacerations, and even potential amputations.
This feature is also handy when installing a replacement blade because it prevents damage if you accidentally knock it off.
A sharp blade can make your mowing time more productive, but over-the-top sharpness poses dangers to exposed body parts, especially when you don’t wear gloves.
How Important is it to Maintain a New Mower Blade Properly?
While a new lawnmower blade doesn’t need to be sharpened, you must know that it should undergo proper maintenance to ensure its longevity. If this component doesn’t get the care it needs, best believe it will start to wear faster than you expect.
If you didn’t get the blade along with a brand-new lawn mower, our experts suggest checking if the component is compatible with the lawn equipment that you’re using.
Some manufacturers set specific sharpness and quality standards on their cutters, so not everything will work well on all mowers.
Although sharpening a mower blade alone is economical, we don’t recommend it if you’re not confident about handling sharp cutters. Instead of risking your safety, buying a new mower blade or contacting a local service center is still the best option.
How Sharp Should it Be?
Contrary to common misconceptions, lawn mower blades need not be too sharp to execute their job properly. More than sharpness, blade angles are the ones that determine how well it will work during the mowing operation.
You should also ensure that the blade doesn’t have gouges by checking its internal components. To do this, you must flip the mower to its side. However, don’t let the carburetor side face downward, as this could result in oil spills.
If it isn’t too damaged, you can sharpen the blades without removing them from the mower. The only problem is this sharpening method can lead to an unbalanced mower blade. You may not know, but unbalanced blades can cause excessive vibration during usage.
Negative Effects of Sharpening a New Mower Blade
Sharpening can make a new blade not properly balanced. When that happens, don’t be surprised if you experience vibrations. And with these negative effects, your engine and blade shaft will undergo enormous stress and shorten their machine lives.
Common Problems When Using Dull Mower Blades
If you continue to use dull blades, issues like a clogged mower will arise eventually. On top of that, the grass on your turf will have jagged tips if it continues to be in contact with unsharpened and damaged cutters.
Without clean cuts, the lawn’s grass conditions can get worse. Poor turf health can affect your mower engine in the long run, especially if you consistently use the same equipment for the same area.
Dull blades can also give the turf ragged tips, making the grass vulnerable to diseases. Once that happens, the lawn condition will continue to get worse.
Why Lawn Mowers Cut Uneven
One of the many reasons why uneven grass cutting keeps happening is using overly bent or worn lawn mower cutters, wrong tire pressure, and incorrect deck leveling. Here are some of the solutions you can try:
Should the Push Mower’s Front Be Lower Than the Back?
If you don’t want uneven mower cuts, you must ensure that the deck is properly leveled. The deck’s sides, front, and rear should be adjusted on the same level using the height adjuster. You can find it as a single lever or multiple controls on each wheel.
How Tight Should Lawn Mowers Be?
When tightening the blades, we suggest referring to the product’s specifications. Over-tightening them will cause the blade to slip from the metal block and damage the unit’s engine. This process is typically done using a torque wrench.
Do You Need Balanced Blades?
With a balanced blade installed in the mower, you can expect maximum performance and higher cut quality. This term implies that the blade’s weight is evenly distributed on all sides.
You can test its weight distribution with a balancer. Grab an angle grinder to keep the sides balanced if it has a heavier side.
Sharpening a Lawn Mower Blade
If you’re confident about sharpening the mower’s blade by yourself, here are the factors you need to consider before you start:
What are the Tools You Need?
A lawn mower blade needs to be sharpened using specific tools. It doesn’t need to be specifically designed for lawn cutters because multi-sharpeners are widely available in Amazon and other local hardware stores.
On top of that, you’ll need a blade balancer and torque wrench to ensure the component’s weight is properly distributed.
Don’t forget to wear your gloves and eye protection during the sharpening procedure. The spark plug should also be disconnected to avoid accidental startups.
How Sharp the Blades Should Be
It’s unnecessary to make the blades butter-knife sharp. As long as these mower parts can cut well, their sharpness level should be sufficient. You can also check if it’s sharp enough by ensuring that the cutting edges aren’t ragged or rough.
Can You Sharpen Your Lawn Mower Blade without Detaching It?
Yes, you can sharpen your lawn mower blade without detaching it. However, this procedure can make your blade unbalanced.
Comparing Mulching and Regular Blades
When you buy lawnmower cutters, you’ll encounter two categories; the regular ones and the mulching blades. Let’s discuss how they differ.
2-in-1 vs. 3-in-1
Regular “2-in-1” blades got their name for their two useful functions: bagging and discharging. Meanwhile, a mulching blade can also do those tasks, plus mulching grass into fine pieces.
Aerodynamics
Since regular cutters have high-lift technology, their aerodynamics pull the clippings up to fling over the discharging chute. On the other hand, the mulching blade’s aerodynamics produces airflow that leads clippings in the cutter’s direction.
Regular Blades vs. Gator
Although both regular and gator blades use high-lift aerodynamics, it’s crucial to note that it gives a cleaner and more even cut. Because of this, they work well in bagging operations.
To Sharpen vs. To Replace
It’s easy to assume that you need new lawn mower blades whenever the ones you have feel dull during usage. However, that’s not always the case.
You must consider certain factors before your mower’s old blade needs to go, or you’ll be wasting money getting rid of a cutter that only needs sharpening. Here’s how you can tell when it’s time to get new lawn mower blades:
How Often Should You Sharpen Your Lawn Mower Blade?
In the northern states, cutting blades don’t need to be sharpened regularly. Most users in these regions store their equipment around late fall (late October or early November). They don’t get it out until March or April when mower blades will be sharpened before they start mowing.
If you live in regions without winters, the chances of getting a dull blade are higher. Why?
Because warm seasons require watering and cutting grass more regularly. The more frequently they’re used, the more sharpening these mower blades need. Because of this, it’s reasonable to sharpen them twice a year.
Interesting Read: How to Get Your Lawn Mower Ready for Summer
How Often Should You Replace Your Lawn Mower Blade?
While it’s true that lawn mower blades need sharpening to function better, it doesn’t mean buying a new blade is out of the question.
Most lawn mower blades are exposed to harsh conditions and external elements, so it’s not surprising that sharpening won’t do the thick anymore.
Bent Blades
As previously mentioned, mowing on lawns with obstacles like rocks can damage the blade. If you notice the cutter has been bent, replace it immediately, as it may cause safety concerns for the operator.
(Speaking of safety, you may want to know the lawn mower injury stats and accidents recorded annually to be aware of what you should look out for.)
Dents, Gouges, or Missing Pieces
Other damages like dents, gouges, and missing blade pieces indicate that it’s time to replace the mower’s blade. Continuing to use damaged cutters can lead to debris propelling in your direction at high-speed settings.
Should You Allow the Blade Bed in Naturally While Mowing?
The paint coating on your new blade will naturally come off as you use it, so removing it isn’t the best idea. The main reason is that it protects the blade from rust when you mow a moderately dewy grass field.
The grass’ dampness could stick to the blade, but it should be fine as long as it has the coating and the turf isn’t overly wet.
How High Lift Mower Blades Work
Since it has deeper edge curves, this cutter type can create more air suction to circulate clippings. Its airflow prevents clogging when you’re mowing wet and tall grass fields.
Conclusion
After these in-depth discussions, do new lawn mower blades need to be sharpened? We can bet that your answer is no, and it’s now clear why.
Knowing this basic knowledge can save you from unnecessary trouble when you notice your mower blade getting dull. It’ll also prevent you from encountering blade mishaps and accidents.
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