You likely get a lot of use out of your lawn mower but the more you use it, the more maintenance you’ll need to perform. There are many things that you’ll need to do to keep your lawn mower functioning to its best and one of these things is removing, maintaining and sharpening the blade.
When it comes to taking off the lawn mower blade, there is a bolt that you’ll need to unscrew. The direction in which you have to twist this bolt tells you how it is threaded. But a lot of people ask are mower blades reverse threaded?
The blade itself is not thread at all. However, the bolt which holds the blade in place may or may not be reverse threaded. It is often the case that a lawn mower blade bolt will be reverse thread as this prevents the bolt from coming loose as the blade spins around. But this isn’t the case on every mower.
In order to properly maintain your lawn mower blade, you’ll need to understand how to remove it. Before you start working, it’s a good idea to figure out how the blade bolt is threaded as this will make the process of getting the blade off easier.
When we talk about lawn mowers being reverse thread, we aren’t talking about the blades. The thread refers to the bolt that holds the blade in place. This bolt connects the blade to the drive train and allows it to spin which in turn, cuts your lawn.
Some bolts are threaded in the normal manner. These bolts must be turned clockwise if you want to tighten it and counterclockwise when you need to loosen it. However, a lot of lawn mowers come with a reverse threaded blade bolt which means that you turn it counterclockwise to make it tighter and clockwise to make it looser.
Different Lawn Mower Brands
There are tons of different lawn mower manufacturers out there and while they all create similar tools, there are subtle differences between them. One of the first things you’ll need to consider when thinking about whether your lawn mower blade is reverse thread is its brand.
Are Craftsman Mower Blades Reverse Thread?
Craftsman lawn mowers do have reverse threaded bolts on the mower blade. In order to make them tighter, you will need to turn them counterclockwise while turning them to the right, in a clockwise direction, will loosen them.
When using a Craftsman lawn mower, you will notice that there are instructions in your user manual that tell you how tight to do up the bolt and it’s imperative that you abide by these.
Are Toro Mower Blades Reverse Thread?
If you have a Toro lawn mower then the blade bolt will be threaded in the normal manner. This means you need to loosen it by twisting it to the left and tighten it by twisting it to the right.
One of the major problems associated with this is that a lot of people talk about how Toro blade bolts are notoriously difficult to unscrew. If you are having trouble with your bolt, using some kind of lubricant should help to loosen the bolt.
Are Cub Cadet Mower Blades Reverse Thread?
As with Toro mowers, anything made by Cub Cadet will have a traditionally threaded bolt meaning that you turn it counterclockwise to loosen it and clockwise to tighten it up.
Again, you will need to make sure to use the right torque when tightening the blade bolt on your Cub Cadet mower. While there may be some differences, you’ll generally have a ⅝” thread that you should tighten to between 70 and 90 foot pounds.
Are Troy Bilt Mower Blades Reverse Thread?
For those of you with a Troy Bilt lawn mower, you will have a normally threaded blade bolt. You will need to twist it counterclockwise to make it looser while turning it clockwise will make it tiger.
These mowers typically require a 15/16” socket tool to remove and install the blade bolt. As with the previously discussed mower, you’ll need to tighten it between 70 and 90 foot pounds of torque in order to make sure it is secure.
How To Remove The Blade Safely
There are many reasons that you may need to take your lawn mower blade off; cleaning, rebalancing, replacing and other types of maintenance. But knowing how to do this safely is imperative. While your mower blade might not be as sharp as something like a Japanese kitchen knife, it can do some damage.
Make sure that, when working with your mower blade in any capacity, you always wear protective gloves that will resist tearing and cutting.
Below, we share some simple steps to removing your lawn mower blade without any hassle.
Step 1: Disconnect The Ignition
When you are working on your lawn mower blade, you’ll need easy access to it and this involves tipping the lawn mower onto its side. When you do this, it’s essential that you do it so that the gas tank and air filter are facing upwards. If you don’t, there is a risk of fuel leaking out and getting into parts of the mower that it shouldn’t be which can cause damage.
Step 2: Tip The Mower On Its Side
Clogged fuel filters can either be cleaned or replaced. As with the carburetor, it depends on how dirty it is and whether it is damaged as to which of these methods will work best.
Step 3: Restrict The Blade From Moving Around
Before you take off the blade, you will need to make sure it is secure as this will prevent it from moving around in the deck. You can do this by wedging a small block of wood between the blade and the deck to hold it in place.
You can then take a socket tool or a wrench to loosen the bolt that holds the blade in place. You may find it difficult to loosen the bolt but adding a bar to the wrench can give you more leverage and make things easier.
Step 4: Remove The Blade
Loosening the bolt can be done, as we have mentioned using a socket. This will typically be a 16mm socket but this may vary depending on your lawn mower model. You can check the user manual for more information on this.
Once the bolt is loosened, you will be able to remove the blade and perform any necessary maintenance.
When it comes to replacing the blade, make sure that you put it in so that the correct side faces upwards. You’ll also need to make sure that you put the washers back in the right order and tighten up the blade bolt by turning it in the right direction, depending on your model. Don’t forget to tighten it to the right torque which will be given in your lawn mower’s user manual.
How To Loosen A Nut On A Lawn Mower Blade Easily
Sometimes, getting those pesky bolts loose can be incredibly tricky. But all is not lost as there are things you can do to make it easier.
As we have mentioned, adding a bar to your wrench or choosing a bigger tool can make the bolt easier to unscrew. You should also note that, sometimes, when you turn the tool, the blade may move so this means that you’ll have to hold it as you loosen it. With that said, there are some mowers that are fitted with a blade lock which will keep the blade still, freeing up that one hand.
Again, this is a prime opportunity for us to impress the importance of correct safety gear. A strong and resistant pair of gloves will be your best friend when performing blade maintenance.
What To Do If The Bolt Is Stuck
Over time, the blade nut may become smaller and this is usually down to corrosion. When this happens, you’ll likely have to switch up your tool and find something smaller that will efficiently unscrew the bolt.
If you have previously been using a 16mm socket then you may find that this is no longer useful and the bolt feels as though it’s stuck. Try as 18mmleevrage or 20mm socket and see if this makes a difference.
Using a breaker bar will give you more leverage if the bolt is stuck. Sometimes, you just need to get a better grip to unscrew a particularly tight bolt.
There may be times that the tension is too soft and this is an indication that the bolt threads are stripping as you turn it. This means that it just won’t come loose.
Final Thoughts
Lawn mower blades need to be well maintained, clean and kept sharp if you want your mower to function correctly. However, this often means removing the blade from the mower deck and one of the biggest problems people have is that they are unable to unscrew the bolt that holds the blade in place.
This often leaves them asking are lawn mower blades reverse thread?
Some lawn mower blades are reverse thread as this stops the blade bolt from coming loose when the mower is in motion. However, this isn’t the case for every lawn mower so you’ll need to check your specific model to see how it is threaded.
