Why Do Some Mower Blades Have Teeth? Here's What They're Used For

A key component of any mower is its blade setup. There are several different types of lawn mower blades, each with their own pros and cons to help them serve their primary function of cutting grass. Perhaps the most distinctive type of mower blade is the one with teeth along the edge (though not the cutting edge). These are often referred to as gator blades, and they're a bit intimidating to look at. Outlandish as the design may be, though, this type of blade is excellent at mulching grass. Rather than cutting grass themselves, the gator blades "direct" grass back towards the cutting edge. 

They are particularly good for situations when you have a lot of fallen leaves to deal with because they can make faster and more efficient work of them. As such, they're best suited for cutting during fall and winter, when leaves will be plentiful. There are some important caveats to consider before opting for this unique type of serrated blade, though.

Some professionals say gator blades can handle tricky conditions like wet or damp grass better than alternative styles of blade as well. In a YouTube video, Douglas Lawn Care noted that, on a rainy morning in Michigan, their gator blades can "cut just as well as a high lift blade," without clumping as much. Additionally, the shredding produced by gator blades is extremely compact because they can shred the grass so thoroughly. This makes the job far more convenient and potentially less time consuming because you don't need to empty the bags as often. In other words, gator blades and their serrated edges do a lot of the hard work for the user, and this is super convenient. 

As always, however, hard work demands a lot of energy. As a result, your mower might need considerable horsepower to run gator blades effectively. There's something else to remember too: Inevitably, those blades will become extremely dirty with grass, soil, and all sorts of detritus as you mow. When it comes to cleaning, you'll unfortunately find that these blades can be more awkward to work with because of the irregular shape of the teeth. Maintaining your lawn mower can be a tricky prospect as it is, but you might find yourself especially missing the largely easy-to-follow shape of a more conventional blade when it comes to cleaning a gator blade.