Sharpening Lawn Mower Blades Without Removing Them
Now that Ive outlined the process, I want to dig into the details of how to sharpen push lawn mower blades without removing them. While this may seem like a complicated process, its actually pretty simple. Anybody can sharpen their own lawn mower blade with the right equipment, so follow along and lets get it done.
Should You Sharpen Both Sides Of A Mower Blade
No, only one side should be sharp, and the other side isnât. A typical mower blade should have a sharpened edge at about a forty-five-degree angle, and the other side remains rough and dull.
If you make your mower blades sharp on both sides, they will become dull quickly and need constant sharpening.
Where Can You Can Get Your Lawn Mower Blades Sharpened
Whether you have a more complicated cylinder model, or are simply looking for a professional sharpening, professional lawn mower sharpening is available. Sims Garden Machinery are able to sharpen your lawn mower blades from our Stratford Upon Avon HQ. Simply bring your mower along to our shop and our skilled team will be able to restore it to full working order.
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Why Is My Lawn Mower Vibrating Really Bad
A bad vibration in your lawnmower might be the result of a damaged or out-of-balance blade. … A broken or cracked blade should be replaced immediately. The blade can also become out of balance due to improper sharpening…. A bad vibration in your lawnmower might be the result of a damaged or out-of-balance blade.
When To 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 always kept them in mind for the health of the blade.
Most importantly and obviously, it depends on how often and how much you use your mower. In general, after using your mower for about twenty hours, your mower blade will need to be sharpened. So, if you have an extensive lawn that roughly takes about an hour to cut, your mower will need the blades sharpened after every twenty uses.
A smaller yard that only takes a half-hour to cut will require all this work after about forty uses. In general, the more frequently you mow your grass, the more often youll need to sharpen the blades.
The age and the overall condition of your mower will also affect how often your blades need to be sharpened. Cleaning your lawn from garden debris, rocks, and other hard objects can increase your mower blades life and efficiency. Checking and cleaning your mower blades before cutting isnt only so that you dont spread dirt everywhere but make sure your mower blades dont get needlessly dull from hitting rocks or tearing other harder objects. It is recommended that you sharpen your lawnmower blades at the start of every mowing season, and then youll most likely need to do it one more time during the summer, at least.
The best practice is to check the blades before and after every use to stay updated on the blade condition.
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The Signs Which Show That Your Lawn Mower Blades Need Sharpening:
- The grass of your lawn starts looking ragged and dull. This leads to the turning of grass into brown and susceptible to diseases and pests.
- The mowing process becomes laborious. It means that you have to put more effort to mow the grass properly.
- The grass of the lawn looks roughly cut rather than smooth and sometimes the mower rips the grass by roots.
- The blades of the mower look rusty and dull.
If you see the above-mentioned signs, then dont think twice and go for the sharpening of the blades of your lawn mower. But you need to keep this thing in mind that sharpening is not an easy task. You need to look for appropriate tools and equipment and a way for how to sharpen lawn mower blades without removing. You need to unbolt the blades from the mower and sharp them by using any kind of blade mowers that suits your mower and then fix them back to the mower and it is good to go.
But for most people find the unbolting and re-bolting hard and laborious. But every problem comes with a solution.
The question that comes to mind that is it possible to sharpen the blades of the lawn mower without removing them? The answer is yes, it is. It is not a popular option but it certainly is possible to do with the right type of equipment.
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Sharpen The Lawn Mower Blades
Once you confirm that the unit is at an appropriate angle, you may proceed to get your dull blades sharpened. As long-time lawn mower owners, wed advise you to first clean out the grass clippings on its surface.
Using the water bucket, brush, and putty knife, ensure that the mowers blades are free from rust and other debris. After that, set the metal file or electric grinder at the cutting edge of your mower blade.
As you use the hand grinder or flat file, keep in mind that the mower blade must not be at an uneven angle. Besides that, the sawing motion must only go in one direction.
Given that the lawn mower blade wont be unmounted, there should be uniform strokes on each side. Another tip we can give you is only to sharpen the top edge of the lawnmower blade.
Grinding faster wont necessarily give you sharp blades, so the best you can do is preserve that energy and do the task smoothly.
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How To Tell When Your Mower Blade Needs To Be Sharpened
If your lawn mower blade is dull, first of all the quality of your lawn will be affected. The grass will be torn rather than cut, resulting in a messy appearance. Dull blades can also damage the roots of your lawn, turning the grass yellow and killing it in extreme circumstances.
You can also tell when a mower blade needs to be sharpened just by looking at it. If there are visible nicks, dents and small chips, the blade needs some attention. Aim to sharpen your blades every 25 hours of runtime or twice in the mowing season.
Clean The Lawn Mower Blade And The Well Of The Deck
Now that the mower blade has been removed, you can access areas of the deck that were previously inaccessible due to the blades. There will be varying degrees of a thick and gummy caked-on layer of dirt, leaves, mud, and other debris from your lawn depending on how long it has been since you removed the blades.
Remove as much debris as you can with a putty knife or a painters knife. You wont be able to clean these areas again until the blades come off, so be thorough.
After youve cleared out the organic debris in the decks well, pay attention to the mower blade on the work surface. Spray the lubricant you used to loosen the retention bolt over the entire surface area of both sides of the blade. Allow the lubricant to absorb into any material that has become stuck to the blade before removing it with a stiff-bristled cleaning brush.
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Why The Sharpening Of Mower Blades Is Important
It is important to sharpen mower blades to avoid its worst effects on the health of the grass. Cutting the grass with a blunt or dull blade is like having split ends on hairs.
It obstructs the healthy and vivacious growth of grass. If you cut the grass with a dull blade, it tears the grass instead of cut it properly.
It will not only give a ragged and bland appearance to your lawn but also leave it vulnerable to diseases.
In contrast, cutting with sharp blades give a clean cut which permits your grass to stay healthy and strong.
People usually wonder whether you can sharpen the mower blade on a lawn mower safely.
The answer is yes, you can do it easily and safely. Now you may be wondering how to do it so dont worry, we will let you know.
- Remove the spark plug
- Pull the spark plug wire from the spark plug to prevent the motor from accidentally starting. Tape or tie it back so it doesnt flop back into contact with the plug.
- Pro Tip:We recommend always removing the spark plug when youre working on the blade. If the piston happens to be at the top of the compression stroke, a little bump to the blade might force the piston over the hump and into the power stroke. If that happens, the blade will lurch around and could break your hand!
Clean The Mower Blade And Deck
You cant sharpen lawn mower blades without cleaning them properly. When you mow the lawn, there is a certain amount of garden debris and grass blades on the cutting deck and mower blade.
Take a bucket of water and wash out the underside of your mower with both the mower deck and blade. If there are some stubborn dirt and debris, use a steel wire brush or any other scraper to clean it well.
A good idea is to clean the underside of your lawn mower regularly. It is like flossing teeth to your lawn mower hygiene.
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How Sharp Should The Blades Be
The blades dont need to be too aggressively sharp, but they should have a notable, shiny metal side that has been ground. Sharp blades can be differentiated from dull blades just by their looks and color.
Keep this simple rule in mind: By the time you have finished sharpening the blade, you shouldnt grab hold of the edge for fear of cutting yourself.
My Final Thoughts On Sharpening Your Lawn Mower Blade Without Removing It
Keeping your lawn mower blade sharp doesnt have to be difficult. Sharpening your lawn mowers blade without removing it is quick, easy, and very effective.
Its one of the simplest ways to keep your lawn mowers blade in good condition without just replacing the blade.
Plus, your grass will definitely appreciate the sharper blade. It will be healthier, grow faster, and less vulnerable to disease when you keep your lawn mowers blade in good condition.So, now that you know how I know how easy it can be theres nothing to get in your way.
Keep your lawn mowers blade sharp, keep your lawn mower effective, and enjoy your beautiful lawn.
Rhiannin Bunney
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Check The Blade Balance
Mowers run smoothest when the blade is balanced. However, sharpening sometimes removes more metal from one edge than another. This makes the blade unbalanced.
Its important to fix a blade that was imbalanced during sharpening. If it wobbles now, it will wobble on your mower too. An unbalanced blade may damage your mower. The vibrations alone are annoying, but the bearings or blade shaft might actually get destroyed.
Follow these steps to check the balance on your sharpened lawn mower blade:
- Support the blade under its center, like a scale. A screwdriver is an easy tool to use. Insert the screwdriver tip through the hole in the blade. The blade should balance on the tip or drop to balance on the handle.
- Hold the blade horizontal, then let go. It should remain level.
- If the blade drops in either direction, it means that the blade is unbalanced.
- The side that dipped down is heavier. Take a few strokes off that end to remove some metal, then retest.
For more precision in judging blade balance, purchase a blade balancer. Its a good addition to your mower maintenance tool kit. Its a cone-shaped tool that has a spindle for the blade.
Useful Tips While Sharpening The Blades
If you are going to sharpen the blades of the lawn mower without removing, the keep the following tips in your mind:
- You should have knowledge when your blades are dull or ragged.
- Sharp the blades only when the fuel tank is empty. Otherwise, it may lead to a serious injury.
- Maintain the balance of the blades during sharpening.
- Have a proper check that your mower blades need sharpening.
- Know when the blades of the mower need to be replaced.
- Nicked blades are not useless, they can be ground out.
Your knowledge regarding the lawn mower blades is very essential to keep your lawn clean and healthier. We have given a complete guideline on how to sharpen lawn mower blades without removing them. All you need to do is follow them properly step-by-step and it will help you to maintain your lawn mower in a sound shape which will ultimately make your lawn look beautiful.
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Sharpen A Lawnmower Blade With A Machine
As an alternative to sharpening a lawnmower blade by hand, you can use a machine or attachment for your power tools. This can be the best way to sharpen lawnmower blades provided you have experience and wear protective clothing.
The best and easiest way to sharpen lawnmower blades is by using an angle grinder and a flap disk or by using a drill-powered blade sharpener, says Eric De Boer. The idea is to remove any nicks, burrs, or rough spots along the top and bottom of the blade edge without making the blade come to a sharp pointy edge. A thinly sharpened, super-sharp blade is easier to get nicked and becomes dull much faster.
Gather The Tools And The Equipment
Here you should gather all the equipment and the tools that are required to proceed with the work, You first gather the tools and then start working because while doing the work you may not be in the condition that you should go and take them to you.
The tools required here are the grinder that is used for the sharpening purpose, a block of wood, the steel wire, and the flat surface.
The equipment that is used to complete the procedure is the gloves and the goggles also.
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Prepare The Lawn Mower Blades For Sharpening
There are specific precautions you must abide by when you want to sharpen the blade safely. After gathering all the materials needed, unplug the power cord from your mower deck.
You must also check if the spark plug cable is disconnected from the mowers ignition wire. By unplugging the spark plug, you will avoid accidental starting while getting the lawnmower blades sharpened.
Before you sharpen the lawnmower blades, seal the gas tank first. Begin by removing the mower fuel tank lid and placing a plastic bag over it. After that, put back the gas tank lid and seal it tightly. Through this, you can be reassured that there wont be any fuel spillage until youre finished sharpening the mower blade.
How To Sharpen The Lawn Mower Blade
No doubts, sharpening a mower blade without them off can save you considerable time but it is recommended that remove the blade before sharpening it.
Because it permits proper visual inspection and greater access to cutting edge and fining edge anecom instructipeiances on the cutting of balancing.
As many PD any damage to the blade such as excessive wear or stress fractures.
Given below is the step to step procedure on how to sharpen the mower blades.
Tip: If the bolt or nut is rusted, pour some lubricant or penetrating oil and wait for at least 10 minutes and try to loosen it again.
If you want to increase the leverage while loosening a stubborn bolt, slide a metal pipe over the handle of the wrench.
Move the stone gradually back and forth along with the cutting edge of the blade applying moderate pressure.
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How To Sharpen A Lawn Mower Blade Using A File
The safe and manual way to sharpen a lawnmower blade is using a file sharpener. Follow the following quick steps:
1. Remove the Spark Plug
Take off the ignition plug wire from the spark plug to prevent any unexpected accident. If your mower is cordless, then remove the batteries from it to make it safer to work.
2. Separate the Blade from the Lawnmower
Turn the mower on its side so the site of nut-bolts, securing the blade, is exposed to you. Stake a wood block between the blades end and the decks inner surface to prevent the blade from spinning. Then slowly loosen the nut or bolts with the help of a wrench. Finally, disjoint the blade from the mower.
3. Mark the Blade
Use spray paint or color to point out the downside of the blade while removing it. It will help you to remember which way to settle it back. Clean the dust from it before sharpening.
4. Sharpen the Blade
Grip the blade in a vise that is settled on your workbench. Start sharpening the edge of the blade using a file until butter-knife sharpness comes.Once one side is done, flip the blade over and sharpen the opposite edge in the same way. File until both the edges have equally been sharpened.
5. Check Balance
After finishing burnish, hang the blade over a hook and see if both edges are balanced. If either side dips, sharpen it to make a horizontal balance.
6. Replace the Blade
Reinstall the blade, same as the past position, and screw the nut or bolts tightly to fit the blade in the mower.
