The blades become rusty and get blunt with usage, whether it’s a handheld lawnmower or a riding one. As a result, you miss out on an evenly clean lawn, and that doesn’t feel very pleasant!
Although some of the users think that proper maintenance is enough to keep the blades sharp, let me tell you that they’re wrong.
Alongside proper maintenance, the blades need to be changed to have a proper cut from time to time.
So if you’re one of those who are not sure what’s the reason for an uneven cut from your lawnmower, although you’ve taken proper care of it, now’s the time to change the blades.
So this guide is all about how to install riding lawn mower blades. If you’re a riding lawn mower user and need to change the blades, give it a read to know how to do it properly!
How to Install Riding Mower Blades Without Removing Deck
Some users think they must remove the deck to replace the lawn mower’s blade.
Well, they’re wrong. There are alternative ways to replace and install mower blades easily.
All you need to do is, raise your mower to a certain height. And after that, you need to remove the nut used to mount the blades. And change the blades.
That’s the easy way to change lawn mower blades without removing the deck.
Seems difficult? Don’t worry. We got you covered.
We’ve prepared an entire guideline for you so that you can remove and change your lawn mower’s blade hassle-free.
Although riding lawn mowers are slightly different from handheld ones, installing mower blades on these is easy with proper tools and guidelines.
All you need to do this, gather some simple tools (yes, they’re available at any hardware store) and follow a simple procedure.
So we’re with a guideline for all the users who don’t know how to change a blade on a lawnmower for better understanding.
We’ll make the process as simple as possible, keeping in mind various users.
Let’s begin…
SAFETY CHECKS
- While working with mechanical parts, safety is a major concern. And when you’re working with objects like lawnmower blades with sharp edges, wearing protective gloves is a must.
- While unscrewing the nuts and bolts, you should be careful because a wrong move can injure yourself and the machine. Besides, while you take off the old blade and install the new one, you shouldn’t do this with bare hands.
- The old blades are mostly corroded and have rust. So dealing with those sharp and rusty parts is always a challenge.
- Lastly, if you’re confident enough to change riding lawn mower blades by yourself, it’s always better to ask for a helping hand or seek the help of an expert mechanic.
Tools Required
Riding Lawn Mower Blade Installation Procedure
We’ll divide the whole installation process into 2 main parts for better understanding. They are-
- Removing the Existing Blades
- Replacing the Mower Blades
We have a separate section about installing blades on a lawn mower.
Step 1: Removing the Existing Blades
Removing the existing lawn mower blades is a little bit tricky. So we’ve divided this part into three different parts. Follow the steps accordingly-
Parking Your Lawn Mower
A riding lawn mower is heavy, and you cannot install or change its blades here and there.
That’s why it’s important to park the vehicle on an even and flat surface first.
After that, you need to turn off your lawn mower’s power and add stoppers so that it can’t move while you’re working on it.
Alongside this, disconnecting the spark plug will be an added advantage.
Checking the Blades
Before installing riding lawn mower blades, you first need to access the existing ones, remove them, and install new blades.
For this reason, you need to raise the lawnmower to a certain height so that you can check and access the bottom parts.
The height depends on you. Keep the height according to your comfort level. Still, if you’re looking for an expert opinion, we’d suggest keeping the height around 4 feet so that we can easily access the bottom part of your lawnmower.
You can use concrete blocks or anything to lift the mower safely.
Do not keep the mower and the lifter in an uneven place.
Or else accidents might happen anytime.
Removing the Nut-Bolts
Almost all the lawnmowers come with numerous nuts and bolts. These are used to hold one piece of metal with another.
For changing blades on a riding lawn mower, first, you need to remove the existing nuts holding the blades.
The blades are attached with mandrel nuts and bolts in most cases.
To remove them, you need to grab your wrench to remove them from the shaft.
If you want to prevent the blades from turning, use a cheater pipe!
So that’s it on how to remove riding lawn mower blades.
Step 2: Replacing the Mower Blades
To replace the mower blades, you need to find suitable blades first.
Not all mower blades are the same. They differ in size, sharpness, dimensions, and other factors.
Typically, the dimensions of the blades are provided in the manual.
So before installing a new blade, first check what type of blades you should use.
If you don’t have the manuals, you should take the existing blade to a hardware shop and match the new one accordingly.
How to Put Riding Lawn Mower Blades On?
So far, you’ve learned how to position and replace your lawn mower’s blade.
This is the final part of our how to install riding lawn mower blades guide.
So after you’re done with taking off your existing blades and getting your hand to the new ones, you need to push the blade shaft to the exact place from where you’ve put it out.
After that, you need to use a wrench to tighten up the mandrel nuts to install the blades properly.
Be careful not to keep a gap between the blades and the shaft or make it too tight.
Tighten it properly so that the blades don’t wobble!
So that’s it on changing riding lawn mower blades.
After installing the blades, you need to remove the risers or the cement blocks that were used to rise the lawnmower.
Connect the spark plugs you disconnected before, remove the stoppers, and your riding lawn mower is ready to roll again!
You can use the same methods for changing blades on a riding lawnmower!
What is the Correct Position for Riding Lawn Mower Blade
Well, the sharp edge of your mower’s blade moves towards the user’s part. The sharp part of the blade will be the top part.
Usually, blades themselves come with different wording or instruction. Some of the instructions are- towards grass/ this side down.
This will also help you to position your lawn mower’s blade.
Apart from these, there is another way to properly position your mower’s blade.
Usually, the dull part of the blade has a slight bend. This tells you to keep this part towards your riding lawn mower’s deck!
Conclusion:
So that’s how to install riding lawn mower blades by yourself.
Remember that you can easily change or install new blades on your lawnmower by yourself.
We believe our guide helped carry out your blade-changing job.
We recommend changing the blades at least once a year.
However, it depends on the usage.
Good luck changing your lawn mower’s blade on your own. Feel free to reach us for any queries!
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Lawn Mower Blades Universal?
No, lawn mower blades aren’t universal. The blades depend on the model and type of the lawnmower.
The specification of the blades for a specific lawnmower comes inside the owner’s manual.
Check it out before buying and installing a new blade for your mower.
Which Way Do the Blades Go on a Riding Mower?
For a proper and clean-cut, in a clockwise direction. You might think that they’re rotating anti-clockwise if you see them from above.
To clear out the confusion, check your discharge chute’s position.
Is it in a right-sided-angled-back position?
If yes, then it turns in a clockwise direction.
What Happens if You Put Your Lawn Mower Blades Upside Down?
If the mower blades aren’t put properly, it won’t provide a clean cut. In some circumstances, it won’t even cut.
Lawnmower blades have a specific cutting point/edge. So if you put the blades upside down, the mower can even get damaged permanently.
