How to Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades?
Lawn mower blades are meant to be Sharp but not as aggressively sharp as razor blades. As a user, you ought to be able to touch the blades and not get harmed, but they have to be sharp enough to get the job done in record time. Don't be deceived, a razor sharp blade does not necessarily translate to cutting grass well, an edge that is too Sharp has the possibility of rolling over grass than cutting it smoothly.
The best way to have your blades sharpened is by using a dedicated blade grinder as opposed to using your hand or any other bench grinder technique. Bench grinder technique or hand grinding/sharpening consumes too much time and often leads to inconsistent results. Most bench sharpened blades results in blades that are sharp at some edges and very blunt at other edges. This is not what we want for a proper cut
Read on to find out how to sharpen lawn mower blades.
When is the right time to Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades?
The more you use your mower the more frequently you should sharpen the blades. If you use your mower for residential apartment to cut around the yard and garden, sharpening it once a year is appropriate. However, if you are into professional landscaping business or you have large acres of land to maintain on a regular basis you should look into sharpening the blades frequently.
Read more: How to Change a Lawn Mower Blade?
Sharpening By Hand (Inconsistent results)
To sharpen the mower blade by hand, securely clamp the mower blades to your workstation. Do it in a way that makes it convenient for you to work on it. Most people prefer the blade sticking out from the workstation and roughly at their waist region so that they can work on the mower blade while sitting down. Place pieces of paper or newspaper just below the workstation to catch the tiny metal filings that dropout for easy cleanup.
Sharpening with a file
Follow these procedures to sharpen your blade with a metal file
- Place a metal file along the Cutting Edge of the mower blade
- Now stroke the metal file inside and outside of the shiny surface of the mower blade
- Repeat the process until a clean shining surface emerges just at the edges
- Repeat steps 1 through to 3 for the other side
Sharpening with a Machine
The best way to get your blade sharpened is by using a dedicated machine grinder. Grinding by machine is the best way to get consistent results from every sharpening activity, but before you use a machine observe some common safety practices and precautions before, after and during working.
Things you need to sharpen your Mower blade by Machine
Precautionary Steps to take before machine sharpening begins
Using a dedicated mower blade grinder
Additional precautions while operating a dedicated grinder
Reinstalling the Blade after sharpening it
After sharpening your blade in whatever means you choose, place it in water to cool it down. After that, lubricate the main bolts so that they do not rust before placing it back in the lawn mower. Tighten the bolts making sure you get the orientation of the blades right. Lastly, avoid using a hammer to make the boat tighter this might cause a little disruption.
