Broken, dull, and damaged mower blades can cause a number of issues, including excessive vibration in the mower, and ugly, irregular patterns in the lawn. Mower blades can be sharpened several times to extend their life and ensure that your grass gets a healthy cut.<\/p>\n
Before performing any maintenance on your Toro zero turn rider, refer to your owner\u2019s manual for recommended maintenance and safety information. Maintenance instructions vary by model, so depending on the model of your zero turn, our instructions may vary slightly. Check your owner\u2019s manual to get instructions specific to your model.<\/p>\n
You will need a 16-millimeter socket, breaker bar, an impact if you have one, a torque\u00a0wrench, a scraper knife, and a block of wood.<\/p>\n
If you do not have an impact that you can take\u00a0the blades <\/a>off with, you can use a breaker bar with a 16-millimeter socket to break it loose\u00a0and use the block of wood. Wedge the block\u00a0of wood between the blade and deck housing for support as you pull the bolt off to remove the blade. If you have an impact, use it to pull the bolt off, and pull the blade <\/a>off.<\/p>\n Check the bolt head just\u00a0to make sure it is not stripped out,\u00a0rounded over, and inspect the washer. Inspect the mower blade<\/a>,\u00a0if it is bent, chipped, dinged up, or the edges\u00a0are starting to wear off replace the blade. You can also bring it in to one of our stores and we can sharpen\u00a0it for you.<\/p>\n A couple\u00a0things to notice when you go to reinstall the blade <\/a>\u2013 on the blade bolt itself\u00a0you will see a little washer,\u00a0and that washer has a cup to it. You want\u00a0the cup to go towards the mower blade itself.<\/p>\n When reinstalling the blade<\/a>, you want the wings of the\u00a0blade to go up towards the mowing deck and then reinstall the washer and the nut. Tighten the\u00a0bolt by hand until finger tight.<\/p>\n Another tip \u2013 once you have the blades <\/a>off, use your\u00a0scraper tool and scrape out any excess dirt or grass\u00a0that might be built up under that deck. Scraping\u00a0all that debris helps with the vacuuming, or\u00a0if you are mulching, it helps with mulching as well.<\/p>\n Now that the bolt is tight, use the torque wrench and 16-millimeter socket. Toro recommends 35-to-65-foot pounds\u00a0to torque the blade <\/a>down. Take your\u00a0piece of wood and jam it in the deck shell to stop the blade\u00a0so you can torque down that bolt.<\/p>\n Set the torque wrench to about 50 foot-pounds and tighten it\u00a0down and once you feel that torque wrench click you\u00a0know you have enough torque on the blade bolt. Remove the block of wood and you’re done.<\/p>\n Use our illustrated parts diagrams to locate any\u00a0replacement parts<\/a>\u00a0you may need for maintenance for your\u00a0Toro zero turn rider.<\/p>\n