LawnMaster CLMF2437G - Page 26

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MAINTENANCE
Balancing the Blade
(See Fig. 21)
When sharpening, care should be taken to keep the blade balanced. An unbalanced blade will
cause excessive vibration when the mower is running. This vibration will eventually cause damage
to the mower, especially the motor.
To check the blade balance:
■ Clamp a screwdriver horizontally in a vise as shown.
NOTE:
If a vise is not available, a straight nail can also be used.
When removing, inspect the blade carefully. If the blade is bent or damaged, replace immediately
with a new blade. Failure to replace a bent or damaged blade could cause an accident resulting in
possible serious injury.
WARNING
■ Stop the motor and allow the blade to come to a complete stop.
■ With blade stopped, remove the ISOLATOR KEY and BATTERY from mower and store in a safe
location.
■ Remove the grass collection bag from mower if attached.
■ Slowly turn the mower onto its side.
■ Wedge a block of wood between the blade and the mower deck, or use safety gloves to rmly
hold the blade, in order to prevent the blade from turning when the blade bolt is being removed.
■ Loosen the blade bolt using a wrench or socket (not provided).
■ Remove the blade bolt anticlockwise, and then remove the blade (Fig. 19).
■ Place the new blade on the drive shaft. Make sure it is installed with the curved ends pointing up
towards the mower deck and not down towards the ground. Ensure that the blade is positioned
correctly (Fig. 19).
■ Torque the blade bolt down using a torque wrench (not provided) to ensure the bolt is properly
tightened.
NOTE:
Make certain all parts are replaced in the exact order in which they were removed.
Sharpening the Blade
(See Fig. 20)
For best mowing performance, the mower blade must be kept sharp. A dull blade does not cut
grass evenly and overloads the motor. If your lawn has sandy soil, more frequent sharpening may
be required.
■ Following the instructions in the “Replacing the Blade” section to remove the mower blade. DO
NOT attempt to sharpen the blade while it is attached to the mower.
■ Using a ne-tooth le or sharpening stone, sharpen cutting edges on both ends of the blade,
removing equal amounts of material from both ends (Fig. 20).