The Ultimate Guide To Buying The Best Lawn Mower Blades
Flaunting a lawn that your neighbors envy takes a lot of effort and the right machinery. You might have the best lawn mower but not always get consistent results. Blame inefficient or blunt lawn mower blades for this. An unkempt lawn can give your home a dull and dampened look.
Why should you fret so much about picking the right blades?
A right blade can give that clean-cut that makes your lawn look like a professional gardener did it. With a clean-cut, the grass is also prone to grow healthier and faster. Among all the other benefits, good blades offer the shortened mowing time is one. Wouldn’t it be nice to have your lawn looking polished with minimal time and effort? That is why we have rounded up the most efficient lawn mower blades available in the market.
Sharpen or replace your blades?
Some homeowners believe that sharpening the lawn mower blades instead of buying new ones can help save money. Sometimes this is true. However, you need to have the most robust blades to sharpen and reuse them. Replacing your blades now and then can give some drastic transformation in your turf maintenance routines.
So are you ready to hear about the best lawn mowers in the segment?
A quick comparison table – an overview of the best mower blades in 2020.
| Image | Product | |
|---|---|---|
Best Choice  | EGO Power+ AB2101 21-Inch Lawn Mower High Lift Blade for EGO 21-Inch Lawn Mower
| Check Price |
Also great  | Maxpower 331714 Mower Blade For 42 Inch Cut Poulan/Husqvarna/Craftsman
| Check Price |
Best Value  | Maxpower 331040 Universal Replacement Lawn Mower Blade
| Check Price |
For thick grass  | Arnold 490-100-005621-Inch Deluxe Universal Detaching Blade for Walk-Behind Mowers
| Check Price |
Ideal for bagging  | Rotary Blades for Deck/Craftsman/Poulan/Husqvarna
| Check Price |
Detailed reviews of the top 5 options
Do not feel daunted merely looking at the options. If you are clear about the kind of turf you own and the type of results you need, you can easily take your pick. We have categorized each of these options based on the intended purpose where they excel.
1. Best high lift lawn mower blades – EGO Power+ AB2101 21-Inch Lawn Mower High Lift Blade for EGO 21-Inch Lawn Mower.
EGO Power+ series brings some of the most beautiful performers in cordless lawnmowers. This blade is designed to replace the 21inch mowers in this collection. For homeowners with numerous grass problems, this high lift design comes as a boon. It is also this feature that makes it suitable for bagging.
With its intuitive height, it can clear out tall grass without affecting the maneuverability of your mower. With its 11/16” center hole, this blade is easy to install on the compatible mowers.
Performance
Made of corrosion-resistant steel, this one is a durable replacement for the standard blades. Effortless operation of the lawnmower is the first thing you notice with these blades installed.
The high lift design can be tailored to deliver proper bagging of the clippings and also the debris on the lawn. One major perk here is that unlike most blades in the market, this one doesn’t have to be sharpened before use. Pull it out of the box, replace your worn-out blade, and you are good to go.
You might notice a slight drop in the performance if your grass is damp. Otherwise, on perfectly dry grass, this one works consistently, delivering clean cuts throughout.
- Doesn’t vibrate much on uneven grass and while turning.
- Delivers boosted suction to lift leaves during the fall and provide a smooth finish.
- With blades in their sharpest condition, you can easily handle tall grass by lowering mower speeds.
- Rapid, even cuts promote healthy grass growth with regular use.
- Works consistently on different mower blade height settings.
- Gets slightly noisy while handling thick grass.
If you need a high lift blade, a go-to option for bagging, then this one makes a natural choice. From maintaining a healthy lawn to getting your job done in a jiffy, this blade offers numerous benefits for the price you pay. Keep your mower blade height at a low setting and expect better cuts each time!
2. Maxpower 331714 Mower Blade For 42 Inch Cut Poulan/Husqvarna/Craftsman – Best lawn mower mulching blades.
While the EGO Power+ blade can do a decent mulching job if you need the best results, then Maxpower 331714 takes care of it. Coming from a brand known to offer trusted OEM replacements for reputed lawnmower blades, this one is the best for mulching.
Delivering good power and cleaner cuts, these blades are high value purchases for replacing stock mower blades. Made in the USA, these are also durable options suitable for those with frequent mowing needs.
Performance
Each blade comes factory sharpened, and these are some of the sharpest ones in the segment. With this, you get predictable results each time. With the sharpness of the blade teeth also comes the ease of cleaning the blades. They do not trap debris that can slow down the operation.
Centrifugal air lift design that the brand utilizes makes it possible to deliver uniform results when you cover a large area. As promised by the manufacturer, the mower glides over the turf with accurate cuts.
Drastic reduction in the time taken is one significant benefits thanks to using these sharp blades. Given the compatibility with multiple models, it features precise center hole cutouts. Therefore mounting becomes easy.
- These blades heat treated at very high temperatures to enhance the reliability of construction.
- Lower operating costs of the mowers come from the less power required to drive these blades.
- Comes precisely sharpened to use directly out of the box.
- Durable material makes these blades robust choices for frequent use.
- For the kind of performance, it gives the price is very reasonable.
- There are no indicators provided to identify the right mounting side on the blades.
As long as you handle dry grass without the need for a high lift design, this mulching blade works fine. You might notice it behave a little sluggish with mulching wet grass. However, on the whole, it does make mowing feel more effortless.
3. Best riding lawn mower blades – Maxpower 331040 Universal Replacement Lawn Mower Blade
With a universal fit design, this one is best suited for the riding mowers. With its 1-inch wide center hole mounting on all the riding mower designs feels convenient.
To make the fit more customizable, there are adjustment washers included in the box. Therefore you would be able to get a tight fit for safe mounting of the blades. With this finding, the right fit for your lawn mower configuration is easy. There is also an instruction manual that comes along to help you understand the right mounting options.
Performance
Precisely cut blades with a sharpness, which is one of the best in the market, deliver a smooth finish. The blade comes sharpened and ready to use. Though it doesn’t come with a high lift design, it does offer decent pick up with short grass.
Like most other replacement blades from this brand, this one comes with exterior coating on the blades. This helps prevent rusting and corrosion. With this, the blade doesn’t show signs of wear and tear quickly. As long as you maintain the blade’s washers in good condition, these blades feel simple to use.
- Gives precision cutting of the grass for a neat finish.
- A cover washer is included with every blade.
- Snug fit with the hole size reduction washers makes the blade fit like the stock blades.
- There is not much clumping while handling dense grass.
- With the balanced fit, it adds to the confidence of mowing various types of lawns.
- The blade doesn’t feel too durable and therefore might not be suitable for frequently used on large lawns.
With an affordable price tag, this blade comes with it makes a versatile choice. Fitting nicely like the default blade on riding mowers, this one does its job consistently.
4. Arnold 490-100-005621-Inch Deluxe Universal Detaching Blade for Walk-Behind Mowers – Best lawn mower blades for thick grass
From raking to dethatching and bagging, this one can effortlessly take care of full-fledged lawn maintenance. Like the previous one on our list, this blade comes with mount size altering washers. The difference here is that these are metal washers that last longer and perform better. However, you would have to find the right-sized washer to suit your mower model.
Performance
As a 6-in-1 blade design, it comes with a construction that facilitates cutting grass, bagging, dethatching, raking, mulching, and scalping. Dethatching the lawn is required periodically for better lawn health.
Before fertilization and for boosting growth in a dull lawn, this blade does a good job. With its sharp blades and multifunctional design, it makes a worthy investment for lawn care. Nylon lines can also be adjusted to customize the results. Raking throughout the year feels convenient with these blades.
Blades are sturdy, and their heavy-duty construction makes them dependable for long term use. This is another feature that makes it suitable to handle areas with thick grass. If you have the habit of letting your grass grow thick before mowing, this blade is one of the best options out there.
- For homeowners looking to scalp their turf with a smooth finish, this blade works well.
- Nylon lines are easy to replace when they are worn out.
- The single blade does multiple tasks with easy adjustments.
- Comes with a hardware pack and dethatching line included with the blade.
- Flat design and long dethatching line leads to slight unwanted scalping effect on some mower models.
- Larger debris feel tougher to handle with this blade installed.
Thick grass mowing becomes so much simpler and faster with this blade. Construction of the blade also makes it a handy choice for a variety of functions. Its robust build makes it a long-lasting choice worth every penny spent.
5. Rotary Blades for Deck/Craftsman/Poulan/Husqvarna – Best lawn mower blades for bagging.
It comes as a set of 3 blades for use on 48” decks. Fully sharpened in the factory, these blades offer neat cuts right out of the package. Built tough, these blades are slightly heavy and thick as well.
Therefore you can keep sharpening them and reusing them for a long time. As a discharge blade, this one can throw clippings efficiently while mowing grass with debris. On all compatible models, these fit accurately increasing the performance.
Performance
With the star-shaped central mounting hole, you can obtain a tight fit on compatible models. Besides posing as one of the best mulching blades, this one easily replaces the mulching blade.
Throwing clippings and tackling dense grass patches becomes easy with its high lift design. With this, you can also alter the height conveniently for different levels of grass. While consistently chopping off grass through the entire stretch, it also cleans the mess behind, saving you a lot of time.
- Tested for maximized performance, these are blades that extend the run time.
- Precision in design helps meet OEM mounting configurations.
- Heavy-duty blades in this range make them suitable for residential and commercial applications.
- Heat treatment design makes them durable and resilient to wear and tear.
- Compatible with limited models.
Considering that the price tag for 3 set of blades, this one brings an excellent bang for your buck. If you use the bagger with these blades it would be some of the best choices. They can significantly reduce the overall time taken to mow the grass during all seasons.
A brief buyer’s guide for choosing best lawn mower replacement blades
While shopping for mower blades, not finding variety is not the problem. Finding too many similar options is a real problem. The real question is, how do you know which mower blade to choose?
When you know what exactly to look for in a mower blade, the choice becomes much simpler. Don’t you agree? Because, for most shoppers, knowing where to begin and how to compare the various products is the biggest hurdles.
Now let’s simplify that for you. Leave aside all the complicated terminology and the confusing mower blade jargon that many shopping sites use. Start with the basics.
Do you pick based on the part number or universal fit?
One of the first factors to think about is how you find a compatible blade for replacing the stock blade. The blade that comes by default is built to fit the mower, and therefore there is no doubt about its precision in mounting. However, if you choose a replacement, you have two options to consider:
- You can choose a universal fit mower blade. Make sure that you pick the right one for riding mowers or walk-behind mowers. Also, ensure that the washers included for customization of the fit match your mower mount.
- The other option is to pick a reliable brand of lawnmowers and then choose based on your mower part number.
The first option is simpler, while the second one delivers a much more precise fit. Once you have made up your mind on how you would choose the blade, the other critical aspect is the type of blade to choose. This entirely depends on how you would like your lawn to appear and the grass conditions you commonly handle. There are cylinder blades used in cylinder mowers and deck blades used in rotary mowers. However, the most common classification to know about is mulching blades and lifting blades.
1. Lifting blades or discharging blades
The signature characterizes this lifted edge on the blade. Based on the lift provided, you can use them for different grass growth conditions. The 3 lift configurations available are a high lift, low lift, and medium-lift.
A) High lift
Deep curved edges cause better suction of debris while mowing. If you always find your lawn growing too quick and grass too thick, these are the most efficient options out there. With the strength they deliver, they help reduce the time taken. With enhanced air flow in these blades clogging in the mower is also reduced.
B) Low lift
With minimized air flow, these are designed to ensure that the cut grass clippings are not pulled inside. They might not reduce the time taken, on the whole; however, if you are concerned about maintaining your engine health, then these are the best options.
C) Medium lift
They provide a slightly balanced result, but they are more extensive than low lift blades. With the many options available in this category, you can easily find a compatible model. You can conveniently use them both for short grass and moderately tall ones.
2. Mulching blades
Without drying out your grass, too much mulching blades can efficiently improve water absorption. Clippings from fine grass are shed back to the turf and allowed to decompose, providing nutrients for the growing grass. Mulching blades are often used as a part of the regular lawn maintenance.
When is it time to sharpen or replace mower blades?
A common practice observed by most lawn owners is to sharpen their mower blades two times in a season. Remember that a sharper blade is critical in maintaining the health of your lawn and reducing the time taken.
When the blades are too thin, you cannot sharpen them often. When you have already honed your blades multiple times, and they appear more fragile than their original profile, then it is time for a replacement.
How to replace a lawnmower blade successfully?
Take care of the safety measures recommended by the manufacturer to begin with. Wear safety gloves while replacing the blades. Choose an open spot and have all the right tools at easy access. Here are the steps to change the mower blade:
- Tilt the mower to access the blade at the base
- Make sure that the gas tank is not full when you tilt the mower
- Remove the spark plug to prevent accidental trigger of the mower
- Uninstall the mounting bolt holding the blade
- Fit the new blade ensuring that you are mounting it in the right direction
- Adjust to avoid any amount of play
- Refill the gas tank and check the mower operation
How to sharpen mower blades?
The best way to sharpen lawn mower blades is to remove the blade from the bottom of the mower and follow the steps below:
- Securely hold the blade in place
- Use a file and move it in the right direction based on the lift and edge inclination of the blade
- Stop when you notice a sheen
Check your blade closely so that you do not alter the size while sharpening the edges.
Our recommendation for the best lawn mower blade 2021
So, what’s the best lawn mower blades? Our final verdict, at lawnguider.com, is that the best among the lot would be the EGO Power+ AB2101 21-inch blade. Though this is only compatible with a handful of mower models, it is a fuss-free option. It fits like a charm, cuts clean, and is a low maintenance blade. That is a big deal when you are very particular about immaculate lawns.
With its built to last construction, this blade is suitable both for residential use and for commercial lawn maintenance routines. If you own a lawnmower in the EGO Power+ series, then this blade is something you cannot ignore.
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