Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The satisfaction of a sharp lawnmower blade.

File sharpened every lawnmower blade on the place today,.....and I've still got the touch. I know because I let one stroke of the file carry a bit too far and laid my thumb wide open on the edge I had put on the blade. (I just *had* to give it that last touch)

There's a little walnut grove beside my house that's too thick to get my riding mower in, so I've using this cheap little push mower to get in between the trees. I bought it new for $150. I think the motor might be 3hp. But you put an edge on the blade that'll cut your thumb, raise the wheels up, and it'll go through grass a foot tall without even laboring the motor.

It probably hasn't had a mower in there in years. I picked the sticks out of it yesterday and run them through the chipper, and it looked clear enough to get a mower in there. So that's what I'm doing today. Had to stop for an iced tea break.

I'm having fun with it, for some reason.

There isn’t anything like sharp blades. I use a small grinder on mine.

4 1/2" grinder for me, double bevel the edge with 40 grit pad.

80 grit pad here.

I usually almost cry when I hit the first rock or drag the blades through the first mole hill after I've just sharpened them. Doesn't seem to matter how much time I spend chucking rocks out of the yard, another seems to pop up somewhere. I guess that's why they are called "The Rocky Mountains".

4 1/2" 40 grit diablo pad then a file. I have blast rock on the edges of my driveway. when I hit one of those pieces, it takes a 40 grit to smooth it back out.

Be sure to balance the blade too.

Cut the front out of the deck between the wheels will help if it's a dedicated brush mower.

I don't have a good way to do that,....which is why I use a file. It only removes enough to put an edge on the blade and I try to make it a point to take the same amount off of each edge.

A blade balancing stand is something I need to get before the next time, however.

That's a great idea. I'll have to do that.

A nail in the wall and let it balance like a balance beam will give it to you close.

I have a balancing tool, a pointed round cone that balances on a pinned base...works great for all size shafts

here's 1 on ebay....$6 shipped
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Oregon-Lawn-Mower-Blade-Balancer-42100/162611871679?hash=item25dc6c3fbf:g:OBkAAOSwj85Zf2Se

Yeah,...I'll get one of them.

If you think that's "fun" come on up to my place and I'll let you mow my 3/4 acre dog yard that's so steep and full of holes from my dogs' geological explorations it can only be done with a weed whacker.

You'll think you've died and gone to heaven.

I grind also, because I'm inherently lazy.

I think I have at least 10 days before the first cut here.

Nothin' better'n good, sharp blades on the lawn mower... I sharpen mine every other mowing, 'cause nothin' looks WORSE than a lawn that's been mown with dull blades..

I've hired my son to help me haul off some heavy stuff tomorrow. There's the rotten remains of an old wood pile out there and a pile of concrete that was discovered about 10" underground when I got a trench dug for my propane line.

This house has a poured concrete foundation and I think they just dumped the excess and pushed enough grass over it to get the grass to grow in that place. So now I've got about a 1000 lb pile of broken up concrete to dispose of piled up back there.

I'm paying him a pretty good piece of pocket money to help me out. I could have hired an illegal for less,..but he's my son,..so, you know. But still,...he's going to get to do the heavy lifting and I told him so up front.

I ain't gonna spend Saturday all stove up in the bed.

I have a riding mower with a bad rusted out area on a deck... long story, 3rd hand mower..

Finally get the deck off and now the thing has been soaking BG solvent for 5 days still trying to get the nuts off to get the blades off, to get the assembllies off so I can cut, patch/weld. LOL.

If I get that far I'll sharpen.

I just replace the 3 blades on my John Deere instead of sharpening, mostly because I’ve beat the hell out of them and sharpening isn’t the best option. I love sharp blades and the first cut with new blades is always satisfying to the soul. Living on this rock means sharp blades won’t be sharp for long. After changing blades and mowing my place I mowed my buddies place while he was at work. It was the first mow of the year for him and his grass was a foot tall, beating the grass into submission with dull blades wouldn’t have been as much fun.

These guys should be able to provide the correct tool for the job for you Bristoe....

https://www.brielmaier.com/en/dealers-and-sales/find-a-dealer