Resharpen or Replace

[WM75Guy]

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.

No problem. Just tape over the openings to keep the dust out.

 

[JeepHead]

No problem. Just tape over the openings to keep the dust out.

View attachment 3495843

I honestly have considered this!!!

 

[Duds13]

I honestly have considered this!!!

You could also get a Camelback and just wear it on the front!

 

[Slomo928]

I’m in agreement. While my place is relatively small (1acre), I am mowing with the original blades on my 2013 Kubota BX25D. The blades are dressesed lightly with a flapper disc and sharpened with a file by hand. The edge comes out like a knife without removing too much material. Yes, it takes more time but I don’t mind for once a year. Certainly not a process for lawn service guys.

 

[MidwestMike]

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.

My solution was to decide it's not a lawn, it's a meadow...

 

[Oaktree]

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.

Same here. Fortunately, the chief aesthetics officer is OK with that. Ours is what she refers to as "north country green", more or less as you described. Actually, most of it seems to grow at a fairly even rate, it doesn't get scraggly like some do.

 

[RjCorazza]

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!

Same here... This thread is a prime example of how "we are many, and varied". To each his own!
I occasionally cut some wild patterns in my lawn which gives the neighbors something to talk about.

 

[tomkatohio]

I use a jig to get a consistent edge using a 40 or 60g flap disk. Sharpening every 30-40 hours I can keep the tips square, and they get balanced each sharpening.
View attachment 3492220
View attachment 3492221

I'm using some of those Gator blades on my smaller (42") riding mowers and love them. Unfortunately I can't find them for my larger Woods decks. For the Gator-type blades, are you sharpening the edges of "lifting cuts" on the trailing edge of the blade? If so please provide more details. Thanks!

 

[RjCorazza]

I'm using some of those Gator blades on my smaller (42") riding mowers and love them. Unfortunately I can't find them for my larger Woods decks. For the Gator-type blades, are you sharpening the edges of "lifting cuts" on the trailing edge of the blade? If so please provide more details. Thanks!

I don't sharpen the mulching wings. In my soil type (no sand) the lift wings see little, to no wear.

 

[careyo63]

The frontier mower I use high lift blades. Mowing season 3 acres. Sharpening the blade itself isn't what wears the most for me it's the bent Vert. lift that goes. The lift wear starts showing and Blade cutting trip won't last long after words. 2nd. set of Agri Supply on it now and the wear has seemed to be noticeably better. Maint. just under it a few Wks. back. Looking like 3 Yrs. before replacement last time.