Sharpen Mower Blades - Walker MBSY Operator's Manual

Maintenance Instructions

Sharpen Mower Blades

Check mower blade(s) for straightness, sharp-
ness, condition of the cutting edge, and balance
every 10 hours of operation (or more often when
mowing abrasive type grass or operating on sandy
soils). Replace blades if worn, bent, cracked, or
otherwise damaged (refer to REPLACING/RE-
PAIRING the Mower Blades in this section). Use the
following procedure to check and sharpen blades:
NOTE: Keep blades sharp - cutting with dull blades
not only yields a poor mowing job but slows the cut-
ting speed of the mower and causes extra wear on
the engine and blade drive by pulling hard.
1. Stop the engine, remove ignition key, and dis-
connect the electrical plug on the fuel shut-off
solenoid before raising the mower deck to ser-
vice blades.
Raise the deck and secure it in the TILT-UP
2.
posi tion (refer to Deck Secured in Tilt-Up Posi-
tion photo in CLEANING of Grass Buildup in
Mower Housing in this section).
NEVER operate cutter blades with the deck
in the raised position.
NOTE: PTO shaft must be disconnected before
checking blades for straightness.
3. Check the blades for straightness by marking
the blade tip position inside the deck housing,
and then rotating the opposite end of the blade to
the same position and comparing. If the dif-
ference in blade tip track is more than 1/8 in.
(3 mm), the blade is bent and should be re-
placed.
DO NOT try to straighten a blade that is
bent. NEVER weld a broken or cracked
blade. ALWAYS replace with a new blade
to assure safety.
DANGER
WARNING
4. If the blade cutting edge is dull or nicked, it
should be sharpened. Remove blades for sharp-
ening by grasping the end of the blade using a
rag or a thick, padded glove, while loos ening and
removing the bolt and washer that mounts the
blade.
5. Grind cutting edge at the same bevel as the orig-
inal. Sharpen only the top of the cutting edge to
maintain sharpness.
NOTE: Blades can be sharpened with an electric
blade sharpener, conventional electric grinder, or
a hand file.
CAUTION
ALWAYS wear eye protection and gloves
when sharpening a blade.
Sharpen at Original
30° Angle
30°
Do Not Grind or
Sharpen on Underside
Mower Blade Profile for Sharpening
6. Check blade balance by positioning the blade
horizontally on a blade balancer or use a nail or
shaft through the center hole. If either end of the
blade rotates downward, grind (remove) metal
on that end until the blade will balance. The
blade is properly balanced when neither end
drops. Balance of a blade is generally main-
tained by removing an equal amount of material
from each end of the blade when sharpening.
CHECKING/SERVICING
Intersection
Wear Area
Wing Tip
57