Inspecting The Blade; Sharpening The Blade; Balancing The Blade; Removing The Blade - Exmark Metro 21 Operator's Manual

Inspecting the Blade

1. Examine the blade for sharpness and wear, especially
where flat and curved parts meet (Fig. 27A).
Figure 27
1. Sail
2. Flat part of blade
2. Complete one of the following:
A. If a slot or wear is noticed, (Fig. 27B & C), replace
the blade. Refer to the Removing and Installing the
Blade sections.
B. If the blade is nicked or dull, sharpen it. Refer to
the Removing, Sharpening, Balancing, and
Installing the Blade sections.
C. If there are no signs of wear of dullness, return the
mower to the upright position and replace the spark
plug wire (Fig. 6).
DANGER
POTENTIAL HAZARD
A worn or damaged blade could break and a
piece of the blade could be thrown into
operator's or bystander's area.
WHAT CAN HAPPEN
A thrown piece of the blade could cause serious
personal injury or death to the operator or
bystanders.
HOW TO AVOID THE HAZARD
Inspect the blade periodically for wear or
damage.
Replace a worn or damaged blade.

Removing the Blade

1. Grasp the end of the blade using a rag or thickly
padded glove.
1
2
1
3
4
270
3. Wear
4. Slot formed
2. Remove the blade bolt, lockwasher, blade accelerator
and blade (Fig. 28).
4
3
2
1
1. Blade bolt
2. Lock washer

Sharpening the Blade

Using a file, sharpen top side of the blade and maintain
the original cutting angle (Fig. 29).
1. Sharpen at this angle only
Note: The blade will remain balanced if same amount of
material is removed from both cutting edges.

Balancing the Blade

1. Check the balance of the blade by placing the center
hole of the blade over a nail or screwdriver shank
clamped horizontally in a vise (Fig. 30).
Note: You can also check the balance using a
commercially manufactured, blade balancer.
18
Figure 28
3. Accelerator
4. Blade
1
153
Figure 29
1007
Figure 30
1627