Craftsman 900.370520 manual To Balance Blade, @ To sharpen blade, General Mowing Tips

•Sharpening the blade twice during a mowing season is usually sufficient under normal circumstances. Sand caus- es the blade to dull fast. If your lawn has sandy soil, more frequent sharpenings are required,

•Replace bent or damaged blade immedi- ately.

@To sharpen blade:

• Make sure blade remains balanced,

°Sharpen blade at the original cutting angle.

•Sharpen cutting edges on both ends of blade, removing equal amounts of material from both ends.

•Secure blade in a vise as shown in fig- ure below.

•Wear safety glasses and be careful not to cut yourself.

•Carefully file the cutting edges of the blade with a fine tooth file or sharpen- Ing stone.

Check balance of blade. See instructions for blade balancing.

After blade is sharpened and balanced replace blade on mower and tighten securely.

TO BALANCE BLADE

Check balance of blade by placing cen- ter hole in blade over a nail or screwdriv-

er shank, clamped horizontally in a vise. If either end of the blade rotates down-

ward, file that end. Blade is properly bal- anced when neither end drops.

GENERAL MOWING TIPS

During the spring when the grass is lush, your mower may cut less than in mid-sum- mer when the grass is light and dry.

Here are some helpful hints to get the most from your Craftsman cordless power mower and to keep your lawn looking beautiful

•Lawns should first be mowed in the

spring when the grass is about 2 1/2 to 3 inches high. Mowing too early restricts ttle grass root systems which renew themselves every spring. New grass should be clipped when it is about 2 1/2 inches high.

•Do not remove too much grass blade surface at one time - never more than

1/3 of the leaf height during each cutting. Cutting too close "shocks" sensitive grass blades, resulting in a shallow root system and making it more difficult for your lawn to reach water in the soil.

;Lawncare experts say that excessively close cutting Is responsible for much of the difficulty experienced on many lawns. The depth and strength of the roots of grass are almost exactly proportional to its growth. Grasses of mature lawns often are seriously injured when mowed shorter than 1 1/2 inches, and a height of 1 1/2 to 2 inches is preferred on large lawns.

•Mow your lawn when it is dry to avoid clumping of wet grass. If you have a choice, late afternoon is the ideal time for mowing, not only because the grass is dry, but also because the sensitive new cut area of the grass will not be exposed to intense sunlight.

•Keep the mowing blade sharp for a nice

clean cut, This Improves the mower's

performanceand snhanoe,the look of

your lawn, A dull blade bruises and shat- ters the tips of the grass. This impairs the healthy growth of your lawn and increases susceptibility to turf diseases. If the grass tips are bruised it causes a brownish color and gives your lawn an unhealthy appearance, A dull blade may also pull up young seedlings,

•Try to mow your lawn at the same (con- sistent) cutting height. While there are times when you should vary the cutting height with the changing seasons, a con- sistent cutting height produces a healthi-

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