Maintenance
33
To Inspect Blades
1. Stop engine, wait for all parts
to stop moving, and disconnect
spark plug wire.
2. Tip mower on rear wheels by
following instructions “Tipping
Mower For Service” in this
Section of Manual.
To Remove Blade
Remove bolt (Figure 5-18) and
washer(s). Remove mower blade.
Blade Sharpening
Grind or file the same amount
from each blade end to maintain
blade balance. An unbalanced
mower blade produces excessive
vibration and may damage spindle
bearings. Sharpen cutting edge
straight across, parallel to rear
edge of mower blade. See Figure
5-16. After sharpening, blade bal-
ance must be checked.
Figure 5-15: Transmission neutral (N) adjustment.
Figure 5-16: Blade Inspection
MOWER BLADES
Examine mower blades before op-
eration. For efficient mowing, cut-
ting edges of blades should always
be kept sharp. Check for blade
wear or damage. See Figure 5-16.
Replace a severely worn or dam-
aged blade with a new one.
P
I
X
Y
IMPORTANT: Professional
sharpening services or your autho-
rized dealer are equipped to
sharpen mower blades safely.
WARNING
Mower blades are sharp.
• When working near blades,
wear heavy leather gloves or
wrap blades in thick rags to
protect yourself from the
sharp edges.
• Wear eye protection when
sharpening blades.