# Blade sharppening



## bcollins (Apr 21, 2013)

Ok everybody , just wondering if you all sharpen your blades yourself or do you have someone else do it ? I have never done it cause I always thought it needed to have a certain angel on the blade and since I have only a bench grinder with nothing to tell me what angel to go by its all guess work. I have used different shops in the past some use hand grinders others grind without taking the blades off the mower, I have looked into getting a better grinder on line that is specifically for this type of need and they run from 200 - 500 bucks. My average cost will range from 5 - 12 bucks a blade depending on where I take them. But I am not impressed at all with any of the work I have seen. The balance of the blades I know is important cause you don't want to ruin any bearings so is grinding yourself no big deal and balancing blade on a nail ok to go with or would you invest in a grinder that has the angels that you can set the way to go. Any comments appreciated:thumbsup:


----------



## JDRM (Apr 16, 2012)

Just use your bench grinder, you will get the feel of it. I use mine. You want the same angle you get when they are brand new, just sharper.


----------



## BRADSConst (Oct 2, 2012)

I've done both a bench grinder and an angle grinder. I've also had blades that were neglected for too long done by someone else. I get them sharpened for $4 a blade. Balance is important, not sure how anyone can do a decent job sharpening and balancing while still on the mower :blink:

Also, from my engineering days at Deere, if anyone tells you that the edge must be razor sharp, that's not the best advice. The cutting edge should be a tad blunt, no more than the thickness of a dime. It will last much longer.


----------



## Gypsos (Apr 30, 2012)

I normally do them myself with a 4' hand grinder. I buy the discs at tractor supply in a ten pack for $10 when they are on sale.

I have at least three or four sets of blades for each mower. That way I can swap them in a few minutes when I am in a hurry. Although it can take a bit of time to sharpen 30 blades when they are all dull. But it is worth it when you run over something and need to change them in the middle of the day. 

I recommend buying a metal blade balancer. I like them better than the plastic ones and they are more accurate than a nail. I think I paid less than $10 for the one I have. 

A really stout bench mounted vice is also a must. Being able to lock the blade in place and know it will not move helps. 

Also, wear a good pair of leather gloves. The blades get really hot and the gloves will give you time to drop them without burning your hand when you forget friction causes heat.

When I am really slammed and do not have time to do this myself I drop off my mower at the shop I deal with while I do something that does not require a mower. For $20 they will take them off, sharpen them and put them back on. I also will do this sometimes if they are worn out. They will install the new ones for $10.


----------



## BPWY (Apr 12, 2012)

BRADSConst said:


> Also, from my engineering days at Deere, if anyone tells you that the edge must be razor sharp, that's not the best advice. The cutting edge should be a tad blunt, no more than the thickness of a dime. It will last much longer.





That might be OK for a homeowner, they might even recommend that for commercial, I really would hate to use thickness of a dime blade front edge. 
Mine get to that by the end of the day. I can tell deteriorated cutting performance from the way I started the day. 
I doubt you'd want to shave with mine but they are sharper than the thickness of a dime.


----------



## npm (Nov 14, 2012)

BPWY said:


> That might be OK for a homeowner, they might even recommend that for commercial, I really would hate to use thickness of a dime blade front edge.
> Mine get to that by the end of the day. I can tell deteriorated cutting performance from the way I started the day.
> I doubt you'd want to shave with mine but they are sharper than the thickness of a dime.


I found out with my g6 mulching blades that s big difference between the traditional "blunt" sharp to a "razor" sharp that I get from wet sand if my belt sander. So much so that I purchased extra sets to swap out minimum once a week.

I was told one to tell if you need to sharpen your blade if the tips of the grass are "brown".


----------



## npm (Nov 14, 2012)

I only use a grinder to remove any "dents" from the edge. I found a bench mounted belt sander is easier to keep the "proper" angle


----------



## BPWY (Apr 12, 2012)

npm said:


> I found out with my g6 mulching blades that s big difference between the traditional "blunt" sharp to a "razor" sharp that I get from wet sand if my belt sander. So much so that I purchased extra sets to swap out minimum once a week.
> 
> I was told one to tell if you need to sharpen your blade if the tips of the grass are "brown".





I used sharp blades every day! Those G6s do not like to cut right even a little bit dull.


The tips of the grass will always have a very small brown spot.
This is not noticeable unless you really get down and look. 
Where problems come from is when the brown spot becomes a brown tear. I've seen tips that have been mowed so dull the brown is an inch or two.


----------



## hammerhead (Apr 26, 2012)

http://www.amazon.com/Oregon-88-023...9947079&sr=1-5&keywords=mower+blade+sharpener

Will pay for its self over time


----------



## BPWY (Apr 12, 2012)

Myself and mr montana both have one of these.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bradley-Law...862?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35d65d620e


----------



## hammerhead (Apr 26, 2012)

BPWY said:


> Myself and mr montana both have one of these.
> 
> 
> http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bradley-Law...862?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35d65d620e


That will work also.:thumbup:


----------



## npm (Nov 14, 2012)

BPWY said:


> I used sharp blades every day! Those G6s do not like to cut right even a little bit dull.
> 
> 
> The tips of the grass will always have a very small brown spot.
> ...


I can't imagine everyday. I start to notice longer clippings after a good week of mowing. I'm debating on running a block off plate. I'm assuming that blades will need to be sharpened everyday. 

Yes exactly a brown tear because the blade tore instead of slicing the grass


----------



## BPWY (Apr 12, 2012)

I'm not mowing any bank owned, so I have to have a high quality cut every time. 
This is with the G6s, my regular blades its not as easy to tell.

Also our soil is fairly sandy. Doesn't take long until I can tell the mower is working harder to cut.
Also depends on the grass type. We have some pretty hard cutting native grasses.


----------



## Gypsos (Apr 30, 2012)

I started using Hustler blades on all my machines. They are thick and heavy. Kind of like a bush hog blade. They seem to hold and edge longer and have fewer issues with real tall and thick grass.


----------

