25
Maintenance
Figure 22. Tightening the Mower Blade for
Installation
A. Mower Blade Mounting Bolt
B. Hex Washer
C. Mower Blade Air Lift (Install With Points Up)
D. 4 X 4 Wooden Block
E. Spring Washer
D
A
B
E
Sharpening the Mower Blade
1. Sharpen the mower blades with grinder, hand file,
or electric blade sharpener.
2. Sharpen the mower blade by removing an equal
amount of material from each end of the mower
blade.
3. Keep the original bevel (A, Figure 20) when
grinding. DO NOT change the mower blade bevel.
4. The mower blade should have a maximum 1/64”
(0,40 mm) cutting edge (B) or less.
5. Balance the mower blades before installing.
Balancing the Mower Blades
1. Clean the mower blade to remove any dried grass
or other debris.
2. See Figure 21. Put the mower blade on a nail in a
vise and turn the mower blade to the horizontal
position.
3. Check the balance of the mower blade. If either
end of the mower blade moves downward,
sharpen the heavy end until the mower blade is
balanced.
See Sharpening the Mower Blades for
proper sharpening instructions.
4. Repeat the process until the mower blade remains
in the horizontal position.
Reinstalling the Mower Blades
1. Reinstall each mower blade with the air lifts
pointing up towards the mower deck as shown in
Figure 22. Wedge a wooden block between the
mower blade and the mower deck housing, and
secure the mower blade with the mower blade
mounting bolt, hex washer and spring washer (A,
B & E, Figure 22) and torque to 45-55 ft. lbs. (61-
75 Nm).
CAUTION
Avoid injury! Mower blades are sharp.
• Always wear gloves when handling the mower
blades.
• Always wear safety eye protection when
grinding
.
CAUTION
Avoid injury! Keep mower blades balanced.
• An unbalanced mower blade can create
excessive vibration and damage the unit or
cause mower blade failure.
A
B
Figure 20. Sharpening the Mower Blade
A. Mower Blade Bevel
B. Mower Blade Cutting Edge
Figure 21. Balancing the Mower Blade
A. Nail
A
WARNING
For your personal safety, each mower blade
mounting bolt must be installed with a
hex/spline washer and spring washer, then
securely tightened. Torque mower blade
mounting bolt to 45-55 ft. lbs. (61-75 Nm).
Regular Maintenance
