Sharpen with an angle grinder until the blades are too worn out or bent to safely use. Oregon Gators are my go-to blade.
Do you usually sharpen or buy new blades?
- Thread starter ZZman
- Start date
Just watch your angle of the grind and maintain that angle.
I sharpen with a flat file and balance. I do a back cut on the bottom of the blade to give it a slight chisel shape. This gives the edge a little more strength. Time consuming but I have the time.
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2022
- Messages
- 533
American sharpener jig w/angle grinder works great for me. 3 blade mower deck so it's a bit of a chore w/six edges to sharpen twice a year.
Being one that is a little obsessed with having a sharp blade, to give me the kind of cut I want on my lawn, I sharpen my mower blades 2-3 times each year. There is no way I would want to replace a perfectly fine blade every 4-6 weeks during the mowing season.
If I'm in the mood of taking the blade off the mower, I use a bench grinder. Super quick and easy, even if the blade has some damage. Sometimes I don't feel like taking the blade off, so I use a Dremel, with the mower blade sharpening tool. The tool has a guide with the correct angle, so it makes it easy. The disadvantage is that if the blade has much damage, it takes quite a few passes. But normally, I can make the blade look nice with 2-4 passes on each end.
I bought a spare blade when I bought my mower 15 years ago. I've been using these same two blades for the entire time. Every couple years I throw them on a blade balance and adjust if needed but most of the time I find them close enough to not concern myself with it.
If I'm in the mood of taking the blade off the mower, I use a bench grinder. Super quick and easy, even if the blade has some damage. Sometimes I don't feel like taking the blade off, so I use a Dremel, with the mower blade sharpening tool. The tool has a guide with the correct angle, so it makes it easy. The disadvantage is that if the blade has much damage, it takes quite a few passes. But normally, I can make the blade look nice with 2-4 passes on each end.
I bought a spare blade when I bought my mower 15 years ago. I've been using these same two blades for the entire time. Every couple years I throw them on a blade balance and adjust if needed but most of the time I find them close enough to not concern myself with it.
Yes I will do my own research, but, is there a brand of flap wheel to buy and others to avoid?
Do they come in grades or varying abrasive materials?
Are they rpm rated?
I'm a bench grinder guy and love my $6 wobble balancer. grew up doing it with a nail.
Do they come in grades or varying abrasive materials?
Are they rpm rated?
I'm a bench grinder guy and love my $6 wobble balancer. grew up doing it with a nail.
Pretty sure I'm using a 60 grit flap wheel. I don't buy expensive ones-either HF or Wal-Mart serve me well for what I do with them.
Considering that they're basically heavy duty sandpaper, I expect the 3M ones are probably really good. They're also $8-9 each. They're probably better than the $2 ones I buy, but I don't use flap disks a ton so I've not actually tried the more expensive ones.
AutoMechanic
Site Donor 2025
Always replace. I don’t waste my time sharpening them. Usually we don’t even replace them though just run the original blade till the mower stops working then junk the mower and buy another one haha.
How would I smooth out my lawn and mountain bike trails then?
I found some heavy duty blades that won't bend when cutting dirt and I haven't worn them out with a few years of a few sharpenings per year. I do more of a brush hog edge on them with a bit of bevel on the bottom so they don't bite into the dirt or roots too aggressively which breaks the cast aluminum spindles...I have several sets of blades and I keep them sharp. A dull set comes off and is sharpened right then. A sharp set from the inventory goes on. 4” Dewalt angle grinder with a 40 grit flapper disc. I have to put a sharp set on about every 12 mowing hours. Gators? Only in the fall or early season cleanup.
My mower is a commercial model and uses 1/4” thick blades. Most residential mowers use .167” or .204” thick blades. They will not last as long as commercial mower blades.
I will replace the blades when the cutting edge has begun to show a slight inward curve.
My mower is a commercial model and uses 1/4” thick blades. Most residential mowers use .167” or .204” thick blades. They will not last as long as commercial mower blades.
I will replace the blades when the cutting edge has begun to show a slight inward curve.
wemay
Site Donor 2023
Sharpen with a sharpening stone
You can tell if someone is using dull blade(s). I sharpen my blades twice a year.
I sharpen mine often. Like every month. I'm going from a angle grinding stone, to using a 60 grit flap wheel on the angle grinder. Seems to keep the blade cooler when sharpening.
I keep spare sets of blades and sharpen them when i am not busy. Then its no big deal to just swap out blades.
I keep spare sets of blades and sharpen them when i am not busy. Then its no big deal to just swap out blades.
This time of year with as messy as things get even if you go 7 days between mows(really, I'm hoping I can do it tomorrow which will be 7 days for me) a sharp blade makes a noticeable difference.
I'd not be surprised if I'm the only one on my block who even bothers, and yes I usually sharpen a couple of times a year(we'll see this year since I might end up rotating through a couple of mowers). It makes a difference in the quality of cut, and that difference gets even more stark when it's thick and fast growing.
Also, it seems that blades for a lot of current production stuff are $8-12 each. At that price it would be tempting to just toss on a fresh one ever year. I'm at $20 for Oregon blades or more like $30 if I order directly from Toro(who amazingly enough still have them but who knows how much longer). The Oregon price is for a regular high-lift OEM style blade, not a Gator blade, although the ones I've bought have been good quality blades. At those prices, I'll sharpen, plus they are thick heavy blades that sharpen well.
I'd not be surprised if I'm the only one on my block who even bothers, and yes I usually sharpen a couple of times a year(we'll see this year since I might end up rotating through a couple of mowers). It makes a difference in the quality of cut, and that difference gets even more stark when it's thick and fast growing.
Also, it seems that blades for a lot of current production stuff are $8-12 each. At that price it would be tempting to just toss on a fresh one ever year. I'm at $20 for Oregon blades or more like $30 if I order directly from Toro(who amazingly enough still have them but who knows how much longer). The Oregon price is for a regular high-lift OEM style blade, not a Gator blade, although the ones I've bought have been good quality blades. At those prices, I'll sharpen, plus they are thick heavy blades that sharpen well.
Look at purchasing Rotary or Stens OEM equivalents. They can be had cheaper than Toro OEM blades.
I like Rotary Cooperhead High Lifts. They are sharp out of the box. They hold an edge and last a good while.
The last set of 20.5” Gravely replacements were $11 each. That price has likely gone up, like everything else.
