Resharpen or Replace

[bdhsfz6]

Why is it all that important to square the blades. I done many. I just round them off sharpe. And my yard looks great

95% of the cutting is done with the blade tips. Round sharpening may work on some mowers, but if I do it on my 3 spindle mower, it leaves an uneven cut where the blades overlap.

 

[bigtiller]

I use an angle grinder and this jig. I use high lift blades spring thru summer and mulching blades fall thru winter. Usually sharpen the high lifts beginning and mid-season. Mulching blade beginning of the fall.

[Updated] Lawn Mower Blade... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CBKFCDPT?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

That's the same one I have. I only used it once so far with a 40 grit flap disc. I like it.

 

[Mike1955]

95% of the cutting is done with the blade tips. Round sharpening may work on some mowers, but if I do it on my 3 spindle mower, it leaves an uneven cut where the blades overlap.

Sir I don’t have that issue. It might have something to do with tip speed or ground speed. I wish someone who is an expert would chime in. 3 blades here at Kubota dealer is only in the thirties so it ain’t bad. I just use to shaarping

 

[5030]

I will say that mowing the grass (and we have acres of it) ranks up with paying income tax for me. I really don't like mowing the patch and it shows. If I could get away with it ( and my wife allowed me to), I'd never mow it at all.

 

[Mike1955]

I will say that mowing the grass (and we have acres of it) ranks up with paying income tax for me. I really don't like mowing the patch and it shows. If I could get away with it ( and my wife allowed me to), I'd never mow it at all.

5030 I am one of these that would clean it up good at the end of the year. And just keep down the danger of getting snake bites the rest of the time. The looks don’t make up for the trouble

 

[bdhsfz6]

So far, I've resisted the urge to mow less acreage and less frequently. I compensate for age, inconvenience and lack of desire by buying larger mowers and a cabbed tractor. I also use several techniques to make it easier to handle the larger implements.

At some point, these measures won't be sufficient and I'll be forced to limit what I mow. Hopefully that day is many years away.

 

[RjCorazza]

So far, I've resisted the urge to mow less acreage and less frequently. I compensate for age, inconvenience and lack of desire by buying larger mowers and a cabbed tractor. I also use several techniques to make it easier to handle the larger implements.

At some point, these measures won't be sufficient and I'll be forced to limit what I mow. Hopefully that day is many years away.

That sounds familiar! I'm currently looking at smaller batwing finish mowers, but storage is an issue.

 

[Hay Dude]

I will say that mowing the grass (and we have acres of it) ranks up with paying income tax for me. I really don't like mowing the patch and it shows. If I could get away with it ( and my wife allowed me to), I'd never mow it at all.

Why don’t you use some of your wife’s inheritance and hire out the mowing? Along with what you blow on hobby farming, it shouldn’t add too much to your annual play-farmer costs.

 

[Hay Dude]

That sounds familiar! I'm currently looking at smaller batwing finish mowers, but storage is an issue.

You might do real well with a smaller bush hog. With real sharp blades, they can give an amazing cut on big lawns. The 10/12 foot models aren’t all that heavy, so as long as it’s dry, you won’t leave ruts.
Then if you get a job that involves brush, you can tackle that, too. Just resharpen blades real good for your “pretty field” customers.
I have done this for 20 years with great success.

Here’s a really nice 10’ bush hog that would do a nice job for you. Would go down the road real narrow on back roads.

 

[5030]

Why don’t you use some of your wife’s inheritance and hire out the mowing? Along with what you blow on hobby farming, it shouldn’t add too much to your annual play-farmer costs.

Why don't YOU come by and mow it for me? You seem to be flush with cash and equipment? I'll even give you a bottle of cold spring water to keep you cool. You can mow the 3 rentals as well and save me the time as I have other more pressing things to attend to other than mowing grass, something I really don't like doing in the first place.

My equipment is all paid for as well, is yours?

Far as my wife's inheritance is concerned it's her money and not mine to spend. I don't go there, never have. Don't need to, I have my own, thank you.

 

[ulflyer]

I use a 4" belt sander to sharpen my blades. Eyeball the angle and have at it with 3 blades from 6' pull behind finish mower. Seems to work fine. I do this a couple times a year.

 

[SteveD55]

I will say that mowing the grass (and we have acres of it) ranks up with paying income tax for me. I really don't like mowing the patch and it shows. If I could get away with it ( and my wife allowed me to), I'd never mow it at all.

I don't enjoy mowing either but grass/weed fires made uncontrollable by wind can happen anywhere even here in one of the greenest rural areas of New York State. I keep a good buffer zone mowed around my house and other buildings.

 

[wrath]

I use Oregon Gator G5 blades and sharpen them every 6-8 hours on a low RPM bench grinder. The outer mulching tip is usually gone around hour 50 and I get a new set as once those wear out I have to slow down or the grass doesn't discharge fast enough. It takes me about 45 minutes to sharpen and hit all the zerks/do all the not-oil-change preventative maintenance.

 

[Duds13]

Recently purchase the All American Sharpener. Pretty nice, simple to use and puts you are the correct angle with every pass of the wheel. Sure, it's not cheap but I have 2 sets of blades for my Ferris and a set of bladed for a Scag walk behind. At $5 a pop a couple times a summer it adds up.

 

[JeepHead]

I use to love mowing until I bought a ZT. now it's more of a chore because I can't carry a beer with me.

 

[tjandrews]

I'm of the lawn care school that says "If it's green and the mower can cut it off, it's grass." Consequently, I have several different species of "grass" in my lawn, some even planted on purpose. When I mow, especially this time of year, it looks great when I'm done, but by the next day some species have grown faster than others, and it looks ragged.
I learned long ago that there are things that are a lot more important to me than a lawn that resembles artificial turf. So I sharpen my blades when I think they need it, or when I get the time, and do it with the bench grinder in my garage. I eyeball the angle, check the balance with a cheap balancer I bought 30 years ago.
It's lots easier than sharpening the sickle bar from my old hay mower was before I got an angle grinder. And the blades keep cutting the "grass" just fine.

 

[Duds13]

I love to mow and find it to be therapeutic. Also drives me nuts to see beautiful homes with sh*tty lawns full of weeds and a foot high. That's just me though!

 

[skipmarcy]

I use to love mowing until I bought a ZT. now it's more of a chore because I can't carry a beer with me.

Should have bought a joystick model, like my Country Clipper ! Operating arm on an armrest and using 2 fingers to mow. I can bend way over and operate around my fruit trees with those 2 fingers and not ever even need to weedeat there later. This my 11th season with it and wouldn't use anything else to mow the "yard" again.

 

[JeepHead]

My 13 year old twins currently do all the weed trimming, raking, picking up sticks and it's a huge help. Their last day of school is Friday. I just bought a 2nd riding mower, and surprise surprise, these two boys are getting ready to take on 100% of all yard duties. Now they will be fighting over who's using the 61" new ZT, and who is using the 80's model Forest Gump snapper.

 

[tjandrews]

I love to mow and find it to be therapeutic. Also drives me nuts to see beautiful homes with sh*tty lawns full of weeds and a foot high. That's just me though!

A "weed" is defined as any plant growing where you don't want it. So by definition, if I'm OK with the stuff that's growing in my lawn, it's weed-free!