You Know It's Time To Sharpen Your Lawn Mower Blades When This Happens

A sharp lawn mower blade makes yard chores a lot easier. Sharp blades cut through blades of grass with ease, leaving you with a neat and enviable lawn. Dull blades, on the other hand, tear and chew up grass blades, turning them brown and ragged, making your lawn more prone to stress, damage and disease. While you may not need to sharpen your blades as often as you think, there is a tell-tale sign that it's time to break out the tools — your mower starts burning through fuel or draining its battery in record time.

Just as you've got to use extra force to chop up an onion using a dull chef's knife, your lawn mower's engine requires extra power to cut grass with a dull blade. With a dull blade, your gas-powered lawn mower is likely to use 20% more fuel. For battery-powered mowers, a dull blade can damage the battery's performance, causing it to drain faster and potentially overheat.

It's not just the engine that works harder when the mower's blades are dull: You also have to put in a bit more elbow grease. And if you're using a walk-behind, push, or reel mower, it can be measurably harder to get through the grass with dull blades. You're also likely to find yourself mowing the same part of the lawn again and again, because dull blades just aren't doing a great job of cutting.

Increased fuel or battery demands and more work from you when mowing are just two signs that your mower's blades are dull. Your lawn's appearance can also clue you in to the fact that it's time to take a break and sharpen them or get them sharpened (just don't sharpen them too much, a common mistake people make when sharpening lawn mower blades).

Instead of a neat, clean cut at the tip of the grass, you'll be left with split ends, and blade tips that turn crispy and yellow. Dull mower blades also cut the lawn unevenly, making it look patchy, with some parts longer than others. While a few uneven patches and frayed blades of grass may not seem like a big deal, the health of your lawn is at stake. Damaged grass is more prone to disease and attractive to pests compared to a healthy lawn. Essentially, if you're unhappy with how the lawn looks after a hard day's mowing, dull blades are likely behind the results.

While you can sharpen lawn mower blades yourself, the easiest way to sharpen a mower's blades is to hire a professional. Going with a pro may be your best bet if sharpening the blades is a chore you frequently put off. Your lawn, your back, and your energy bill will all thank you for it.