As human beings, we all have a very natural tendency of forgetting about things that are out of our sight. And that’s one of the reasons that a popular saying, “out of sight, out of mind” exists. There’s the same case going on with your mower blade.
It’s been working hard to spin down there while mowing every season for your gain. And after all this stress holding, it might gradually get dull and die. One sad day, you’ll regret that when suddenly the blade starts to butcher grass.
Also, the game of various diseases seems to get prominent. Leading the whole thing towards bare patches and eyesores. The worst thing? That dull blade will eventually damage the whole system by forcing your lawn mower to work harder.
These scenarios are what we don’t want to happen. Unfortunately, once it happens, you need to think about blade replacement. And so, I’m about to discuss how to change blades on a Husqvarna riding lawn mower.
How to Replace Blades on Husqvarna Riding Mower: Guide, Tips & More…
Now, why am I targeting Husqvarna mowers specifically? Because I feel like today, most of gardener uses this brand’s lawnmower.
Also, Husqvarna has a reputation for carrying a standard design of riding lawnmowers. And so, it should work with other lawn mowers as well if you learn how to change blades on Husqvarna zero-turn mower. So Here We Go!
Tools to Gather for Replacement.
- Get a pair of sturdy and comfortable working gloves.
- SAE socket sets are also required for this.
- Store a piece of drop cloth near.
- Bring a flashlight or a similar source for lighting.
- If possible, gather torque wrench.
- Clean fabrics are required.
- The cutting blades for replacement based on a specific model.
- Some sort of eye protection.
Step 1 – Parking the Mower & Raising Deck.
You should bring the mower to a spot with a flat surface. Also, make sure the area is dry enough to not cause a problem. Next, you need to get the spark plug disconnected. This is essential to avoid any mishap with the engine. It could start in middle of the replacement process. And that’s terrifyingly dangerous while working with cutting blades.
Now next you need to bring the mower deck to a higher position. You should use the lift lever attachment to raise it up. This way the deck will gradually start to get towards you. Make sure it’s in the highest position.
You should find lever on the right side of mower. It should be somewhere between the engine shroud and steering wheel. This height adjustment needs rotation using a clockwise motion. And this way the mower deck will slowly come to its complete “up” position.
Step 2 – Low Gear Setting & Other Preparations.
You should find the transmission lever this time. Using it brings the tractor in low gear mode. This is possible with the transmission lever pulled back as much as possible. You’ll be able to find this lever somewhere in the rear tire fender on right.
You need to engage the parking brake now. Simply push it as much as you can to let it go towards the ground. It should go all the way until being stopped itself.
Now using a drop cloth simply set a place beneath mower deck. You should get geared up with work glove and eye protection. Hold the flashlight or torch in your hand while crawling under mower. You will also need the SAE socket wrench and a clean fabric.
Step 3 -Unbolting to Remove Blade.
You should look for the cutting blades. Here you can locate a total of three cutting blade attachment bolts. They should be at the very center of each cutting blade. You can take the help of a flashlight to figure these out. These nuts might have a lot of debris and caked-on grass-covered above. Use the cleaning rag you bought and wipe them nicely.
Now bring the socket wrench to work. You will attach the tool close to cutting blade attachment bolt. Simply use counterclockwise motion and turn it. In some cases, the bolt needs to get free for moving. You should use something hard enough to bang the wrench sharply. Your hand’s heel can also help here.
Using one hand maintains the grip of blade. Now with the other hand slowly start unbolting nuts. Make sure you are careful enough that the blades don’t fall over. Once bolt feels free, make a move to remove the blade.
Use the same method for removing rest of the blade attachment bolts. And then gradually bring the other two blades down as well.
Step 4- Attaching New Blade.
There should be a part you encounter while removing the blades. This is where the older ones use to attach specifically. It’s called a mandrel. You need to attach the new blade precisely on this part. There’s only one way this fits blade. So, make sure you are properly aligning the new blade here.
Also, be careful about the side up warning. These are often noticeable over the surface of blade. This side is basically facing opposite to ground. Now simply place new blade using the requirements. Insert the bolts for attaching them securely.
The best way is to use a torque wrench. Use the tool to torque bolts to 45-foot pounds for best results. You should use same blade reattachment method for the remaining two. Make sure to tighten every bolt using the same torque. It’s time to bring your lawnmower back to operational mode. You can simply reverse the entire blade-removal steps mentioned above to do so.
Question & Answers
While knowing how to change blades on a Husqvarna riding lawn mower, there could be quite a few common questions coming to mind. I’ve tried to answer some of them below.
How do you know if the mower blade is upside down?
While learning about changing blades on Husqvarna zero turn mower one thing that people often forget about is its positioning. There should be a stamp over the blade’s surface mentioning some terms for accurate positioning.
In most of the case, it’s something like “Toward Grass” or even “This Side Down”. If you find the direction mentioned in surface is not following placement, then surely, it’s upside down and won’t work properly.
What happens if you install mower blades upside down?
To keep the lawnmower cut grasses properly, you need to be aware of proper placement. An upside-down blade placement will upset the overall functionality of your lawnmower. And this might bring some major damage to both grass and the tool itself.
Since improper or dull side gets the job of handling grasses it’s surely going to rip instead of cutting smoothly. So, you don’t want to take any chance with improper blade placement or upside-down position.
Which side of the mower blade goes up?
The direction of spinning needs to get followed by blade’s cutting edge. That’s the rule of thumb for any lawnmower. And so, keeping the lawnmower blade’s wing up is important for proper orientation. If you find the bolt arriving within washer than let concave edge face blade.
Are mower blades universal?
Yes, they can be universal if you ensure proper center hole and length of blade for getting replacement parts. It’s important to maintain the correct numbers for hole spacing while making a decision.
However, before going for such routes, you want to ensure there’s no problem with warranty regulations. In some cases, warranty becomes invalid with installing other manufacturers’ parts instead of original ones.
Conclusion
A few honing per season with non-rocky solid conditions or sturdily terrain might be enough for blade maintenance. But sometimes, you can’t help but have a dull blade. So even if you are a regular maintenance guy, still keep a note of the replacement process.
Hopefully, the lesson on how to change blades on a Husqvarna riding lawn mower will come handy for your proper maintenance habit from now on. Husqvarna recommends sharpening blades every twenty-five hours of operation.
And considering that number, you have a better idea of how prone the tool is to getting damaged with passing time. So, when time for replacing the blade comes, don’t keep it aside. It’s the matter of your lawn mower’s overall functionality. Good Luck!