Are Lawn Mower Blades Universal?


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Everyone wants a nice, attractive lawn. As part of this, you’ll need to make sure that the lawn is mowed regularly which requires a high-quality lawn mower with blades that are sharp enough to chop off each blade of grass in a clean manner. The result of this is a neat and well-maintained yard with grass that is more likely to stay healthy from then on.

If you’re looking to replace your mower’s blades, you may be wondering if lawn mower blades are universal…

Lawn mower blades are not universal. There are a variety of different mower blades and a lot of them have different configurations and measurements. The blade that you use for your mower must match the exact specifications set by the manufacturer.

Even though some mower blades are interchangeable…

Even though you may find that some blades will end up fitting your current lawn mower, there are a lot of times when they will not.

You certainly want to make sure that you get the right ones!

but you’ll still need to check two things before heading out to the hardware or home improvement store.

The first is the location of the center holes on your current blades and the second is the length of those blades.

It’s a good idea to remove one of the blades and bring it with you to the store to make sure that you get the right one.
This way, you’ll be able to compare both the center hole and the blade length to make sure that the new blades match up with the old.

Identify the Dimensions of Your Existing Blades

If you still have an owner’s manual for your lawn mower, it will be super easy to find out what type of blades to buy.

However, for most people, that manual is long gone so what do you do then?

As described in the previous paragraph, you’ll have to measure the length of the blade you’re currently using so that you can find one that matches it.

There’s a particular way that this task has to be carried out…

Measure diagonally!

First of all, most lawn mower blades are rectangular in shape but you’re not going to measure from one end to another. Instead, you’re going to measure diagonally from one tip to another. If you have the blade laying on a smooth surface in front of you lengthwise, you’ll measure the top corner of one side to the bottom corner of the other side of the blade. If you took a tape measure to measure these two points, the tape measure will be in a diagonal position when you’re done. The tape measure will not be straight because you aren’t measuring straight across the blade from one side to the other.

The center hole

The other dimension that you’ll need to pay attention to is the dimension of the center hole. If there are holes on the outside of the blade, you don’t have to worry about those. Just look at the center hole and determine its diameter. If your center hole isn’t a hole but is another shape instead, you’ll have to do one of two things:

  • Measure the length and width if it is a rectangular shape
  • Measure the number of points included if it is a star shape

If you see a set of three holes spaced evenly apart, you’ll want to measure two things:

  • The diameter of the center hole, just as you do with single-hole blades
  • The length of the center of one outside hole to the center of the other outside hole.

With these measurements, you should easily be able to find a blade that is the exact size you need.

Go ahead and write down all of these measurements before you head out to the hardware store so you won’t have any problems finding what you need.

When you’re checking the center holes, make sure that the spacing is correct meaning you can completely tighten the bolts once the blade is attached. If you are unable to tighten the bolt properly, it may fly off at full speed as you are mowing the lawn which is dangerous to say the least.

Lawn mower blades stay sharp for a very long time because this is what they are designed to do. Nevertheless, there will come a time when you’ll need to replace your blades. When you do, you’ll want to make sure that you get the right ones. You’ll also need to replace a blade or two whenever your blades get damaged by debris or have otherwise become broken somehow.

After all, dull blades do you no good whatsoever and can actually make mowing your lawn much more of a challenge. For these reasons and more, it is good to keep a good set of sharp blades on your mower at all times.

If you’ve had your lawn mower a while and aren’t sure which blades you need, don’t be concerned. Most blades made for most lawn mowers are interchangeable,

Different Types of Blades in the Market

Not all mower blades are the same!

Let’s go ahead and complicate things just a tad by talking about the different types of blades found on the market today.

Essentially, there are five basic blade types for lawn mowers and here is a description of each of them:

Gator blades

These are distinct-looking blades that are uniquely angled so that the “teeth” push the grass to the cutting edge which is very sharp and allows shorter blades of grass to be cut over and over again.

They work very similar to a mulcher and can be recognized by the sharp teeth on one side. They allow for more precise cuts and are perfect for fertilizing your soil, making them very valuable indeed.

High-lift blades

These blades are 1 to 21 inches in length and are easily recognizable thanks to the vertical angles found on each of the edges.

If you have a lot of tall grass in your yard, these are the blades that will work best for you. Although not suitable for sandy terrain, they work great on tall grass and give the lawn a very elegant look.

They do use a lot of power so your engine is going to get a good workout with these.

Low-lift blades

With low suction power, these blades are perfect for sandy terrains and usually require less power than standard mower blades.

They are usually 3 to 4 inches in size and are very quiet when in use.

Even better, these types of blades are some of the most durable types of motor blades in existence today even though their only downfall seems to be that they are unable to suction the debris into the bagging accessory.

Mulching blades

Also called 3-in-1 blades, these blades have curvy and very distinct-looking blades that provide the ability to cut the grass into finer pieces and release it back into the yard so that you can create your own mulch.

The blades have several curves on them and will even enrich your soil with important nutrients.

Although they are not made for dense grass that might clog them up, these blades are perfect when mulching is important to you.

Standard blades

These are also called medium-lift blades and they are the most common mower blades available.

While basically straight, standard lawn mower blades have a slight curve to them that creates a sort of suction action.

They are suitable for all types of soil and can easily accommodate even dense, thick patches of grass. Standard blades are very versatile and can be used on most lawn mowers.

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