sharpening mower blades

[big bubba]

ZD326 60", ZD1211 72", Bobcat hydro walk behind, Stihl trimmers and blower.
The 326 is setup as a bank mower with ag style chevron tires that are fluid filled. I have a set of wheel spacers ordered to widen the stance by 4". The 1211 is my primary mower, and the 36" walk behind is used on really steep banks and gated areas.
I trim half of those 18 lawns, the others trim it themselves.

interesting. i also have a hydro walk 36" walk behind for steep dam banks, excellent companion to my rider zero turn. sounds busy, regards

 

[WranglerX]

Pretty sure OSHA killed it. Toru once made a 2 cycle push mower that had a disk with 4 sickle bar points for the blades. You could push the handle down to angle mower deck and walk thru waist height weeds.

Check out cutting disk on this machine.... It popped up on local yard sale site just today

y...

 

[GeneV]

Seems like a lot to sharpen them after every mow, but I do have to say that the first cut with freshly sharpened blades does tickle my fancy as well.

I mow about 2 acres worth, generally I scrape out my deck every 3rd or 4th mow or so. So that's when I check the blades, if they need it I pop them off and run a flap disc on em with the angle grinder. Good to go.

 

[i7win7]

It's called a beaver blade

Beaver Blade (brush cutter blade) | DR Power Equipment

The DR Trimmer / Mower equipped with the Beaver Blade will transform your machine into an amazing brush cutter on wheels.

www.drpower.com

 

[Creamer]

Seems like a lot to sharpen them after every mow, but I do have to say that the first cut with freshly sharpened blades does tickle my fancy as well.

I mow about 2 acres worth, generally I scrape out my deck every 3rd or 4th mow or so. So that's when I check the blades, if they need it I pop them off and run a flap disc on em with the angle grinder. Good to go.

Agreed. I clean my d4eck every mow but then I have a front deck that flips up 90 degrees so it is easy to do. Sharpen my blades every 4-5 mows cutting 2+ acres each time with a 72" deck.

 

[Creamer]

Unless you're cutting heavy turf with sticks and typical debris etc...you should not need to sharpen blades that often...
...It is recommended to have a smooth cutting edge of about 1/16"...they should not be knife sharp...

Why a 1/16" edge? That seems very dull to me. A sharp edge gives a cleaner cut, the duller the edge the more shattering of the blade of grass you are cutting.

 

[/pine]

Why a 1/16" edge? That seems very dull to me. A sharp edge gives a cleaner cut, the duller the edge the more shattering of the blade of grass you are cutting.

The blades are meant to SHEAR the grass...not cut it like a knife...all one has to do is look at the cut edge of the grass...if the tops of the fresh mowed grass blades are jagged or shredded it is a sign of a dull or damaged blade...
1/16" may be a little blunt for many lawns...but they will hold up better when cutting grass where there is a lot of loose sand, small stones etc...or really tough grass like Bahia...

Some people buy new blades and think they have to be sharpened because they have a proper blunt edge...

 

[big bubba]

my understanding is that 90% of the cut on a blade occurs on the 1st few inches from the end of blade. that's where most of the wear occurs & becomes rounded. but i cannot empirically verify, just to note where most of the wear occurs.

in addition, one item often overlooked that leads to a poor cut: bent blades, even slightly, can lead to an uneven cut. so next time, check blades with a straight edge. regards

 

[m7040]

I have set up a way to sharpen, balance and check for bent blades that works well for me. A jig that is adjustable for the angle using a 4.5 inch grinder makes perfect grinds on the blades and a rotating hub with magnetic sleeve holds the blade to check for balance and check for run out to see if the blade is bent. Also a high lift floor jack and stands gives quick access to the blades underneath. An impact wrench set for the right torque makes it easy and quick to take the blades off and torque to spec so there is no rotational slips. Makes for smooth running mower and saves fuel and gives a good looking cut

 

[m7040]