How to sharpen lawn mower blades THE CORRECT WAY ( Angle grinders will destroy your mower blades)

This video will show you the correct way to sharpen your mower blades. Using angle grinders will take off too much material and destroy your blades. Hand files are very easy to use. Don't forget to balance your blades! Thanks for watching.

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[waynegroves]

I, and apparently everyone here, uses an angle grinder. In over 40 years of sharpening my own, as well as friends and family, never have I had one issue. The balancing part is really simple . . . place a round-tang screwdriver horizontally in the bench vise and slip the blade onto it. It will balance itself perfectly level if it is balanced at all; a sagging or drooping blade angle will tell you which end to grind off a little more. This has worked for me for like ever.

[RedBopete]

So many of the comments here are from critics who have "used angle grinders for years". Good for them. Some of us have never sharpened a blade before, and don't own an angle grinder. This video works for me. Thanks.

[jungulbuny]

I'm now 47 years old in 2024 and this exactly how my father used to do it and he was wonderful enough to teach me how. It's been 16 years since he passed but I still remember every lesson

[jeffstanley]

A properly used angle grinder will not destroy your blade.

[jjaspersmith]

I always take the file and make a very narrow flat edge, 1/16" or less, along the cutting edge.
It's gives you two cutting corners and is more resistant to denting than a sharp edge.
Over my over 50yrs of mowing (I'm 78) I've found that this works very well.

[garysullivan]

No disrespect. The file works well for people in the city that cut postage stamp size lots with manicured type grass. In the real world of rural living where it takes hours to cut grass in all kinds of scenarios the angle grinder is the only and best way to do that. 51 years of doing it says so.

[rawe]

I’ve used an angle grinder for years on my mower blades.
We cut 75 lawns a week for 25 years now and never had a problem

[dlwaterloo]

Great video. I agree 100% and I have used a file for sharpening for over 30 years. Two points to consider. WhenI file the blade I watch for a burr to firm on the back of the edge. This lets me know when the new edge and back of the blade are tangent. That’s when I file as you have demonstrated, with the file straight up, or I use a fine hand stone to remove the burr. The second point is that most blades are mass produced and induction hardened, so the hard surface is about 45-50 Rockwell. Using any kind of grinder or belt, WITHOUT coolant, will heat the blade over 800 degrees at the point if contact, and is hot enough to anneal the edge (draw away the hardness) thereby reducing the ability to hold a sharp edge. 👍great job in demonstrating the proper method. This also works on hand shears, pruning shears etc.. Don’t grind unless you have flood coolant as you are grinding.

[Reisfour]

To all of us who use flap wheels on our grinders and know how to use the tool, sharpen away and use the cone balancer to balance after we are done. Work smarter not harder. 🙂

[tspecht]

I always love these videos because they use brand new or barely used blades to show how to sharpen them and always speak out against using a grinder. I would love to see anyone sharpen the blades I pulled off of my riding tractor this week with a file. It would take a week. I did appreciate the nail trick for balance rather than buying that specialty tool. Thanks for the video but I still had to use a grinder on mine just to get the chunks out of it and then I did do a final run with the file once I had it really close.

[davidmoran]

An angle grinder with an 80 grit flap wheel works well for me. I have been hand sharpening, file or bench grinder, for about 50 years about 2 years ago I started with the flap wheel, fast enough that you don't build the heat to pull the temper, slow enough to not make an error too quickly.

[bsdme]

I’ve been using my vertical belt grinder with a 36 grit for years. Makes quick work of the six blades I have to sharpen every year. Does a great job.

[jeffreykamke]

Takes experience and skill. No guessing game once you become one with the tool! Been in the business for 20+ years and angle grinder is by far the best way to sharpen blades

[millerssmallenginerepair]

Been sharpening mower blades with a 4/1/2” angle grinder successfully for almost 20 years.
I use the 80 grit flap wheels. Works well for our business.

[joemcmillan]

You can use your file.
I'll use my angle grinder with a flap wheel disc.
Works great!

[nutsnbolts]

I agree that a file works well on a blade that is barely dull, but in reality, most people let blades get very dull. A flap disc works very very well in this situation. A file would take awhile and wear you out. For those who don't know how to balance a blade, simply grind/sand/file a little more off the heavy side until it's balanced.

[jamesseidl]

I prefer waiting until after the first mowing in the spring to sharpen it that way I can find all the sticks, rocks, bear cans, and whatever else blew in over winter with the dull blade and then I can have a nice sharp one all summer.

As for using a grinder to sharpen it, the key is to watch what your last pass did and make tiny adjustments not to try to see the actual point of contact.
He was right about not leaving burs though, if you leave them on they may try to roll under making the blade dull a lot faster than usual

[Herman]

I'm all with you from the good old-school mechanical perspective. I however mow my healthy green though bumpy field each week and accept the consumption of one set of blades per season. With that I am perfectly ok with using my angle grinder for a periodic sharpening. My 9 year old Simplicity tractor never suffered any motor or bearing issues

[briscoedarling]

Growing up I would watch as my father deftly used a mill file as he started from the back edge of the bare metal to the front cutting edge. Neatly taking about a millimeter of steel with each pass, he quickly brought down the surface to a razor sharp finish on the last pass…never going over the cutting edge more than one time. It was almost as if you could calculate how many strokes it would take him to reach the final sharp finish. I am 60 now and endeavor to match that technique each time I sharpen my blade…as I think of my Dad.

[txmexnittro]

I’ve seen about 6 videos of sharpening blades and you are the first one that talks about balancing! I’m like that’s a little important…. Thanks for sharing