Keeping your mowing blades sharp is critical to maintaining a healthy lawn. Over time, the blades will dull and either need to be sharpened or replaced completely. There are a few different ways to tell whether you need to replace them or just sharpen them. If your mower blades aren’t cutting your grass evenly, but when you inspect your blades, they seem to be in otherwise good condition, then that likely means your blades are dull and need to be sharpened. But if you see that your mower blades have more egregious issues such as metal missing from any of the blades, or if you notice your mower is making loud, unnatural noises whenever your mower blades are engaged, then that could mean it’s time to replace the blades altogether.
Whatever you do though, you always want to inspect your mower blades’ quality to make sure they’re still sharp and undamaged, especially with some of the tougher turf grass present in Arizona, because you never want to cut your grass with dull or damaged mower blades. Doing so can lead to doing damage to your lawn that can impact its health and growth potential. To keep your lawn healthy, always cut your lawn with sharpened mower blades.
Dull mower blades will still cut your grass but will result in more time spent mowing and leaving your lawn looking uneven and messy. One of the best ways to tell if you need to sharpen your mower blades is to inspect your grass. Dull blades will not evenly cut your grass. Instead, they will rip the grass, leaving them with split ends or jagged edges. If you notice some of your grass is turning brown after a few days from your most recent mow, then closely inspect your grass to see if they have been ripped rather than cut. Another way to tell if your mower blades need sharpening is if you notice that some sections of your grass haven’t been cut at all, but rather those sections were flattened by your mower.
It's a good idea to have extra mower blades handy in case you notice your mower blades need to be sharpened!
Knowing when to replace your lawnmower blades requires careful inspection of the blades themselves. It’s important to look for any significant damage to your mower blades such as cracks, missing pieces, or substantial rust to tell if your blades need to be replaced. Sometimes dings, dents, or chips can be ironed out by sharpening the mower blades, but if your blades are covered in large dents, then that means you should probably get your blade replaced. If you’re mowing, and you hear any weird, unnatural noises coming from your mower when the blades are engaged with cutting, then you should stop and inspect your mower blades immediately because that may be a sign that they need to be replaced.
It’s important to remember to never mow your lawn with dull or broken mower blades. Doing so causes more stress on your mower—potentially using up more fuel—while also damaging your lawn. The dull or broken mower blades will rip the grass blades instead of evenly cutting them, causing the grass to take longer to recover. Your lawn will start to look discolored and patchy while also becoming more susceptible to diseases, pests, and invasive weeds when your grass is focused on recovering. Maintaining sharp blades in your mower will cleanly cut your grass, which helps your grass recover faster so it can start growing again.
It's important to know when you need to sharpen or replace your lawnmower blades, but sometimes replacing them can be a hassle. If you're in Gilbert, AZ, Chandler, Mesa, or in one of the surrounding areas, then please reach out to us to schedule our professional lawn mowing service.
Welcome to Little John’s Lawns! We are a family-owned company that specializes in providing professional lawn maintenance, lawn care, pest control, and irrigation services in Gilbert, Chandler, Mesa, and Queen Creek, AZ.