Anyone use an electric mower blade sharpener?

[MossRoad]

Like I said, I toss them and replace with new every year.

Yeah, we heard you the first time. However, we're talking about sharpeners. Most of us have enough metal left to sharpen VS tossing them out. So let us have our discussion. Thanks.

 

[mikester]

Get a cheap harbour freight $20 4.5" angle grinder and some $5 60-80 grit flap discs. Even if you replace the grinder every 2 years it will take you 20 years to spend $400

Personally I spend $80 a year and buy new set of blades. The old ones get sand blasted paper thin and aren't worth trying to resharpen at that point.

 

[RandyT]

Get a cheap harbour freight $20 4.5" angle grinder and some $5 60-80 grit flap discs. Even if you replace the grinder every 2 years it will take you 20 years to spend $400

Personally I spend $80 a year and buy new set of blades. The old ones get sand blasted paper thin and aren't worth trying to resharpen at that point.

I have customers that go through two sets a year due to the blasting effect cutting off the air lifts. Had a customer years ago that cut the bottom inch of his deck off due to the sand blasting cutting through the metal.

 

[HEC]

That is a dream grinder but too pricey for me. I'm looking at the Oregon 1/2 HP or even 1/3 HP model. Keeps me around $400. Any more is hard to justify but I do love the look of the lawn with a new Grasshopper blade. Best looking cut I've seen and not sure why. Maybe because they're so thick?

Option B is a hand held grinder or flap disc and new blades every other year. I would like to sharpen 5-6 times a summer and keep things balanced.

All I cut is grass. No sand, no rocks and I've outgrown accidentally mowing down errant shrubs. So just a dull edge with no nicks.

On my Exmark zero turn mower blades I just use a flat file with the blade in a bench vise . Like you I don't hit rocks etc. so the blades stay sharp for some time . The good thing about using a file you don't overheat the steel and you don't take off to much steel so they stay well balanced . I have one of those those cheap balance devices to check them once in awhile . I have an angle grinder and a bench grinder but only use them on my bush hog blades etc. .

 

[bmg88201]

I just use a good file and a flat disc on my 4 inch grinder, does a good job. I always buy JD blades, they last me 3 years per set and I mow 3 acres. The ones at Home Depot are thin and cheap and usually last one season. I can’t see spending a lot of money on a sharpener, doesn’t seem practical to me.

 

[3Ts]

Those of you who deal with sand - I found that welding a bead of hardface just behind the cutting edge and in the lift flange will make the blades last longer and are a little bit self sharpening. Be sure you are symmetrical on each end of the blade and check balance afterward.

 

[Richard001]

Those of you who deal with sand - I found that welding a bead of hardface just behind the cutting edge and in the lift flange will make the blades last longer and are a little bit self sharpening. Be sure you are symmetrical on each end of the blade and check balance afterward.

Interesting idea.

 

[m7040]

I use the all American fixture and the 41/2 inch grinder with a 40 grit flap sanding disk. See the link https://www.allamericansharpener.com

 

[sixdogs]

I use the all American fixture and the 41/2 inch grinder with a 40 grit flap sanding disk. See the link https://www.allamericansharpener.com

How long have you used it and how happy are you with it?

 

[m7040]

The all American fixture. works like a charm and holds the blade at the right angle for sharpening making it very easy to get perfect results.

 

[LD1]

We have two of these R.B.G. Standard Blade Grinder (up to 6.5-inch cutting edge) at a friend's landscape company (that I help fix all their broken mowers and trucks).

They suck. They take forever to get a blade sharp. Grinding with a hard stone and 1/2hp removes material entirely too slow, and easy to overheat the edge.

I can sharpen blades 3x faster with a simple angle grinder and 40grit flap disc. Leaves a better finish too IMO

 

[k0ua]

I can sharpen blades 3x faster with a simple angle grinder and 40grit flap disc. Leaves a better finish too IMO

Plus 1. In 50 plus years of sharpening mower blades I have never found anything that is faster or leaves a better edge than an angle grinder and a flap wheel. Unfortunately I have only been using one for about 10 years, and have kicked my own rear end several times for the wasted time and poor results with grinders. As far as I am concerned the angle grinder and flap wheel is the only way to go.

 

[RalphVa]

Anyone have an electric mower blade sharpening machine and if so, how do you like it? What kind do you have and are they worth the price of $400 to over $1,000? How often do you sharpen blades? Would you buy one again?

I use a bench grinder for all blades except pruners/lopers. Use a file on those unless they're really bad. Then take apart and use the bench grinder.

 

[goeduck]

Angle grinder flap disk. I mow fairly high and the blade lasts longer.

 

[5030]

Like I said a while ago, much cheaper to just replace them for 40 bucks a set every spring than to buy a sharpener unless it's a commercial operation. Especially in my scenario where the sandy loam eats the blade kick up away much faster than the edge gets dulled.

 

[MoKelly]

Too funny.

Does broken record ring a bell!!!

MoKelly

 

[sixdogs]

Angle grinder flap disk. I mow fairly high and the blade lasts longer.

Since I have no nicks, no sand and mow high, this is looking like the answer.

 

[RandyT]

We have two of these R.B.G. Standard Blade Grinder (up to 6.5-inch cutting edge) at a friend's landscape company (that I help fix all their broken mowers and trucks).

They suck. They take forever to get a blade sharp. Grinding with a hard stone and 1/2hp removes material entirely too slow, and easy to overheat the edge.

I can sharpen blades 3x faster with a simple angle grinder and 40grit flap disc. Leaves a better finish too IMO

Wheel glaze is most likely the culprit for slow grinding. Not as fast as an angle grinder due to the difference in grind feet per minute. Aprox 4500 feet per minute compared to 6-8000 feet per minute. Takes about a 12 inch grinding wheel on a blade grinder to match that grind speed, other than the 760 burrking blade grinder.

 

[LD1]

Wheel glaze is most likely the culprit for slow grinding. Not as fast as an angle grinder due to the difference in grind feet per minute. Aprox 4500 feet per minute compared to 6-8000 feet per minute. Takes about a 12 inch grinding wheel on a blade grinder to match that grind speed, other than the 760 burrking blade grinder.

Glaze has nothing to do with it. I know my way around metal working/grinding equipment. Blade grinders or bench grinders just ain't as fast as a flap disc on an angle grinder for material removal

 

[ArlyA]

Gee, I've always ground my mower blade on my 8" bench grinder..... Maybe I'll try my 4.5 flappy discs next time.