Gone are the days when mowing was a daunting task. Back in the day, mowers used lawn scissors, slashes, and rakes to mow and clean the lawn. Fortunately, for years now, the use of a lawnmower has brought a touch of splendor to the world of mowing. Lawn Mower has made the task easier and helped save a great deal of time and energy.
The blade is the main component that defines the functionality of a mower. It is responsible for cutting the grass clippings. Crucial aspects such as rotation speed, sharpness, and environment play key roles when discussing how blades cut grass. This article will look at how does a lawn mower cut grass? If you go through this article carefully, you’ll get a detailed description. You can also shop for a high-quality automatic lawn mower here.
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Rotary lawnmowers
Over the years, rotary lawn mowers have become very popular among homeowners. They have proven to be efficient tools that can be used to cut grass. Rotary mower’s blades help make a mower’s life much easier as they work with a great deal of ease, slicing away grass cuttings effortlessly.
As the name suggests, rotary lawnmowers cut grass using a spinning blade that needs the power to rotate. This power is generated from an internal combustion engine that is located in the deck of the mower. Usually, the engine is turned on and off by the simple push of a button or click of a switch, depending on the mower type. Rotary lawnmowers can be either push mowers or riding mowers. Both these types have blades that can cut grass.
1. Rotary Push mowers
The push mower is the most popular mower type today. These mowers are the first choice of many homeowners as they are both efficient and affordable. Push mowers are suitable for use on small lawns, as they require you to move around as you mow your lawn. However, mowing larger yards using a push mower is tiring.
A push mower is easy to operate. You stand behind the rotary mower holding the handlebar attached to it. Now using this handlebar, push the mower forward or in your direction of choice and watch as the blade cuts through the grass as you go.
On the handlebar of the push mower is the throttle that works as a valve on the mower. This valve regulates the supply of fuel and air to the internal combustion engine. As the valve reduces or closes, it limits the supply of fuel and air from the tank to the engine, which will slow down the motor’s speed. On the other hand, when the valve opens, it increases fuel flow to the engine, increasing the motor speed.
The throttle of a mower is attached to its handlebar for safety purposes. All the controls are required to regulate the valve and are also on the handlebar of a push mower. The mower only moves when the operator holds the handlebar, and the motor automatically turns off when the user releases the throttle. It helps prevent mower-related injuries or accidents.
2. Riding mower
With a bigger lawn to mow, walking may become exhausting. Even on a hot day or when you just feel tired, a push mower may be strenuous to use, thus the invention of riding mowers. Riding mowers were built with a spectacular combination of functionality and relaxation to make mowing much easier.
Operating a riding mower is very similar to driving a car. With riding mowers, the labor of lawn mowing is reduced to sitting and turning. A steering wheel helps you control the riding mower’s direction while its paddles control accelerating and braking.
A belt connected to the engine powers the blade on a riding mower. It also has controls that allow you to either raise or lower the belt depending on the grass length you want. You can either speed or slow down the blade speed using these controls. The engine also generates power to turn the wheels.
Types of motors used to power rotary mower blades
There are different types of rotary lawn mowers engines. An engine can be either a two-cycle or a four-cycle motor engine. Other rotary lawnmowers use electric motors. Here is a look at how different engines power the mower to rotate its blade and cut grass.
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Two-cycle motors
Some lawnmower blades use power generated by two-cycle motors to cut grass. Two-cycle motors are straightforward yet highly sophisticated engines. They are tiny motors, but they have an impeccable ability to generate a lot of power. Owing to their size and simplicity, two-cycle motors are quite affordable and have since gained a share on the market. They are very much easy to handle and therefore perfect for use even in handheld lawn care tools.
Two-cycle motors have a combined fuel and lubricant system. It requires the motor to burn a mixture of gasoline and oil for fuel. This mixture emits a significant amount of pollution into the air, thus making it environmentally unfriendly. Despite producing a lot of power for their size, two-cycle motors are not so popular in mowers. It is because mowers need more power to spin their blades and cut grass successfully than they can offer. Therefore, most mower manufacturers opt for four-cycle motor-driven mowers.
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Four-cycle motors
Most lawnmower blades cut grass using turning power generated from a four=cycle motor. These are a step ahead of two-cycle motors. This is because they produce much more energy and turning force than their counterparts do, making them much more efficient to use. Four-cycle motor-powered lawns can effortlessly cut through thick, dense, and tall grass. They are less likely to breakdown even in the middle of a busy mowing season because they are tougher.
Unlike two-cycle motors that mix gasoline and oil, four-cycle motors have a separate lubricant system. This requires the separate use of oil and fuel. Four-cycle motors are environment friendly because they burn gasoline without oil, therefore producing less pollution. In addition to their greatness, four-cycle motors are very fuel-efficient. Powered Grip Recommends that They are the best choice of engines used for powering a lawnmower.
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Electric motors
Electric motors are yet another invention in the forgoing development of lawnmower motors. They also produce power that turns the mower blades. As their name suggests, electric motors use electricity. They function using a cord that connects to electricity powering the electric motor to generate turning power for the blades.
The idea of mowing grass using electricity may get you worried about your electricity bill. Nevertheless, you are not to worry, and the electric motor only consumes a limited electrical energy quantity. However, when mowing a big lawn, it may begin to consume a significant amount of electricity.
When this the case, you can opt for a solar-powered electric motor. These are also quite efficient as they get their power directly from the sun. They use a built-in solar system to absorb solar energy. The solar-powered motor then converts this solar energy to the mower’s power to turn the blades.
Other popular electric motors use batteries as their power source. These batteries are rechargeable using electricity. As and when the need arises, these batteries can be replaced.
How the motors power the blades
The mower blade plays a key role in cutting grass. It uses the power generated from either a two-cycle, four-cycle, or electric motor; the mower spins a vertical axel round. It is on this vertical axel is where the steel blade is firmly attached. Therefore, as the axel spins, it turns the blade with it. The blade slices through the grass as it turns, thus cutting the grass.
The blade hangs only a few inches from the ground, allowing it to cut off only a fraction of the grass. In order to cut grass successfully, the motor has to produce sufficient power to spin the blade fast enough to cut grass on contact.
Sharpening the mower blades
Mowing a lawn with blunt mower blades can be a fruitless task. The results will be a partially mowed, unkempt, and untidy lawn. Instead of cutting the grass, blunt blades tear the grass leaving it looking disordered and messy. It is, therefore, essential to mow your lawn using a mower with sharp blades.
An old mower’s blades will get blunt over time and will need sharpening. Lawn experts advise you to sharpen your mower blades once every year, especially before the beginning of a mowing season. You can also take your mower to a lawn care tool personnel for professional service. There, you can get your mower blades sharpened and ready to cut grass for just a minimal price.
Alternatively, you can do it yourself. Not only will sharpening your mower blade save money but also time. Blade sharpening is an easy task that requires just a few tools and skills. All you need to get your blades sharp is a grinder and a vice. You can even use a metal file for a better job.
Make sure the mower is unplugged and carefully detach the mower blade to sharpen it. When you sharpen your mower blades, you need to check to make sure that they are balanced. You can use a balancer from a nearby lawn care store for this. If there is an imbalance, grind the blades until all sides are well balanced. This is important to help make sure the grass cut will come out level.
Blade speed
The motor powers the mower blades and determines how fast the blade cuts through the grass. A standard blade rotates at an average speed of three thousand revolutions per minute. The mower blade will neatly cut through the grass at this speed, leaving an excellent looking and neat cut. The mower speed you use depends on several factors. These include the type of grass you are cutting, how dense it is, and how fast you need to get the mowing done.
The blade will cut grass more quickly at a higher speed and slows down at a slower speed. However, be careful when using very high speed as it might damage the lawn. You can alter the motor speed of the mower using controls on the mower. The controls of a mower are situated in different areas depending on the type of mower you are using.
Blade cutting
The mower blades cut grass using not only one but also both sides. This enables the blade to rotate both sides and still cut grass. A well-sharpened blade will effortlessly slice through the grass blade with either side.
Some blades are designed for mulch mowers. These mower blades are designed to cut grass into small pieces and return these clippings onto the ground, creating mulch. Modified and sophisticated versions of the mulch mower collect the grass clippings, and the blade shreds the clippings later on to make them smaller.
Other blades cut grass into bigger pieces because they are not for mulch. Instead, the grass cuttings are collected into a bag that is emptied regularly as you mow your lawn. Available on the market are also modified mower blades. These blades cut grass while throwing the cuttings to the side simultaneously.
It is also important to observe safety measures when mowing grass, as blades can cause injuries. Makes sure you wear closed shoes, protective clothing, and glasses.
Environmental factors that affect how a blade cuts grass
The environment will also affect how the lawnmower blades cut grass. Mower blades can only cut grass successfully in a clean environment. You must get rid of stones that hinder the smooth ride of a mower and its blade. Mower blades are only designed to cut through grass, not branches, rocks, or other obstacles; therefore, you must get rid of all these on the lawn you want to mow. You must also get animals and children out of the way to prevent mishaps.
Final verdict
Lawnmower blades define the functionality of the lawnmower. They are a small and simple component of the entire mower that has a spectacular role and responsibility for how your lawn works. Well serviced blades are very efficient at cutting grass and help make lawn mowing a pleasure for you.
Since mower blades play such a crucial role when mowing, mower manufacturers are committed to developing stronger, better, and faster blades. Blades that are sharp and robust are very desirable.