Lawn mower dies when blades are engaged

• Remove the blade by removing the nut that attaches it to the mower.
• If there is any rust on the blade, remove it with steel wool or a steel brush.
• Clamp the blade in a vice, or to the edge of a solid work surface.
• Run a file down the cutting edge, following the same angle already on the blade.
• If the blade is badly damaged, you will have to use a bench grinder or have it professionally sharpened.
  • Run the blade perpendicular to the grinding wheel to remove any nicks or gouges (this will give you a straight blunt edge).
  • Hold the blade at the proper angle (the angle already on the blade) and grind the length of the blade until it is sharp.
• Balance the blade (from the center point) on a nail or on a Blade Balancer (~$5) to check that the blade is balanced.
  • If the blade is not balanced, you will have to remove a bit of the material from the heavier side (Do not remove this material from the cutting edge).
• Now that your blade is sharpened and balanced, reattach it to the mower.

Sharpening the blade more frequently will make the task quicker and easier, since you won't have to grind as much to get a good edge.

If you do sharpen the blade using a power grinder heat from the process can weaken the blade, so you'll want to quench the blade to prevent overheating. dip the blade in water frequently during the sharpening process to cool it, and wipe it dry before you continue grinding.

The "article" you linked to is written by the manufacturer of STA-BIL, a brand of fuel stabilizer. So I would take the entire thing with an enormous grain of salt.

I don't see how you can go wrong following the advice of the lawn mower manufactorer. Personally for my small engines I switch to stabilized fuel sometime in the fall so that it works its way through all the hoses and into the engine, then when I'm done for the year I run it dry. That way virtually all the fuel is gone and whatever is left should have stabilizer in it.