No need to empty the gas tank or remove the spark plug as one commented below. All you need to do is disconnect the plug wire. A mower should only be tilted with the spark plug in the upward position and never tilt a mower on it's side, as this can allow oil and gas to flow in areas of the engine that may cause issues. Wedging a block of wood should be at a right angle to the blade. Your method may bend the blade if too much force is required to remove the bolts securing the blade. I love the oil painting to prevent grass from adhering to the bottom of the mower deck. Thanks for taking the time to share.
I don't care what this guy says, I'd buy whatever he's selling. Awesome delivery and voiceover! And all while doing what he's instructing. I'll have to bookmark this for great voiceover examples to practice from.
After going through some of the comments I now understand that this video DOES have its problems. However I still wish to express my gratitude as my mower is electric, and turning it on it's side is not an issue. I also do not have a grinder so the issue of gloves with that (although necessary) was of no concern to me. These things aside it was a great video and I can now sharpen my blades with some confidence. Thank you for the video sir.
I liked how you decided to make this video in OVER 3 minutes, as is common on UA-cam. This video is more informative, and I'm sure I can repeat the steps my own mower. Thanks.
Thanks davidsloan2380 for the great tips. I like your use of old motor oil. Those farmers sure carry a lot of wisdom over the years. I enjoyed listen to your rooster crowing too. Thanks again.
Installed these on a riding mower ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxetgfkJxfdT_B2vGYP-uNTLaBbim9OKTD . They were sharp out of the box, although I've never liked blade edges that were coated...not quite as sharp as I personally want. Using my belt sander, I removed the coating from the cutting edges and refined the edge enough to shave with them. So far, after three runs, these blades are holding up as expected. Even after hitting a few fallen 1/2 inch or so branches, the edges are still sharp as heck. No edge dings, no warping, etc. As far as installing them, the cutouts were of the proper size and shape to fit my aging Craftsman mower. Very satisfied.
Wow, sweet! Thanks! I went looing for how to sharpen a blade and learned how to do all the maintenance in about ten minutes. Seeing how easy it is makes me actually want to maintain my mower!
I like the idea of using the old oil to "paint" the bottom of the mower. My son and I just mowed "granny's" yard and you have inspired me to do the sharpening and tune up with him too. :)
This one is a great video. Learning how to take care of things can save you money and time. Also, finding the right lawn mowing company or lawn mowers can save you big time.
I'm so glad you told us to remove the spark plug wire to prevent the mower starting itself. My mower was so pissed off when he found out he couldn't get started, little did he know I yanked the plug wire. I just laughed at him. It does seem odd though, seems if they can start themselves they could just pop the wire back on themselves
This was a well-rounded video tutorial, thanks! One topic that was not discussed in this video is noting the orientation of the blade before you take it off. Obviously the rust will show you how you originally had it on, if you forgot to take note beforehand. Also, my mower's manual says the trailing edge of the blade should point toward the mower. I presume this is to create better suction to pick up the grass.
Great Tips. Consider my self a handy man, but found Mr. Sloan's Tips and safety reminders very helpful. Now if he could do a "step by Step" guide to getting your teenager to use that sharpened lawn mower...
David your video was so helpful and learned a lot wish I had watched your video when I changed the blade now I can do it so much easier after watching this love the oil under neath mower so grass doesnt stick did not know my oil drain plug is under neath the bottom will have to do that at the end of the year. Thank you so much god I wish we were neighbors
One item I've found that works great to block the blade from turning is one of those wooden clamps made by Jorgensen. I only have one and I don't use it for anything else. All I do is snug it on good to the mower deck. Works like a charm.
Going out to get the drill shaprpener right now...good tip and balancing the blade and covering the deck with used oil... Thank You ...Hank Hill Would be proud ... I tell you what.
Thanks for the great instructional video. I heard 45 degrees was the proper angle to sharpen the blade. Now I'm off to Home Depot to get me a blade sharpener for my drill.
Who doesn't love the internet! David, instead of waiting for 2 weeks for shop maintenance to be done to my mower, I followed your instructions and did it myself in just about an hour, my mower's as good as new now. Thanks for the great tips!
Great information here. I would add, echoing at least one other comment, that mower blade installation should *always* be done with proper torque (typically around 40 ft. lbs). Correct torque is critical because problems can occur if the blade is installed with either too much *or* not enough torque on the installation bolts. Also, some mowers have special concave washers for the blade bolt(s) that need to be installed in the proper direction. Check the manual for both of these.
Great video!! I went one step further and after cleaning the underside of the deck, spray it w/ undercoating from a spray can. Then paint it w/ the used oil. Again, great video!!
Great video; I almost never stick through videos over 5 minutes so that's a testament to this one that I watched it from end to end. It was almost over before I realized it was 9 minutes+ long and I had watched it. As long as you turned blade sharpening into cleaning and oil-changing., I just wish you had gone on to adding the oil and let us see it run again. I feel cheated. :)
Good video. The old farmer paint the deck with old oil trick was interesting. I would think that would actually attract debris though. Lots of comments about not wearing gloves when working with bench grinders. Well that is fairly common advice that you will read on the internet, but it's actually not accurate. Take a look at industrial safety rules from the various manufacturers and they all mandate the wearing of gloves with bench grinders. I always wear gloves when using the wire wheel, and sometimes when using the grinding wheel - just depends on the specific job. No way the wheel can "grab" and drag your glove if you have a properly spaced tool rest in place anyway.
It's nice to listen to a wise ole farmer. Love the spread sir. Thanks for the ole farmer secret with the oil. I'm gonna try that too. (and pollute my garden and grass and water, LMBO! ppl kill me sometimes). Thanks again sir.
Thank you for the video. To folks who are in need of torque wrench , the cheapest and good one i could find was at harbor freight. all other places had it but was expensive. hope this helps.
A warm *thanks!* from Chicago. As silly as it sounds, I never really knew how to use my hand file until seeing your video. 10 minutes later, my blade is back to new. Again: Thanks!
The key to sharpening a mower blade efficiently is to have everything you need at hand, so you are not hunting around for tools and equipment. So I have a separate toolkit for mower blade sharpening. It includes a sandbag to hold the handle of the mower down to provide access to the bolts. It includes a clamp to hold the mower blade in place so that the bolts can be removed or tightened. It includes a 4x5 foot piece of plastic that goes under the mower so that bolts don't get lost when they are dropped. I prefer to use a file to sharpen the blade. If nicks are deep, I'll clean that up on a bench grinder before hand filing the blade. I find that mower blades get dull quite rapidly, and I sharpen mine after mowing the lawn two or three times. Block that mower up with the sandbag and see if your blade is still sharp!
This was great, but I was lazy. I didn't take the blade off. I just wedged the blade with wood and filed it, still in the mower with a drill file. Worked great!
Great video! 5 & a half stars. One thing that would be helpful is to always turn mower on side with exhaust side up so that oil won't fill up the valve area. If you rotate the blade with exhaust side down you will ruin your air filter and fill your carb with oil. Good job on blade sharpening also.
I've never heard that about painting the underside with used motor oil before. Very valuable information, and I will be doing just that tomorrow. I hate seeing all that caked up grass on my mower's underbelly. Thanks for the upload.
Thank you so much David for this wonderful video. I've been meaning to learn how to sharpen the blades for a long time and finally watched your video to learn how. Thank you and may God Bless you!!! ~John~
Great vid! Thanks for posting this. My personal preference is to scrap old grass off the bottom with a wood shim. That way the paint is not scraped or chipped off in the process.
Wears of experience here. after the last mow (fall) clean the bottom with a pressure washer or water nozzle allow to dry and coat with ospho. done. That oil trick well the oil is not biodegradable its going to come off on your lawn your driveway etc and if you compost lol. Safety tip: I use a hand held grinder with the blade in the vise. Which ever type of grinder used the angle between the blade and the grinding wheel should never exceed 90 degrees. the video demonstrates a technique using approximately 135 degrees. the blade can dig into the wheel and lightning fast become a uncontrollable flying object.
Nice video. My dad used to do the oil thing also. Because I am good at screwing things up. I use a gray sharpie and mark my parts so I know which side is up and which is down. Thanks for your effort!
Whatever you do, DO NOT WEAR GLOVES WHEN USING A BENCH GRINDER!!! This can be potentially dangerous as you cannot always feel the glove touching something, such as a grinding wheel. This could potentially lead to the glove being "eaten" up by the wheel...your finger included.
NO GLOVES AROUND BENCH GRINDER!!!!!! Glove can become entangled in wheel and pull your hand into grinder.Also keep blade cool while sharpening. Heat can temper blade.Oil probably ran out of filler while he was sharpening blade. Now he won't have to mow that spot for a couple of years.
FIRST- one should know right now to spray the underside of your mower with SILICONE spray on occasion to keep the grass from building up and sticking to the surfaces. Hose it all down once finished cutting the lawn or if a large lawn, anytime you wish to keep the buildup down. Spray every or anytime you want in the future. You'll be amazed and thankful for this tip. SECOND- if using a bench grinder of this type you can prob adjust the wheel guard angle to rest the blade on the get the correct angle Before grinding the blade .
Great video. There were some things here my dad didn't mention. I saw you were wearing safety glasses, but didn't remind folks to do so as my dad did. :-) A couple of short cuts...if you don't choose to run your gas out, be sure to roll your mower on the side opposite of the filter otherwise you could get gas in your air filter - not good.
Well, David... it appears as though everybody has an opinion. Lots of comments about gloves and grinding wheels. I think we've covered that by now. I like my 1/4" die grinder, but not everybody has the means. I think it's critical to try to reproduce the manufacturer's original angle if possible. Consider a maintenance routine that begins by removing the spark plug you intend to re-gap or replace. Leave it out until the last step. Then, turn that mower on the side with the dipstick tube to get to that drain plug (leave the oil cap on!). Less likely you'll drain oil into the cylinder than if you try tipping it front-wheels-up. Of course, that may vary from one manufacturer to the other. (My dad-blamed B&S mower doesn't even have a drain bolt. I'm somehow supposed to siphon that s**t out!). Remove the drain bolt, then drain your oil into your pan. After the oil is drained, tip it up again to pull the blade. I also saw a suggestion on the Deere site that says don't grind that leading edge to less than .4mm. I understand its a balance between sharp and tough, but I would never have left a .4mm blunt edge on my blades. But... I'm a transmission guy; I 'spose I should leave the technical stuff to the engineers, right?
Chrizzly Atoms - The key instead of oiling the deck is to rinse the deck with water after each mow. It’s very simple. His mower was not properly maintained with that much crap underneath.
Overall an informative video. Lawnmower on grass on its side a no no. Gas or oil can and most likely will leak on grass killing it. I never fill mower with gas while on grass either.
one thing I would like to add always try to lean the mower over away from the exhaust as some mowers allow oil to enter the exhaust if its tipped towards the exhaust side. I have sharpened some blades while they were on the mower using an angle grinder always wear safety glasses when grinding.
If you have a mower that has a working engine cutoff bar bracket on the handle, that breaks the ground from your coil and the engine can not crank even with plug in unless the bar is depressed. But by all means be sure of safety. If you just disconnect the plug wire and put a piece of tape on the bare end so it can't touch the plug electrode there is no need to take out plug unless you want to check or clean the plug. You have to be careful that no trash or debris falls into the plug hole when you working on mower. So it might be a good idea to plug it with a clean rag or paper towel or just leave the plug screwed a few holes in. This is first time I heard about coating burnt oil under the deck. I would think that would cause the grass to stick. But maybe that is the idea. Let a little grass stick to it and the oil will be underneath to keep moisture/oxidation from penetrating the metal. I always figured that if you cut grass every week and wash off underneath deck, the following week the grass slinging around will knock off the surface rust before it becomes seriously pitted or rotted out. On my riding mower I take the deck off every winter and clean all the grass off underneath and buff it with a wire wheel and then paint it to prevent rust during the off season. The top of the deck needs to be cleaned of all rust and painted throughout the season as there is no grass whirling around against it. One off season I tried painting underneath my deck with contact cement. Eventually the grass knocked it all off. Last year after cleaning and painting rust spots and allowing a few weeks of cure time, I sprayed the top of the deck with automotive undercoat at the end of season. Kept paint from chipping and rust from forming this year.
Some very helpful tips, especially sharpening and balancing the blade. A couple things I want to mention. I don't feel its necessary to drain the gas out for this job. Removing the park plug means the engine has no way to ignite the fuel. Of course, if you have a fuel shut-off valve installed you can shut it and be extra safe if you really want and leave gas.
Thanks for starting the video with that rooster crowing. Had my headphones in and unbeknownst to me had the volume all the way up. Texting is my only form of communication now as I am completely deaf. My lawyer will be in contact.
My favorite way to sharpen my tractor blades is with an angle grinder. I finish dress them with a bench grinder or maybe a belt sander but I do the heavy removal with an angle grinder that is usually used for grinding weld beads. I use a pneumatic impact gun to remove, and replace the blades too. Beats fooling with hand wrenches. I don't grunt when I do it like the guy in this video did.
This is the safest way ever!... BOTH my pull start mowers CONSTANTLY crank themselves!.. They are awful about cranking in the garage during the night!.. We always pull the plugs and lay them on the table away from mower so it want crank!!! LMAO!!!!!
This was great. One thing though: You didn't mention what angle to sharpen the blade at. I know as a machinist that this is important. If the angle is too high the blade will be blunt and preform poorly. If the angle is too low the blade will be too sharp and the cutting edge will quickly "roll over" and become dull. A good angle to strive for when sharpening a knife is 22.5 degrees. How about a lawn mower blade? Maybe 45 degrees max? Once again this was really informative. Thanks.
This is an old video, but still a great watch. The proper angle for most blades is approx 30 degrees, which you keep by using your hand to follow the existing angle. To avoid using the wood, you can use a lower powered impact to remove and replace. Absolutely keep the deck clean, and use whatever treatment you choose at least one per year. I also find using the nail for balance works better than the jigs they sell.
great video, i dont even own a mower , but your video was very good and properly done. i can sharpen a blade now :). i was searching how to sharpen bolt cutters, i figure it is pretty much the same way as sharpening the mower blade?
that is an outstanding tip re the used-oil. I can't believe i've never heard that before! i've also been looking for an excuse to buy a bench grinder. i have a hand-grinder in my air-tool arsenal that has served my grinding needs- but Sears sells one for $70 that it calling my name ;p
I use a Dremel tool to sharpen my lawn mower blade. You have to have a steady hand, but it seems to work well. I usually sharpen the blade all the way to the center bolts, as the blade on my Snapper mower seems to have a curve near the bolts that need sharpening as well.
wow nice video brief and too the point. I like the "oil painting tip now I feel I can do this myself instead of getting it done or buying a new one. :)
you shouldnt ever wear gloves when using a grinder. the wheel can catch your glove and pull your hand into the wheel. Very useful tips on how to sharpen blades, Thankx.
Almost right. Never use gloves with a bench grinder. Since your hands are going to be moving to and from the wheel. Fine to wear them with a hand held grinder.
Great video! I'd like to add; I'm not sure I'd go with the used oil brushing on the deck because of environmental concerns (beside that the oil would be gone before the first mow was over if you had a dusty lawn or you'd have oily mud gunk to deal with as well as clippings!) I also know that most blade bolts have a torque setting. Read your manual!
Excellent demonstration and explanation. But please, dispose of all the motor oil properly (take to a gas station or recycling facility where they accept motor oil). Just clean the grass from the underside of the deck after each mowing. Or if rust is a real problem, scrape the deck and then paint it with Rustoleum.
@coppertrail the most important of all is that your blade is in balance! It's the flywheel of the motor! Very very very important that it's in balance! If not, your mower start shacking and vibrating.
No need to empty the gas tank or remove the spark plug as one commented below. All you need to do is disconnect the plug wire. A mower should only be tilted with the spark plug in the upward position and never tilt a mower on it's side, as this can allow oil and gas to flow in areas of the engine that may cause issues. Wedging a block of wood should be at a right angle to the blade. Your method may bend the blade if too much force is required to remove the bolts securing the blade. I love the oil painting to prevent grass from adhering to the bottom of the mower deck. Thanks for taking the time to share.
I don't care what this guy says, I'd buy whatever he's selling. Awesome delivery and voiceover! And all while doing what he's instructing. I'll have to bookmark this for great voiceover examples to practice from.
Wow! Best no no nonsense instructional video I've ever seen. Excellent to the point delivery, and clear in every detail. Thanks!!!
Nice job David. 7 years later still useful.
After going through some of the comments I now understand that this video DOES have its problems. However I still wish to express my gratitude as my mower is electric, and turning it on it's side is not an issue. I also do not have a grinder so the issue of gloves with that (although necessary) was of no concern to me. These things aside it was a great video and I can now sharpen my blades with some confidence.
Thank you for the video sir.
I liked how you decided to make this video in OVER 3 minutes, as is common on UA-cam. This video is more informative, and I'm sure I can repeat the steps my own mower. Thanks.
Thanks davidsloan2380 for the great tips. I like your use of old motor oil. Those farmers sure carry a lot of wisdom over the years. I enjoyed listen to your rooster crowing too. Thanks again.
Installed these on a riding mower ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxetgfkJxfdT_B2vGYP-uNTLaBbim9OKTD . They were sharp out of the box, although I've never liked blade edges that were coated...not quite as sharp as I personally want. Using my belt sander, I removed the coating from the cutting edges and refined the edge enough to shave with them. So far, after three runs, these blades are holding up as expected. Even after hitting a few fallen 1/2 inch or so branches, the edges are still sharp as heck. No edge dings, no warping, etc. As far as installing them, the cutouts were of the proper size and shape to fit my aging Craftsman mower. Very satisfied.
Thank you for the best instruction ever. I am female, with this video I now can do it myself!
Wow, sweet! Thanks! I went looing for how to sharpen a blade and learned how to do all the maintenance in about ten minutes. Seeing how easy it is makes me actually want to maintain my mower!
I like the idea of using the old oil to "paint" the bottom of the mower. My son and I just mowed "granny's" yard and you have inspired me to do the sharpening and tune up with him too. :)
I like the idea of painting on the old oil to protect the metal. Thanks.
Thank you, David. Your instructions are clear and as good today as when you first made the video.
This one is a great video. Learning how to take care of things can save you money and time. Also, finding the right lawn mowing company or lawn mowers can save you big time.
i love this guys narration style and his tone of voice.
Great video. Learned something new - painting the bottom of your mower with the old oil to prevent rusting.
I'm so glad you told us to remove the spark plug wire to prevent the mower starting itself. My mower was so pissed off when he found out he couldn't get started, little did he know I yanked the plug wire. I just laughed at him. It does seem odd though, seems if they can start themselves they could just pop the wire back on themselves
This was a well-rounded video tutorial, thanks! One topic that was not discussed in this video is noting the orientation of the blade before you take it off. Obviously the rust will show you how you originally had it on, if you forgot to take note beforehand. Also, my mower's manual says the trailing edge of the blade should point toward the mower. I presume this is to create better suction to pick up the grass.
Boy am I ever glad i watched this, I sharpened my blade for the first time today and didn't even think of balancing it.
I guess I gotta do it again.
clear and to the point video! loved it and it's very helpful.. thank you
Great Tips. Consider my self a handy man, but found Mr. Sloan's Tips and safety reminders very helpful. Now if he could do a "step by Step" guide to getting your teenager to use that sharpened lawn mower...
David your video was so helpful and learned a lot wish I had watched your video when I changed the blade now I can do it so much easier after watching this love the oil under neath mower so grass doesnt stick did not know my oil drain plug is under neath the bottom will have to do that at the end of the year. Thank you so much god I wish we were neighbors
One item I've found that works great to block the blade from turning is one of those wooden clamps made by Jorgensen. I only have one and I don't use it for anything else. All I do is snug it on good to the mower deck. Works like a charm.
Going out to get the drill shaprpener right now...good tip and balancing the blade and covering the deck with used oil... Thank You ...Hank Hill Would be proud ... I tell you what.
Thanks for the great instructional video. I heard 45 degrees was the proper angle to sharpen the blade. Now I'm off to Home Depot to get me a blade sharpener for my drill.
Who doesn't love the internet! David, instead of waiting for 2 weeks for shop maintenance to be done to my mower, I followed your instructions and did it myself in just about an hour, my mower's as good as new now. Thanks for the great tips!
From a girl who doesn't know jack about lawn mower care, I appreciate this play by play show me how to do it!
Agreed! I do voice stuff for a living and I'm jealous of this guy.
Great information here. I would add, echoing at least one other comment, that mower blade installation should *always* be done with proper torque (typically around 40 ft. lbs). Correct torque is critical because problems can occur if the blade is installed with either too much *or* not enough torque on the installation bolts. Also, some mowers have special concave washers for the blade bolt(s) that need to be installed in the proper direction. Check the manual for both of these.
Great video!! I went one step further and after cleaning the underside of the deck, spray it w/ undercoating from a spray can. Then paint it w/ the used oil. Again, great video!!
Great video; I almost never stick through videos over 5 minutes so that's a testament to this one that I watched it from end to end. It was almost over before I realized it was 9 minutes+ long and I had watched it. As long as you turned blade sharpening into cleaning and oil-changing., I just wish you had gone on to adding the oil and let us see it run again. I feel cheated. :)
Good video. The old farmer paint the deck with old oil trick was interesting. I would think that would actually attract debris though. Lots of comments about not wearing gloves when working with bench grinders. Well that is fairly common advice that you will read on the internet, but it's actually not accurate. Take a look at industrial safety rules from the various manufacturers and they all mandate the wearing of gloves with bench grinders. I always wear gloves when using the wire wheel, and sometimes when using the grinding wheel - just depends on the specific job. No way the wheel can "grab" and drag your glove if you have a properly spaced tool rest in place anyway.
BS it keeps things from sticking. I mean, how much dirt can it hold? My problem is turning that engine upside down.
It's nice to listen to a wise ole farmer. Love the spread sir. Thanks for the ole farmer secret with the oil. I'm gonna try that too. (and pollute my garden and grass and water, LMBO! ppl kill me sometimes).
Thanks again sir.
Thank you for the video.
To folks who are in need of torque wrench , the cheapest and good one i could find was at harbor freight. all other places had it but was expensive. hope this helps.
Great video - never thought about 'painting' the bottom with the used oil or checking the balance of the blade.
Thanks for posting - I like the old oil trick to preserve the deck
A warm *thanks!* from Chicago. As silly as it sounds, I never really knew how to use my hand file until seeing your video. 10 minutes later, my blade is back to new. Again: Thanks!
The key to sharpening a mower blade efficiently is to have everything you need at hand, so you are not hunting around for tools and equipment.
So I have a separate toolkit for mower blade sharpening.
It includes a sandbag to hold the handle of the mower down to provide access to the bolts.
It includes a clamp to hold the mower blade in place so that the bolts can be removed or tightened.
It includes a 4x5 foot piece of plastic that goes under the mower so that bolts don't get lost when they are dropped.
I prefer to use a file to sharpen the blade. If nicks are deep, I'll clean that up on a bench grinder before hand filing the blade.
I find that mower blades get dull quite rapidly, and I sharpen mine after mowing the lawn two or three times. Block that mower up with the sandbag and see if your blade is still sharp!
agreed with gee jay, perfect straight to point video demo, appreciate it and will follow it for my mower, thanks!
Back when instruction videos used to be simple, Nice video thanks!!!!
Fantastic video!! Thanks for sharing both high tech and low tech solutions!!!!!
This was great, but I was lazy. I didn't take the blade off. I just wedged the blade with wood and filed it, still in the mower with a drill file. Worked great!
Great video! 5 & a half stars. One thing that would be helpful is to always turn mower on side with exhaust side up so that oil won't fill up the valve area. If you rotate the blade with exhaust side down you will ruin your air filter and fill your carb with oil. Good job on blade sharpening also.
I've never heard that about painting the underside with used motor oil before. Very valuable information, and I will be doing just that tomorrow. I hate seeing all that caked up grass on my mower's underbelly. Thanks for the upload.
Thank you so much David for this wonderful video. I've been meaning to learn how to sharpen the blades for a long time and finally watched your video to learn how. Thank you and may God Bless you!!!
~John~
Thanks so much David,
I needed your advice to get my mower back in shape for the season.
very useful! i like the trick of using the old oil to paint to protect the interior.
Great vid! Thanks for posting this. My personal preference is to scrap old grass off the bottom with a wood shim. That way the paint is not scraped or chipped off in the process.
Great video. Very easy to follow instructions. Great job!
Wears of experience here. after the last mow (fall) clean the bottom with a pressure washer or water nozzle allow to dry and coat with ospho. done. That oil trick well the oil is not biodegradable its going to come off on your lawn your driveway etc and if you compost lol. Safety tip: I use a hand held grinder with the blade in the vise. Which ever type of grinder used the angle between the blade and the grinding wheel should never exceed 90 degrees. the video demonstrates a technique using approximately 135 degrees. the blade can dig into the wheel and lightning fast become a uncontrollable flying object.
thanks. 😘
Great video and thank you. I VOTE that Dave do ALL the "DIY" videos!
Nice video. My dad used to do the oil thing also. Because I am good at screwing things up. I use a gray sharpie and mark my parts so I know which side is up and which is down. Thanks for your effort!
Whatever you do, DO NOT WEAR GLOVES WHEN USING A BENCH GRINDER!!! This can be potentially dangerous as you cannot always feel the glove touching something, such as a grinding wheel. This could potentially lead to the glove being "eaten" up by the wheel...your finger included.
...from another idiot!
Great! It's a big help for those people who love to do mowing. Thanks for this video!
NO GLOVES AROUND BENCH GRINDER!!!!!! Glove can become entangled in wheel and pull your hand into grinder.Also keep blade cool while sharpening. Heat can temper blade.Oil probably ran out of filler while he was sharpening blade. Now he won't have to mow that spot for a couple of years.
Great sharpening tips. Thanks for the used oil under coating trick.
FIRST- one should know right now to spray the underside of your mower with SILICONE spray on occasion to keep the grass from building up and sticking to the surfaces. Hose it all down once finished cutting the lawn or if a large lawn, anytime you wish to keep the buildup down. Spray every or anytime you want in the future. You'll be amazed and thankful for this tip. SECOND- if using a bench grinder of this type you can prob adjust the wheel guard angle to rest the blade on the get the correct angle Before grinding the blade .
Thank you, that was a very informative and helpful video.
Great video. There were some things here my dad didn't mention. I saw you were wearing safety glasses, but didn't remind folks to do so as my dad did. :-)
A couple of short cuts...if you don't choose to run your gas out, be sure to roll your mower on the side opposite of the filter otherwise you could get gas in your air filter - not good.
Rooster awesome and brings back a lot of childhood memories.
Well, David... it appears as though everybody has an opinion. Lots of comments about gloves and grinding wheels. I think we've covered that by now.
I like my 1/4" die grinder, but not everybody has the means.
I think it's critical to try to reproduce the manufacturer's original angle if possible.
Consider a maintenance routine that begins by removing the spark plug you intend to re-gap or replace. Leave it out until the last step. Then, turn that mower on the side with the dipstick tube to get to that drain plug (leave the oil cap on!). Less likely you'll drain oil into the cylinder than if you try tipping it front-wheels-up. Of course, that may vary from one manufacturer to the other. (My dad-blamed B&S mower doesn't even have a drain bolt. I'm somehow supposed to siphon that s**t out!). Remove the drain bolt, then drain your oil into your pan.
After the oil is drained, tip it up again to pull the blade.
I also saw a suggestion on the Deere site that says don't grind that leading edge to less than .4mm. I understand its a balance between sharp and tough, but I would never have left a .4mm blunt edge on my blades. But... I'm a transmission guy; I 'spose I should leave the technical stuff to the engineers, right?
Excellent video, very informative and great idea coating the base with used motor oil
Nice tip on oiling the deck! thanks!
Chrizzly Atoms - The key instead of oiling the deck is to rinse the deck with water after each mow. It’s very simple. His mower was not properly maintained with that much crap underneath.
Very informative and just what I was looking for on sharpening methods! Thank you!
Man that was right on time thank you good people. Post katrina baby.
Hey I just got my first lawnmower and this was very informative! Thanks!
Overall an informative video. Lawnmower on grass on its side a no no. Gas or oil can and most likely will leak on grass killing it. I never fill mower with gas while on grass either.
thank you for the video sir. the oil trick was surprising; i have never heard of that before.
This is one of the best do-it-yourself vids I have seen. BTW - you have a wonderful voice, you should be on the radio :)
Thanks for the video, I should of watched this before I attempted.
Nick from Chicago
one thing I would like to add always try to lean the mower over away from the exhaust as some mowers allow oil to enter the exhaust if its tipped towards the exhaust side.
I have sharpened some blades while they were on the mower using an angle grinder always wear safety glasses when grinding.
If you have a mower that has a working engine cutoff bar bracket on the handle, that breaks the ground from your coil and the engine can not crank even with plug in unless the bar is depressed. But by all means be sure of safety. If you just disconnect the plug wire and put a piece of tape on the bare end so it can't touch the plug electrode there is no need to take out plug unless you want to check or clean the plug. You have to be careful that no trash or debris falls into the plug hole when you working on mower. So it might be a good idea to plug it with a clean rag or paper towel or just leave the plug screwed a few holes in. This is first time I heard about coating burnt oil under the deck. I would think that would cause the grass to stick. But maybe that is the idea. Let a little grass stick to it and the oil will be underneath to keep moisture/oxidation from penetrating the metal. I always figured that if you cut grass every week and wash off underneath deck, the following week the grass slinging around will knock off the surface rust before it becomes seriously pitted or rotted out. On my riding mower I take the deck off every winter and clean all the grass off underneath and buff it with a wire wheel and then paint it to prevent rust during the off season. The top of the deck needs to be cleaned of all rust and painted throughout the season as there is no grass whirling around against it. One off season I tried painting underneath my deck with contact cement. Eventually the grass knocked it all off. Last year after cleaning and painting rust spots and allowing a few weeks of cure time, I sprayed the top of the deck with automotive undercoat at the end of season. Kept paint from chipping and rust from forming this year.
Some very helpful tips, especially sharpening and balancing the blade. A couple things I want to mention. I don't feel its necessary to drain the gas out for this job. Removing the park plug means the engine has no way to ignite the fuel. Of course, if you have a fuel shut-off valve installed you can shut it and be extra safe if you really want and leave gas.
Thanks for starting the video with that rooster crowing. Had my headphones in and unbeknownst to me had the volume all the way up. Texting is my only form of communication now as I am completely deaf. My lawyer will be in contact.
Thanks, David. Good job.
My favorite way to sharpen my tractor blades is with an angle grinder. I finish dress them with a bench grinder or maybe a belt sander but I do the heavy removal with an angle grinder that is usually used for grinding weld beads. I use a pneumatic impact gun to remove, and replace the blades too. Beats fooling with hand wrenches. I don't grunt when I do it like the guy in this video did.
This is the safest way ever!... BOTH my pull start mowers CONSTANTLY crank themselves!.. They are awful about cranking in the garage during the night!.. We always pull the plugs and lay them on the table away from mower so it want crank!!! LMAO!!!!!
This was great. One thing though: You didn't mention what angle to sharpen the blade at. I know as a machinist that this is important. If the angle is too high the blade will be blunt and preform poorly. If the angle is too low the blade will be too sharp and the cutting edge will quickly "roll over" and become dull. A good angle to strive for when sharpening a knife is 22.5 degrees. How about a lawn mower blade? Maybe 45 degrees max? Once again this was really informative. Thanks.
This is an old video, but still a great watch. The proper angle for most blades is approx 30 degrees, which you keep by using your hand to follow the existing angle. To avoid using the wood, you can use a lower powered impact to remove and replace. Absolutely keep the deck clean, and use whatever treatment you choose at least one per year. I also find using the nail for balance works better than the jigs they sell.
Great video. Helpful. Loe it from Queensland Australia
Nice video...Thanks for taking the time to put it together.
great video, i dont even own a mower , but your video was very good and properly done. i can sharpen a blade now :). i was searching how to sharpen bolt cutters, i figure it is pretty much the same way as sharpening the mower blade?
that is an outstanding tip re the used-oil. I can't believe i've never heard that before!
i've also been looking for an excuse to buy a bench grinder. i have a hand-grinder in my air-tool arsenal that has served my grinding needs- but Sears sells one for $70 that it calling my name ;p
Very informative. Just what I needed. Thanks.
You should definitely go into radio. Golden Pipes!
I use a Dremel tool to sharpen my lawn mower blade. You have to have a steady hand, but it seems to work well. I usually sharpen the blade all the way to the center bolts, as the blade on my Snapper mower seems to have a curve near the bolts that need sharpening as well.
wow nice video brief and too the point. I like the "oil painting tip now I feel I can do this myself instead of getting it done or buying a new one. :)
Great info and I love this guy's mellow John Wayne voice; everyone else is high strung compared to him.
Great instructive video, thanks
If someone doesn't know that the white thing on the back isn't a spark plug, they shouldn't attempt to sharpen blades. LOL....thanks for your video
No mention of tipping mower over the wrong way and half of sump oil ending up in your carburettor and air filter.....
David Dale Unless you have a Tecumseh :)
A very in depth movie, bravo to you. Would there be any particular methods you would recommend for balancing a reel mower once sharpened?
you shouldnt ever wear gloves when using a grinder. the wheel can catch your glove and pull your hand into the wheel. Very useful tips on how to sharpen blades, Thankx.
Almost right. Never use gloves with a bench grinder. Since your hands are going to be moving to and from the wheel. Fine to wear them with a hand held grinder.
Never heard of that thanks
Great video! I'd like to add; I'm not sure I'd go with the used oil brushing on the deck because of environmental concerns (beside that the oil would be gone before the first mow was over if you had a dusty lawn or you'd have oily mud gunk to deal with as well as clippings!) I also know that most blade bolts have a torque setting. Read your manual!
Excellent demonstration and explanation. But please, dispose of all the motor oil properly (take to a gas station or recycling facility where they accept motor oil). Just clean the grass from the underside of the deck after each mowing. Or if rust is a real problem, scrape the deck and then paint it with Rustoleum.
@coppertrail the most important of all is that your blade is in balance! It's the flywheel of the motor! Very very very important that it's in balance! If not, your mower start shacking and vibrating.
Fantastic video. Thanks.
Arnold company has a neat little blade holding device. Boards and wrenches slip and can cause an accident. Work smarter not harder.
Good video and to the point thank you
Good video, exactly the way my Dad taught me.
Old School!
Pam non stick spray also works vs oil.