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How and Why should I sharpen my lawn mower's blade?

By David Beaulieu, About.com

Question: How and Why should I sharpen my lawn mower's blade?

Sharpening lawn mower blades is a simple yet important aspect of mower maintenance....

Answer: Every month or two, you should sharpen the lawn mower's blade. The reason for sharpening lawn mower blades is that dull blades have a tendency to rip grass blades instead of cutting cleanly, leaving grass susceptible to diseases. Here's how to sharpen a lawn mower blade:
  • First remove the spark plug wire to ensure the lawn mower doesn't start up accidentally, resulting in injury.
  • With a wrench, remove the nut that holds the lawn mower blade up against the deck, then remove the blade.
  • Use a file to do the sharpening. Follow the angle of the cutting edge that's already there (the angle will be roughly 45 degrees).
  • Donne, a reader of this site, noted that it's important to "pass the file the same number of times on each side," to keep the blade in balance.

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