Should I sharpen my blades "knife sharp" or should they have a blunt cutting
edge? Which is better?

"Oscar_Lives" wrote in message
news:u0tRe.297300$_o.152777@attbi_s71...
Should I sharpen my blades "knife sharp" or should they have a blunt
cutting edge? Which is better?

They should be sharpened on the same angle as when new, to a sharp
edge. They don't need to be "knife sharp".

Tom J

"Oscar_Lives" wrote:
Should I sharpen my blades "knife sharp"

Nope. You'll take off too much steel. Just an edge.

Steveo wrote:
"Oscar_Lives" wrote:

Should I sharpen my blades "knife sharp"


Nope. You'll take off too much steel. Just an edge.

at's right. I never 'sharpen' my reel mower blades. I have them
backlapped.

G Henslee wrote:
Steveo wrote:
"Oscar_Lives" wrote:

Should I sharpen my blades "knife sharp"


Nope. You'll take off too much steel. Just an edge.

at's right. I never 'sharpen' my reel mower blades. I have them
backlapped.

Jump back and kiss myself. ($1)

severl oem manuals i have reccomend to sharpen the blade
,then file a 1/64 in flate on the edge.they claim it will hold this edge
much longer than a sharp edge.that sharp edge rounds off pretty
quick,but cuts good while its sharp. lucas

Oscar_Lives wrote:
Should I sharpen my blades "knife sharp" or should they have a blunt cutting
edge? Which is better?


Take a look at a brand new blade. They're not at all sharp. Also,
most of the cutting gets done by the outter corner of the blade.
That's moving fastest and crosses most grass.

used to take my blade to be sharpened by a lawn mower repair
shop......find it cost about the same to just buy a brand new one.

Muvin Gruvin wrote:
used to take my blade to be sharpened by a lawn mower repair
shop......find it cost about the same to just buy a brand new one.


a single rotary, maybe. a 7 blade reel? hope.

G Henslee wrote:
Muvin Gruvin wrote:

used to take my blade to be sharpened by a lawn mower repair
shop......find it cost about the same to just buy a brand new one.


a single rotary, maybe. a 7 blade reel? hope.

make that - nope.

ds549 has it right. My Dad was a too; & die repairman and he told me to
do that many years ago and it works. I get by with about 1/2 as many
sharpenings and I am a nut on sharp tools, in fact I have a sharpening
service.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley

Man someone is making money with their sharpening service. I charge $3 a
blade. If it is off the mower. $5 if I have to take it off.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley

"Muvin Gruvin" wrote in message
...
used to take my blade to be sharpened by a lawn mower repair
shop......find it cost about the same to just buy a brand new one.


I use a 4" angle grinder. It works pretty good for sharpening them. I
can't seem to get more than a couple of cuttings before they blades are all
beat to hell. I do have a few sticks and things in my yard, but no sandy
soil. I don't know why my blades get dull so quickly.

It could be the blades. I sharpened a set that came on a Sears tractor
that was soft. You could bend them with your hands.


From Mel & Donnie in Bluebird Valley

While we are on the subject, can someone try to describe the entire process
for sharpening a mower blade?

When I get a new blade, I know what it looks like, but I don't know the
correct "approach" to get it sharp.

I use a small bench grinder, and I hold the blade up to the grinder, but
usually I feel that I am grinding off more blade than I need. It seems
that knowing the correct "angle" to hold the blade to the stone is the key,
but for the life of me I can't seem to get the hang of it.


And no, this is not a troll.


--James--