A gorgeous healthy lawn requires the best lawn mower blades. A straight sharp blade will put less stress on your lawn, help to avoid problems and set you up for success.
Best Lawn Mower Blades: Reviews of our Top Picks
One of the most important and often overlooked elements to your lawn care program is your lawn mower blades.
Having a dull or chipped lawn mower blade will lead to a poor quality of cut.
Dull lawn mower blades will aggressively rip and tear leaf blades compared to a sharp blade which will give a smooth clean and even cut.
This is important for a couple or reasons.
- First, cutting with a sharp straight blade will put significantly less stress on your lawn. When grass is stressed it will disperse stored nutrients and water leaving your turf discolored.
- Second, when a grass blade is ripped instead of cut cleanly it will leave the leaf blade open to common turf diseases and fungus. Curing these problems are often expensive and time consuming.
These issues can be prevented in part by making sure your blades are in good condition.
If you have never changed your blades before or it’s been a couple of seasons with the same blades now is the time to replace or upgrade.
Our list of blades will consist of factory replacements as well as upgraded blades for some of the most common lawn mowers on the market.
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Best Blades for Toro Lawn Mowers
Oregon Gator Mulcher 3-N-1 Lawn Mower Blade
The 3-N-1 Mulching blade that is a great upgrade from the stock factory blades. Each blade is thru-hardened to a score of 50 on the Rockwell C-scale for optimum safety and durability, then individually straightened for precise cutting. If you are looking for blades that excel at mulching, then these are the blades you need.
Pros
- High lift mulching blade
- Provides efficient cut reducing the need for bagging
- Great for side discharge
- Better steel than factory blade
- Works well on damp to wet turf
Cons
- Some users report clumping
The Best Oregon Gator Blades for other Toro Mowers: Click Here
Best Blades for Honda Lawn Mowers
Honda 72531-VH7-000 + 72511-VH7-000 Lawn Mower Blade Set
This is a great OEM direct factory replacement when you need to keep your cutting edge sharp. They cut well and leave no shredded tips on the grass and mulches completely.
Pros
- Genuine Honda replacement
- Trusted durability
- Duel blade for optimal mulching
Cons
- Factory paint coating may need to be filed to expose sharpened edge
Best Universal Mower Blades
Maxpower 331981B Universal Gold Metal Mulching Lawn Mower Blades
The top rated universal mulching blade for 21 in lawn mowers. You’ll notices the sharpened cutting teeth create a cleaner, finer cut. These blades are manufactured in the USA to meet or exceed OEM specifications.
Pros
- Universal fitting with included hardware for most mowers
- Provides great lift for bagging
- Ulta fine cut for mulching
- Large cutting surface
Cons
- Extra install time may be required for the perfect fit
Best for Common Homeowner Lawn Mowers
Maxpower 331731B Mulching Blade for 22 Inch Cut Poulan/Husqvarna/Craftsman
The perfect upgraded blade for many standard mowers including Craftsman, Husqvarna and Poulan.
Pros
- Fits many mowers with common ⅝” center hole
- Good for bagging and mulching
- Upgrade for many factory blades
Cons
- A little lighter weight compared to other blades
- Some users report difficulty installing – see video below for help.
Best Blades for Riding Lawn Mowers
Oregon 598-629 G5 Gator Blades
Oregon blades are hands down the perfect blade for your riding lawn mower. The cutting edge on these is straight, which makes for easy sharpening on a bench grinder. The blades are noticeably thicker and heavier for long wear.
Pros
- Excellent for mulching and bagging
- Provides good lift for cutting on uneven surfaces
- Carbide reinforced for strength and durability
- Applications for 42”, 48” and 54” decks
Cons
- None
There are also options available for 46 inch and 54 inch blades
Things to consider when purchasing new blades for your lawn mower
Blade Fitment
The easiest way to determine fitment for your new blade is to reference the model number for your factory blade.
If you are unable to locate the factory model number on the blade or in your owner’s manual a simple search online including your mower type and model will lead you to the factory specs of your blade.
If you are still having trouble determining what blade will fit your mower best here are a few things to consider
- Blade Length
Measure your blade in a diagonal direction from tip to tip to determine the overall length of the blade. Having this measurement correct will insure the blade will fit properly seated in the mower deck. Note, that going smaller to insure fit will leave grass uncut in strips. - Mounting Hole Configuration
The mounting spindle is what will attach your new blade to your mower. These spindles come in many different configurations so proper identification will relieve frustration and get you back to mowing sooner. Use the common patterns listed below to help you determine your needs- Rounded: Measure the diameter
- H Pattern
- Y Pattern
- Star Pattern: 5, 6, and 7 star
Blade Performance
A couple of things to consider when choosing a blade. First find a blade that is classified as high lift.
This feature will help with suction as the blade spins and “lift” as it’s being cut to ensure and even uniform cut.
Most mowers have a mulching or side discharge function. These features are used when you are not bagging and wish to return your clippings to the lawn for added nutrients. If you are using one of these two features make sure the balde you chose has a mulching capability that will cut a blade into finer pieces which will decompose faster.
Blade Coating
Whether you chose a factory replacement or an aftermarket blade it will be delivered with some sort of powdercoated or painted edge.
To get the most out of your new blade it is best to use a file to lightly remove this coating to reveal your new sharp edge.
To do this file perpendicular to the edge in one direction along the factory beveled edge. This is also a good task to perform at the beginning and of each season to prolong the life of your new blade.
This simple task will keep your blade sharp and remove any imperfections like rock gouges to keep you blade in top working order.
Safety
When removing or changing your blade it is best to always remove to boot from your spark plug. This often overlooked step is vital in ensuring safety while changing your blade.
Failure to do so may result in your blade spinning and turning the engine and the engine firing.
This simple step will remove that dangerous possibility.
Another tip to make your conversion easier is to block your blade with a scrap piece of 2×4 so your blade does not spin as your are removing the spindle bolt.
To do this place your 2×4 perpendicular to your blade deep into the mower deck’s discharge hole. Slowly rotate the blade the blade until it contacts the 2×4 and is wedged in place.