Are all lawnmower blades the same?-Not really!
Lawnmowers require using blades that correspond to their measurement and hole configurations and there are several types that help you tackle different mowing tasks.
A lawnmower is a pivotal machine for any house owner who wants a neat and clean yard. Similar to cutting your hair, keeping your lawn in top shape will make it cleaner, more appealing, and enjoyable for you and your family, but also for visitors and passersby.
Lawnmower blades feature distinct designs for different purposes. To ensure a blade is compatible with your lawnmower, you need to know the major types of blades and their uses.
Lawnmower blades aren’t universal so it may be challenging to find a new blade since there are plenty to choose from.
The decision will depend on numerous factors, not just on your intent with the grass, but also on the features and design of your lawnmower.
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What Are the Types of Lawnmower Blades?
Generally speaking, lawnmower blades are either standard or mulching.
Differentiating between the two isn’t difficult when you know how they work and what you want.
The former or standard ones, also known as the 2-in-1 blades, are made to cut grass and then the clippings are bagged or removed.
The standard, high-lift blades are straight and aerodynamic so that there’s a potent lift that has the power to eliminate the clippings from beneath the deck.
On the other hand, the mulching or 3-in-1 blades, are made to be used for bagging, discharging, and mulching clippings. They offer greater versatility than the standard ones and do three instead of two jobs, hence the name.
These blades have higher curves and an increased edge.
This enables the blade to cut the grass efficiently and bring it to the deck. There, it’s cut additionally until it’s in much smaller pieces, falling onto the lawn.
To easily differentiate between a standard and a mulching lawnmower blade, check their shape. The former has fewer edges for cutting and a straighter shape whereas the latter has more cutting edges and its shape is curvier.
When searching for blades for your lawnmower, you may also come across other terms, so here’s what each of them means:
- High-lift blades
These blades have a lifted edge that pushes the grass high and cuts it. They’re mostly used as blades for discharge and bagging.
- Bagging blades
These blades are designed for baggers (mowers with a bag). They can be of the standard or of the mulching type.
- Gator blades
Gator is a manufacturer of Gator blades which can be regular, bagging, mulching, high-lift, etc.
When Should I Choose a Standard & When Should I Choose a Mulching Lawnmower Blade?
When you’re looking to mulch the clippings from grass, you will do great if you go with the mulching blades.
Otherwise, a standard blade will do a great job.
Standard blades are awesome when you need a pristine lawn since the clippings are cleared into a bag and if you mow less frequently, every ten to fourteen days.
Bagging is great when you’re looking to eliminate any debris and leaves from your lawn.
On the other hand, a standard blade won’t cut the clippings into tiny pieces as the mulching blades can, so they’re not the best to be combined with mulching mowers or standard mowers that have a mulching kit.
Avoid using mulching blades on grass that’s overgrown.
This can lead to clogging under the deck and plenty of grass onto the cut lawn. They’re much better for lawns that are mowed every three to four days.
The standard blades are also known as high-lift blades because their design is focused on enabling an aerodynamic lift that will pull the clippings upward and thrust them through the chute for discharge.
The mulching ones have a circulating airflow that directs the grass clippings back toward the blade after the cutting whereas the regular blades have a one-direction lift.
What Are the Benefits of Mulching?
Mulching is considered an eco-friendly method of addressing grass clippings. Namely, the mulched grass clippings and leaves become the grass’s natural fertilizer.
The grass and trees will pull nutrients from the soil and keep them in the leaves. Mulching helps bring back the important nutrients to the soil and allows the plants to reuse them and grow healthy.
Mulching blades are made to maintain the clippings under the deck instead of sending them out right away so they’re not the best for bagging or discharge mode as the standard ones are.
How Do These Two Types of Blades Cut the Grass?
The standard blades will lift grass and then cut it at the set level in one sweep, making one cut. The clippings are taller and the pieces are larger.
The blades for mulching go beyond one cut. In fact, they cut the grass multiple times so that it can be reduced to very tiny pieces. This mulched grass decomposes faster than the bigger grass clippings and it’s a perfect nutrient boost to composts.
The mulching blades can be fitted onto almost any lawnmower model. You’ll need to measure the blades and the deck you plan to purchase so that you’re sure they fit properly and can be secured well.
But, if the deck’s design isn’t fitting for mulching blades or if the engine is low power, these blades may not perform optimally.
Final Thoughts
The answer to the question: are all lawnmower blades the same? is “no” because there are different types of blades that are used for distinct purposes.
Generally speaking, there are two options, i.e. standard high-lift blade or mulching blade. They don’t just have a distinct design but are also used to achieve diverse goals in your lawn.
The standard ones are highly recommendable for grass that is mowed every ten to fourteen days and also a good choice when you want the clippings to be bagged and discharged appropriately for a spotless lawn.
On the other hand, mulching blades are great when you want to use the tiny grass clippings it’s able to produce for compost.
They will provide nutrients to your grass and they’re recommendable for lawns that are trimmed every three to four days.
Whichever blade you ultimately decide to invest in, make sure you’ve read the guides of your lawnmower and check what its requirements are and which blades work best with it, and which ones should be avoided.