117373 6-3 REV A
Blades
Mower blade maintenance
Check the mower blades daily, they are the key to power effi-
ciency 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.
Mower blade removal
Use a 5/8” wrench to remove the 7/16” cap screw holding the
blade to the spindle shaft from underneath. NOTE: A blade
holding tool (part number 381442) is available from Hustler
®
Turf Equipment. It is designed to prevent the blades from rotat-
ing when they are being removed or installed on the spindle.
Contact your Hustler
®
dealer for more information.
Sharpen the blades on a grinder following pattern as shown
(Figure 6-9). Touch-up sharpening can be done with a file
Check the blades for balance following grinding. A commer-
cial balancing tool is available through most hardware supply
stores, or balancing can be done by placing the blade on an
inverted line punch or 5/8” bolt. Blade should not lean or tilt.
Spin the blade slowly, blade should not wobble. If blade is out
of balance, true it up before reinstalling.
Lay the blade on a flat surface and check for distortion (Fig-
ure 6-10 & Figure 6-11). Replace any distorted blade.
Do not re-use spindle bolts which have stripped, worn or
undercut threads. Torque bolts on spindles to 48 foot-pounds
(65.14 Nm) when reinstalling blades.
IMPORTANT: The blade sail (curved part) must be point-
ing upward toward the inside of the deck to ensure proper cut-
ting.
IMPORTANT: The spindles have 5/8" diameter boss that
centers the blades on the spindles. When re-installing blades,
ensure that the blade is centered on the boss and seated flat
against the spindle shaft face. Rotate the blades after installation
to ensure blade tips do not touch each other or sides of the
mower. Figure 6-12
WARNING
Never attempt to straighten a bent blade by heating, or
weld a cracked or broken blade as the blade may break
and cause serious injury. Replace worn or damaged
blades.
WARNING
Never work with blades while engine is running or deck
clutch switch is engaged (on). Always place deck clutch
switch in the disengaged position, place steering control
levers in the park brake position and turn engine off and
disconnect negative battery cable. 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 mow-
ing!
WARNING
Always wear adequate eye protection when grinding
mower blades.
WARNING
Failure to correctly torque the bolt may result in the loss
of the blade which can cause serious injury.
WARNING
Mower blades are sharp and can cut. Wrap the blade(s) or
wear gloves and use extra caution when servicing them.
Figure 6-9
Resharpening
pattern
Do not sharpen to original pattern (below). It is
easier to get a straight cutting edge following
the resharpening pattern shown above.
Original edge
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