29
SHARPING FREQUENCY
Sharpening the blade twice during a mowing season is usually
sufficient under normal circumstances. Sand causes the blade
to dullquickly;ifyourlawn hassandysoil,more frequent
sharpening may berequired.
WHEN SHARPENING THE BLADE:
◾
Make sure that the blade remains balanced.
◾
Sharpen the blade at the original cutting angle.
◾
Sharpen the cutting edges on both ends of the blade,
removing an equal amount of material from each end.
TO SHARPEN BLADE IN A VISE:
1. Removethebladefromthemower(pleaseseeREMOVING
THE BLADE.)
2. Secure the blade in a vise (Fig.24.)
3. Wear proper eye protection and gloves and be careful not to
cut yourself.
4. Carefully filethecuttingedgesofthebladewithafine
tooth file or sharpening stone, maintaining the original
cutting edge angle.
5. To check the blade balance:clampanailorascrew
driver witharoundshankinthehorizontalposition.
Positionthe blade so that the nail or round shank of the
screwdriver supports the blade through its center hole.
Balance
the blade horizontally. If either end of the blade rotates
downward,remove some metal from the heavy or lower
enduntilthebladeisbalanced.Itisbalancedwhenneither
end drops (Fig.25).
6. Replace the blade on the mower and tighten it securely (please see INSTALLING THE BLADE).
WARNING:
An unbalanced blade will cause excessive vibration when rotating at high speeds. It may cause
damage to the mower and could break, causing personal injury.
25
24