Mowing your lawn is not a hassle-free task, particularly with a dull mower and can’t tell. There is a difference in how your lawn looks when you cut with a sharp or dull blade.
Using a sharp mower blade makes the lawn look manicured, neat, and even healthy. It is the reason why it’s always recommended to use your mower with a sharp blade. Before mowing your lawn, check the grass tips to know the condition of the mower blade.
A dull lawn mower blade will even pull up portions of grass or the entire plant instead of slicing. That’s the same way as cutting a good steak with both a sharp and dull knife.
Let’s explore how to tell if mower blade is dull.
Contents
- How to Tell if Mower Blade is Dull
- 1. Uneven Grass Height
- 2. Mowing an Area Multiple Times
- 3. Taking Long to Mow
- 4. Push the Mower Hard
- 5. Torn Grass
- 6. Dented or Bent
- 7. Frequent Stalling
- 8. Blade Pulling up Dirt or Chucks of Grass
- Recommended Sharpness of the Mower Blade
- Why Use a Sharp Mower Blade?
- FAQ: How to Tell If Mower Blade Is Dull
- When do I know it’s time to replace my lawn mower blades?
- What happens with a dull mower blade?
- Should I sharpen or replace the dull mower blade?
- Author
How to Tell if Mower Blade is Dull
There are various ways to compare a sharp and dull mower blade. A dull mower will need sharpening before you continue using it on your lawn. Here are signs that your lawn mower blade needs sharpening:
1. Uneven Grass Height
Experiencing an uneven grass height is something common. However, suppose you realize there is a continuous uneven level of the grass height. In that case, it means the mower blade is dull and requires sharpening.
Sometimes, that may not be the cause of uneven grass. Try to align and tighten the blade. If it doesn’t work, you can conclude the blade is dull.
2. Mowing an Area Multiple Times
If you are using a dull mower blade, it forces you to pass one area several times to get desired grass height. When that continues to happen routinely, it’s an obvious indication that the mower blade is dull. You may have to replace the blade or sharpen it.
3. Taking Long to Mow
Sometimes, long mow times will not mean your blade is out of shape. The reason could be your mower doesn’t move swiftly through the grass. Ensure your mower moves swiftly to determine whether the blade needs sharpening.
4. Push the Mower Hard
If you have a walk-behind or push mower, dull blades will make simple lawn care a full-blown workout. When the lawn becomes strenuous, the mower blades are dull and require sharpening.
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5. Torn Grass
A sharp mower blade will give you an even grass cut. With a dull blade, your lawn will not look clean. It means the mower blade is dull when you realize you have many torn grass instead of well sliced.
6. Dented or Bent
Sometimes, you can tell your mower blade has an issue by looking at the blade itself. Over time, blades will get dull and damaged. So, with sizeable dents or having a bent requires you to sharpen or replace it.
7. Frequent Stalling
Many issues will make the lawn mower stall. One of the reasons is having a dull blade, thus forcing the engine to overwork. When your mower stall while mowing thick areas, it means the blade is dull and requires sharpening.
8. Blade Pulling up Dirt or Chucks of Grass
A sharp mower blade should cleanly slice through the grass. With a dull mower blade, it will pull clumps of grass and some dirt as well. A sharp blade will not pull the grass but slice it.
Also: Prevent grass build up on top of mower deck
Recommended Sharpness of the Mower Blade
You need to sharpen your mower blade at least 2 – 4 times a year. If possible, do it after every 8 mowings. Remember, mowing may not need an overly sharp blade – although sharper than your butter knife.
Remove the blade carefully from your mower and sharpen it with a grinder. And if you don’t feel comfortable sharpening the blade yourself, ask for a retailer to sharpen it for you. The reason is that the blade will also need balancing.
To sharpen the blade yourself, ensure you have balanced the lawn mower blade before attaching it back. After working, also wash it and keep it clean and dry to extend its life.
It is recommended you always check your mower blades at the start of the mowing season. Look closely for bends, dents, nicks, or damages to the blade to take necessary measures.
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Why Use a Sharp Mower Blade?
Mowing using a sharp blade creates a straight, clean cut. When you have clean-cut grass, it can recover fast, thus fighting off chances of any disease. With healthy grass, it will choke out an invasive and pesky weed.
In addition, while mowing, it will be easier because the grass will grow easily, saving your engine.
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FAQ: How to Tell If Mower Blade Is Dull
When do I know it’s time to replace my lawn mower blades?
The lawn should look uneven after you mow one pass rather than clean. That means the mower blades are dull and require replacing.
Another way is to check the grass blades; you can change the mower blade when you find them torn and not properly sliced.
What happens with a dull mower blade?
Dull lawn mower blades will lead to lawn disease, pulling portions of grass while mowing, lawn discoloration, ragged-looking grass, or plant dies. If you cut the grass cleanly, it will recover easily, thus reducing the risks of diseases.
Should I sharpen or replace the dull mower blade?
A lawn mower blade is built for durability but salvaged with regular sharpening. However, replace the blade to avoid breakage when it has large dents or chips on the edge that you can’t smoothen with a sharpener.
To achieve a healthy and great lawn, you must sharpen your lawn mower blade regularly.
The right time for sharpening could be at the start and in the middle of your mowing season; when the mower picks stray debris during the mowing season, schedule for additional sharpening when needed.
Importantly, know how to tell if mower blade is dull or not. You can check the above tell-tale signs for identifying a dull mower blade.
Also, make your sharpening time depending on workload to stay on schedule. The tricks will help you have a trained eye to keep your blade up to par.
