Deep Thoughts this Morning

kevhed72

Can lawnmower blades be re-sharpened....and why are brand new blades dull to the touch? Is this some type of woke, snowflake safety feature added to lawnmower blades so we don't cut ourselves?? And if a lawnmower is actually running and stick my hand under there, I would prefer a sharp blade for a clean cut of my fingers from my hand rather than a dull smashing of my fingers.
Anyway, I do own a bench grinder and have the old blade if anyone has tried their own Sling Blade re-enactment at home...lemme know!

msg

This sounds like a post coffee-slam musing session from the white thinking chair, or WTC for short. I approve.

They can, indeed, be resharpened, though I've not done it successfully. Last time I tried, I didn't have the right tool for it, but now, due to a recommendation from @pitdogg2 I have a Work Sharp sharpening tool that has an attachment for yard tools and mower blades, iirc. Or just rotates. I haven't tried it for this yet. Amazing with kitchen kuh-nyfes, though.
https://www.worksharptools.com/shop/benchtop/powered/knife-tool-sharpener-mk2/

And here's a photo of Ivan getting ready for Saturday night at the sorority house.

If not a myth to some degree, I think it's important to keep the blade balanced so you don't trash spindle or shaft bearings, riding or push mowers, respectively?

With the crappy sharpening tool I tried years ago, there was a little balancing tool that came with it. Surely others will have experience here, and if not, there's always the Tube-of-Yous.


To the question of blades being dull when you buy them. I've noticed this as well. But after installation and use, I've noticed that the coating comes off, and the blade is sharp. Your blade will be dull if you look at it only before installation, and after a season or two of trying to mow tree roots.

Last ones I bought were powder coated. The 8TEN LawnRazor. Sounds fancy, but they were really an affordable set. I got them from Chinazon (sigh) - $34 for 2 blades. I spend around $22 if I pick up a Toro blade for my push mower at Home Depot. I think I might have bought one for my last push mower as well.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QYBTBKQ

mhardy6647

I take mine to the local small engine/power equipment place (which is excellent, BTW) and get 'em sharpened most every season. Indeed, the year after I buy a new lawnmower, I buy a new blade, drop the old one off for sharpening, and install the new one. Repeat every year.

I've been meaning to do that with my tractor, but I haven't yet. Three big blades kind of inhibits me from making the investment.

I don't think that a sharp (as in razor sharp) blade is advised nor required on a lawnmower. I do know that the divots and nicks that blades tend to develop (hitting big-but-t rocks and whatnot) need to be dealt with -- the goal is to cut the grass blades, not rip them off by force. Doesn't take razor, or even sword, sharpness, though.

Again, that's my understanding.

EDIT: I have sharpened 'em myself occasionally - but it only costs a few bucks, and I trust the local place. I do sharpen shovels and some other ground hacking hand tools when I get the urge (which is very occasionally, at best.

treitz3

Yes, lawn mower blades can be sharpened. I have 3 sets of blades I rotate in and out all the time. It helps if you have one of these -



It's just a cheap blade balancer. If you don't want one, you can always put a nail on the side of your workbench and balance the blade on the nail. Either one will work but I prefer the blade balancer.

I have no clue as to why new blades are dull to the touch. I make them as sharp as I can get them, so they don't damage the grass blades and "rip" them as they pass by, they simply slice through them. They are not dull for any safety reasons. In many cases, they will come with a coating that will make them dull.

I try to emulate the angle of the cut, so that it does not deviate from the original angle and make sure that all blades are balanced (I have 3 blades on my zero turn), otherwise, the unit will shake horribly.....much like an out of balance wheel on a vehicle.

I wouldn't bother with these things. They are a waste of time and money to me...



It usually takes me about 20-25 minutes to sharpen a set of 3 blades to perfection and add them back into the blade stash, for quick install whenever the current set starts to not perform as well as it should.

Tom

Milito

I always used a hand file to sharpen mine. I didn't take too much metal off that way.

pitdogg2

Shoot I just use a folded sandpaper (120 grit) disc on my angle grinder. As for balancing, a 16 penny nail straight into a stud on my garage wall is all I use.
Just remember to take a file to the back side of the blade to knock off the burr you create when you sharpen the face.
I do sharpen my brand new blades before use.
Tom and I agree, those stones for the drill are a waste of money. A simple file and bench vise work much better.

kevhed72

msg wrote: »

This sounds like a post coffee-slam musing session from the white thinking chair, or WTC for short. I approve.

Kinda eery you nailed my Sat Sun morning routine so closely lol. Im going to fire up the bench grinder later and see how that goes and check the new blade to see how dull it still is. I would be concerned with balancing the blade but my mower is a POS that I am waiting to catch fire before I buy a new one, which probably will be electric but thats a post for another session of Deep Thoughts with Kev...

muncybob

Been using a bench grinder for years. I sharpen the blades about 3 or 4 times per season as I have a fair amount of grass to cut. At first I balanced the blades with the nail as mentioned, but I find not taking to much off per pass and counting the passes to be sure each side gets equal passes seems to keep them fairly balanced.

I rotate between 2 sets(3 blades each) and at the end of the season I'll treat the mower like a brush hog before retiring for the winter(after replacing those now dull blades with a freshly sharpened set). I've found cutting down woody stuff actually gets the under side of the mower deck clean, sorta like sandblasting I guess.

mhardy6647

I have an unfair amount of grass to cut
I cut some of it today. Some of it fights back.

audioluvr

kevhed72 wrote: »

Can lawnmower blades be re-sharpened....and why are brand new blades dull to the touch? Is this some type of woke, snowflake safety feature added to lawnmower blades so we don't cut ourselves??...

Yes. I do mine every spring. I've never balanced mine. Yes I'm sure the Anti-racism crowd lobbied to make new lawnmower blades dull. Surely it had nothing to do with the added manufacturing costs.

DaveHo

I throw a stone drum grinding bit in my air die grinder for sharpening my mower blades. Don't worry too much about the angle. When I'm done you can slice a piece of paper. Should be good enough for grass. My lawn seems happy. So am I.

mrbigbluelight

Sheep
'nuff said
🐑🐑🐑
Grass No More 👍🤗

mhardy6647

mrbigbluelight wrote: »

Sheep
'nuff said
🐑🐑🐑
Grass No More 👍🤗

Plus, if one's a Scotsman... well...



ahem. I jest, of course. Scots are wonderful folks, and I love Scotland. Just not... you know... that way.