How To Sharpen A Mower Blade: 5 Ways Compared
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- Опубліковано 2 лют 2022
- How to sharpen mower blades yourself at home in the comfort of your own garage. This video will save you money every year teaching you how to get your lawnmower blades sharp without taking them to your local service shop or replacing them more often than necessary.
In this video I show how I've tested a variety of ways to sharpen the blades of my mowers and settled on my preferred method using a bench vise and a cordless angle grinder.
I recommend using a basic blade stop to both remove and reinstall your mower blade safely and a ultra cheap blade level to make sure it's balanced before installing your freshly sharpened blade.
Here are the three tools I couldn't recommend more:
► Blade Stop Tool: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
► Blade Balancer Tool: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...
► Bench Vise: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...
The angle grinder I use is a cheap Ryobi model I bought at my local Home Depot. Just make sure you use one with a general metal grinding bit.
If I were to buy a different model online today I'd probably go for the Milwaukee M18 angle grinder because it uses the same battery system as the M18 switch tank 4-gallon lawn sprayer. www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-2780...
It's not the cheapest grinder but it's in the same M18 battery system as other useful tools and is very well reviewed by tool enthusiasts.
The two alternative blade sharpening tools I tried and don't recommend are the grinding stone drill attachment bits or the Sharpal all-in-one blade sharpening tools both of which you can see below out of morbid curiosity.
► Grinding Stone Drill Bits: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08...
► Sharpal All-In-One Tool Sharpener: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
To be fair, the Sharpal is probably a great tool for things like shears, pruners, and knives (etc.) but I just can't recommend it for mower blades.
I recommend keeping your mower blades crazy sharp to improve the look of your lawn but also to improve disease resistance because cleanly cut grass blades won't succumb to disease as easily.
► Make sure to see the following article for more info on how to improve your chances of avoiding lawn diseases: turfmechanic.com/what-does-po...
► I also recommend taking a close look at my lawn care guides here to go deep on many different lawn care topics: turfmechanic.com/guides/
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My advice is to buy a second blade so one is always super sharp and you can sharpen your off blade on a rainy day. Also allows quick return to mowing on your nice days.
That's always good advice especially for those unexpected times where you damage a blade beyond repair. Doesn't happen often but it's always a possibility. For me sharpening the blade is quick enough I can get it done in just five minutes or so prior to mowing so only having a single blade isn't that big of a deal but I'm not the average dude. lol
I definitely do this!
Great tip! I'm going to do this.
My Dad taught me this when I was 10 years old and it's one of the best pieces of lawn advice ever. One of his last gifts to me before he passed was his blade balancer, and it is without a doubt one of my favorite tools. 😎 Great content Brian keep it coming!
Love that concept of teaching kids these things...and yeah, some of the simplest tools truly are the best.
Great Video! Love the level of detail and your experiences, I have a Honda mower with the dual blade set up. The lower blade always gets dull first and wears out first. At the beginning of the season, when I do oil and air filters, I always sharpen my blade and tell myself I am gonna sharpen it every 8 hours of use. But in reality I only sharpen them 1-2 times each season. One thing to note, is the be sure to torque the blade back on to the proper spec. Mine has two bolts and require 40 FT LBs each.
Great video! A year ago I bought all the tools I need, including the All American to use as a vice. I even bought the same little blade holder gizmo to assist in removal. For some reason I’ve still been afraid to attempt it! I don’t know why I feel it’s rocket science! 😂😂😂 Your video is giving me the courage to Git ‘R’ Done. What’s the worst that could happen? 😂😂😂
Thanks Brother, I always enjoy and learn from your videos. You are like the ultimate Guinea pig for lawn care. 👍
Did it my first time this week and made a huge difference
Hand to Gawd....your video reminded me to check how the blade is facing BEFORE I take it off! Great video!
Thank you brother! Great video man. I really appreciate your attention to detail and honest trial and error
I've worked on so many mowers the owner installed upside down. Last one was a good friend's it actually cut decent surprisingly. Lol
Lol, maybe I'd be surprised to see what people actually do 🤣
I use my angle grinder holding blade in hand making sure to send sparks in opposite direction of eyes, then follow up with metal file to smooth out
Some good information here. I know personally when I switched from a metal grind disc to a flap disc it was a game changer for me.
Used a file for years and always struggled with maintaining correct angle on my not flat mulching blades…and a lot of time. I have a 3 blade mower as well. Finally splurged on an All American Sharpener, so worth it. Once you learn it, takes seconds for a perfect angle and edge, or minutes to grind out dings. Not cheap, but will last a lifetime. Best deal is through the company, not Amazon. Cheers.
That's pretty sweet; I thought about going that far with my tools but have hesitated thus far since the vise and angle grinder are so easy for me and both tools can be used for so many other things. Enjoy what you nabbed though!
That blade stop is now in my amazon cart! Another highly informative vid.
Lol, that's awesome, you will fall in love with it! Glad to add value even in the off season ☺
My local Menards have the exact same one that is listed on amazon and it is $7 cheaper. They also sell blade balancer for $3
@@Cookiesalesman yep, that's why I always tell people to check local hardware stores for these small durable tools, they are almost always cheaper locally.
@@Cookiesalesman Thank you for the heads up, I'll be sure to check there before I place my order.
c clamp works same for me.
good info. I have tried many methods. i now use a new 8 in. Bastard Cut Half Round File and sharpen the blade every other time i mow in about 45 to 60 seconds. The first time you do it it will likely take about three minutes, but after that, it should be under a minute if you are a bit skilled. The key is to have magnifying glasses on and wear a pair of gloves to keep from getting cut, and to not go for perfection. Just nock the big dings off at the angle of the bevel and the angle for the bottom and then simply slide the file along the bevel angle 2 or 3 times and once lightly on the back at the flat angle, then rotate the blade 180 deg to do the other side, then cut the lawn. Sometimes i use the little 1"x3" DMT 320G diamond stone instead of the file.
If the blade is out of balance in the beginning (once), you need to take it off and use that tool ($5 Home Depot). Plan on spending 20 min between that tool and the vise + file to get it spot on (this is the time to look towards perfection). You should never have to balance it again.
Always great info thanks again brother
Thanks as always for your feedback Allen!
Mower blades are meant to be single bevel because it needs to create a vortex in the mower; if u cut air evenly with a double bevel edge then it reduces drag and therefore no uplift on the grass
All airplane wings have a teardrop like shape but it’s to facilitate a slower and faster current of air with mechanical energy and it’s the same premise with the bottom of the mower blades having a slight differential in drag which then creates directional airflow; usually toward the mower deck
I made a wooden jig to fit in the vise and hold the blade horizontal so that I could grind it in a more comfortable position with the angle grinder,. It also is safer than clamping the blade vertically since all the sparks and bits of metal are thrown off sideways away from my face. The jig uses two 2-inch carriage bolts (Honda mowers have two bolts) inserted from the bottom of the jig with a fender washer and hex nut on top to secure the blade. The wooden part is made from two 1x2 wood pieces glued together for the clamping part and another 1x2 shaped to keep the blade evenly supported since it's not perfectly flat in the middle where it bolts to the mower. All this was done with common hand tools and an electric drill. Cost was about a dollar for the carriage bolts, washers and nuts. Wood was scrap I had lying around. BTW, I keep 2 extra blades on hand so changing them is fast and I can sharpen when I have time. Thanks for making these videos.
I had never seen that gadget for "anchoring" your blade for removal. I was thinking that a C clamp would work just as well.
I'm using the grinder too but with a Flap Disc.
Good advice and tutorial for the newbie and uneducated in proper blade care. May I offer a few tips as well? 🙂 For folks who do not own an angle grinder and have to use a file make sure you are pushing the file and not pulling. If you look at the way they are made the teeth are pointed and file away from the handle. When you pull it (from the handle end) not only will it be ineffective in sharpening, but will dull the file as well. When using an angle grinder always have the disc contact at the leading edge of the blade sharpening toward the meat of the blade. The object is to reduce heat at the leading edge so as not to lose the tempering of the blade thus keeping it sharper longer. Also it leaves a burr free edge. Bonus! Thank you for talking about the balancing of the blade as I, as I'm sure have many, forgotten this important critical step and then wondered "why in the heck is my mower rattling"! Ha!
Excellent tips Ray; a lot of us do it all wrong in the beginning as we fumble along figuring it all out. I probably used terrible filing form back when I fist trying to sharpen my blades with them a handful of years back. These days I just don't have the patience for hand filing any more. I have way too much on my plate for that kind of time commitment, lol.
Love the way how you point out the so called expert that he does not now how to use a file without saying it.
Thanks. I just found this! I use Ryobi products. Any difference in the frequency of sharpening blades for the electric mowers?
Hey thanks for the very thorough video. However I didn't see any grass in your yard😂. Cheers!
This was helpful!!
Awesome! So glad to hear that!
Great advice, thx 🙏🏼
Thanks Gary, glad you found it valuable- enjoy the rest of winter! 😃
I use a grinder as well, but I use a flapdisc instead of s grinder wheel, makes a smoother surface.
A lot of people have echoed that, ill have to pick one up and see the difference for myself sometime soon.
Brian, do you ever use a flap sanding disc on the angle grinder instead of the grinding wheel?
I was searching online just now about fertilizer and I came across your article on Phosphorus from your website. Really great read. By doing that, it lead me to your UA-cam page. I was wondering if you you’d be able to answer a question for me about what I should do now that I have my soil test results. I’m sort of new to lawn care and I’m still learning about fertilizer. If you’re able to help, do you think I could send you a pic of my soil sample results and possibly get some recommendations on what I should put down?
Sure, I'd love to give you my thoughts. Shoot me a copy to Brian@turfmechanic and I'll take a quick look.
@@TurfMechanic can I send it to your IG page?
Sure that works too
@@TurfMechanic message sent. 👍🏻
Good Video😁
Thanks Siggi! I've been avoiding making this video for too long, glad you liked it!
"Sharpen your mower every two to four weeks", dude, that's how often I mow my lawn!
If you want your lawn mower to keep clean from grass sticking to it. Wash it clean if a used lawnmower. Then spray two coats of car undercoating the fast drying type (tar). Let it dry 24 hours before using. On a brand new out of the box mower, do the same procedure. Your lawn mowers will be much more cleaner from grass clippings. Hose down after use. Do not scrape, just use soap and a sponge or wash cloth to wash your lawn more underneath.
But how about if you've got single blades? I've got 2 single blades but how do you balance them as they are single blades
Use a vice to hold the blade when you sharpen, or at the very least a clamp on your workbench
My screwdriver grinder has a 30degree angle
If you use the technique with a file like you did, no wonder it took you forever! You have to put it in a vice and use a typical filing stroke going away from your body.
One eye😊
2-4 weeks? Ha ha ha ha ha ha...
I have fixed-maintained numerous lawn mowers. Most people don't even know the blades have to be maintained. Some people think once a season with an oil change. Twice a season is reasonable if you live in the US. Unless you water your southern lawn in the dry months....then maybe 3 times.
at 19 minutes it takes me way longer to watch this video than to sharpen my blades.
YES! It took me an eternity to make this video compared to how long it actually takes me to do this chore on a normal day. 🤣
of course its faster than this video, this is your longest video.... hahaha,
One of the longer ones, lol. Been trying to keep duration down this season but this video length got a bit out of hand. When I sharpen my blades off camera it takes less than 10 min every time, sometimes just a bit over 5!
Remove and ground spark plug wire before removing blade!
Instead of the grinding disc use a 80-60 grit flap disc. Sharpen so that the disc surface rotates with the direction of the blade , not against it. Flap disc vibrates less , more control , nicer finish. 10 minute job. If you are smart , you don't need to balance the blade. Cheers.
I learned this in botany and horticulture classes at Humboldt State U. and it stuck with me ever since.
Grass, like any other plant and YOU… are alive.
When you cut any plant, think of it as a SURGICAL OPERATION.
Would you want your surgeon to show up with a dirty, dull scalpel?
I think not.
This is the reason you should…
Keep all blades sharpened at all times
Clean your shears, loppers, etc
Sterilize your cloning clippers.
You WILL reduce the stress and disease to all of your plants.
Preach it! I need to do this to our gardening shears this year- new goal. 👊
@@TurfMechanic Thanks for the reply,
I keep all of my kitchen utensils sharp at all times as well... Most dangerous utensil in the kitchen, anything that is supposed to be sharp that isn't... Retired HS (continuation) science & wood shop teacher. Years and years of anxiously watching and warning at-risk teens about shop safety, builds a strong personal habit. hahahaha
Might not be a bad idea if you checked out any videos showing the correct way to use a file, it never cuts on the back stroke. Just sayin!!!
I've learned my lesson, thanks!
No eye protection naughty naughty
I know right!? When you juggle making videos and setting cameras up it's easy to forget stuff like that. 😬
Is it just me or is he filing in the wrong direction, lol.
A right angle die grinder with a 2-3 inch disk works a lot better than the grinder. Not as heavy and you can see what you're doing better.
Who is so weak that they can't just hold the blade while breaking the bolt loose? Seriously, if you're that weak, get an impact wrench!
Please come open my pickle jars...please 😟
Use a flap disk. It’ll change your life.
I currently have three rotary mowers at the house, I think I want to get three different grinding discs and use one disc on each mower blade to compare the sharpening process. Thanks for the suggestion!
@@TurfMechanic I’m a 30 year metal fabricator. The flap disk is going to be your best bet.
@@chrisgossman4522 on it! I've got a flap disk in my Amazon cart now 😁
Get an impact gun
Where are your safety glasses ? Bad practice !
I put them on at 16:08, made mention of it in the video that I forgot to put them on in the beginning.
you allso got to balance them too or they will vibrate