As the warm weather approaches and the grass begins to grow, it’s finally time to take out your Cub Cadet out of winter storage and put it to work. If you haven’t operated your mower in a while, it’s important to check out a few things before you start your mower up. On the top of your checklist should be inspecting the blade of your mower. Find out if your Cub Cadet mower blade needs to be replaced and how to replace it.
How do I Know if my Mower Blade Needs Replacing?
The easiest way to see if your mower blade needs to be replaced is to inspect it. The blade should be sharp and free of dents. If the blade is dull on the edges a good sharpening may be sufficient, but after a while, the thickness of the blade can start to wear and reduce the effectiveness of your mower. In the event that you need a new blade, replacing it is not a difficult process as long as you follow the step-by-step directions.
How do I Replace my Mower Blade?
Safety Tips: Engine must be turned off and cooled down. Make sure the spark plug is disconnected, the parking brake is engaged, and PTO lever is disengaged.
Removal of Deck: Lower the deck to its lowest position using the deck height lever. Locate the J-hooks on the right and left sides of the mower and move them downward to detach the deck. Raise the deck to its highest position and remove the cotter pin from the stabilizer rod. Now you should be able to fully take out the stabilizer from the hanger bracket. Next, remove the belt keeper. A screwdriver is needed to remove the self-tapping screws from the keeper. Slide the belt keeper out from underneath the machine and remove it entirely. Then, separate the PTO belt that’s connected to the PTO pulley and pull off the bow tie clip to release the PTO cable. Finally, remove the tension spring from the idler arm. Once you’ve completed the previous steps, you should be ready to disconnect the deck. Take the steering wheel and turn the front tires of the mower as far as they can go to the left. Then, detach the deck by pulling it out from the mower’s right side.
Replacing the blades: To gain access to the blades, turn the deck over so the underside is upright. Make sure you protect your hands with gloves. Using a blade removal tool, glide and fasten the tool over the blades and the side of the deck. Release the bolt located on the central hub in order to release the blades from the spindle. After removing the old blade, substitute it by putting the new blade on the spindle. Fasten the bolt to the torque as indicated in the owners’ manual and make sure the blade is secure.
Reattaching the deck: Start by removing the blade removal tool. Return the deck to its normal upright position and slide it back underneath the machine. Secure the PTO cable, spring, and PTO belt back in their original positions. Replace the belt keeper and stabilizer rod. Push in the J-hooks and move to its upward placement.
If you need to service your Cub Cadet equipment, check out cubparts.com for all your needs. Finding quality OEM parts is easy with the advanced search feature and shipping is fast so you can get started on your project as soon as possible.