How to Sharpen a Lawn Mower Blade
If you want your grass to always look green and healthy, even when they’re cut, you should check if your lawn mower blade is still as sharp as it should be. A dull blade tears the grass instead of cutting them, causing them to become damaged and diseased easily. To avoid this, here’s how to sharpen a lawn mower blade effectively.
What You’ll Need:
Lawn mower
File or grinder
Blade balancer
Penetrating oil
Grease pencil
2×4 piece
Wrench
Procedure:
Prepare your lawn mower, by draining the fuel from it, and placing it in a container. Find the spark plug and remove it, too. This is usually seen at the front of your mower. Disconnect it, so the engine won’t start as you’re trying to remove the blade, and will prevent injury.
Detach the blade from the lawn mower’s bottom part. Clamp a 2×4 in between the mower deck and the blade, for added security. Locate the bolts, then squirt penetrating oil into them. Leave them for 10 to 15 minutes.
Get a socket wrench and remove the bolts, using a counter-clockwise motion. Mark the bottom of the blade with a grease pencil.
You can now start sharpening the blade’s cutting edges. You can use either a file or grinder for this task. Move the file towards the cutting edge, using even and long strokes. Follow the original bevel of the blade as close as possible.
Follow the angle of the cutting edge as you file. If it’s already worn down, just set it to 45 degrees. Make sure you also file both blade sides the same number of times, otherwise they will be off balance.
After you’re done filing, attach the blade back to the lawn mower. Put the bolts back in, and secure with the wrench again, making sure the blade is held tightly.
If the lawn mower vibrates, the blade is not balanced. Use a blade balancer to balance the blade. If it’s not, file the heavy side a bit, then try again..
Put back the spark plug. You’re ready to start mowing again!
Some Tips:
After every 10 uses, sharpen your mower blades.
There are special balancing kits available at hardware stores to help you check the blade’s balance.
Even if the blades are dull, they can easily cut you, so be careful when handling them.
A beautiful and green lawn starts with well-sharpened lawn mower blades. Follow these steps and you’ll always have healthy grass growing outside.