Spring is coming soon! Here's how to take care of your lawn care equipment. A mower blade that has developed nicks and dings from hitting rocks and branches is no good. A dull blade rips grass instead of cutting it cleanly, which leaves it more susceptible to disease. As I described in my last blog, sharpening your blade is crucial. To sharpen a blade that's in fairly good condition, just clamp it every couple of weeks and run a metal file along the cutting edge.

If the blade is badly damaged, it needs to be sharpened on a bench grinder, or may need to be replaced. A service shop can sharpen it for you or tell you when it's ready for the trash bin. But if you have your own grinder, it's easy to do the sharpening yourself.

Begin by running the blade back and forth perpendicular to the spinning wheel to grind out dings. This will give you a blunt but straight edge. Check to make sure the blade is balanced: An off-kilter blade can damage the mower. It's easy with a plastic balancer, available at lawn equipment shops and home centers for just a few dollars.

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