@
• Sharpening
the blade twice during a
mowing
season
is usually sufficient
under normal circumstances.
Sand caus-
es the blade to dull fast. If your lawn has
sandy soil, more frequent
sharpenings
are required,
• Replace
bent or damaged
blade immedi-
ately.
To sharpen
blade:
GENERAL
MOWING
TIPS
During the spring when the grass is lush,
your mower may cut less than in mid-sum-
mer when the grass is light and dry.
Here are some helpful
hints to get the
most from your Craftsman
cordless
power mower
and to keep your lawn
looking
beautiful
• Lawns should first be mowed in the
• Make sure blade remains
balanced,
spring when the grass is about 2 1/2 to 3
inches high. Mowing too early restricts
° Sharpen
blade at the original cutting
ttle grass root systems which renew
angle.
• Sharpen
cutting
edges on both ends of
blade, removing
equal amounts
of
material
from both ends.
themselves
every spring. New grass
should
be clipped
when it is about 2 1/2
inches high.
• Do not remove
too much grass blade
surface
at one time - never more than
1/3 of the leaf height during each cutting.
Cutting
too close "shocks"
sensitive
grass blades,
resulting in a shallow
root
system
and making it more difficult for
your lawn to reach water in the soil.
; Lawncare experts
say that excessively
close cutting Is responsible for much of
the difficulty
experienced
on many lawns.
The depth
and strength of the roots of
grass are almost exactly proportional to
its growth. Grasses
of mature lawns
often are seriously injured when mowed
• Secure blade in a vise as shown in fig-
ure below.
• Wear safety glasses and be careful not
to cut yourself.
• Carefully file the cutting edges of the
blade with a fine tooth file or sharpen-
Ing stone.
Check balance of blade. See instructions
for blade balancing.
After blade is sharpened and balanced
replace blade on mower and tighten
securely.
TO BALANCE
BLADE
Check
balance
of blade by placing
cen-
ter hole in blade over a nail or screwdriv-
er shank,
clamped
horizontally
in a vise.
If either end of the blade rotates
down-
ward, file that end. Blade is properly
bal-
anced
when neither end drops.
shorter than 1 1/2 inches, and a height
of 1 1/2 to 2 inches is preferred
on large
lawns.
• Mow your lawn when it is dry to avoid
clumping
of wet grass. If you have a
choice,
late afternoon
is the ideal time
for mowing,
not only because the grass
is dry, but also because
the sensitive
new cut area of the grass will not be
exposed to intense sunlight.
• Keep the mowing
blade sharp for a nice
clean cut, This Improves the mower's
performance and snhanoe,the look of
your lawn, A dull blade bruises and shat-
ters the tips of the grass. This impairs
the healthy
growth of your lawn and
increases
susceptibility to turf diseases.
If the grass tips are bruised it causes a
brownish
color and gives your lawn an
unhealthy
appearance,
A dull blade may
also pull up young seedlings,
• Try to mow your lawn at the same (con-
sistent)
cutting height. While there are
times when you should vary the cutting
height with the changing seasons, a con-
sistent cutting height produces a healthi-
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