How To Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades With An Angle Grinder
Without occasional sharpening, lawnmower blades become dull and tear, rather than cut grass blades. A clean cut is essential to a healthy lawn because torn blades have a greater chance of experiencing disease and sun damage. Inspect the cut tips to determine if the lawnmower blades require sharpening. Angle grinders provide one of the easiest and fastest ways to grind out nicks in the blade and restore a sharp edge, especially when compared to time-consuming flat files. Lawnmower blades have a chisel-type blade with one flat edge and one beveled edge, so you only need to grind one side.
1
Unplug the spark plug wire to prevent any chance of the lawnmower starting while you access the blade. Remove the gas cap, cover the opening with plastic wrap and replace the gas cap to prevent gas from leaking out through the vent hole. Turn a push lawnmower on its side with the carburetor facing up to access the spinning blade. For riding lawnmowers, raise the mower deck to its highest position and elevate the mower on a set of ramps so you can access the blades, then chock the rear wheels and set the brake.
2
3
Place the blade in a table vise tightened as much as possible to hold it in place. The blade features two cutting edges on opposite sides of one long piece of metal, so you can work only on one end of the blade at a time.
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
References
How To Tell If You Need To Sharpen Your Mower Blade
Clean cuts with a sharp mower promote good lawn health. A properly mowed lawn helps prevent lawn disease from getting a foothold. The cut grass also returns nutrients to your lawn, so it grows even stronger.
Over time, lawn mower blades get dulled by usage. Regularly inspect the mower blades after mowing. When theyre looking worn, you’ll need to remove the blade from the lawn mower and hone the edges.
In general, sharpen twice per season or after 25 hours of use to keep your blades in good shape. Also, sharpen the blades after hitting rocks. Stone can easily dent or nick the blades.
The lawn itself can also hint when you need to sharpen your mower blades. If its not recovering well after mowing, thats a clue.
Look for these signs that you may need to sharpen the mower blades:
- Dents or nicks in the mower blades
- Uneven grass height after cutting
- Grass blades look torn instead of sliced
- Brown, frayed grass edges
Sharpen Your Lawn Mower Bladeswith Ease & Precision
Welcome to All American Sharpener
We provide high quality lawn mower blade sharpeners at an affordable price. Our products are made in the USA and built to last. You can save time, money, and effort with our sharpening jigs. We currently offer three design options based on the style and shape of your mower blades. The prices range from $175 – $220. To learn more about which model is best for your mower blades, check out our Blade Guide page.
Don’t Miss: Kid Lawn Mowing Business
How To Sharpen Your Lawnmower Blade
Learn different ways you can sharpen the blade on your lawnmower.
Emily Fazio
A flat file is an easy tool that’ll sharpen a dull blade Apply pressure to the file, and run it perpendicular to the edge of the blade to grind down imperfections in the metal and hone the shape of the existing edge. Once youve done one side, reposition the blade in the vice to do the other side. The process is slower than using a hand file, but it works!
Why Replace Mower Blades
Sharpening your blades is a great option for the budget-minded and DIY-minded consumer, but it might not always be the best option.
The most important reason to replace your mower blades that they show signs of irreparable damage:
- Bent mower blade
- Cracked mower blade
- Blade worn down too far
However, you dont have to wait for your blades to be beyond repair to get a replacement set. Having a set of replacement blades on hand is useful if you want to use your blades for different purposes. This is especially true in the case of mulching blades, as mulching grass can create extra wear on regular blades.
Even if you dont plan on using blades for different purposes, though, you might replace your blades simply because you want a fresh start. Your thinking might be that if youre going to spend time taking blades off your mower and putting them back on, why not put on blades that will last?
If you choose to follow that route, be sure to replace your blades on the same schedule you would sharpen them. Every 25 hours of use is still an excellent guideline.
Also Check: Raccoon Digging Holes In Yard
Do You Sharpen Both Sides Of A Mower Blade
No. You should only sharpen the blade at the top side of the actual cutting edge and make sure to balance the blade after it is sharpened. If you have a specialty blade, such as a Gator, which employs teeth in the design, leave these teeth alone and just sharpen the cutting edge in the same manner as with a standard.
How To Remove & Install Your Honda Mower Blades
Gather Tools Required to Change Honda Mower Blades
- Socket wrench
- Block of Wood
Remove Your Honda Mower Blades
- Take safety precautions: Again, make sure your spark plug boot is disconnected and remove the key if your mower has one. Wear a good pair of gloves before working with your mower blades.
- Prepare mower & lay it on its side: Turn the fuel valve to the off position to minimize gas leaking when laying your mower on its side. Tip the mower so the air filter is on the high side of the mower.
- Remove the blade bolts: Lodge a block of wood between the blade and the deck housing to prevent the blades from turning when removing the bolts and washers with a socket wrench.
- Remove your Honda mower blades
Install Your Honda Mower Blades
- Clean area under your deck where your blade mounts before installing the replacement blades. If you are reusing your old blades after they have been sharpened, make sure they are balanced. Refer to the section below on a balanced blade.
- Install the upper and lower blades and tighten with the bolts and washers. Make sure the concave side of the washers are facing the blade.
- Tighten the bolts using a torque wrench to tighten the bolts to the manufacturers specification as shown in your owners manual. Make sure you torque them correctly to avoid injury of your blade coming off the mower. Use a block of wood to help keep the blade from rotating as you tighten the bolt.
Also Check: Trugreen Cost Lawn Care
Why Not Sharpen And Replace Your Blades
In the end, the most cost-effective option might be a combination of sharpening your blades and buying a replacement set or two.
Sharpen your regular blades on schedule to help them last as long as possible, but have a replacement set on hand in case of sudden damage. If you happen to hit a rock, you wont have to wait to sharpen your blades before you can continue mowing. Instead, you can make the most of that summer sunshine while its available!
Also, even if you dont purchase a set of specifically designed mulching blades, you still might find it helpful to use one set of blades for regular mowing and another for mulching in the fall. Because mulching reprocesses grass clippings into fine bits, it wears down a blades edge. Having one set dedicated to mulching keeps the other set sharp longer.
With your blades sharp and ready to go, youll be ready to keep your grass green and neat all season long.
We Make Buying Technical Products Simple
Why Use A Sharpening Service
Your local hardware store might offer blade sharpening services you also might find blade sharpeners at such gatherings as farmers markets. Having someone else sharpen your blade can be a valuable option:
- Blades will be properly balanced
- Tools and equipment are readily available
- Possibly a cost-effective option
One advantage of using a blade sharpening service is that you know your blade will be properly balanced. An unbalanced mower blade can cause vibrations and jolts that make using your lawn mower dangerous. If this is a concern, bring your blade to a professional who can sharpen it smoothly and evenly.
A sharpening service is also handy if you dont have the tools or the space to sharpen blades yourself. This is especially true if you own a riding mower, which requires you to have a mower lift to maintain it properly, or a reel mower, which uses special sharpening kits for reel mower blades.
Finally, even though the cost might be a concern, the price of hiring someone to sharpen your blade is comparable to buying a new blade and, in some cases, might be lower if you can remove the blade yourself and bring it to the sharpening service.
If you use a sharpening service, be sure to follow the same recommended maintenance and sharpening schedule outlined in your mowers product manual. If nothing else, stick to the every 25 hours of use guideline.
Read Also: Revive Brown Grass
Properly Balancing Your Blades
Having properly balanced blades is every bit as important as blade sharpness. An unbalanced blade causes stress on the engine and cutting deck due to vibration.
After you sharpen the blade, test its balance with a blade-balancing tool. You can hammer a nail partway into a wall in your garage and hang the blade from it if you dont have access to this specialized tool. A blade that hangs horizontally is in balance. If one side drops, remove excess material from the side it leans to using a grinder. Material should only be removed from the end of the blade, in the sail area.
How To Sharpen Your Ariens Blade Diy
You can save time and money by sharpening your own mower blades. The amount of money you can save depends on the method you choose for sharpening your blade. Sometimes its just not worth it to do yourself. Youll have to determine whats best for you. Here are some tips if you choose to sharpen your own Ariens mower blade.
Gather the tools you will need
- Work gloves
Clean Your Ariens Mower Blade
Put on your work gloves and safety glasses. Use a rag to clean the dirt off your mower blades. A wire brush can be used for stubborn areas of buildup.
Secure Your Ariens Mower Blade
Securely place your Ariens blade in a vice to keep it from shifting during sharpening. After sharpening one side, you will flip the blade and secure in the vice while you sharpen the other side.
File or Grind Your Ariens Blade Edge to Sharpen
Sharpen with a metal file
- Using a file, push the file at an angle in one direction along the blade.
- Do not use a sawing motion when filing.
- Once all the rough spots and uneven edges are removed, flip the blade over, secure in the vice, and sharpen the other side.
Sharpen with a drill powered blade sharpener.
Sharpen with an angle grinder or bench grinder
Don’t Miss: Fungus Gnat Spray Home Depot
When Should You Seek A Professional Sharpening Service For Your Honda Blade
You should seek a professional when you arent quite comfortable with your blade sharpening or balancing skills. If your blades are not correctly balanced or still worn, you could cause additional damage to your crankshaft or engine.
Personally, even though I have the tools to sharpen my own mower blades, choose to have my local lawn mower dealer sharpen my blades. They just put a nicer cleaner edge on the blade than I can achieve.
You may choose to have a professional sharpen your blades because:
- It is a safer option to sharpening the blade yourself
- Sharpening a blade is often less expensive than purchasing a blade
- A professional can grind down mower blades to get rid of large nicks and gouges in the steel
- Blade is properly balanced. This will reduce vibration and damage to your mower.
How Often Should You Sharpen Your Ariens Mower Blades
Your Ariens mower blades should be sharpened after every 25 hours of use. For the average homeowner, you will be sharpening your mower blades twice a year. Again, when operating in sandy and gravel conditions, you will have to sharpen your blades more often in order to maintain a good cut as they will wear at a faster rate.
You May Like: How To Kill Common Blue Violet
Our Products Were Created To Provide A Cost Effective Quality Lawn Mower Blade Sharpener This System Is A Unique Design That Clamps The Blade In Place At The Preferred Angle While Using A Guide Arm And Pin That Attaches To Your Angle Grinder Giving You The Edge You Want Every Time Skillfully Designed And Crafted Using Anodized Aluminum And Stainless Steel Our Sharpeners Are Built To Last So Whether You Are A Commercial Lawn Mowing Business Or A Homeowner Our Sharpeners Can Handle The Job
-
Our consistent grind angle means that you will remove less material when sharpening.
-
Our products can be utilized for a wide range of lawn mower blade sizes . Please refer to our Blade Guide page for more information.
-
Your lawn mower blades will last and stay sharper longer.
-
Faster sharpening time which allows you to mow quickly and efficiently.
-
Designed and manufactured in the United States of America.
-
Our products are designed for optimum performance and ultimate quality.
-
In-depth and easy to use product manual along with online video tutorials.
Items That Can Prematurely Wear & Damage Your Ariens Mower Blade
Its good practice to walk your lawn before you mow it to remove any obstructions or items that could be damaged by your mower or could cause damage to your mower. This can be toys, sticks and rocks.
Sand and debris can cause your blades to wear prematurely, but there really isnt much you can do about this other than grow a thicker blanket of grass to cover your lawn to reduce the amount of dirt being sucked into the mower deck.
If you choose to use lawn chemicals to help with the growth of your lawn, some may be corrosive to your mower blades and deck. I recommend regularly cleaning and removing your blades. The corrosion can cause your blades to fuse to your deck components making them nearly impossible to remove without causing damage. Frequently removing and installing the blades will reduce the likelihood you develop this problem.
Read Also: Best Way To Get Rid Of Dandelions In My Lawn
For The Need It Perfect Homeowner
Lets assume that youre the type of homeowner who wants to improve the health of your lawn.
Youre concerned about things like turf diseases that can damage the look of your lawn, unsightly weeds moving in, bare patches, or brown patches in your turf grass.
Well then by all means sharpening your lawnmower blade is critical to the health of your turf grass. But how often should you sharpen them?
Let’s see what our research found.
Big And Small Hardware Stores
You are more likely to find lawn mower blade sharpening services at a large big box hardware store than at a small mom and pop shop. But expect chain hardware stores to have much more expensive services. If there is a small hardware store in your neighborhood with a good reputation, choose that store first. Some small hardware stores cannot compete with a big box store in terms of equipment and stock, but they can easily rival them in knowledge and expertise.
Also Check: How To Get Lines In Lawn
How To Tell If Your Mower Blades Need Sharpening
After you mow, take a look at your lawn. If you see missed patches or uneven spots, a dull mower blade could be to blame. A sharp lawn mower blade will cut the grass at the same height in one pass. Another sign is if the grass blades are torn at the ends. A sharpened mower blade will cut the grass cleanly, while a dull blade tears it. This can damage your lawns health and even cause it to turn from green to brown.
Of course, you should also inspect the mower blade itself. Look for inconsistencies, dents and chips in the cutting edge. Many of these imperfections can be smoothed out with regular sharpening, but if there are larger nicks or its bent, the blade will need to be replaced.
Do Lawn Mower Blades Come Sharpened
When purchasing a new lawnmower, or just a replacement blade, knowing whether or not you are going to need to have it sharpened once you get it is important. Not only because it’s an additional expense, but depending on the route you end up deciding to go to get it sharpened, you may have more tools you need to purchase.
All in all, it’s just better to be informed, but have no fear, we researched for you!
Recommended Reading: How To Get Rid Of Violets
How Important Is A Sharp Mower Blade
Think about the difference between the times you shave with a brand-new razor blade compared to when you are trying to get one last shave out of an old blade. With an old blade, your skin is more prone to cuts, infection, and irritation. When you use a brand-new, sharp blade you get a nice, clean shave.
The same thing happens with your grass. A sharp cutting blade makes your lawn look great and helps keep your turf healthy. If the mower blades are dull or nicked, it will smash the edge of the grass blade, leaving a torn end rather than a clean cut. This torn end will usually turn your grass brown a few days after mowing and become more susceptible to pests and diseases. But if your mower blades are nice and sharp, the grass will get a clean cut with greatly reduced damage and stress.
