The best way to sharpen a lawn mower blade is a bench grinder, but you have other options at your disposal. Dremel has a special attachment that will let you sharpen with the rotary tool after clamping the blade in a vice and a handheld angle grinder is another excellent option. Finally, files and whetstones work just fine – they just take a little more time.
Today we’ll cover the most commonly asked questions about keeping your mower blades sharp and at their best – read on to find out everything you know to keep your cutting crisp!
How do you keep lawn mower blades sharp?
Keeping your lawn mower blades sharp is all about knowing when to sharpen them and when it’s time to replace them. On average, every 20 to 25 hours of use you should go ahead and sharpen your blades. As far as replacement, this can be every 100 to 200 hours, depending on incidental damage that occurs to the blade during normal use.
If you are getting uneven cutting after sharpening and balancing your blade, it’s definitely time for a replacement.
Should a lawn mower blade be razor sharp?
No, razor sharp is TOO sharp and you want to avoid this. Sharpening a blade overmuch thins out the metal, making it more susceptible to damage and it will also go dull more quickly that it would with proper sharpening. Attempt to sharpen it to the same edge as it had from the factory, generally about as sharp as a butter knife.
How do you sharpen a lawn mower blade without taking it off?
You can sometimes sharpen a blade without taking off, depending on the make and model of your mower. Typically, this is going to require suspending your mower so that the blades are accessible, by propping it up on wood or other means at your disposal. After this, clean the blades, and sharpen them with a handheld angle grinder.
What angle should a lawn mower blade be sharpened?
Typically, you want to hold the file at a 45 degree angle for sharpening, but there can be some angle variance with different blades. The best thing to do is to simply hold your file against the existing angle and this will give you the proper one every time.
How do you sharpen a lawnmower blade with a whetstone?
Sharpening with a whetstone is much the same as sharpening with a file. Most commonly you should hold it at a 45-degree angle and sharpen in one direction, but check the existing angle first – some blades are different and if you use the existing angle as a guide you can always sharpen any blade at the perfect angle.
Should you sharpen new mower blades?
You won’t need to sharpen a new mower blade that you’ve just purchased or which came pre-installed. Lawn mower blades come already pre-sharpened by the manufacturer, so you should feel the edge to get an idea of the perfect sharpness and then sharpen it yourself after 20 to 25 hours of work use.
Do you sharpen both sides of a mower blade?
No. You should only sharpen the blade at the top side of the actual cutting edge and make sure to balance the blade after it is sharpened. If you have a specialty blade, such as a Gator, which employs teeth in the design, leave these teeth alone and just sharpen the cutting edge in the same manner as with a standard.
How much does it cost to get a lawn mower blade sharpened?
That will depend on the vendor that you select, but you can expect anywhere in the neighborhood of $5 to $15 for a professional sharpening of a standard or a mulching blade.
You can save money on this with the purchase of a grinder for home sharpening, which will run you about $20-$50 for a small grinder that will be perfect for sharpening mower blades and many of your tools.
Do you have to balance mower blades after sharpening?
Yes. Imbalanced blades will cut unevenly, increase mower vibration, and the blades and even the mower itself may be damaged through continued work use. To get the best life and performance out of your blades, be sure to always balance them immediately after you sharpen them.
Can you sharpen ride on mower blades?
Yes, you can. These are secured by a bolt underneath your riding mower, so after you elevate the mower to gain access you can remove the blades to sharpen them. You should mark the underside with a marker, so that you will know how to properly reinstall the blades.
Clean the blades, clamp them into a vise, and you should be able to sharpen the working edge with the tool of your choice.
How do you keep lawn mower blades sharp?
The best way to keep your mower blades sharp is simple – regular sharpening. You should sharpen your mower blades every 20 to 25 hours of use and if you do this, you can generally expect 100 to 200 hours of work use before the blades will need to be replaced.
How do you sharpen a lawnmower blade with a rotary tool?
Sharpening your blade with a rotary tool is a simple matter of removing it, cleaning the blade thoroughly, and securing it into a vise. This will allow you to grind the edge as-needed or if you are using a Dremel, you can even use a sharpening attachment to cut your time in half.
Does Ace Hardware sharpen lawn mower blades?
Many hardware stores provide sharpening services and Ace is definitely one of them. Ace will sharpen lawn mower blades, scissors, and a number of other tools, so if you have one nearby you can simply bring in your blade and they can do it for you.
Does wet grass dull mower blades?
Cutting your lawn when it’s wet is definitely harder on your blades. You can minimize the damage by thoroughly cleaning the blades both before you mow and afterwards. If you live in an area where it rains often and wet grass is hard to avoid, change your sharpening frequency to every 15 to 20 hours of work use for best performance.
