Export thread

Is it hard to resharpen a blade yourself? I know my lawnmower blades are having some issues and I was going to replace it but someone suggested I just sharpened it. What sort of tools do you need to do that?

It is a good idea to have an extra set of blades to swap, that way you have sharp ones ready to go back on when you are under the deck taking the others off...
There is a thread started about sharpening blades. http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/back-yard/558-sharpening-blades.html:thumbsup:
Only real care is , Don't allow the steel to get to hot.
The biggest trick is getting them off, you have to get the deck high enough to get to them.
An impact wrench is easiest, either an electric, air or mechanical (hammer) will work... BUT you have to be high enough to get to them...
With an extra set you can also replace any that may be damaged, and still get back to mowing without having to round up a replacement right then...
One more thing about replacing blades... swap them left to right... If you have 2 or 3 under the deck move the one at the discharge all the way over to the opposite side, and move the others one step closer to the discharge... The reason is that the discharge side cuts the grass under it AND the grass from the other blade(s), so you can spread out the work by rotating their positions... Happy mowing, :smile:KennyV

My hubby sharpens his own blades for almost everything (chainsaw, lawn mowers too). I don't think it's too hard, it's just time consuming. I'm sure it saves us a lot of money!

Zeroturn said:

My hubby sharpens his own blades for almost everything (chainsaw, lawn mowers too). I don't think it's too hard, it's just time consuming. I'm sure it saves us a lot of money!

Click to expand...

Jeez, I sharpen chainsaw blades, mower blades, chisels, tiller tines, axes, mauls, wedges, etc.

One of the best tools a novice can use for sharpening is what they call a Dremel tool, one of those handheld 30,000 rpm mini grinders. With an abrasive sanding drum installed they are great for small jobs...yesterday I did four rototiller tines (32 actual edges) in 15 minutes using only 8 of those mini sanding sleeves that slip over a rubber drum. Probably the safest method of sharpening you will find.

Bethieboo said:

Is it hard to resharpen a blade yourself? I know my lawnmower blades are having some issues and I was going to replace it but someone suggested I just sharpened it. What sort of tools do you need to do that?

Click to expand...

It's not hard to sharpen your mower blades, I sharpen all my blades with a Makita hand held grinder with a sanding disk and balance with the table top cone. Balancing is a must if you sharpen your own blades.

I have never tried to sharpen my own lawnmower blades but after reading this thread and the link to the other thread I think I am going to give it a try!

I'm reminded of my father because he sharpens every blade in the house. Sometimes I even wonder if he sharpens the blades of the ceiling fans.

I've not owned a mower before so I haven't tried sharpening the blades. Will it be alright for a new owner to sharpen the mower's blade?

Robin said:

Will it be alright for a new owner to sharpen the mower's blade?

Click to expand...

I'm an old owner ... and I sharpen my blades. :biggrin: :smile:KennyV

I use a hand held grinder to sharpen our blades. On fixed blades I just hang the blade on a finishing nail on the side of the shed and touch the heavy side with the grinder until the blade balances level. Meg-mo blades are another matter since it is recommended they stay on the wheel when sharpening, so I make sure I make the same number of passes with the grinder on each of the four blades. The Meg-mo wheel is heavy so a little out of balance is not noticable. In either case finishing with a wide flat file improves cutting. As KennyV said, do not burn the metal. If it turns blue, you are grinding too hard.

As I stated in my previous post it's not hard to sharpen your mower blades yourself but balancing your blades is a must and using the nail-in-the-wall method to try and balance a lawn mower blade is a myth and a waste of time because the balance readings are not consistent.
The nail-in-the-wall measure of balance is so inaccurate that it simply has no value in reducing blade vibration. Consistent accurate balance measure can only be obtained at the center of rotation i.e. in the center of the lawn mower blade mounting hole.

NO, and YES.
No it is NOT hard to sharpen yourself.... YES it is difficult to CLEAN, SHARPEN, and BALANCE - - properly, accurately, and safely.

Here's the real deal:
http://www.lawnmowerforum.com/gener...ade-sharpening-pros-perspective-part-1-a.html

Sharpen every kind of blade I have......not hard.

Lazarus rises from the dead after being asleep since 2010. But now that he's back among us, here's what I do.

For mower blades I usually use a 12" (about 16 1/2" OAL) Nicholson file and balance with a high-fallootin' Italian balancer. If I'm really lazy, I use a cheap angle grinder with a 4" flap sander.

Edit to add: Pay attention to the outermost 1 to 2 inches of cutting edge. That's were the lion's share of cutting takes place.

For chainsaws, both of mine take a 5/32" round file. I leave the chain on the bar. Depending on how long it's been since it was sharpened, I'll use the round file to clean up a link, counting the number of strokes it took. Then I give all the links this number of strokes. If you don't let a chain get too far gone, it usually only takes two or three strokes and you have a chain that will cut like crazy---for a tank of gas if you don't hit something or get it in the dirt. Then you need to touch it up again.

I've been sharpening all my own stuff since I was a boy scout, too long ago. Mower blades, axes and the like I sharpen in a vise with a hand file. If the file is sharp it only takes a few minutes. I balance with a piece of thin steel upright in the vise as a fulcrum. It's not that difficult, a beginner can learn to do it pretty easily. It's also satisfying to put the blade back in use and see the difference I made.

For the first 7 years that I was a homeowner I did not sharpen my blades; I simply replaced them. I would spend about $50 a year to do a full tune up with an oil flush and two new blades for my HRX. At the time I didn't see an issue with the cost, but it wasn't until I got an Exmark and a set of blades cost nearly $60 alone that I decided to start sharpening them myself. For sharpening I used the Arnold Universal Blade Sharpener found here: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Arnold-Universal-Lawn-Mower-Blade-Sharpening-Kit-490-850-0006/300615901 This worked well for me and made a razor sharp edge.

I had tried a bench grinder and failed terribly. I do have an angle grinder with a sanding disk which I might try the next time around.

Not hard if done regularly. It depends on how big the yard is as to what regularly is. I use a 4''' side grinder with a 1/4"' thick wheel. Try to replicate the original angle to get the longest life out of the blade. Grind gently or you may burn the edge of the blade. I use a balancer that I got from Harbor Freight when I got the side grinder. It is the one that goes in the mounting hole and is real simple to use. (round pyramid on a nail) This will keep the blades from vibrating the deck to death. Good luck and be sure to wear safety glasses and gloves.