Who does not like keeping their lawn clean and tidy? To do that, a well-maintained lawn mower is an absolute must!
Over the decades, lawn mowers have become an indispensable part of gardening in every home and commercial plot. It goes without saying that a green and well-trimmed lawn is something that all gardeners want, and they mow it regularly to ensure it stays that way.
Lately, I have been receiving a lot of emails and queries from my fellow garden enthusiasts who are tired of their lawn mowers not functioning their best. I suggested that they balance it before thinking of replacing it with a new one. Many of them responded by saying that they are new to gardening and were having a hard time getting it done.
It then struck me that documenting the process of balancing the lawn mower blades can be helpful to many. Hi, I am Stacy Smith, and today I will take you step-by-step through the process of balancing your lawn mower blade.
So, without any more delay, let’s see how to get it done!
Prepping The Mower Blade Before Balancing
Before you can start to think about how to balance lawn mower blades, there is one essential step. Unless your blade is sharp, there is no point balancing it, as, by the end of your mowing session, the grasses will still be left with some torn edges.
And mostly, I have seen it happening only when the blades are not sharp enough. One healthy lawn habit that I have grown over the years is to diagnose my blade twice a month or at least monthly.
Trust me, it is not a hectic process. All you need to do is to check your grass heads after a trim. If the edges look ragged or torn, it is most likely that the blades need sharpening. A little research on the internet will tell you how to sharpen your lawn mower blades easily.
Steps To Balance Your Lawn Mower Blades
Once you check for the blade sharpness, the next thing to do is to follow these steps to balance your mower blades in the best possible way. Now, let’s take a look at how to do it.
1. Fastening Blade Over The Nail Head
The first and foremost thing to do is to get your hands on a hammer and a big nail. Now, using the hammer, lodge a nail into any wall in your garage or workshop. After that is done, you need to balance the mower blade on the nail. For this, you need to make a hole in the blade’s center above the nail head and this will ensure that the blade is completely secure.
2. Rotating The Blade
Once you are done with the first step, try and slowly rotate the blade to the right. Now, you have to observe minutely to see if it is staying in its place. If it does, well, you are on the clear; your mower blade is perfectly balanced!
However, if your blade starts rotating and reaches the starting point, it is not a good sign. Repeat the process and check if it is still rotating. If it is, then my friend, your mower blade is not in proper balance and requires some work.
3. Blade Filing
The previous step helps you determine which portion is heavy, and once you figure that out, the next thing to do is to take the blade off the nail. Make a note of the area that seems to be heavy, and do not forget that while you are working on it.
After that what you need to do is grind the edges within a smoothing file. This helps you to get rid of the added heaviness on certain parts of the blade. As you file the edges, I recommend filing at a normal angle to ensure that you do not cause additional damage.
4. Check The Balance Again
The next step to follow is to take the blade off and clean it very carefully. I suggest that you use a clean and dry brush to ensure that no dust or dirt is sticking to it after you file the edges.
To check if the balance is reinstated, take the blade back to the wall plank and put it over the nail. Once you are done with this, turn it again to the right as you did before to check if the heavy section keeps rotating and returns to the starting point again. If it does, your blade requires some more filing.
However, if it does not, it means that it is well-balanced, and you can head over to the next step.
5. Reinstalling The Blade
Once you are confirmed that the blade is not rotating anymore on the nail, take the blade off the nail.
Go ahead and put the blade on the lawn mower and fix it in place with a nut or bolt. I suggest inserting the 2x4 in the opposite direction so that it is easier to bear down the breaker bar to tighten it with much ease.
It is very crucial to tighten the bolt properly as loose blades are extremely detrimental to the functioning of your mower. If you do not tighten it well, what happens is that the engine timing gets disrupted, making it very difficult to start the machine.
- Stop the guesswork! Cub Cadet XT1-42 XT2-42 ZT1-42 model uses two different blade types.Before ordering our blades,identify your current blade's center hole.Our blade's center hole is 6 Star Shaped.If your blade's center hole is S-shaped,use MPN 742-05177 742P05177 to order your correct blades elsewhere.
- Stop the guesswork! CRAFTSMAN T110 LT1000 LT2000 model uses two different blade types.Before ordering our blades,identify your current blade's center hole.Our blade's center hole is 6 Point Star Center Hole.If your blade's center hole is 5 Point Star Center Hole,Use MPN 138971 532138971 to order your correct blades elsewhere
- 942-04308 Mower Blades Replace Number Cub Cade MTD Troy-Bilt 742-04308 742-04308A 942-04308A 942-04308 742-0656 942-0656 490-110-M108, 742-04312, 942-04312,490-110-M108, OCC-742-04312, OEM-742-04308
- 21 Inch Troy Bilt Mower Blade Replace number Troy Bilt MTD 942-0741A 942-0741 742-0741 742-0741A 742-04100 490-100-C089 742-04276 742-04276S 942-04276 942-04276S CC-742-0741 OEM-742-0741
- 942-0741A Mulching Blade Compatible with Troy-Bilt TB110 TB240 TB230 TB130 TB200 TB160 TB210 TB280ES TB320 TB115 TB220 TB360 TB105 TB120 TB125 TB130XP TB140 TB160XP TB270ES TB270XP TB290ES TB330 TB360ES TB370 21" Deck Walk Behind Push Mower
- BLADE SPECIFICATION: Length: 20 7/8″(531.5mm), Width: 2-1/4"(57mm), Thickness: 9/64"(3.4mm), Center Hole Shape: Bow Tie, For Deck Size: 21", Lift: 1-1/8"(28mm), Mower Blade Type: Mulching Blade.
- Blade Width - 2.50"
- Blade Thickness - 0.203"
- Blade Length - 21"
Final Words
I hope you had a great time reading my guide and that you learned a thing or two about how to balance a lawn mower blade.Â
It goes without saying that gardeners use plenty of other methods to sharpen and balance their mower blades. However, it is always best to opt for a sharpening method that is safe to use.Â
Let me know if you know of any other easy, effective methods that will be helpful in keeping the lawn lush and green. Keep a watch on this space and stay tuned for more exciting guides.
Until next time!