Hi

I'm sharpening the blades on the ride-on mower that I use when gardening
for a friend.

These are mulching blades, hence have the "bows" in the profile of the
blade, further along from the 2" or so which form each end.

I don't think these blades have been sharpened in the life of the mower
(it was bought Spring 2011, and gets moderate use over the summer).

My question is: should the whole of the cutting section be sharpened, or
just the "bowed" part?

When setting about sharpening the blades, I've found that the end 2" are
so blunt as to appear that they were never *intended* to be sharp
('Hmmm,' I thought, "that must be to knock pebbles etc out of the way
before the actual blade gets to the grass').

Hence, I have not [yet] sharpened the end 2". But now I'm thinking:
"That's ridiculous: the whole blade ought to be sharp, surely? These
blades must have been whacked down to this bluntness by nearly 3 years
without sharpening!"


Any advice on what to do? I know I could find a stockist and check out
what a new blade looks like, but that's more difficult (for me) than
asking here first -- and one always picks up extra advice when asking in
the discussion group!

(Apologies for the lengthy post.)

Cheers
John

p.s. Although ignorant in these matters, I now know enough not to
sharpen the blades to razor sharpness! [Because a razor sharp blade will
nick more easily than a merely sharp blade.]

p.p.s. Yes, I've checked Youtube, and found innumerable videos on
sharpening mower blades! But none which seem to answer this question.

"Another John" wrote in message
]...

Hi

I'm sharpening the blades on the ride-on mower that I use when gardening
for a friend.

These are mulching blades, hence have the "bows" in the profile of the
blade, further along from the 2" or so which form each end.

I don't think these blades have been sharpened in the life of the mower
(it was bought Spring 2011, and gets moderate use over the summer).

My question is: should the whole of the cutting section be sharpened, or
just the "bowed" part?

When setting about sharpening the blades, I've found that the end 2" are
so blunt as to appear that they were never *intended* to be sharp
('Hmmm,' I thought, "that must be to knock pebbles etc out of the way
before the actual blade gets to the grass').

Hence, I have not [yet] sharpened the end 2". But now I'm thinking:
"That's ridiculous: the whole blade ought to be sharp, surely? These
blades must have been whacked down to this bluntness by nearly 3 years
without sharpening!"


Any advice on what to do? I know I could find a stockist and check out
what a new blade looks like, but that's more difficult (for me) than
asking here first -- and one always picks up extra advice when asking in
the discussion group!

(Apologies for the lengthy post.)

Cheers
John

p.s. Although ignorant in these matters, I now know enough not to
sharpen the blades to razor sharpness! [Because a razor sharp blade will
nick more easily than a merely sharp blade.]

p.p.s. Yes, I've checked Youtube, and found innumerable videos on
sharpening mower blades! But none which seem to answer this question.
==============================================

John have you tried looking on the web for replacement blades and looking at
them to see how it's done?

(You might find that they are at such a good price you might just as well
buy new blades)

Mike




---------------------------------------------------------------
www.friendsofshanklintheatre.co.uk
www.hmscollingwoodassociation.com
www.rneba.org.uk
www.nsrafa.org

On Wed, 15 Jan 2014 19:22:35 +0000, Another John wrote:

I'm sharpening the blades on the ride-on mower that I use when gardening
for a friend.

I don't follow these bows and ends and which bits etc...

Google is your friend to find an image of a replacement blade which
will be clear clear enough to show which bits are sharpened.

--
Cheers
Dave.

"Another John" wrote in message
]...
Hi

I'm sharpening the blades on the ride-on mower that I use when gardening
for a friend.

These are mulching blades, hence have the "bows" in the profile of the
blade, further along from the 2" or so which form each end.

I don't think these blades have been sharpened in the life of the mower
(it was bought Spring 2011, and gets moderate use over the summer).

My question is: should the whole of the cutting section be sharpened, or
just the "bowed" part?

Google something like " How to sharpen a ride-on mower blades" and you will
surely find a site that will help. In the meantime perhaps this will be of
use:-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9UM0c399go

Regards,

Bill

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
...

On Wed, 15 Jan 2014 19:22:35 +0000, Another John
wrote:

Hi

I'm sharpening the blades on the ride-on mower that I use when gardening
for a friend.

These are mulching blades, hence have the "bows" in the profile of the
blade, further along from the 2" or so which form each end.

I don't think these blades have been sharpened in the life of the mower
(it was bought Spring 2011, and gets moderate use over the summer).

My question is: should the whole of the cutting section be sharpened, or
just the "bowed" part?

When setting about sharpening the blades, I've found that the end 2" are
so blunt as to appear that they were never *intended* to be sharp
('Hmmm,' I thought, "that must be to knock pebbles etc out of the way
before the actual blade gets to the grass').

Hence, I have not [yet] sharpened the end 2". But now I'm thinking:
"That's ridiculous: the whole blade ought to be sharp, surely? These
blades must have been whacked down to this bluntness by nearly 3 years
without sharpening!"


Any advice on what to do? I know I could find a stockist and check out
what a new blade looks like, but that's more difficult (for me) than
asking here first -- and one always picks up extra advice when asking in
the discussion group!

(Apologies for the lengthy post.)

Cheers
John

p.s. Although ignorant in these matters, I now know enough not to
sharpen the blades to razor sharpness! [Because a razor sharp blade will
nick more easily than a merely sharp blade.]

p.p.s. Yes, I've checked Youtube, and found innumerable videos on
sharpening mower blades! But none which seem to answer this question.

Dunno about mulching blades or bowed sections, but with a rotary
mower, it's the end 2" or so of blade that does the cutting, not the
whole length. My rotary only has that part of the blade sharp. The end
of the blade is the part that's moving fastest; towards the centre the
blade probably just pushes the grass aside.

--

Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall overlooking the sea.
Mild, but very exposed to salt gales
============================================

Could the end 2 inches be designed to 'lift the grass vertical' so that the
next blade coming round cuts it lower down?

Thinking as an engineer and the hovercraft principle

Mike




---------------------------------------------------------------
www.friendsofshanklintheatre.co.uk
www.hmscollingwoodassociation.com
www.rneba.org.uk
www.nsrafa.org

OP he in short, having slept on it, I realised it's ludicrous to
think I shouldn't sharpen the whole length of the (cutting) edges, so I
WILL do the outer 2" of each blade.

As I speculated yesterday, they must currently be so blunt because of
the hammering they've had for nearly three years, with no maintenance.
(They really are blunt: rounded like they've been bevelled.)


Yes, folks, before posting to the group I DID google "sharpening ride-on
mower blades"! It's amazing how many of the dozens found are just crap!
REALLY amateur (as opposed to competent), or actually adverts not
instruction, etc etc. But I'm not complaining! This is the internet
after all, not a subscription service!


As for "bows" etc in the profile of a blade - I meant bow as in Robin
Hood's bow, not as in ribbons'n'bows :-) The article which explains
the difference between blades is he

http://www.mtdparts.com/equipment/mt.../tricks-and-ti
ps/hi-lift-mulching-blade-tip

(Note: I've seen the same article word for word in other places: I dunno
who should be getting the credit. Bizarrely, no diagrams in it!)


And No, I never found a spares site which made it clear enough what
parts of the blade are sharp (not even Mountfield's). However this is
probably because (dunderhead, John!) it's so bloody obvious that you
sharpen the whole thing (i.e. the whole cutting edge not the whole damn'
blade structure) :-D

So yet again in URG: thanks for your input folks!

John

On Thu, 16 Jan 2014 08:31:47 +0000, Chris Hogg wrote:

Dunno about mulching blades or bowed sections, but with a rotary
mower, it's the end 2" or so of blade that does the cutting, not the
whole length.

Yep.

My rotary only has that part of the blade sharp. The end of the blade is
the part that's moving fastest; towards the centre the blade probably
just pushes the grass aside.

Not even that the grass has been cut. I had a quick google and found
images of mulching blades that had the sharpened edge going from the
blade tip along the edge up onto and along the hump. Bet I can't find
that image again...

Oh I can, in this
artcle:

http://www.familyhandyman.com/automo...ir/lawn-mower-
blade-sharpening

http://tinyurl.com/lwt3puw

--
Cheers
Dave.

In article o.uk,
"Dave Liquorice" wrote:

.... I had a quick google and found
images of mulching blades that had the sharpened edge going from the
blade tip along the edge up onto and along the hump. Bet I can't find
that image again...

Oh I can, in this
artcle:

http://www.familyhandyman.com/automo...ir/lawn-mower-
blade-sharpening

http://tinyurl.com/lwt3puw


Yep - that's a good article Dave -- best I've seen yet (and I've seen
flipping dozens!). Also, as you say, it has a good picture of a
mulching blade.

As I said yesterday I concluded that my blades did indeed need
sharpening to the ends, despite the incredibly blunt state of them.
Having done that (using my angle grinder (yay!) and a flap wheel, I've
also concluded that the blades will need replacing later this year.

The big challenge (for little me) was removing the cutting deck of this
ride-on mower to get at the blades in the first place, AND THEN putting
it all back together with the drive-belt in the right configuration.
(Thank goodness for digital cameras.)

I reassembled it yesterday. I now have the battery on charge and will
start it up soon: will there be any funny/disastrous noises?!

The operation so far has taken me over three hours: I am expecting that
next time I do it it will take far less than one hour.

Thanks again for all input.

John