Sharpen Lawn Mower Blade - The How To For The Mechanically Challenged
It is essential lawn mower maintenance to sharpen lawn mower blade regularly
. Over time and use the blades become dull from nicks and wear. Usually, you can tell when the blades need to be sharpened because the lawn will have straggling pieces of grass standing up as though the lawn mower never passed over them.
It is important that you sharpen lawn mower blade because a dull blade can cause the grass being mowed to be ripped instead of cut. This ripping leaves the lawn vulnerable to disease which is going to soon make your neatly groomed green grass looking brittle and brown.
Ideally, a lawnmower blade should be sharpened every few weeks or so. However, the frequency of use will increase the frequency the blades need to be sharpened as well as the amount of land that is being mowed. For example, if you are mowing an acre of land every other week with your mower you will need to sharpen your blade more frequently than someone that mows their acre of land every week.
To sharpen your blade you will need a few minutes of time, maybe about 10 minutes per blade, a vice clamp to hold the blades still while you are working on them and a metal file. You need to use the file in the same direction of the angle on the blade to keep it clean and sharp. A few passes with the file per blade is all it takes.
Depending on the severity of the damage done to the blade, or if it has been a long time since the blade has been sharpened you might have to work a little harder at sharpening it. In some cases, it might be necessary to use a bench grinder to get the blades sharp again. In more sever cases of damage to the blades it is likely purchasing a new blade is necessary.
If you are using a bench grinder to sharpen your lawn mower blades you should hold grind the blade in a at a 90 degree angle. Carefully allow the bench grinder to smooth out the edges and get rid of the nicks and ding on the blade. Most lawn mower repair shops can do this for you if you do not have a bench grinder available.
It is very important that you remember to take the spark plug out of your lawn mower before you begin taking the blade out. This will keep it from accidentally starting while you are maneuvering under the mower. Always wear safety goggles when sharpen lawn mower blade or doing any maintenance work to your mower. Safety first!