Blades Changing Blades

When they star to get dull. On any mower. Couple times a week for me.
 
I worry about sharpening mine and then balancing them incorrectly. I have a 60" ZT with 3 blades. I've never sharpened a blade before, except for my push mower.
 
Watch a you tube on how the use a file on your blades. Takes just a couple mins at the end of each day

(( racing is the only sport that you need two balls ))
 
I have a mid level Oregon blade grinder. It does a nice job but very time consuming. I keep the balancer nearby on top of my tablesaw. I've got 4-5 sets (3 blades) of blades to do right now and I need to get with it!!! I haven't found any difference doing short blades to long blades, I frequently check the balance while I'm sharpening. I have a crushed stone driveway and I set the grinder on a small table in the garage with the output going out into the driveway. I'll take some pics when I setup next time and post them here. Gotta do some cleanup in the garage first, been building model train modules since last October and finished just last week and the garage is a royal mess!!!! HaHa!!!:laughing:
Mad Mackie in CT:laughing::biggrin::cool:
 
Bomba said:
I worry about sharpening mine and then balancing them incorrectly. I have a 60" ZT with 3 blades. I've never sharpened a blade before, except for my push mower.
Click to expand...

I use a Makita Hand grinder to sharpen my blades with a sanding disc. If you're worried about balancing you blades buy one of those Unifit Blade Balancing cones, ( metal not plastic ) They only cost 4 or 5 dollars. Find a place it on a level surface and sit your mower blade on it, you will be able to see if you had sharpened it right or not or if you just have to take just a little more off of one side than the other. It's really not that critical, they don't need to be perfect. You can take your blades to a shop to be done but there's no guarantee that they will be done any better than you can do them.
 
Thanks to all of you who replied. I think I need to go to my Exmark dealer today and buy another set of blades. Blades that I can put on the mower while I'm sharpening the other blades. I will look on you tube and try the $5 balancer with the sanding disc. My mower in just 16 hours old but I've had a lot of hickory nuts and hard shells and other debris from my trees crashing against my blades. I've since raked it all up. There are a few "notches" here and there on the blades.
 
I dont have a Ex Mark, I have a JD LT 445 w/ 60 in. cut, i mow close to 4 ac. with it, the blades are heavy/thick Blades, i sharpen them about after ever 3 or 4 times of mowing, I replace them when the blades are getting to the point that I think they should be replaced, I get about a year and half out of a set of blades, i use a 4 1/2 in. side grinder to sharpen my blades, I put the blade in a vice to hold it while i sharpen it, i check the balance on them by putting it on a Nail that is driven in the wall, i dont very often fine one that needs to be fixed, blades ware even, not a big deal to me

One of the biggest problems i fine with oweners of Mowers, is they dont keep the Blades sharp, a mower runs so much better with sharp blades, when i was younger I helped with a Yard Mowing Crew, the big mower was going all day, we had 2 sets of blades, & most of the time we put on a sharp set of blades not long after lunch, you could tell it when the sharp set went on,
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top