Sharpening Mower Blades while on the Machine?

[wormwood]

I always had the cheapest lawn mowers available. I'd go to Lowes at the end of the season and buy the one they used on their grounds for ~$100. They would last about ~7 years...rinse and repeat when they wore out.

When they needed sharpening, I'd flip them over on their side and use my angle grinder to sharpen them up free-hand. always worked great.

But now I have a nice zero radius mower. should I take the blades off for sharpening or it OK to sharpen them while still on the machine?

Thanks for opinions.

 

[arkangel06]

Take them off and sharpen them right!

 

[steven083008]

Take them off! Although you can probably do an okay job sharpening them while on the mower, there is no way for you to balance them on the mower. Even a small vibration from them can really wear things out on a mower over time.

 

[Mickey O]

Take them off and sharpen them, that's the only way you can see if the blade is balanced.

 

[Major Ramifications]

Take them off! Although you can probably do an okay job sharpening them while on the mower, there is no way for you to balance them on the mower. Even a small vibration from them can really wear things out on a mower over time.

I agree completely.

 

[Indy_500]

take them off x5

 

[wormwood]

Take them off! Although you can probably do an okay job sharpening them while on the mower, there is no way for you to balance them on the mower. Even a small vibration from them can really wear things out on a mower over time.

Take them off and sharpen them right!

Take them off and sharpen them, that's the only way you can see if the blade is balanced.

Thanks guys; will do that.

Next question:

(forgive me I'm new to this) do you have to be careful to get them back in their original spot or do you rotate them around on purpose...or does it matter?

thanks!

 

[KEH]

Dosen't matter where you angle the blades. Belt driven blades would not stay in any sort of order.

Remove blades to sharpen. Easiest way, only way AFAIK. You need an air wrench to get them off. I'm not real happy about getting part way under the jacked up mower to remove the blades, sure wouldn't want to be under it to sharpen them, not sure how well it would work anyway.

KEH

 

[jeepnut24]

Please take them off and do it right....

 

[east_tn_emc]

2 other things to always check while the blades are off the mower....

1) roll the bolts on a flat surface to make sure they are not bent (most heavy-duty mowers design the bolts to bend instead of allowing the shock-load of hitting something to tear up the jackshafts.

2) and most importantly....every time you put the blades back on, coat the threads with good-quality anti-seize....it will keep things from rusting up between sharpenings and make them a little easier to remove the next time.

 

[Brandon_K]

Not that it's needed after all of the other comments but.. take them off.

As others have mentioned, you can't balance them without doing that. An out of balance blade will start eating up spindles and bearing quickly. Spindles aren't exactly cheap items to replace. Do it right the first time.

And if you're due for a sharpening, you may want to consider upgrading the blades while you're at it, http://www.gatorblade.com/ I put these on my 86' Deere 318. Unbelieveable difference. Granted, newer mowers already chop the clippings better than my old school 86, but every little bit helps. During the fall just drive over the leaves, you have nothing but dust left. I only wish they made them for my Kubota G6200 as the Deere has been torn down for a resto for the last year.

 

[wormwood]

Thanks for all the kind replies.

How do you make sure they are balanced? Do you need a machine like a tire balancer? Seriously; I've never done this.


And while I'm embarrassing myself with stupid questions... I do have a big compressor and an air wrench... but are the blades on with right or left hand thread? The machine is a Kubota ZD221.

 

[s_ontario]

just pull them off and sharpen them if they are worn bad replace just make sure you don't put them back on upside down

and watch you don't cut yourself while tightening them

 

[reptilezs]

Thanks for all the kind replies.

How do you make sure they are balanced? Do you need a machine like a tire balancer? Seriously; I've never done this.


And while I'm embarrassing myself with stupid questions... I do have a big compressor and an air wrench... but are the blades on with right or left hand thread? The machine is a Kubota ZD221.

easy way is to use some string through the mounting hole. if it flops down one way remove metal to even it out. they sell a little pyramid thing if you need more toys

 

[D9H 90V]

I would take them off by hand for the first time, my Craftsman has one right handed and one left handed, just wear a good pair of leather gloves when you do it , if its a newer mower the bolts shouldnt be too tight,

to make sure they are balanced , I have always set them on top of a small piece of pipe , right in the middle of the blade if it falls to one side or the other , its probably unbalanced , this make take o few tries to make absolutely sure
Let us know how it goes

 

[Scout Driver]

The balancer tool is a little cone-shaped stand. They are pretty cheap to purchase and worth having.

Scott

 

[Jeeper]

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FJTVSI/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Handyman163]

I still need to sharpen mine for this season, but if I remember right the sharpened edge faces up towards the top of the deck on my mower. So there's no way to see it from underneath, right. Are you getting your head all under there to see or what? I don't see how you'd do it without removing the blade and get them any kind of decent sharp.

I have a Snapper rear-engine rider with a single 33" blade. It stands up on its back (straight up), and I still remove the blade for sharpening. I've got a gator blade on it, and love it. It doesn't work as well if you cut super-low though.

Be careful using your grinder - make quick repetitive passes so as to not get too much heat. Too much heat will ruin the temper on the steel and make it softer - and dull much faster.