How Often do you shrapen your blades?

[DeereMann]

I use a 60" MMM for finish mowing, so when I notice some strands remaining after mowing, it is time to sharpen. This is usually about once a month with app. 5 hours mowing per week. My turf is pretty thick, need to mow app. every 4 days or so.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Here's a picture of mine. Big difference in weight and thickness I'm sure.

I run the same style blades and where the bend on the end starts (you can see the slight crease in the photo) is where they will wear down to nothing and then leave a V shape in the blade where the metal it missing. Eventually the whole lifting lip will wear away if you don't check them often. I have used some 6010 and 7018 to build up that wear area (where the crease is from the bending) if caught in time before it wears thru and no metal is left.

 

[Gary Fowler]

hope you ain't got bystanders when cutting grass, etc. ... them superhard blades lose an argument with a stubborn rock or steel rod and they is apt to be pieces of mower blades flying about like shrapnel... JMHO.

First off, a lawnmower blade isn't super hard and I don't even think they are tempered much if any, they are too soft to have much temper in them. I took on off my BIL's mower that was bent like a pretzel after he hit a tree root. I took a hammer to it on my anvil and straightened it out good as new. The tip was worn off so he still had to get some new blades. For the quality of steel in todays mower blades, I cant see the price they charge for them being a fair price.

 

[rcbe]

First off, a lawnmower blade isn't super hard and I don't even think they are tempered much if any, they are too soft to have much temper in them. I took on off my BIL's mower that was bent like a pretzel after he hit a tree root. I took a hammer to it on my anvil and straightened it out good as new. The tip was worn off so he still had to get some new blades. For the quality of steel in todays mower blades, I cant see the price they charge for them being a fair price.

Fowler - if you would stop and think for a minnit, those blades you took off yer BIL's rig weren't "treated" with the E7018 welding rod embellishment, eh? No, they are normally supposed to bend/twist like that BEFORE fracturing to AVOID potential injury. sheesh...

 

[LD1]

I personally dont see any issues with laying down a bead of 7018 on a blade. a 7018 weld is pretty ductile. Not what I would call brittle and be worried about it flying off.

Besides, the only way a blade is going to get out from under a deck is the discharge chute. And I for one dont mow with the discharge blowing in any direction where someone can be hit. I'd be more worried about throwing a stone and injuring someone than breaking a blade on said stone.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I personally dont see any issues with laying down a bead of 7018 on a blade. a 7018 weld is pretty ductile. Not what I would call brittle and be worried about it flying off.

Besides, the only way a blade is going to get out from under a deck is the discharge chute. And I for one dont mow with the discharge blowing in any direction where someone can be hit. I'd be more worried about throwing a stone and injuring someone than breaking a blade on said stone.

SO RIGHT YOUR ARE LD1. Some folks have no idea what welding on mild steel does and make erroneous statements to the note of hardening, embrittlement etc. One rarely finds steel used in machinery that is anything other than A 36 grade low carbon mild steel those are easily welded on without damaging them or changing the properties either with stick, TIG, MIG or oxy-acetylene. Hard surfacing rods are very hard therefore brittle but they don't make the piece welded on brittle other that right on the weld area, 7018 is not a hard surface rod and as LD1 said it is very soft and ductile. I use it sometimes for base metal build up to add metal when something has worn down.