What Your Lawn Mower Needs In August To Keep Running Smoothly

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Certain lawn care tasks, such as overseeding, aerating, and fertilizing are best handled in August (for cool weather grasses) to ensure your lawn bounces back next spring. It’s also a great time to attend to the mower itself, no matter the grass type, before the season ends. And what your lawn mower needs in August in order to keep doing its job in the fall is for you to spend time sharpening the blades.

Sharp lawn mower blades are essential for a healthy lawn. A clean cut gives a more even mow and helps grass heal faster, which in turn makes your lawn stronger and more resistant to disease and pests. Plus, it helps grass grow back fuller, which is one of the surprisingly easiest ways to prevent the spread of weeds in your yard. It’s also good for your lawn mower, as sharp blades cause less stress on the machine, meaning it won’t expend as much gas or battery charge. 

The reason you should sharpen your mower blades in August is because you are reaching a critical point in the grass growing season. Warm season grasses are peaking, while cool season grasses are gearing up for their fall refresh before going dormant for winter. As August kicks off the late summer/early fall season, your blade will likely already be dull from the season’s work; you should sharpen your blades every 20 to 25 hours of mowing time. In fact, not attending to your mower in August is one of the biggest mistakes people make when sharpening mower blades.

In terms of how to sharpen your lawn mower blades, start by examining them. Visual cues include rounded edges, chips or nicks from stones, and excessive wear. Don’t bother trying to sharpen them if your mower blades are bent, however. In this case it’s best to replace it with a new blade. Once removed from the mower deck, you can sharpen the blades in any number of ways, such as using a bench grinder, a blade sharpener kit that attaches to your power drill, or smart blade sharpening tools hiding on Amazon.

Whichever tool you end up using, you only need to make a few passes to get the blade smooth, straight, and sharp. After this, you need to use a balancing tool, like the Oregon precision mower blade balancer, to make sure the blade cuts evenly and doesn’t get damaged as it spins. If you find the blades are not balanced, adjust it by sharpening the heavier side just a little bit more. Once the blades are balanced, put it back on the mower and you’re ready to get to work. 

This August maintenance is also a great time to clean out any caked on debris from your motor deck, since it’s been working all spring and summer. If you haven’t done it before, use a simple WD-40 trick to loosen debris and keep it from collecting again on your next mow. Checking the air filter for any built up dust is also worthwhile.