how often in replacing a lawn mower

jvmagic

14 years ago

blade?

My blade is 7yrs old and I have sharpened it 4-5 times.

Is it time to replace? It's a sears lawn mower.

thanks in advance,

~jv

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

tiemco
14 years ago
As long as it is in good shape, just sharpen it. If it is really dinged up, out of balance, bent, or just doesn't look right get a new one. You should probably sharpen your blade a little more often than once every year and a half. I am kind of a sharp blade nut, so mine gets sharpened every other week during the mowing season (I use a dremel tool, takes about 10 minutes tops). It's probably overkill, but it's the good kind of overkill.
ACharles
14 years ago
tiemco, any suggestions on how to sharpen the blade? I bought my 1st mower last season & now I need to take it out of the garage & get in shape.
Related Discussions
How Often Do You Change Your Lawn Mower Blade?
Q
Comments (7)
Well, on my 1983 Snapper Hi-vac RER, i finally decided the blade needed changing. now, i always sharpened it every spring, so i decided after that long, an investment in a new blade would be proper. So, for around $20, i bought a new blade and installed it, with the up-lift wings, as on the old one! Wow, i thought--I'd cut the grass now, instead of snatching it off with that old blade! First time out, the blade smacked the edge of the housing and bent the edge up. Fixed that. Again, bent it somewhere else! fixed it, and fixed and fixed--ad infinitum. Finally got so disgusted, i hunted up the old blade, reinstalled it, and all is well again! I can't really complain, as the dealer friend gave me the new blade! (I have given him numerous Toro parts mowers, and other makes, so it was a sorta trade-off!) And, yes, i don't believe in buying something new, if i can keep an old one running!) Aww, it would be nice to have a big new green machine setting out front, but--i'd probably be tempted to put a for sale sign on it,. and go back to my old Snapper!
...See More
How to fix my boken mcculloch lawn mower?
Q
Comments (3)
Hello! Thanks for your help! It turned out that I just need to gentle hit it with a hammer to get it loose. (I first tried with a two armed gera puller before I understood that I was pulling on the same part) Now I just need to either fix this with new holes and new screws or find a new one. I bet it is easier to buy one but I bet it is expensive. Best regards Fredrik
...See More
toro riding lawn mower - 8+32/belt replacement and upkeep!
Q
Comments (11)
5/24/07 Hi Guys! Thanks for all the help. Sorry I used my Ebay handle here "RCS14420" instead of my handle and nick name Tbone123. Don't want to confuse anyone. I like this site and have contributed to others as well. I've learned a lot of great stuff on several issues and events from trial and errors over the years as well as posting from others here. I will follow up on the link correction and get back to you. Thanks to all. Have a great Memorial Day; let us not forget what it is for and why. God bless America and the Veterans who have given their lives to make us free! Tbone123 and/or RCS14420.
...See More
How often to water fescue lawn
Q
Comments (20)
Since you were watering for 1-1:45 hours before, you were putting down about an inch in some spots when you watered the longest, but only an 1/8 inch in spots when you watered at the low end. I think a bigger problem than the fact that you're not getting enough water down is the fact that it is so variable. you're putting down 2.5 times as much at 10' than at 30'. the difference between 10' and 20' is negligible, so this sprinkler apparently does a poor job right next to the sprinkler. I'm not sure how to get around that. Overlapping might help, but you'd still get higher coverage in spots. Maybe the circle of low coverage is small enough that it won't be too bad. I think I would probably try an oscillating sprinkler. They're designed to apply the water more evenly. They also tend to be pretty inexpensive, I think. I'm not sure whether a different sprinkler would apply more or not, so you'd need to do the tuna can test with the new sprinkler. At least it should apply the water more evenly, though. Once you get the water going down evenly, you'll want to apply about an inch of water a week. Lately, I've been reading that it may help to split that into two sessions of 1/2 inch each during the hottest part of the summer. Other than that, you should try to do it all at once. Assuming the new sprinkler applies water at the same rate, it'll take about 4 hours to apply an inch (2 hours to apply half an inch), so what I would do is divide the lawn into zones (I'll use 4 zones, but 6 might be what you need). I'll assume that you don't want to water more than 4 hours a night, so in the heat of the summer, you'll do two zones on Monday (2 hours or 1/2 inch each), two zones on Tuesday (2 hrs each) and sit Wednesday out. Then do the first two zones again on Thursday and the second two on Friday. You can pick any 4 days to do this (or 6 if you go with 6 zones). During the cooler times, water one zone a day for 4 hours, so it'll still take 4 days to water the entire lawn, but you're applying the entire inch to a zone in one day. Make sure the water doesn't run off if you water this way. It's good to water deeply, but if it's running off instead of soaking in, it won't be helping. Let us know how it goes.
...See More
garycinchicago
14 years ago
>"tiemco, any suggestions on how to sharpen the blade?"

No knock on tiemco, but I'm sure Google will show you with a visual much better than tiemco and paint a picture with a keyboard. Give it a try. Check Youtube also if you like videos!
tiemco
14 years ago
There are a few tools you can use to do so, but they all do the same thing. First you have to remove the blade (make sure the mower can't start when you are doing this). Once the blade is off you either need a dremel tool, a bench grinder, or a file. I use a dremel tool. They make a blade sharpener attachment, which I have, but I don't use it because it doesn't work very well with mulching blades. I use the the sanding drum attachment. Whatever you use to sharpen the blade, you are basically removing enough steel from the angled ends to get a nice clean edge while maintaining the correct blade angle. I just hold it in my hand, but it might be a good idea to put it in a vice if you have one. Make sure you wear eye protection if you are using a power tool to sharpen your blade. There are several videos on Youtube showing you how a blade is sharpened and how it should look when you are done. After it's sharp use a blade balancer to make sure the blade is balanced (it looks like a cone and costs a few bucks at most hardware stores).
weigojmi
14 years ago
I replace mine yearly ($13). To each their own.
tiemco
14 years ago
"I replace mine yearly ($13). To each their own."

New blades aren't particularly sharp, at least the one I bought last year wasn't. In fact I sharpened it before installing it to give it a good edge and remove the protective paint they applied to prevent rusting. Even a new blade needs sharpening during the mowing season. I just did my first mowing this past weekend, and will probably do my last one in November. So that would be 8 solid months of mowing without sharpening, which is not recommended.

Related Stories

GREAT HOME PROJECTS How to Replace Your Lawn With a Garden

By June Scott Design

New project for a new year: Lose the turfgrass for energy savings, wildlife friendliness and lower maintenance

Full Story

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Get Along With Less Lawn — Ideas to Save Water and Effort

By Jocelyn H. Chilvers

Ditch the mower and lower your water bill while creating a feast for the eyes with diverse plantings and gathering places

Full Story

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Carex can replace turfgrass in any spot, is low maintenance and adjusts easily. Add its good looks and you’ve got a ground cover winner

Full Story

162

INSPIRING GARDENS Lawn Gives Way to a More Natural Lakeside Garden

By Bonnie Monte

Meadow grasses, beach pebbles and driftwood replace turfgrass in a nature-friendly landscape on Lake Washington’s shore

Full Story

110

GARDENING GUIDES Small Gem Lawns: More Impact From Less Grass

By Carol Crotta

Instead of letting the lawn sprawl, make it a shapely design element in your yard. You’ll reap benefits both practical and aesthetic

Full Story

BEFORE AND AFTERS See 6 Yards Transformed by Losing Their Lawns

By Annie Thornton

Wondering whether a turf lawn is the best use of your outdoor space? These homeowners did, and they found creative alternatives

Full Story

192

SAVING WATER Houzz Call: Are You Letting Go of Your Lawn?

By Annie Thornton

Many facing a drought are swapping turf for less thirsty plantings. If you’re one of them, we’d like to hear about it

Full Story

121

EARTH DAY The Case for Losing the Traditional Lawn

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Work less, help the environment and foster connections by just saying no to typical turf

Full Story

237

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 15 Great Ideas for a Lawn-Free Yard

By Laura Gaskill

End the turf war for good with hardscaping, native grasses and ground covers that save water and are easier to maintain

Full Story

122

LANDSCAPE DESIGN California Says Goodbye to the Sprawling Ornamental Lawn

By Annie Thornton

New state rules will effectively limit turfgrass to 25 percent of the landscape in most new and renovated yards

Full Story

138

how often in replacing a lawn mower

Comments (6)

tiemco

ACharles

Related Discussions

garycinchicago

tiemco

weigojmi

tiemco

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US