Solutions to “Lawn Mower Blade Bolt Stuck”

It’s a bright Sunday morning, and it’s time for you to stick to the weekend schedule and kickstart the day by mowing the lawn. As a result, you start your lawnmower and mow the uneven areas. Halfway through the work, you hear a crashing sound. The sound continues to persist as you start hunting for the source. This is when you see that your lawnmower blade bolt is stuck. This is a major bummer as you are left with a stuck mower with half of the lawn still unmowed. 

It is very common for a mower blade bolt to be stuck when in operation. There are plenty of reasons because of which your lawnmower blade bolt won’t come off. And the last thing you want to do is try to repair it manually and lose a finger or two. Therefore, this article will thoroughly guide you through everything that can be done if your lawnmower blade bolt won’t come off. 

NOTE: The mower blade is extremely sharp peripherals and should NOT touch with bare hands. If your mower blade is stuck, do NOT put your hand inside the mower to untangle the blades. 

Solved: Lawn Mower Blade Bolt Won’t Come Off 

As we mentioned above, there are multiple reasons why your lawnmower blade won’t come off. One of the primary reasons is the presence of too many rocks and stones within the grass. But here, you can use the given fixes to help solve the problem. 

Tools Required To Fix Lawn Mower Blade Nut Stuck

Fixing the stuck lawnmower blade isn’t a complicated process. However, that doesn’t mean you can do it by inserting your hands into the blades and untangling them yourselves. You will need a few impact tools to make the job easier for this operation. First and foremost, you need to take precautionary measures. For this, always ensure that you have:

• Safety Gloves 
• Safety Goggles
• Ear Plugs

Once the safety is taken care of, you can proceed to assemble the following tools.

• Tool Leverage
• Vice Grip
• Hammer And Chisel
• Heat
• Socket
• Socket Wrench
• Welding Machine (Heat Source)

1. Prepare The Lawnmower

Once you have assembled all the necessary tools, you will need to prepare the mower for repairing purposes thoroughly. To do so, implement the given steps.

NOTE: Always prepare the lawnmower when attempting repairs. Not doing so can result in severe injuries to the repairman and can permanently damage the machine. 

Step 1. Disconnect the engine by removing the spark plug to keep the engine from starting automatically. As the majority of the mowers are driven by a centrifugal force, removing the spark plug keeps the machine from initiating combustion. This way, you can be sure thereto prevent an electrical flare-up if the spark comes in contact with oil or gas.
Step 2. Turn the lawnmower such that the gas tank and air cleaner are facing up. This should be done to avoid leakage or spillage.
Step 3. Secure the mower blades ( learn which side of blade is up ) by placing a wedge or a piece of wood between the mower deck and the blade.
Step 4. Put on the socket
Step 5. Put on the socket wrench.

NOTE: The size of the bolt generally depends on the size of the mower. Therefore, knowing the bolt size will help you know the size of the socket and socket wrench required for the process. 

2. Remove The Bolt

Now that you have readied the machine, carefully remove the stuck blade bolt from the machine. 

NOTE: the first and foremost thing to understand here is to NOT FORCE ANYTHING. If a particular step isn’t working, simply let it be and do not forcefully implement it. 

To remove the bolt from the machine, trace the given steps.

Step 1. Turn the mower blade counterclockwise using the socket wrench. 

NOTE: The size of the bolt generally depends on the size of the mower. Therefore, knowing the size of the bolt will help you know the size of the socket and socket wrench required for the process. 

Step 2. Pay close attention to the POSITION of the blade at all times. 
Step 3. As you turn the socket counterclockwise, you will see the bolt turning slowly
Step 4. Once you have loosened the bolt, wear your safety gloves and loosen it completely using your hand
Step 5. Use the right-sized socket to remove the nut from the bolt. 
Step 6. Now, use the leverage tool to assist with the process
Step 7. Turn the leverage tool to the left to loosen
Step 8. Keep applying tension on the bolt to remove it
Step 9. If the bolt still won’t budge, tighten it slightly and then apply tension to loosen it
Step 10. When you notice the tension becoming soft, the bolt could be stripping the threads
Step 11. Now, try to hit the bolt head repeatedly with a hammer
Step 12. This will help break the rust formed in the threads
Step 13. If the bolt head is rounded, use a vice grip and get it as tight as you can
Step 14. Hit the grip to the left using the hammer

If the bolt doesn’t come off despite implementing the above steps, you can use heat

Step 15. To reduce the tension of the bolt, directly heat the bolt in a SMALL AMOUNT keeping a low flame
Step 16. Do NOT redden the bolt 
Step 17. Keep heating for 2 minutes before you start noticing any movement within the bolt
Step 18. When you start noticing that blade is coming off, move the timber to lock the blade in the clockwise direction

How To Remove The Blade If It Is Rusted Or Frozen?

Mower blades are made using metal. Over time, these metal blades tend to corrode and rust. Removing the blade if it’s corroded or frozen will require double the strength. Be that as it may, NEVER FORCE the blade removal process as it can damage the blades. Therefore, start by removing as much rust as possible from the mower blades. For this, you can grease and a stiff wire brush. Soak the bolt with grease and allow the oil into the threads. Ensure that all plastic and painted parts are covered with a wielder-proof blanket. 

Use a welding machine on the side of the mower blades. After a few minutes, turn off the heat and immediately remove the mower blades. In case the blades are tight, weld them for another few minutes. 

The Bottom Line

As we mentioned earlier in the article, there are multiple reasons why your lawnmower blade won’t come off. So, we suggest that you inspect your lawn for rocks and stones to dispose of them before you mow the lawn. If none of the fixes works out for you, contact a mechanic immediately and have him look at the machine to assert the damage.