How To Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades
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How to Sharpen a Lawn Mower Blade
Your lawn mower blade is just like any other cutting tool in the sense that it will eventually become dull. When this happens and you continue cutting your lawn with the dull blade, you’re going to get some uneven, sloppy results. Not to mention that it’ll increase the amount of time you spend cutting the grass, which is why it’s so important to keep your lawn mower blade sharp. You’ll be happy to learn that this task should take about an hour. If it’s your first time doing so, you’ve come to the right place. Country Lawn and Garden has prepared this guide to help you learn how to sharpen your lawn mower blade. If you happen to be shopping around for a new lawn mower, be sure to give us a call or stop in and see us. Our dealership carries a wide variety of lawn mowers for sale near Kokomo, IN. You’ll find us conveniently located in Galveston.
Check the Condition
This is the perfect time for you to inspect the condition of your lawn mower blade. It’s helpful to have a replacement blade ready in case you find any serious problems. You can compare the replacement to your current blade, which will also make it easier to spot issues. If you find that your current blade is beyond repair, you already have a back up ready to go. There are a few steps involved when it comes to checking the condition of the blade. You want to make sure the cutting edge is straight and that the trailing edge is thick. If you notice signs of wear or distortion on either of these, it’s time for a replacement. Unfortunately, sharpening won’t fix these issues. Another thing you’ll want to be looking for is whether the cutting edge is significantly dented or chipped. If the answer is yes, then it’s time to replace it. If everything checks out, you can go to the next step.
Sharpen It
Now, it’s time to sharpen the lawn mower blade. You’re going to need a file that’s 10 inches or longer. Start your strokes at the top side of the cutting edge and push with firm but smooth downward movements. It’s going to take approximately 20 or 30 strokes for the edge to be sharp again. Keep in mind that you don’t want to go overboard with too many strokes. You might be surprised to learn that too much sharpening can throw off the blade’s balance, which would make this whole process pointless. You can use your replacement blade as a point of comparison so you know how much to sharpen it.
Balance It
The last step in the process is to balance your newly sharpened blade before you reinstall it. You can do this by putting a nail into a board and using the blade’s bolt hole to set it on the nail. If the blade tips to either side, you’ll want to file down that side until it’s even. This can be time-consuming since you should only file small amounts at a time, but it’ll be worth it in the long run to have a perfectly balanced lawn mower blade. We certainly hope that our guide to sharpening your lawn mower blade has been useful. If you have questions or if you’d like to browse our lawn mower inventory, visit us at Country Lawn and Garden in Galveston, IN. We also serve those in the Logansport, Kokomo and Peru areas.