Lawnmower Blade Sharpening
Lawn mower Blade Sharpening
When you first use a brand new lawnmower you will most likely be delighted with the quality of the grass cut but over time the mower cutting blade gets blunt and dull and you begin to notice the cutting action is less efficient than before. Lawnmower blade re-sharpening is an important part of any lawnmower maintenance schedule.
Replacement Lawnmower Blade
It is important to understand that some blades cannot be resharpened. Some lawnmowers use plastic cutting blades that should be replaced when they show signs of damage or become worn and the cutting edge becomes dulled. You should never try to re sharpen plastic lawnmower cutting blades as this may damage and weaken them causing bits to fly off at high speed which can be dangerous.
You can only resharpen a blade so many times and when the blade is significantly different to a new blade you should replace the old one to avoid any safety risk from breakage of the weakened part.
Frequency Of Blade Re sharpening
If you use your mower to cut very large areas of grass or use your mower for commercial grass cutting you will need to reshape the blade throughout the season but for most people once during the summer should be enough. It does very much depend on the type of grass cutting you do but the majority of people will simply be trimming the lawn and there is not too much wear and tear on the blade edge and one re sharpening should be fine for the lawncutting season.
How To Sharpen A Lawnmower Blade
If you prefer to keep things simple you can get a lawnmower repair shop to sharpen your blade for you. Drop your machine off at the shop one day and pick it up with the job done a couple of days later. If you prefer to do it yourself you must be sure you do the work safely. The only way to do a proper job is to remove the cutting blade and place it in a vice on your workbench then work on the edge of the blade where you can see it has been previously sharpened.
You can use an angle grinder but I have successfully shaprened a blade using a file which gives you more control. Take care to avoid upsetting the balance of the blade. You should remove the same amount of material from each end of the blade to avoid causing vibrations. If you are in any doubt at all about putting an edge on the blade just buy a brand new cutting blade and fit that to your lawnmower.