Dull Vs. Sharp Lawn Mower Blades

June 24, 2015
Blog
  • Sharp lawn mower blade

Keep Your Mower Blades Sharp

So, you’ve got the perfect lawnmower. Push mower or riding, your choice, but either way it’s yours and you love using it, hopefully. You think it’s perfect. Yet there may be a simple step in lawn and lawnmower care that you’re forgetting that has a drastic effect on your lawn: keeping your mower blade sharp.

Dull vs. Sharp

Sharp Grass Blades

Grass cut with a sharp mower blade.

Dull Grass Blades

Grass cut with a dull mower blade.

Dull lawn blades can lead to lawn discoloration, lawn disease, portions of grass being pulled up during mowing, ragged-looking grass, or even the plant dying. Grass that is cleanly cut can recover more easily, which reduces the risk of disease. Dull mower blades pull at the plant instead of cleanly cutting it, which is stress on the grass and your lawn.

Not only that, but it’s also quicker and easier to mow with good mowing blades—the same way it’s easier to cut with a sharpened knife. Your lawnmower will be happier with a sharper blades, because it’s less stress on the engine. It can also help to prevent clogging.

Keep A Sharp Blade

Blade Grinder

How often should you sharpen? If you’ve been mowing your lawn yourself, then we recommend that you should be sharpening 2 – 4 times per year or every 8th mowing. The blades do not have to be razor sharp but it does need to be sharper than a butter knife.

It’s best to remove your mower blades from the mower when sharpening. Secure the mowing blade in a vice and use a grinder tip, metal file, bench grinder or similar method to sharpen the edge and remove nicks and dents. Once the blades are sharpened, be sure to make sure it is balanced. You can test the balance on a nail or buy a blade balancer for around $5

If you don’t want to sharpen the blades yourself, Omaha Organics is more than happy to sharpen blades by appointment. The cost is $10 or under, depending on the condition of the blade.

More Mowing Tips

Some other reminders for mowing your lawn properly: Keep a 30° angle on the blade when sharpening and raise your mower to the highest setting. Avoid removing more than 1/3 of the height of the blade in one session, or mowing right after rain or when the grass is wet.

A sharp mowing blade is one of the first steps to making your mowing experience much easier and better for your lawn.