KINTLE 490-850-0005 Universal Mower Blade Removal Tool/Lawn Mower Blade Clamp Compatible with MTD 21" Walk Behind and Riding Lawn mowers, Fits for 11A-B13M729, 13A326JC058, 13AX935T004, 339079

A simple clamp that fixes a stubborn problem

Sharpening or swapping mower blades is one of those jobs that should take ten minutes and somehow turns into a wrestling match. I’ve braced blades with wood blocks, clamped vise-grips to the deck, even tried holding the blade with gloved hands while leaning on a breaker bar. It works—until it doesn’t. After a few sessions of barked knuckles and spinning blades, I put the Kintle clamp in the kit. It’s a straightforward, rigid-metal blade holder that clamps to the deck and pins a blade in place while you break the bolt loose or torque it back down.

Build and design

The clamp is all business: heavy-gauge steel arms with a pair of opposing “fingers” that straddle the blade and a threaded handle that tightens a deck-side jaw. The geometry is simple and robust—no springs or fiddly joints to bend—and the handle offers decent leverage. It’s sized for walk-behind mowers and most riding decks up to 42 inches, single- and twin-blade setups. The reach of the jaws and the depth of the clamp give you some wiggle room to account for different skirt heights and deck lip shapes, including stamped and fabricated decks.

There are no tool-free quick releases or padded overmolds here, just straightforward steel. I like that. It feels like something you can loan to a neighbor and get back in one piece. The tradeoff is that the handle is a basic 90-degree arm rather than a big T-handle—you can get things tight, but I occasionally wanted a little more purchase.

Setup and clamping in practice

Using the clamp is as simple as it looks:

• Disconnect the spark plug on a walk-behind, or the battery on a rider. Wear gloves.
• Position the blade so you can straddle it with the clamp’s fingers near the end of the cutting edge (well away from the sharpened section).
• Slide the deck jaw over the deck skirt and tighten the handle until the clamp bites down and the blade won’t budge.
• Break the blade bolt loose with your wrench or breaker bar. Reverse the process to torque the new blade in place.

On a 21-inch walk-behind with a stamped deck, I had the clamp on and the bolt free in under a minute. With the blade locked, I didn’t have to worry about the blade striking my hand when the bolt popped loose. During reinstallation, the clamp let me hold the blade steady while I torqued to spec without over-stressing the spindle brake.

Performance across different mowers

I tried the clamp on three common scenarios:

• 21-inch walk-behind, fixed blade: Zero drama. The fingers hugged the blade securely and the deck jaw held fast. I could work alone without improvising with lumber or a helper. If you’re used to blocking the blade with a 2x4, this is cleaner, faster, and safer.

• 42-inch lawn tractor, twin blades: This is the wheelhouse. The clamp’s reach and jaw depth were enough to grab the deck skirt with the discharge chute closed. It held steady while I removed and re-torqued both blades. I didn’t see any signs of blade slip, even when leaning on a long-handled ratchet.

• Three-blade fabricated deck: The clamp can work here, but it depends on the deck’s skirt profile and where you can land the jaws. On one fabricated deck with a deep, boxed lip, I could clamp to hold one blade at a time with some creative placement; on another, space was too tight around the center spindle to get a confident bite. If you have a 3-blade deck, plan on a little trial-and-error—some layouts cooperate, others don’t.

A note on torque: mower blade bolts are often torqued between roughly 60 and 120 ft-lb depending on the machine. The clamp handled the range I tested without twisting or shifting. If you’re dealing with a bolt that hasn’t moved in years, a shot of penetrating oil ahead of time helps. With the blade immobilized, you can focus on the bolt rather than the blade spinning.

What it won’t do

• Swing-back/pivoting blade systems: Some mowers and short-blade carriers use pivoting “bush-hog style” blades. This clamp is designed for standard fixed blades; it’s not the right tool for pivoting assemblies.

• Oversized or unusual deck lips: The clamp needs a reasonably accessible deck skirt to grab. If your deck has a very thick boxed edge or accessories blocking the skirt where you want to clamp, clearance can be an issue.

Ergonomics and deck protection

The clamp’s metal-to-metal contact is part of why it holds so well, but it can scuff paint. If you’re particular about your deck finish, slip a thin scrap of rubber, leather, or cardboard between the jaw and the deck. It doesn’t take much to protect the paint without sacrificing grip.

I would welcome a longer handle or a T-handle for more tightening leverage, especially on tall fabricated decks where you’re reaching under the mower. In the meantime, slipping a deep socket or short piece of tubing over the handle works as a makeshift cheater for stubborn setups.

Safety and best practices

• Always disconnect the spark plug lead (walk-behind) or battery (rider) before working under the deck.
• Tip a walk-behind with the carburetor up to avoid flooding.
• Note the blade orientation and torque spec before removal; many blades are standard right-hand thread, but consult your manual.
• Clean the mating surfaces and use a torque wrench on reassembly. Over-tightening can stress spindles; under-tightening can let blades wobble.

The clamp doesn’t replace common sense, but it removes one of the biggest hazards—an unexpectedly spinning blade—so you can focus on doing the job right.

Durability and maintenance

The construction is stout. There’s no slack in the joints, and the threaded screw remained smooth after several uses. Wipe it down after dirty jobs and hit the threads with a touch of light oil once in a while. Because it’s a single-purpose tool you’ll use a few times a season at most, longevity matters; this feels like a piece that will live in the drawer for years and come out ready to go.

Value and use cases

If you change blades for an entire season of mowing, this clamp pays for itself in time saved and aggravation avoided. It’s not exotic or flashy, but it solves the problem directly:

• Makes blade changes a true one-person task
• Protects your hands and knuckles
• Prevents stress on spindle brakes that aren’t designed to hold full loosening torque
• Speeds reinstallation and torquing to spec

For a homeowner who maintains a walk-behind or a twin-blade lawn tractor, it’s an easy recommendation. For a landscaper or small shop, it’s a handy addition to the service cart—especially when you’re standardizing process and want techs to torque blades correctly without improvising supports.

Who should skip it

If you exclusively run 3-blade decks with cramped skirt access, or equipment with pivoting blades, you may find the clamp awkward or incompatible. In those cases, a purpose-built spindle lock, an impact wrench paired with careful re-torquing, or a different style of blade stop might be a better fit.

Bottom line

The Kintle clamp does exactly what a good specialty tool should: it takes a fussy, sometimes hazardous job and makes it controlled, predictable, and repeatable. It’s sturdy, simple to use, and sized right for the walk-behind and 42-inch class that so many of us mow with. I’d like a longer or T-style handle and optional jaw pads, but those are refinements rather than must-haves.

Recommendation: I recommend this blade clamp for homeowners and pros who routinely service walk-behind and twin-blade riding mowers up to 42 inches. It saves time, keeps your hands safer, and lets you apply proper torque without fighting the deck. If most of your work involves three-blade decks with tight skirts or pivoting blade systems, consider your deck geometry carefully—this tool may still work, but it isn’t guaranteed on those layouts.