To get a quality finish and a healthy lawn, your mower needs to be able to make a clean cut across the grass as it mows. This guide will walk you through inspecting and sharpening your mower’s blade to ensure your mower will slice through blades of grass instead of bruising and breaking them.

Removing the Blade

1. Disconnect the spark plug wire to prevent an accidental start.
2. Tip the lawn mower up on its side so that the carburetor is facing up to prevent flooding.
3. Mark the side of the blade facing out with a permanent marker or some spray paint. This way you’ll know which way the blade will need to be installed after sharpening.
4. Unbolt the blades. On some models, including all Twin Blade mowers, there are two bolts that hold the blade onto the engine shaft. Remove these bolts, but do not loosen the smaller center bolt. If the blade wants to spin, wedge a piece of wood between the blade and the deck. Continue reading →