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Three Generations
of Service
Picture of PHPaul
posted
Genius brought me a pretty nice John Deere-branded push mower.

"I just changed the blade on it and now it won't start and the cord pulls really hard. I don't know what's wrong with it!"

Pulled the plug and blew about a quarter cup of oil out of the cylinder, pulled the air cleaner and rinsed another couple of tablespoons out of the filter element, wiped the spark plug and dried it with a propane torch.

Then fired it up and fogged for skeeters for about 5 minutes...

Question:
What is the best way to change the blade on a push mower?

Choices:
Flip the mower completely over on it's back so it's easy to loosen the nut.
Flip the mower over so the carburetor side is down.
No, no, dummy, flip the mower over so the carb is UP so you don't spill all the gas.

 




Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.
 
Posts: 15181 | Location: Downeast Maine | Registered: March 10, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
A Grateful American
Picture of sigmonkey
posted Hide Post
Lawn mowers, turtles and Jeeps do not tolerate being on their backs.

Although I remember a girl, we used to call "Turtle", she didn't mind...




"the meaning of life, is to give life meaning" Ani Yehudi אני יהודי Le'olam lo shuv לעולם לא שוב!
 
Posts: 43810 | Location: ...... I am thrice divorced, and I live in a van DOWN BY THE RIVER!!! (in Arkansas) | Registered: December 20, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Ammoholic
Picture of Skins2881
posted Hide Post
Set on two chairs and lay on your back to do it?



Jesse

Sic Semper Tyrannis
 
Posts: 20756 | Location: Loudoun County, Virginia | Registered: December 27, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Not really from Vienna
Picture of arfmel
posted Hide Post
I dig a hole deep enough to stand in and work it from underneath.
 
Posts: 26852 | Location: Jerkwater, Texas | Registered: January 30, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of Ripley
posted Hide Post
If I turn my Toro commercial walk behind on its side, it won't start for an half hour or more. I tilt the front up as far as it goes to change the blade. I can use a foot to keep the blade from turning. Disconnect the plug.




Set the controls for the heart of the Sun.
 
Posts: 8310 | Location: Flown-over country | Registered: December 25, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
A Grateful American
Picture of sigmonkey
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Skins2881:
Set on two chairs and lay on your back to do it?


And you can remove the nut faster with the engine running...




"the meaning of life, is to give life meaning" Ani Yehudi אני יהודי Le'olam lo shuv לעולם לא שוב!
 
Posts: 43810 | Location: ...... I am thrice divorced, and I live in a van DOWN BY THE RIVER!!! (in Arkansas) | Registered: December 20, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of cparktd
posted Hide Post
Cylinder / spark plug up is usually the way I have always done it with good results.
Keeps oil in the empty end of the crankcase and out of the cylinder.
But then I'm usually working on old stuff.
Nothing in the owner's manual?



If it ain't woke... don't fix it.
 
Posts: 4118 | Location: Middle Tennessee | Registered: February 07, 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Three Generations
of Service
Picture of PHPaul
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by cparktd:
Cylinder / spark plug up is usually the way I have always done it with good results.
Keeps oil in the empty end of the crankcase and out of the cylinder.
But then I'm usually working on old stuff.
Nothing in the owner's manual?


That's the correct way to do it. Most folks don't think about it and just flip it up on one side or the other with the results noted in the OP.

I'll 'splain that to the feller when he comes to pick up his mower.




Be careful when following the masses. Sometimes the M is silent.
 
Posts: 15181 | Location: Downeast Maine | Registered: March 10, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
i would go to the front of my truck, raise the front of the mower and shove the mower handle so that the tire holds the mower up, block of wood to chock the blade unscrew the nut, pull blade, sharpen, replace, oh yea pull the spark plug wire before you start. Always worked for me.
 
Posts: 1833 | Location: central Alabama | Registered: July 31, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Drill Here, Drill Now
Picture of tatortodd
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by PHPaul:
quote:
Originally posted by cparktd:
Cylinder / spark plug up is usually the way I have always done it with good results.
Keeps oil in the empty end of the crankcase and out of the cylinder.
But then I'm usually working on old stuff.
Nothing in the owner's manual?


That's the correct way to do it. Most folks don't think about it and just flip it up on one side or the other with the results noted in the OP.

I'll 'splain that to the feller when he comes to pick up his mower.
My last 4 lawns haven't been very big so I only change the blade once a year (have a sharp one spare) and only change the oil once a year.

I combine both tasks. I drain the oil first, swap out the blade next, and put in new oil last.



Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
 
Posts: 23099 | Location: Northern Suburbs of Houston | Registered: November 14, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
stupid beyond
all belief
Picture of Deqlyn
posted Hide Post
Honda's manual says to tip on the side that is the same to dump the oil which is opposite of the gas. Never had an issue changing the blade if you go to the correct side.



What man is a man that does not make the world better. -Balian of Ibelin

Only boring people get bored. - Ruth Burke
 
Posts: 8227 | Registered: September 13, 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
member
Picture of henryaz
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Deqlyn:
Honda's manual says to tip on the side that is the same to dump the oil which is opposite of the gas. Never had an issue changing the blade if you go to the correct side.

That's the way I do my Honda pusher. Lean over on the right side (away from carb), and then just remove the blades, and head to the grinder. Darn dogs keep bring rocks and things into the yard. Once every few years I'll swap in a new set of blades, but if I keep up with them, I can keep them sharp for quite a while. They don't have to be perfect, just grind out the major dings and regrind the edge.
 

 
 
Posts: 10778 | Location: South Congress AZ | Registered: May 27, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of OttoSig
posted Hide Post
Buy a new one once the blades dull?





11 years to retirement! Just waiting!
 
Posts: 6253 | Location: Maryland | Registered: August 10, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
אַרְיֵה
Picture of V-Tail
posted Hide Post
Let's see. I could buy a mower, invest time and money in its maintenance, take the time to mow, then trim and edge -- oh year, that would mean more money to buy and maintain a trimmer and edger -- or I could just pay Juan to do it a couple of times a month.

Unfortunately, Mark123 is too far. Otherwise I could stand guard over his equipment while he works.



הרחפת שלי מלאה בצלופחים
 
Posts: 30545 | Location: Central Florida, Orlando area | Registered: January 03, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Picture of ravens1775
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Oh, I never change or sharpen the blade. A good, dull blade creates a nice fray to your grass allowing more nutrients and water to be absorbed...
 
Posts: 744 | Location: Virginia | Registered: January 21, 2015Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Ammoholic
Picture of Skins2881
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by tatortodd:
quote:
Originally posted by PHPaul:
quote:
Originally posted by cparktd:
Cylinder / spark plug up is usually the way I have always done it with good results.
Keeps oil in the empty end of the crankcase and out of the cylinder.
But then I'm usually working on old stuff.
Nothing in the owner's manual?


That's the correct way to do it. Most folks don't think about it and just flip it up on one side or the other with the results noted in the OP.

I'll 'splain that to the feller when he comes to pick up his mower.
My last 4 lawns haven't been very big so I only change the blade once a year (have a sharp one spare) and only change the oil once a year.

I combine both tasks. I drain the oil first, swap out the blade next, and put in new oil last.


If I were to do it. This would be how I'd do it. Visual inspection always looks GTG, so I've never changed my Honda double blade. No chunks missing, appears sharpish.

How does one know when to change/sharpen a blade?



Jesse

Sic Semper Tyrannis
 
Posts: 20756 | Location: Loudoun County, Virginia | Registered: December 27, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Skins2881:
How does one know when to change/sharpen a blade?

When it's so hard to push that you risk spilling your beer.


--------------------------
Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.
-- H L Mencken

I always prefer reality when I can figure out what it is.
-- JALLEN 10/18/18
 
Posts: 9127 | Location: Illinois farm country | Registered: November 15, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by OttoSig:
Buy a new one once the blades dull?


This is me. I'm not mechanically inclined in the least. I'll buy a cheap push mower and use it for a couple of years and once I notice it is having issues cutting/running/etc, I'll just buy a new once. Sometimes, a "new" one is just a "refurbished" one from a guy who has done a tune up with new blades/oil change/etc.


------------------------------
I'm a right wing, anti-illegal, pro-life, gun owning, straight, white, college educated, politically informed, conservative, Christian male. Liberals hate me.
 
Posts: 2901 | Location: RDU, NC | Registered: March 07, 2010Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Hop head
Picture of lyman
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by KShooter:
quote:
Originally posted by OttoSig:
Buy a new one once the blades dull?


This is me. I'm not mechanically inclined in the least. I'll buy a cheap push mower and use it for a couple of years and once I notice it is having issues cutting/running/etc, I'll just buy a new once. Sometimes, a "new" one is just a "refurbished" one from a guy who has done a tune up with new blades/oil change/etc.


when I bought my first house, and just married , that is what I did,

buy the cheapest new (usually 69$) or used I could find and run it a year or so,

new construction, between tree roots, rocks and everything else I would kill a mower, as the yard settled,

went thru 5 or so in about 6 yrs, and then bought a nice Deere push mower, once I had landscaped the yard,

still using it, after 20+ yrs,



https://www.chesterfieldarmament.com/

 
Posts: 10410 | Location: Beach VA,not VA Beach | Registered: July 17, 2007Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Member
Picture of Ripley
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by KShooter:


This is me. I'm not mechanically inclined in the least. I'll buy a cheap push mower and use it for a couple of years and once I notice it is having issues cutting/running/etc, I'll just buy a new once. Sometimes, a "new" one is just a "refurbished" one from a guy who has done a tune up with new blades/oil change/etc.


I did this for many years, ran through about one a year on our difficult yard. I got the the point I needed self-propelled and got a commercial mower. One that was fixable and worth fixing.




Set the controls for the heart of the Sun.
 
Posts: 8310 | Location: Flown-over country | Registered: December 25, 2008Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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