Owning a regular lawn mower does not mean you have to give up on mulching your yard; you just have to be willing to do some work. Most lawn mower blades that come standard on a lawn mower are not mulching blades, but it is fairly easy to put some on your mower. Changing your lawn mower blade to a mulching blade takes a little time and effort but it can be done without a lot of trouble. If you choose to switch your regular lawn mower blade to a mulching blade you will have smoother grass and it will be a better cut which is great for the mulching bag. Here is an easy way to switch your regular lawn mower blade to a mulching lawn mower blade so you can have the best cut lawn in the neighborhood.
In order to install a mulching blade on your lawn mower you are going to need a few tools and materials to get started. You will need a pair of gloves, socket wrench and a small block of wood. You can get these items at your local home improvement store for around 15 dollars if you do not already have them at your house.
While wearing gloves you will need to disconnect the spark plug wire from the lawn mower. Lay the lawn mower down on its side making sure you are on a flat surface while doing it. You will need room to work and a flat surface so a driveway or garage would probably be the best location to install the mulching blades. Place the small block of wood between the mower blade and the cover so that the blade will not move or rotate.
Take off the nut that holds the blade to the mower with the socket wrench by turning it to the left. The washer should come off fairly easily also and then place them in a cup or somewhere you know they will not get lost. The block of wood should be taken away from the blade and then the blade should slide out of the lawn mower easily.
Place the mulching blade on the lawn mower while making sure it is level and will rotate evenly. Place the washer back onto the lawn mower as well as the nut and turn the nut in a clockwise fashion. When you are replacing the nut and washer you need to make sure that the blade is secured so it is not spinning either by using the wooden block or your other hand. Secure the nut in place by using the wrench and then check it again to make sure it is secured tightly.
You can now stand the mower up and put the spark plug back into the mower. The blower shoot should now be plugged into the mower which will help you cut your grass. The blower shoot will allow you to cut the grass several times before the grass falls to the ground. If you do not have a plug for the blower shoot then you can buy one from any home improvement store for about five dollars. You should now have a mulching blade on your lawn mower and it should help you cut your grass into finer pieces. The process of attaching the mulching blade to a lawn mower is pretty simple and does not require much work or time.