Sharpening Cylinder Lawn Mower Blades? All Answers

A lawn mower is an indispensable garden tool. With a good one, you can be assured of well-manicured lawns in your homestead. Overgrown lawns are unsightly and harbor pests; Therefore, before mowing the lawn, ask yourself the following question: What factors determine the optimal performance of a good mower? Optimum performance is all about lawnmower efficiency. In this post, we will look at the sharpness of lawnmower blades.

Can lawnmower blades be too sharp?

Lawnmower blades should be sharp, but they don’t have to be as sharp as a razor blade. If you touch the blade, you should not cut your hand. This way they cut the grass seamlessly and have a clean butt. Very sharp blades dull quickly and require sharpening much more often, shortening blade life.

How sharp should lawnmower blades be?

If the blades are too sharp they will dull quickly, although this can depend on blade thickness. With blade sharpness, many other questions come up, such as: B. How sharp should the blades be? You might want to call it a what-if question. However, if you plan to mow a garden full of weeds and soft grass, it’s best to sharpen the blades at an extremely low angle. Keep the blades a little blunt when working on the woody or rough lawn.

Most importantly, for blade edges, the sharpening angle should always be 40 degrees, but not less than 30 degrees. Anything below this slope is considered too sharp, making it more vulnerable to small rocks, dirt, and pebbles. The bottom line is that the sharpness of a lawnmower blade depends on the texture of the grass and the terrain of your yard. A simple rule of thumb of ours is that the level of sharpness (bevel and angle) should remain as you purchased it when you purchased your lawnmower.

Do sharp mower blades make a difference?

Yes, sharp blades make a difference – a huge difference, to say the least. When the grass grows fast and bushy in spring, only sharper blades can produce a great cut with minimal stress on your lawnmower. You can also mow faster with sharp mowing blades. Therefore, we would say that the sharpness of the lawnmower blades matters. To understand why sharper blades make a difference, consider the following:

Torn grass edges: Nicked or blunt lawn mower blades only shatter the grass at the cut edges. This means your lawn will end up with torn grass instead of clean straight cuts. You don’t want an unsightly, jagged lawn, do you?

Notched or blunt lawn mower blades only smash the grass at the cutting edges. This means your lawn will end up with torn grass instead of clean straight cuts. You don’t want an unsightly, jagged lawn, do you? Dried Grass: Cracked grass means a few days after mowing; Your lawn will turn brown as the grass dries around the torn edges.

Cracked grass means a few days after mowing; Your lawn will turn brown as the grass dries around the torn edges. Diseases and Pests: Even so, smashed, torn, and brown grass is susceptible to diseases and pest infestations, which makes lawn care a bit higher. We bet you don’t want to go that route, at least not right now.

Sharpening lawnmower blades: how does it work?

You should always check lawn mower blades for sharpness. While dull edges are easy to spot from the grass clippings, experts recommend checking blades for sharpness in early spring (mowing season). Some signs of dull blades are dents, nicks, and bends. Straws that split grass and leave it rough and brown after a few days are often dull.

Also note that cleaning the lawn before mowing will help keep the blades sharp for longer. Examine your garden and remove debris, stones, rocks and sticks that would damage the blades. The following steps should be followed when sharpening lawnmower blades:

Protective Gear: Wear protective gear when sharpening blades. This includes safety goggles and cut-resistant gloves.

Wear protective gear when sharpening knives. This includes safety goggles and cut-resistant gloves. Disconnect the Spark Plug: Be sure to disconnect the spark plugs on your lawnmower. It is intended to prevent the machine from starting by itself.

Make sure the spark plugs are disconnected on your lawnmower. It is intended to prevent the machine from starting by itself. Tools Needed: You will need tools such as a rag, vise, and ratchet set/socket for this task. A sock for the spark plug is also necessary. You’ll also need gloves and a lube, preferably WD-40.

You will need tools such as a rag, vise, and ratchet set/socket for this task. A sock for the spark plug is also necessary. You’ll also need gloves and a lube, preferably WD-40. Consult the owner’s manual: It is always better to read the owner’s manual that came with the lawnmower. If your lawn mower doesn’t come with an owner’s manual that walks you through how to sharpen the blades step by step, don’t worry. Our guide should get you through.

It is always better to read the owner’s manual that came with the lawn mower. If your lawn mower doesn’t come with an owner’s manual that walks you through how to sharpen the blades step by step, don’t worry. Our guide should get you through. Find the Right File: Get a good hone to sharpen the blades, but a good file should flatter them for the nicks.

Get a good grinder to sharpen the blades, but a good file should flatter them for the nicks. Secure the blade: Use a vise to secure the blade. Use a grinder, file or other sharpener to remove dents/creases before sharpening the edge.

Use a vise to secure the blade. Use a grinder, file or other sharpener to remove dents/creases before sharpening the edge. Balance Properly: When sharpening blades, balance them properly. It is just as important as sharp cutting edges.

When sharpening blades, balance them properly. It is just as important as sharp cutting edges. Sharpen in the Right Direction: Sharpen lawn mower blades in one direction with a 45 degree bevel angle. However, you can go as high as 30 degrees depending on the terrain of your garden. We recommend keeping the blade sharp as you would with scissors.

Points to consider when sharpening blades

Avoid Frequent Sharpening: Keep in mind that sharpening lawnmower blades too often can result in replacing them with new ones every few months. However, from our experience with good mowers, a good mower with properly hardened blades should last a year or more. Under this premise, real people should mow for 1-3 years, even with frequent sharpening. Keep sharpening frequency as low as possible, e.g. B. after the 8th mowing. But depending on the machine model you’re using, blade tempering, and other factors, you may often need to smooth out nicks. The bottom line is that most experts advise that home residents should sharpen mower blades at least twice a year, and at most four times.

Keep in mind that sharpening lawn mower blades too often can result in you replacing them with new ones every few months. However, from our experience with good mowers, a good mower with properly hardened blades should last a year or more. Under this premise, real people should mow for 1-3 years, even with frequent sharpening. Keep sharpening frequency as low as possible, e.g. B. after the 8th mowing. But depending on the machine model you’re using, blade tempering, and other factors, you may often need to smooth out nicks. The bottom line is that most experts advise that home residents should sharpen mower blades at least twice a year, and at most four times. Consult a professional: If sharpening and balancing lawn mower blades proves difficult, contact a service provider for professional help. It should only cost a few dollars, usually less than $10 depending on the condition of the blade.

Should it be difficult to properly sharpen and balance lawn mower blades, contact a service provider for professional help. It should only cost a few dollars, usually less than $10 depending on the condition of the blade. Use a balancing tool: balancing protects against vibration; therefore no stress on the cutting deck and engine, so do this before reinstalling the blade. A balancer tool is designed to help you achieve even weight distribution on the blade. While you can get a good credit of around $5, you can also choose from the competition provided you get good value for your money.

balancing protects against vibration; therefore no stress on the cutting deck and engine, so do this before reinstalling the blade. A balancer tool is designed to help you achieve even weight distribution on the blade. While you can get a good credit of around $5, you can also choose from the competition provided you get good value for your money. Maintain Your Tool Kit: You should make it a habit to keep a mower blade sharp at its best. Therefore, always keep tools for this task in a place where you can access them when needed.

Why do mower blades lose sharpness/become dull?

You’re not going to wake up one day and say, “I’m going to sharpen my lawn mower blade.” Whether you have a walk-behind mower or you ride one, important decisions about improving machine efficiency shouldn’t be made abruptly. Nonetheless, factors that contribute to mower blade dullness include the following:

● Rare and irregular sharpening:

While you should be constantly sharpening blades, leaving them unsharpened will result in infrequent sharpening. You will find the task more difficult next time, say after six months, if you don’t sharpen frequently. Now when it comes to sharpening blades unevenly, it means unevenness in edge beveling/angling. As a result, infrequent sharpening often results in blades dulling faster than you would expect.

● Thin blades vs. thick blades:

Thin blades lose their sharpness more quickly than thick ones and therefore need to be sharpened frequently. Let’s reserve a discussion of thin vs. thick mower blades for another day.

● Wear:

Like all other parts of a lawnmower, mowing blades are subject to wear. The more they hit rocks, stones, sticks, and pebbles, the duller they become.

● Mowing grass close to the ground:

Be prepared to dull the mower blades more quickly if you cut the grass too close to the ground. The catch here is that while you want to cut the grass shorter, this makes the blade more vulnerable to rocks and pebbles and therefore loses sharpness faster than cutting the grass higher.

When do the mower blades need to be replaced?

While it’s important to keep mower blades in great condition, there are concerns. Under what circumstances should you replace the blades? And what factors play a role in such a decision? The truth is that even with the best mowers on the market, these machines wear out. After a few years of use, the replacement of worn parts becomes necessary.

Well, there are a few things to consider when replacing worn blades. First, you should use an exact replacement blade, preferably from the same manufacturer that you bought a brand new mower from. Old blades with a thin trailing edge need to be replaced. Another factor to consider is the cutting edge, so always ask the question; Will further sharpening cause the blade to become unbalanced? If so, it’s time you bought a new one.

Closing remarks

In short, you’ve learned that mower blades can be too sharp. Blades that are too sharp will dull faster than fairly dull ones. Therefore, you should prefer thicker blades to thinner ones to avoid frequent sharpening. They should be sharp enough to make a clean cut with ease and not too blunt to make freshly cut grass look unsightly.

Rather than buying a new set of kitchen knives, bring your old knives in and one of our trained specialists will sharpen them to the point they were sharp when you first took them out of the box. Remember that a dull knife poses a hazard to the person using it. A cut with a dull knife takes much longer to heal and does far more damage to fragile tissue than a well-maintained, razor-sharp blade. We sharpen a wide range of edges, from lawnmower blades to paper scissors, we’re here to make your cutting experience safe and easy.

Step 1 Oregon 88-025 Lawn Mower Blade Standard Duty Grinder . See your blade sharpener’s instruction manual for details. Determine if the lawn mower blade is left-handed or right-handed. Place the blade on a flat surface so that the underside of the blade (aka the flat or “grass side”) rests on a flat surface. Position the blade so that it extends away from you (as if each end were at the “12” and “6” positions of a clock). If the straight (cutting) edge on the other end is on the right, it is a right-handed blade. If the cutting edge is on the left side, it cannot be sharpened. See your blade sharpener’s instruction manual for details.

Step 2a Set the sharpening angle for the blade. The blade being sharpened determines the angle the machine is set at. All Oregon blades are ground at 30 degrees.

Step 2b Place the blade on the table and adjust its angle to the stone face. It should appear as if the stone is directly touching the grinding edge. If it doesn’t touch top to bottom, the angle needs to be adjusted. To change the sharpening angle, you must loosen the two tower nuts and turn the top adjustment screw to raise or lower the stone and motor. See your manual for details. Once the correct angle is achieved, recheck the adjustment of the guards and plates and retighten the tower nuts.

Step 3 Plug the power cord into an approved outlet. Insert the locking pin into the power switch.

Step 4 Set the engine switch to forward or reverse. For regular right-hand cut blades (with the cutting edge on the right), the motor switch should be set to the forward position. This rotates the stone counter-clockwise and pulls the blade towards the stone, throwing sparks to the opposite side of the mower blade.

Step 5 If your lawn mower blade sharpener has a light fitted, adjust it to the correct position.

Step 6 Stand in front of the grinder – never to the side. The face of the grinding wheel should be in front of you. When standing like this, make sure you are out of the way of material thrown from the grinding wheel.

Step 7 Flip the switch to the on position. Let the engine and stone rev up.

Step 8 Hold the blade with both hands at the opposite end of the area you want to sharpen.

Step 9 With the engine running at full speed, lay the saw blade flat on the table (grass side down) at 90 degrees to the 1 inch stone face.

Step 10 Reciprocate the cutting edge of the blade towards the grinding wheel, removing material with each pass. Hold the blade so that the cutting edge is parallel to the surface of the grinding wheel. When the engine switch is placed in the forward position, the sparks are thrown onto the work table to the right. If you have the optional sand collector, it can be placed on the side of the grinder. This will help keep your workspace much cleaner.

Step 11 Continue running the blade across the stone until the edge has removed any nicks and dull spots. The blade edge should not be razor sharp – an edge of .030″ to .045″ is recommended.

Step 12 Rotate the mower blade and repeat the process on the other end. Try to do the same number of passes you did on the first ending.

Step 13 Turn off the grinder.

Step 14 Check the mower blade for proper balance. Use a blade balancer (such as the Oregon 42-047 Precision Blade Balancer). Slide the magnet assembly back and then center the blade on the cone. Pull the magnetic holding unit into position and then release while keeping the blade horizontal. If one end of the blade falls down, more material has to be removed at that end. Remove the blade from the balancer and note the heavy end.

Tip: Balancing the mower blades protects your mower from harmful vibration and wear.

Step 15 Go back to the grinder and slowly remove material from the heavy end. Only remove material from the sharpened edge. Never grind material off the ends or back of the blade. Check regularly until you achieve a balanced blade.

Step 16 When you are finished sharpening, turn off the grinder switch and remove the safety pin.

Tip: Removing the safety pin prevents accidental starting or unauthorized use of the grinder.

Using a wrench, turn the bedknife adjustment screw or rod and slide the bedknife back off the reel so that the bedknife and reel are not in contact. Inspect the reel and bedknife for damage by pulling the reel up and down to check for movement. There should be no movement in the roll. If motion is detected, it may be necessary to have the reel mower repaired in order for the mower to sharpen properly.

For now, let’s ignore the lawnmower’s power source and focus on the cutting systems as they are the most important to lawn quality. In general, there are two different types of cutting systems for lawn mowers.

A cylinder mower, or reel mower, has between five and twelve exposed blades at the front of the mower that rotate to capture and cut the blades of grass against a solid base plate like scissors. The more blades there are, the better the cut. The grass catcher is at the front.

The downside to this cutting system is that it works best with a low or short cut and will NOT cut long grass. This means frequent mowing, usually twice a week but at least once a week during the lawn growing season to ensure a good cut.

Rotary lawn mowers have a very fast rotating blade underneath. The blade “chops” the grass on impact due to its very high speed. Most rotary mowers have the grass catcher at the rear, some have an integrated grass catcher. These mowers work best with a medium to high cut.

You can get variations of this, e.g. B. Riding mowers or tractor mowers, which are just larger riding versions. The hover mower is very common domestically and is similar to rotary mowers but without the wheels. Unfortunately, they are not recommended and do not offer the benefits of even the simplest rotary mower. Some people still use hand mowers, which are similar to cylinder mowers, with you as the power source.

Quality of the grass clippings

The quality of cut due to the cutting “scissors” action of the reel mower is superior to the “chopping” or “crushing” action of a rotary mower when properly maintained. However, a rotary mower with sharp blades and enough power will produce a good enough cut that most people wouldn’t tell the difference; especially when you consider all the other imperfections that exist in a lawn.

The best way to explain “quality of cut” is to think of a bottle of wine. A very good wine can cost £20 to £30 a bottle. An exceptional wine can cost £200 a bottle. How many of us could tell the difference? A good quality rotary mower is no different than a good reel mower.

Maintenance of the mower

In addition, cylinder mower blades must be adjusted regularly and precisely to maintain the quality of the cut. If this is not done correctly, the mower will “chew” the grass and produce an exceptionally poor cut – far worse than a dull rotary mower! If you don’t want to fiddle or aren’t mechanically inclined, that’s a good reason to stay away from cylinder mowers.

Deck height adjustment

Perhaps a more important difference between rotary mowers and cylinder mowers is the range and type of height adjustment. A quality reel mower can “shave” up to 3/16″ and can be increased to about 1″ without too much loss in mowing quality. A typical rotary mower, on the other hand, doesn’t go much under 1/2 inch and can go up to maybe 3 inches or even 4 inches without degrading the cut.

The tight height adjustment range of a cylinder mower often means you have to mow at least twice a week during the growing season to meet the “rule of thirds”. This also allows the mower to work properly and cut the grass cleanly. For your information: bowling and golf courses are usually mowed every one or two days during the playing season!

The one-third rule: Never remove more than a third of the blade of grass in one cut

The type of height adjustment is either screw thread (offers infinite positions) or leverage with fixed positions. The number of settings is important as it determines the change in cutting height from one setting to the next. More settings generally mean smaller changes in cutting height, which can improve even the highest and lowest settings. A mower with five settings is good, seven settings is excellent. Ride-ons can often have ten or more takes.

Well, the typical lawn with its surface imperfections, maybe poor drainage, shade, trees and roots, kids and dogs, even if it’s excellent quality, will always be cut greener and healthier with lots of TLC at or above 1″………. .

This means using a rotary mower!

Once you start mowing below ¾ of an inch, your lawn needs to be ultra-level to prevent scalping and should have the very fine bristles of grasses. You also need to know what you’re doing, because according to Lawnsmith, reel mowers are for the serious home gardener and lawn lover; Rotary mowers are for the common man!

Maintaining a sharp blade on your lawnmower is extremely important to keep your grass in the best possible condition. Dull blades struggle to slice through grass, tearing it apart instead. This leads to yellowing, disease, pests and an overall unhealthy lawn.

The best way to sharpen lawn mower blades is to remove them from the mower first and take care of the sharpening and balancing at the same time. However, some property owners are unable to remove their blades. This can be due to a lack of tools, excessive rust, or simply a lack of time. Whatever the reason, the question is how to sharpen lawn mower blades without removing them. Let’s take a look at whether this is possible and if so, how exactly to go about it.

Can a lawnmower blade really be sharpened without removing it?

Yes, you can sharpen a lawn mower blade without removing it. I usually take my blade off to sharpen it, but if you want to sharpen your blade while it’s attached to the mower, you can certainly do that. Since sharpening your lawn mower blade while bolted on requires a slightly different approach than regular blade sharpening, I have listed the steps to follow below.

How to sharpen lawn mower blades without removing them (quick summary)

Disconnect your mower’s spark plug boot, cord or battery.

Tip your mower on its side (in the right direction).

). Support the mower with a piece of scrap wood.

Clean the blade.

Block/lock the blade.

Start on one side and grind the top edge of the blade. Be sure to sand at a 45 degree angle off center.

Repeat on the other side of the blade.

Make sure the blade is still securely attached and you’re good to go.

How to sharpen lawnmower blades without removing them (step by step)

Now that I’ve outlined the process, I want to go into the details of how to sharpen lawn mower blades without removing them. While this may seem like a complicated process, it’s actually pretty simple. Anyone can sharpen their own lawn mower blade with the right equipment, so join us and let us do it.

1. Gather equipment

Before we get into how to sharpen lawn mower blades without removing them, let’s talk about what you’ll need to get the job done. Luckily, this project only requires a few things:

Cut resistant gloves.

eye protection.

Wire brush, spatula, pry bar or other scraper to clean mower deck and blades.

A piece or two of scrap wood/something to stiffen the mower.

Steel file, angle grinder or drill (with grinding attachment).

Once you have your supplies together, set up your mower on your workbench or somewhere flat where you can kneel and work on it.

2. Disconnect power

Now, before proceeding, make sure you have disconnected the power source to your lawnmower. For electric mowers, this means either removing the battery or making sure the cord is unplugged. If you have a petrol engine lawn mower, all you need to do is remove the spark plug boot from the spark plug. This will ensure your mower does not start unexpectedly.

3. Lawn mower tip over

Once you have your mower where you want it, you will need to tilt it on its side so you can access the blade. This step is actually very important. Many people don’t realize that there is a right way and a wrong way to tilt your mower.

The correct way to tip your mower is with the air filter and carburetor facing up. This ensures that gas and oil don’t leak out of their reservoirs and into places where they shouldn’t be.

4. Support/support mower

If your mower is folded on its side, you should make sure that it does not fall accidentally. I like to grab 2×4 pieces of wood I have lying around and lay them diagonally against the mower, but anything goes as long as the machine can adequately support it. Lawn mowers don’t usually go anywhere once they’re on their side, but it’s always a good idea to set up a little extra support.

5. Clean deck housing and blades

Take this opportunity to scrape as much dirt off the underside of your mower as possible. It’s good to clean your mower’s deck and blade regularly, but let’s be honest and admit that many of us don’t do it enough.

You can use a wire brush or other blunt object to scrape all of the dried dirt and grass off the deck and blade. For stubborn stains, using a little water can be very helpful. I usually tackle the deck first and then move on to cleaning the blade. This can be tricky when the blade is attached, but do your best to get it clean.

6. Lock/secure blade

When you’re done cleaning the blade, it’s a good idea to secure it in place so it won’t move while you try to attach a new edge. If you have a special blade locking tool, great, but I think the easiest way to secure your blade is with locking pliers or a block of wood. You will either need to attach the pliers to an edge of the mower deck to prevent the blade from rotating, or find a piece of scrap wood that is the right length that can be wedged between the blade and one side of the mower deck.

Some people only hold the blade with one hand while sharpening it with the other, but this can be dangerous, especially if you’re using a drill or angle grinder. Also, it’s a lot harder to sharpen your blade at the right angle if you’re trying to do it one-handed.

7. Sharpen the blade

Now that you’ve made all the necessary preparations, it’s time to actually sharpen your blade. There are a handful of options when it comes to what to use to sharpen your lawnmower blade, but I recommend going with what you’re most comfortable with and have easy access to. Whatever tool you use to sharpen your blade, you must do three important things:

Sharpen only the “top” side of the blade at a 45 degree angle.

Here the top of the blade refers to the side facing the mower’s engine, not the ground. When sanding, you don’t have to be exactly 45 degrees. You should be able to follow the existing angle on the blade, see exactly what seems about right, and go slow and steady.

Go in one direction: from the center outwards towards the end of the blade.

It’s really important that you file or sand smooth in one direction. Start at the back of the blade (near the center where it is mounted) and gently sharpen the edge as you push it out toward the end. You don’t have to be an artist, but avoid any sawing or back-and-forth motions.

Try to remove an equal amount of material on both sides of the blade.

Since you won’t be removing the blade to check its balance, try to sharpen both sides of the blade evenly. While you can’t know exactly how much material you’re removing from each side of the blade, you’ll need to make a rough estimate. Just keep track of how many passes you make with your file or grinder and try to replicate it.

A few things to keep in mind

Now that you have the basic idea of ​​how to sharpen lawn mower blades without removing them, I should mention a few things to keep in mind. Although it’s a straightforward project, there are a few things to keep in mind before you begin, during work, and after you’re done.

Should the blade be sharpened or replaced?

Sometimes you don’t need to sharpen your lawnmower blade because it’s due for a replacement. Lawnmower blades don’t have a specific lifespan, but generally they should be replaced every 2 or 3 seasons. The best way to determine whether this is the case for you is to use your knife. If the blade is bent, has large nicks/dents, or has serious rust damage, you should probably buy a new one. Knowing when to replace lawn mower blades can save you a lot of time.

Sharpen blades when the gas tank is empty

You may not have much of a choice, but if you can, it’s best to do this project when you’re out of gas. Since your mower will be tipped on its side for quite a while, it helps to do this after you have drained the gas from your mower. This will prevent gas from escaping somewhere it shouldn’t be. The likelihood of leaks is small, but try to prevent them if possible.

Watch out for excessive vibration

Once you’ve sharpened your blade and are back mowing grass, pay attention to how your mower runs. If the mower vibrates more than you remember, you may have slightly unbalanced your blade.

Lawn mowers are one of the most used gardening tools, but they need to be sharp to give your lawn a stunning look. On average, lawn mower blades should be sharpened twice a year, depending on how much they are used. For some owners, this may seem unnecessary as even dull blades will still cut your grass. But the point is, when the blades wear out, the cut is rough, leaving ragged tips at the ends of each blade of grass. These can cause the grass to turn brown more quickly, and it can also make your lawn more susceptible to pests and diseases. That’s not what lawn owners want. Sharp blades also allow you to cut the grass evenly and quickly, leaving you with a perfectly trimmed lawn. Therefore, always sharpen your lawn mower blade before the start of the annual mowing season to get the lawn of your dreams.

How to sharpen lawn mower blades without removing them:

Gather the necessary tools

Cap the gas tank. Or, if you have an electric mower, unplug the power cord

Tilt the mower and place the block of wood underneath on the other side to support it. The mower blade should be facing you

Clean the blade with water and a steel brush

Use the angle grinder or flat file to slowly sharpen the edge

Lower the mower

Unseal the fuel tank

Now that you know the basics of blade sharpening, it’s also important that you go through the details of the process to fully understand it and avoid injury and damage to the mower.

How do you sharpen lawnmower blades?

Below is the step by step guide on how to sharpen lawn mower blades without removing them. Follow these steps in the order presented to sharpen your mower blades while they are still installed.

● Step 1: Preparation

Before you start sharpening, get the necessary tools and follow all safety precautions:

Tools: a bucket of water, a block of wood, a steel wire brush, a metal-bladed angle grinder, or a flat file

a bucket of water, a block of wood, a steel wire brush, an angle grinder with a metal blade or a flat file Safety equipment: safety goggles, cut-resistant gloves

Park your lawn mower in an open, level area or other usable space. The first thing to do is remove the spark plug. This allows you to avoid accidental startup.

Also make sure the parking brake is on. You don’t want your mower rolling while you’re working on it.

● Step 2: Seal the tank and cut off the power supply

Remove the gas tank cap and place a plastic bag over the top of the gas can to seal it. Then put the cover back in its previous position. This will ensure no gas is spilled while the mower is being tilted.

If you are working on an electric mower, make sure it is unplugged.

● Step 3: Tilt the lawnmower

Tip the mower onto its side to gain access to the blade. When tilting the mower, make sure the fuel tank and carburetor are up.

Place a block of wood diagonally on the other side of the lawnmower to make it more stable in the raised position. Make sure the mower is as stable as possible before you start work.

● Step 4: Limit blade movement

Now that the mower is secured, use another block to constrain the blade’s movement. It is best to ensure that the blade cannot move in any direction when grinding or sharpening.

● Step 5: Clean the blade

First, use a steel wire brush to remove dirt and/or rust from the blade. While sitting on it, also clean the underside of the mower deck if you find grass or debris underneath.

Use a bucket of water, spatula and brush to remove all dirt and debris from the blades and under the deck.

● Step 6: Sharpen lawn mower blades

After completing the above tasks, you can proceed to the main task and sharpen the blades. For this work, you can use either a hand or power grinder or a metal file, depending on your availability and convenience, and place it over the edge of the blade. Remember to always maintain the right angle when sanding. After properly sharpening one side, repeat the same process on the other side to finish the job. Since you are not removing the blade from the mower, you must take your time to ensure both sides are sharpened evenly.

When sharpening, make sure you only move the sharpener in one direction and only sharpen the top of the blade. This means you’re raising the grinder each time, rather than sharpening with a reciprocating sawing motion. Rather than relying on speed or rigorous movement, it’s best to grind gently, using the full length of the grinder or file with each stroke.

Ideally, try to achieve a 45 degree angle on the top edge as you move the grinder.

● Step 7: Unseal the fuel tank

When you have finished sharpening, slowly lower the mower. Plug in the mover and, in the case of a petrol mower, open the cap on the mower’s fuel tank, remove the plastic bag and replace the cap.

This was the last step. Now you can get started with clean and sharp blades.

When should you sharpen your lawnmower blades?

There are a few important factors that determine how often you need to sharpen your mower blades. It would be best if you kept an eye on them at all times for blade health.

Most importantly and of course it depends on how often and how much you use your mower. Generally, your mower blade needs to be sharpened after using your mower for about twenty hours. So if you have an expansive lawn that takes about an hour to mow, your mower blades need to be sharpened every twenty uses.

A smaller garden that only takes half an hour to cut requires all that work after about forty uses. In general, the more often you mow your lawn, the more often you need to sharpen the blades.

The age and overall condition of your mower will also affect how often your blades need to be sharpened. Cleaning your lawn of garden debris, rocks and other hard objects can increase the life and efficiency of your mower blades. Inspecting and cleaning your mower blades before you cut them is not only to ensure you don’t spread dirt all over the place, it also ensures that your mower blades aren’t becoming unnecessarily blunt when they hit rocks or other harder objects. It’s recommended that you sharpen your lawn mower blades at the beginning of each mowing season, and then you’ll most likely need to do it at least one more time in the summer.

It’s a good idea to inspect the blades before and after each use to stay up to date on the condition of the blades.

Should both sides of a lawnmower blade be sharpened?

The answer is no – one side of the mower blades should be sharp while the other side should be blunt, just like a pair of scissors. One side of a lawnmower blade should be sharpened at about a 45 degree angle and the other side should be left untouched (rough) except to smooth out uneven edges. If both sides are sharpened, the blades will dull unnecessarily much more quickly.

How sharp should the blades be?

The blades don’t have to be overly aggressively sharp, but they should have a noticeable, shiny metal side that has been honed. Sharp blades can only be distinguished from dull blades by their appearance and color.

Keep this simple rule in mind: when you’ve finished sharpening the blade, don’t hold onto the edge for fear of cutting yourself.

Important tips

There are a few important tips you need to keep in mind if you want to sharpen your lawn mower blades without taking them out. These tips include;

Sharpen the mower blades when the gas tank is empty: Make sure the gas tank is empty before you start sharpening the blades to avoid gas leaks, leaks or personal injury.

Make sure the gas tank is empty before you start sharpening the blades to avoid gas spills, leaks or personal injury. Keep up to date with the leaf situation: examine the leaves regularly. To know if the blades are dull, examine the blades of grass on your thread and check for roughness such as B. Torn or split tips.

Check the blades regularly. To know if the blades are dull, examine the blades of grass on your thread and check for roughness such as B. Torn or split tips. When to Replace the Blades: If the mower blades are unbalanced, bent, and nicked all over, you need to replace the blades with new ones. Because such knives are irreparably destroyed and are no longer as effective when mowing.

Replace the Blades: If the mower blades are unbalanced, bent, and nicked all over, you need to replace the blades with new ones. Because such knives are irreparably destroyed and are no longer as effective when mowing. Problem with nicked blades: Nicked blades do not necessarily mean that your lawnmower blades are unusable. Far from it, because such blades can be sharpened and reused.

Scored blades do not necessarily mean that your lawn mower blades are useless. Far from it, because such blades can be sharpened and reused. Knives should be properly balanced: Knives must be well balanced; or strange noises coming from the lawn mower. Remember that bluntness is one of the reasons the blade may not be properly balanced.

Closing remarks

So is it possible to sharpen the mower blades without detaching them from the mower? Well, the answer is yes, and now you can too. By following the guidelines mentioned in this article, you can avoid the hassle of removing mower blades for sharpening and can do so more easily and efficiently.

Lawn mowers are one of the most used gardening tools, but they need to be sharp to give your lawn a stunning look. On average, lawn mower blades should be sharpened twice a year, depending on how much they are used. For some owners, this may seem unnecessary as even dull blades will still cut your grass. But the point is, when the blades wear out, the cut is rough, leaving ragged tips at the ends of each blade of grass. These can cause the grass to turn brown more quickly, and it can also make your lawn more susceptible to pests and diseases. That’s not what lawn owners want. Sharp blades also allow you to cut the grass evenly and quickly, leaving you with a perfectly trimmed lawn. Therefore, always sharpen your lawn mower blade before the start of the annual mowing season to get the lawn of your dreams.

How to sharpen lawn mower blades without removing them:

Gather the necessary tools

Cap the gas tank. Or, if you have an electric mower, unplug the power cord

Tilt the mower and place the block of wood underneath on the other side to support it. The mower blade should be facing you

Clean the blade with water and a steel brush

Use the angle grinder or flat file to slowly sharpen the edge

Lower the mower

Unseal the fuel tank

Now that you know the basics of blade sharpening, it’s also important that you go through the details of the process to fully understand it and avoid injury and damage to the mower.

How do you sharpen lawnmower blades?

Below is the step by step guide on how to sharpen lawn mower blades without removing them. Follow these steps in the order presented to sharpen your mower blades while they are still installed.

● Step 1: Preparation

Before you start sharpening, get the necessary tools and follow all safety precautions:

Tools: a bucket of water, a block of wood, a steel wire brush, a metal-bladed angle grinder, or a flat file

a bucket of water, a block of wood, a steel wire brush, an angle grinder with a metal blade or a flat file Safety equipment: safety goggles, cut-resistant gloves

Park your lawn mower in an open, level area or other usable space. The first thing to do is remove the spark plug. This allows you to avoid accidental startup.

Also make sure the parking brake is on. You don’t want your mower rolling while you’re working on it.

● Step 2: Seal the tank and cut off the power supply

Remove the gas tank cap and place a plastic bag over the top of the gas can to seal it. Then put the cover back in its previous position. This will ensure no gas is spilled while the mower is being tilted.

If you are working on an electric mower, make sure it is unplugged.

● Step 3: Tilt the lawnmower

Tip the mower onto its side to gain access to the blade. When tilting the mower, make sure the fuel tank and carburetor are up.

Place a block of wood diagonally on the other side of the lawnmower to make it more stable in the raised position. Make sure the mower is as stable as possible before you start work.

● Step 4: Limit blade movement

Now that the mower is secured, use another block to constrain the blade’s movement. It is best to ensure that the blade cannot move in any direction when grinding or sharpening.

● Step 5: Clean the blade

First, use a steel wire brush to remove dirt and/or rust from the blade. While sitting on it, also clean the underside of the mower deck if you find grass or debris underneath.

Use a bucket of water, spatula and brush to remove all dirt and debris from the blades and under the deck.

● Step 6: Sharpen lawn mower blades

After completing the above tasks, you can proceed to the main task and sharpen the blades. For this work, you can use either a hand or power grinder or a metal file, depending on your availability and convenience, and place it over the edge of the blade. Remember to always maintain the right angle when sanding. After properly sharpening one side, repeat the same process on the other side to finish the job. Since you are not removing the blade from the mower, you must take your time to ensure both sides are sharpened evenly.

When sharpening, make sure you only move the sharpener in one direction and only sharpen the top of the blade. This means you’re raising the grinder each time, rather than sharpening with a reciprocating sawing motion. Rather than relying on speed or rigorous movement, it’s best to grind gently, using the full length of the grinder or file with each stroke.

Ideally, try to achieve a 45 degree angle on the top edge as you move the grinder.

● Step 7: Unseal the fuel tank

When you have finished sharpening, slowly lower the mower. Plug in the mover and, in the case of a petrol mower, open the cap on the mower’s fuel tank, remove the plastic bag and replace the cap.

This was the last step. Now you can get started with clean and sharp blades.

When should you sharpen your lawnmower blades?

There are a few important factors that determine how often you need to sharpen your mower blades. It would be best if you kept an eye on them at all times for blade health.

Most importantly and of course it depends on how often and how much you use your mower. Generally, your mower blade needs to be sharpened after using your mower for about twenty hours. So if you have an expansive lawn that takes about an hour to mow, your mower blades need to be sharpened every twenty uses.

A smaller garden that only takes half an hour to cut requires all that work after about forty uses. In general, the more often you mow your lawn, the more often you need to sharpen the blades.

The age and overall condition of your mower will also affect how often your blades need to be sharpened. Cleaning your lawn of garden debris, rocks and other hard objects can increase the life and efficiency of your mower blades. Inspecting and cleaning your mower blades before you cut them is not only to ensure you don’t spread dirt all over the place, it also ensures that your mower blades aren’t becoming unnecessarily blunt when they hit rocks or other harder objects. It’s recommended that you sharpen your lawn mower blades at the beginning of each mowing season, and then you’ll most likely need to do it at least one more time in the summer.

It’s a good idea to inspect the blades before and after each use to stay up to date on the condition of the blades.

Should both sides of a lawnmower blade be sharpened?

The answer is no – one side of the mower blades should be sharp while the other side should be blunt, just like a pair of scissors. One side of a lawnmower blade should be sharpened at about a 45 degree angle and the other side should be left untouched (rough) except to smooth out uneven edges. If both sides are sharpened, the blades will dull unnecessarily much more quickly.

How sharp should the blades be?

The blades don’t have to be overly aggressively sharp, but they should have a noticeable, shiny metal side that has been honed. Sharp blades can only be distinguished from dull blades by their appearance and color.

Keep this simple rule in mind: when you’ve finished sharpening the blade, don’t hold onto the edge for fear of cutting yourself.

Important tips

There are a few important tips you need to keep in mind if you want to sharpen your lawn mower blades without taking them out. These tips include;

Sharpen the mower blades when the gas tank is empty: Make sure the gas tank is empty before you start sharpening the blades to avoid gas leaks, leaks or personal injury.

Make sure the gas tank is empty before you start sharpening the blades to avoid gas spills, leaks or personal injury. Keep up to date with the leaf situation: examine the leaves regularly. To know if the blades are dull, examine the blades of grass on your thread and check for roughness such as B. Torn or split tips.

Check the blades regularly. To know if the blades are dull, examine the blades of grass on your thread and check for roughness such as B. Torn or split tips. When to Replace the Blades: If the mower blades are unbalanced, bent, and nicked all over, you need to replace the blades with new ones. Because such knives are irreparably destroyed and are no longer as effective when mowing.

Replace the Blades: If the mower blades are unbalanced, bent, and nicked all over, you need to replace the blades with new ones. Because such knives are irreparably destroyed and are no longer as effective when mowing. Problem with nicked blades: Nicked blades do not necessarily mean that your lawnmower blades are unusable. Far from it, because such blades can be sharpened and reused.

Scored blades do not necessarily mean that your lawn mower blades are useless. Far from it, because such blades can be sharpened and reused. Knives should be properly balanced: Knives must be well balanced; or strange noises coming from the lawn mower. Remember that bluntness is one of the reasons the blade may not be properly balanced.

Closing remarks

So is it possible to sharpen the mower blades without detaching them from the mower? Well, the answer is yes, and now you can too. By following the guidelines mentioned in this article, you can avoid the hassle of removing mower blades for sharpening and can do so more easily and efficiently.

Check the balance of the blade by hanging it on an exposed nail. The blade should remain horizontal. If it tilts, put it back in the vise and grind the heavier end a little more.

Reattach the blade to the mower and, if necessary, attach the boot to the spark plug.

Let’s talk about lawnmower blade sharpening.

No matter what type of lawn mower you have, is surely one of the most recurring lawn mower maintenance tasks. In this article we will look at 3 different options to consider when sharpening your mower blades and lawn mower blade sharpeners.

3 blade sharpeners for lawnmowers

First, let’s go through the “traditional” angle grind method. This is very effective and requires the least investment in equipment. It will be the most time consuming and leave the most room for user error.

Next, let’s take a look at the RBG Professional Knife Sharpener. RBG has several models on offer but the RBG 712 Blade Grinder is by far the most popular and with good reason. It’s incredibly efficient, leaving little to no room for user error.

Finally, let’s look at Noracore’s EMBSX, the world’s first blade sharpener that, I repeat, does not require removing the blades from your lawnmower!

And if you think the EMBSX will never last, you are right, they are already out of business and the EMBSX is no longer available! For historical reasons, we wanted to keep it in this article!

How to use an angle grinder to sharpen lawn mower blades

Using an angle grinder and a vise is probably the most common way people sharpen their lawn mower blades. This is true for homeowners and small businesses alike.

Many homeowners and even some businesses actually take their blades to the local mower shop to have their mower blades sharpened. While this is an option, we feel that the cost (over time) and time involved makes it less than ideal, to say the least.

Here’s a great video on sharpening blades with an angle grinder:

If you’ve watched the video or were already familiar with this method of sharpening mower blades, all you have to do is remove the blades from your mower, place them one at a time in a vise, and sharpen the cutting edge with an angle grinder. After sharpening one side of the blade, you must rotate the blade 180 degrees in the vise to sharpen the other side of the blade.

Although this is a relatively quick process, the other options are much faster and more accurate. Lawn mower blades come from the factory with a specific angle on the angled edge. This angle should be maintained as you sharpen your blades over time.

The most common lawnmower blade angle is 30-35 degrees. When sharpening your mower blades, it’s important to maintain this 30-35 degree angle over time.

Since the person operating the angle grinder is only using their motor skills to maintain this angle, they leave the door wide open to change the degree of the angle. Not that this is the end of the world, the blade will still cut the grass, but there will be some quality/performance loss.

Who usually sharpens blades with an angle grinder?

This will probably be the “best” way for a homeowner to efficiently and inexpensively maintain their mower blades. We say that because they most likely have a single lawnmower that has one or two, possibly three blades that need sharpening every time sharpening is due. Sharpening only this amount of blades is a perfectly acceptable method.

It may also be the best option for smaller lawn care, lawn mowing or landscaping businesses as it doesn’t take much longer than the other methods and the cost savings are quite substantial in comparison.

We honestly think that if you have more than 5 mowers in your fleet, it’s worth looking at the other methods. The time saving could outweigh the cost of the knife sharpener in the long run and produce better results.

Cost of grinding mower blades with an angle grinder

Approximately $50-$100

You may already have everything you need, effectively, so you can start sharpening your blades this way “for free”.

Angle grinders range from $15 to $100 and a bench vise is $30 and up.

You’ll probably want to consider getting some spare burrs. A 4.5 inch wheel diameter is a great size for sharpening blades with an angle grinder. Also consider purchasing a “flap disc” instead of the metal grinding wheel to keep your blades cooler during the sharpening process.

Knife sharpening with the RBG 712

The quality of finish and simple design of the RBG 712 will turn heads, making it the choice of many lawn care professionals and serious DIY enthusiasts.

There is little room for error when using the RBG 712 grinder.

The guides are set at 30 degrees, which is the most common angle of a cutting edge on a lawnmower blade. The blades still need to be removed from your machine, but instead of hand-sharpening with the angle grinder, the machine quickly puts the 30-degree edge back onto your blades.

Often your blades are razor sharp again in just 2 passes. In comparison, when using an angle grinder, 10-20 back and forth passes over the cutting edge are not uncommon.

Who usually sharpens blades with a professional sharpener like the RBG 712?

The RBG 712 is ideal for DIY enthusiasts, lawn care fanatics with a little extra cash and professional businesses alike.

If you have multiple mowers in your fleet, this can save a lot of time compared to sharpening multiple blades one at a time with an angle grinder.

Costs for grinding mowing knives with a grinder RBG 712

$579.00 (Buy RBG 712 Now)

iGoPro Lawn Supply has the RBG 712 grinder for sale. We recommend purchasing the “RBG 712 Grinder Grit Collect” as well, as this greatly reduces the amount of dust that gets airborne.

The sand trap for the RBG 712 lasts forever. The grinding wheel lasts for hundreds of sharpenings. We also stock replacement grinding wheels and they are specific to this unit. The grinding wheel on the RBG 712 keeps the blades cooler than a typical metal grinding wheel.

The EMBSX – The simple mower knife sharpener

Update: The EMBSX is no longer available as the company has ceased production!

Without a doubt, the EMBSX is the coolest blade sharpener on the market today!

You don’t even have to remove the blades from your lawn mower!

Developed by engineers, the EMBSX is rightly nicknamed ‘The Easy Mower Blade Sharpener’, hence EMBSX.

We love the thoughtful design that also includes all the tools you need to make height/cutting angle adjustments. And since you can’t see your blades directly while sharpening, it has a mirror and WiFi camera with a free app to give you the visibility you need.

Honestly, after using the tool a few times, you don’t need the help of the mirror or the camera anymore.

Final Thoughts on Sharpening Mower Blades

There are multiple ways to skin that cat, or in this case, sharpen those lawnmower blades! 😆

The key takeaways for sharpening lawn mower blades is determining whether you want to spend a little more for speed and accuracy, or save some money by doing it the “old fashioned way” with an angle grinder and a vise.

Honestly, the “old fashioned way” was literally with a hand file! Any of the lawnmower blade sharpening methods discussed in this article is a better option than this one!

If you are interested in the EMBSX or RBG 712 knife sharpener, iGoPro Lawn Supply is an authorized dealer for each product.

It is very important to keep your mower blades sharp so please, no matter how you do it, please do it properly and often.

Make it safe too! Always take extra care when removing your mower blades, sharpening your mower blades, and installing your mower blades. Make sure they are properly and securely reinstalled on your mower. The last thing you want is a freshly sharpened mower blade flying into the neighbor’s living room!