i have a sovereign 375 lawn mower alas minus the manual.
i need to sharpen/replace the cutting blade but the retaining bolt seems firmly stuck in place
Trying to move it in a clockwise and or anti clockwise direction is only resulting in the nut starting to 'round off' so before i do any further damage can someone please advise which direction is the correct one to undo this bolt

Roger Furze, July 2010

"Look to the cutting blades - the direction they turn will be the tightening direction - so you remove the nut opposite to the direction of normal rotation of the blade."

Errr....no you don't. The bolt/nut always undoes the SAME direction of rotation- both anti-clockwise. If the bolt/nut undone the opposite way to the direction of blade travel the blade would gradually loosen- think about it.

I think it is you that is easily confused.

pleasant, July 2010

Your are then - easily confused

Peccavi, July 2010

Please read my answer Jeremy. It is always the conventional way for obvious reasons as stated. After servicing all makes of domestic rotary lawnmower for in excess of 11 years I have yet to fnd one the opposite way...please enlighten me.

pleasant, July 2010

I had the same problem with a different make. It is not always the conventional way. You might want to think about which way the blade rotates and which would be most unlikely to cause the bolt to loosen.

Jeremy, July 2010

Slightly confusing answer there from Peccavi. All domestic rotary mower blade bolts/nuts undo in the normal anti-clockwise direction. If it was the opposite direction then it would undo if you hit something solid which is obviously dangerous. As you use a lawnmower the resistance of the grass and other bits and pieces to may hit will slowly overtighten the bolt/nut and consequently are very tight to undo. The correct size socket is a pre-requisite as you don't want to slip and round off the head and a blade locking tool is brilliant. If the bolt has started to round, then there are special wrenches available that are designed to grip on round items which are very good. Alternatively if it is really bad you could weld a good nut to the bolt head and use that to undo it.

pleasant, July 2010

Look to the cutting blades - the direction they turn will be the tightening direction - so you remove the nut opposite to the direction of normal rotation of the blade.

When removing a stubborn nut it can sometimes help to find a way to lengthen the spanner arm to give a greater mechanical advantage - a length of scaffolding pipe for instance. It is OK to file new "flats" onto the nut and to have a slightly smaller spanner snug and firm onto it.

Peccavi, July 2010