Tips on sharpening lawn mower blade
 

Looking for your insight/best tips on sharpening lawn mower blades. Yea, it's pretty straightforward, but you never know, maybe one of you guys have an approach I haven't seen before, please share, thanks!

Wayne C.
--> Gone from CA, now in VA!!!

Balance the blade after sharpening...too heavy on one end or the other & you wear out your bearing faster... Otherwise, I just sharpen on a grinder wheel...making sure to not burn the edge of the blade.

Bench Grinder is best. I take some from both edges for a knife edge. On my rider, if I'm in a hurry: I jack it up and put on jackstands, lay on the floor and use my air powered hand grinder.........Not recommended, but it works........

I used to use the dremel kit. Now I use a bench grinder. Much faster with a bench grinder.

By either method, it takes a certain amount of finesse if you are sharpening mulching blades.

I use a vice and a file. It is quick and leads to a very sharp edge, while removing minimal material.

I used to use a bench grinder until I found these...
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1276481338.jpg

Works in a standard hand grinder. It offers much more control. I use 100 grit.

If you a sharpening the blade on the mower - be safe and disconnect the sparkplug. Even when you are taking the blade off, you are better off disconnecting the sparkplug - with enough torque, the rotation of the blade due to a slipped wrench may be enough to kick the motor over...

-Z-man.

I just prop the mower up and use my Makita grinder.

It takes longer to get the grinder out and put it away then the sharpening.


KT

Just make yourself some biscuits with mustard when you're done.

As red-beard said....

A vice and a file is probably your most accurate way to sharpen the blade.

I find it's hard not to put waves on the edge of the blade with a grinder.

It's easier to control the shape of the edge with a nice quality file.

Make sure that when you are filing, you file properly. Remember files only cut in one direction. Not back and forth. Push the file away from your body, lift, re-position, and push away again. Once you start cutting you'll get good feedback through the handle of the file. You will be able to easily match the angle of the edge and produce a very high quality blade.

I think you may be in for a surprise what the simple file (when done correctly) can do.

Side grinder!

A bench grinder...and here's the balancer I use

Amazon.com: Maxpower Lawn Mower Blade Balancer: Home Improvement

I too use a file. I take the blades on my Honda (it has two), and put it in my vice, and take some time to work out the nicks. I then use one of those plastic balancing things that you can get at Dept or Lowes to make sure it is balanced.

And then the next time I use it I hit a rock that one of the kids has left in the yard....

Bill

Get off my lawn!

He was just a boy! hmmmh

Z is right. Safety first. I always disconnect the spark wire.

+1

4" grinder, bench grinder, die grinder...... I have used all on different occasions. I balance simply by hanging the blade from piece of scrap round stock clamped in a vice. A "perfect" edge is not all that critical. Just grind it to what appears to be about the same angle while removing the stone dings and worn rounded off edge. Unless the kids hit a bunch of stones or dirt clods, I typically only sharpen once or twice a summer mowing 9 acres.

hand grinder.. a 16p nail in the wall for balancing.

So no one besides me thought of the movie Sling Blade?

"I aim to kill you withit."