Replacing the disc on the trimmer
You will need to replace the disc on the trimmer regularly if you use the trimmer frequently. Even good knives become dull over time; they need to be sharpened or new ones installed. In practice, plastic and metal disks are used, having different numbers of blades and sharpened in different ways. The procedure for replacement does not depend on this in any way. During the work process, compliance with safety precautions is an important point. If the material of the cutting part of the tool allows, you can sharpen it yourself, which will save money.
When to use a disc rather than a line
For owners of country houses, land plots, and lawn lovers, a trimmer is an assistant that speeds up routine work. When using a tool, a number of questions arise related to which attachments are preferable to use and how to replace them yourself.
When working with a lawn mower, fishing line is often used, which is cheaper than discs. In addition to price, it also has the following practical advantages:
- can be used with a large number of trimmer heads;
- fishing line is safer to use than discs.
The disadvantage of the line is that it is only suitable for mowing short grass, because otherwise it often gets clogged. This is typical for both electric and gasoline scythes. When the grass wraps around the spindle, there is a lot of resistance on the shaft and it becomes damaged. In this case, the piston system can also fail (in gas scythes) or the electric motor can overheat and burn out (in electric scythes).
In some cases, knives are more effective. They are used for mowing:
- tall and coarse grass cover;
- weeds;
- tree shoots;
- domestic (for example, raspberries, currants) and wild (rose hips) shrubs.
Thanks to the use of knives, the tool wears out more slowly: this is due to the fact that it gets clogged less often.
Cutting attachments of this type are also called discs or cutters, but the essence does not change.
Which knife is better
Modern manufacturers offer consumers a wide selection of disc types. Cutting parts are classified according to the following criteria:
- the material used for their production;
- shape and number of blades.
Material
The material for knives is plastic or metal, which determines their purpose. The question naturally arises about which disk is better to use: plastic or metal? The choice is determined by the following factors:
- area of land intended for mowing grass;
- type of tool (electric or gasoline).
Three blade plastic blade for electric trimmer
From a safety point of view, it is not recommended to use steel cutters on electric scythes - they are almost always equipped with plastic blades. The design features of the power tool itself and its technical characteristics make the installation of metal cutting parts dangerous:
- the presence of a curved rod;
- often there are no stops on the handles of electric scythes;
- high rotation speed.
According to the rules of safe operation, plastic knives are used only on scythes with a flexible rod. Plastic blades are designed for mowing soft plants (for example, burdock, nettles), and dead wood. A metal disc cutter is used for mowing thick, tall, coarse grass, shrubs and shoots of various trees, because its cutting properties and wear resistance are higher than those of plastic analogues.
Trimmer cutter with carbide tips 40 teeth
The design, as well as the technical characteristics of brush cutters, determine the use of metal attachments when working with them:
- the presence of a straight bar increases the distance to the mower’s feet;
- comfortable handles with limiters;
- possibility of a smooth increase in speed.
Gasoline units equipped with metal discs are well suited when it is necessary to mow large areas with various types of grass or shrubs.
Metal knife on a lawn mower
Number of blades
The shape of the disc blades has virtually no effect on the quality and speed of work; what matters is their quantity. To make hay, it is recommended to use cutters with a large number of blades, for example, with 8 or 4 main and 4 additional blades. If there are few of them (2, 3), then such knives chop the grass very much. Milling cutters with a large number of small teeth are used when mowing young shoots of trees and shrubs.
Petrol mower Patriot PT453 with a metal disc for mowing bushes
Metal knives for lawn mowers can be sharpened in different ways: one-sided and on both sides. Dull or poorly sharpened cutting edges of cutters reduce labor productivity and also impair the quality of work. This increases the load on the tool and fuel consumption.
Dangerous is the collision of knives with stones, as a result of which the tool bounces, which can cause injury to the mower.
The cutting element for the trimmer should be selected according to material, size, design, based on the type of tool and the power of its engine, the amount of work to be done and the type of plants to be mowed. Partially, the instructions from the manufacturer for the model used will help with this - the recommended parameters of the cutters are written there.
Necessary equipment
To align the mower blade, you need the following tools:
- Bulgarian;
- hammer and anvil;
- coarse sandpaper and a sharpening stone (in the form of a bar) with a grain size of 200-1500 grit;
- vice;
- ruler;
- a crowbar or wooden stick and a pair of stools;
- drill with a head for sanding paper or sharpeners (discs).
This list is final. Some tools and equipment may not be needed.
Algorithm for installing a knife on a trimmer
Replacing the blade on the trimmer is quite simple. Manufacturers include a key for removing the cutting attachment (spool with fishing line) and a pin designed to block the gearbox. To change the disk, you need to do the following:
- remove the casing that performs protective functions;
- insert the pin into the aligned holes located on the shaft and gearbox, and in this way block the drive;
- if a spool with fishing line is installed, then unscrew it clockwise and find a nut to tighten the knife;
- put the boot on;
- blocking the gearbox with a pin, tighten the fastening nut, tightening it with a wrench;
The algorithm for installing a knife on a trimmer is demonstrated in detail in the video below.
Modern trimmers, for example, from, are easy to maintain. Replacing the cutting parts yourself will not be difficult.
When working, pay attention to safety precautions to avoid cutting yourself.
Balance check
Before you put the blade back, you need to make sure that its arms have at least approximately the same weight. Otherwise, vibration will occur during operation, which will not have a positive effect on the durability of the spindle.
Balancing is carried out mainly for double-sided single and compound knives; four-blade knives are not so susceptible to imbalance. To check the knife, you need to clamp a smooth rod in a vice in a horizontal position. The blade is put on it through a hole in the center, after which attempts are made to install it strictly horizontally. If one of the arms weighs significantly more than the other, the knife will inevitably turn to one side.
Equating the weight of the arms is done by grinding a small amount of metal off the back of one of the arms of the knife. It is not necessary to achieve ultra-precise balancing, but the knife should remain in a strictly horizontal position for at least a few seconds. Once the balancing is done, you can put the blade back in place and finally refresh the look of your lawn.
How to remove a lawn mower blade Currently 04/27/2018 01:11:46 Sharpening lawn mower
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