Land Pride 357-187M manual Mower Blade Maintenance, Blade Inspection, Blade Sharpening

Land PrideTable of Contents

Section 5: Maintenance & Lubrication

Mower Blade Maintenance

Blade Inspection

Check the mower blades daily, they are the key to power efficiency and well groomed turf. Keep them sharp, a dull blade will tear rather than cut the grass, leaving a brown ragged top on the grass within a few hours. A dull blade also requires more power from the engine.

Replace any blade which is bent, cracked or broken.

1.If the blade cutting edge is dull or nicked, it should be replaced or sharpened.

2.Clean blade, blade washer and mounting surface of all debris before replacing or sharpening.

3.Sharpen blades on a grinder following pattern as shown in Figure 5-14. Grind cutting edge at the same bevel (27 1/2 degrees) as the original. Sharpen only the top of the cutting edge to maintain sharpness. Touch-up sharpening can be done with a file.

!WARNING

DO NOT try to straighten a blade that is bent. Never weld a broken or cracked blade. ALWAYS replace with a new Land Pride blade to assure safety.

!DANGER

Never work with blades while engine is running or blade is engaged. Always place blade engagement switch in the down (Off) position, place both control levers in park position and turn engine off. Block up mower when you must work under it. Wear gloves when handling blades. Always check for blade damage if mower strikes rock, branch or other foreign object during mowing!

IMPORTANT: Blade mounting bolts have right hand threads. Turn blade bolts counterclockwise to loosen and clockwise to tighten.

1.Remove blades by grasping the blade end with a rag or thick padded glove while loosening the blade mounting bolt.

2.With a 11/16” wrench, remove the 1/2” center blade bolt and Washer from the bottom of the blade.

IMPORTANT: Replace blades with Land Pride blades only.

IMPORTANT: Always install blades with cutting edge facing direction of blade spindle rotation and with wing tips pointing up towards bottom of deck.

3.Reinstall blade, blade washer and bolt. Care should be taken when installing the blade bolt to not get it cross threaded.

4.Tighten blade bolt t0 the correct torque. See “Additional Torque Values” on page 48 for correct torque value.

Blade Sharpening

!CAUTION

ALWAYS wear eye protection and gloves when sharpening a blade.

NOTE: Care should be taken in order not to remove any more material than necessary to sharpen blade.

Resharpening

19074

Pattern

Do not sharpen to original pattern (below).

It is easier to get a straight cutting edge following the sharpening pattern shown above.

Original Edge

19075

Blade Resharpening

Figure 5-14

HORIZONTAL

19046 NAIL OR SHAFT

Blade Balancing

Figure 5-15

4.Balance of a blade is generally maintained by removing an equal amount of material from each end of the blade when sharpening. Check blade balance by positioning the blade horizontally on a nail or shaft through the center hole. See Figure 5-15. 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. If blade is out of balance, true it up before reinstalling.

Refer to Figure 5-16and Figure 5-17:

Lay the blade on a flat surface and check for distortion. Replace any distorted blade.

Do not re-use spindle bolts which have stripped, worn or undercut threads. Refer to “Torque Values Chart” on page 48 when replacing hardware for proper torque.

!WARNING

When mounting blades, rotate them after installation to ensure blade tips do not touch each other or sides of the mower.

1/12/09 Z44 & Z52 (S/N 526171 & Above) Zero Turning Radius Mowers Riding Mowers Accu-Z Razor® 357-187M 39