Which way does the lawnmower blade go?

Whether you are sharpening an existing blade or installing a new blade, the correct blade orientation is very important. If you install the wrong blade, your lawnmower may not cut properly. In some cases, improper installation of the blades can even cause the Mower Deck Spindle blades to loosen during installation; if this happens, it may cause mowing.

Remove the old blade

One of the best ways to determine the correct orientation of a lawn mower blade is to pay attention to how the old blade is installed. Make sure the spark plug of the lawn mower is disconnected and tilt the lawn mower so that you can access the blades. Hold the blade with leather gloves, and then remove one or more bolts that secure the blade to the mounting plate. Note how the blade is positioned and how it is connected to the mounting plate, and then remove it.

Install new blade

Some blades are marked to indicate which side should be facing up, making it easy to tell how the blade is moving on the mower. If your blade does not have it, and you cannot refer to the old blade, look at the cutting edge of the blade. Most lawnmower blades rotate clockwise (counterclockwise when viewed from below), so the cut edge is on the right. If you are not sure how your lawn mower rotates, check the position of the discharge chute; if it is tilted back on the right side, the blade turns clockwise. Once the blade is correctly positioned, place it on the mounting plate and install it using fixed hardware.

Use the right blade

Different lawn mowers sometimes use different blade designs, and using the wrong blade type can sometimes cause installation problems, even if the blade is in the correct orientation. If you are sharpening an existing blade, this shouldn't be a problem, but if you are buying a new blade, it is important to choose a blade that is compatible with your lawn mower. Check the packaging of the blade to see if it is compatible with your specific lawn mower. If you are not sure from the package, please refer to the user manual of the lawn mower, or personally check the design of the mounting hardware to ensure that the blade you choose has the appropriate mounting holes to install the lawn mower.

Professional blade

If you are installing a special blade, such as a cover blade, you may not know which way you should install it. These inserts usually have smaller cutting edges to accommodate ridges or bends in the insert design. Find this tip and base it on it. Special blade features, such as "teeth", should rise from the back of the blade once installed; these features are usually designed to control the airflow in the lawn mower deck so that they do not come into contact with uncut grass at all.