
How to sharpen mower blades while still on mower?
The process to sharpen lawnmower blades without removing
- Step #1: Preparation For Sharpening Mower Blade. Take your lawnmower into an even surface or in your garage. ...
- Step #2: Seal The Gas Tank. ...
- Step #3: Tilt The Lawn Mower. ...
- Step #4: Place A Wooden Block Diagonally Under The Mower Blade. ...
- Step #5: Clean The Blade. ...
- Step #6: Sharpen The Lawn Mower Blade. ...
- Step #7: Lower The Mower and Unseal The Fuel Tank. ...
How often should I have my mower blades sharpened?
Your Honda mower blades should be sharpened after every 25 hours of use. For the average homeowner, you will be sharpening your mower blades twice a year. Again, when operating in sandy and gravel conditions, you will have to sharpen your blades more often in order to maintain a good cut.
What is the best mower blade sharpener?
The Best Lawn Mower Blade Sharpener in 2022
- Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpener. Sharpen every knife you own like a pro quickly, easily and with... ...
- SHARPAL 103N All-in-1 Knife, Lawn Mower Blade. SHARPAL 103N All-in-1 Knife, Lawn Mower Blade, Axe,... ...
- American Lawn Mower Company SK-1 Reel Lawn Mower. American Lawn Mower Company SK-1 Reel Lawn Mower... ...
- Smith's 50603 Lawn Mower Blade. ...
How do I sharpen my mower blades?
Sharpen mower blades with angle grinder. An angle grinder with a metal abrasive disc is a faster option for sharpening ride on lawn mower blades if you have one on hand. Once again be sure to follow the angle of the existing edge. Use smooth, even strokes from the inside to the outside edge of the blade. When using an angle grinder, make short ...

When Should You Seek a Professional Sharpening Service for Your Honda Blade?
You should seek a professional when you aren’t quite comfortable with your blade sharpening or balancing skills. If your blades are not correctly balanced or still worn, you could cause additional damage to your crankshaft or engine.
How Often Should You Change Your Honda Lawn Mower Blades?
Honda lawn mower blades should be changed once a year. Blades that are exposed to more dirt and gravel should be changed more frequently.
Do New Honda Lawn Mower Blades Need to Be Sharpened?
New Honda lawn mower blades do not need to be sharpened before you install them on your mower. This is because the blade manufacturer sharpens them during the manufacturing process and then coats the blade in a paint. The paint will wear off the blade edge when you begin cutting with it.
How do I know if my mower blade needs to be sharpened?
A mower blade doesn’t need to be knife sharp, but the leading edge of the blade does need to be beveled and the face free from gouges. Examine your blade by turning your mower over on its side but always with the carburetor side facing the sky (prevents gas spill).
When should I replace my mower blade?
A mower blade should be replaced about every third to the fourth season. But it really does depend on its condition, a mower blade that cuts a small mature yard will last longer. New yards usually have rocks, stones, and debris that impacts the blade causing it to become dull and wear out quickly.
Should I sharpen or replace my lawn mower blade?
If your mower blade is more than four years old and has seen average use, then go ahead and replace the blade. Good quality blades aren’t expensive but note you will need a torque wrench to tighten the blade bolt to specifications.
How tight should mower blades be?
It’s important to tighten your blade to the correct specification. A mower blade may not be as tight as you might expect .
Should the front of a push mower be lower than the back?
A lawnmower deck should be level, front to back and side to side. All mowers will have a height adjuster, some will have a single lever, and others will have a height adjuster at each wheel. Level the deck by adjusting the wheel heights.
What does a high lift mower blade do?
A High lift blade has a trailing edge that lifts sharply upwards. This causes a powerful vacuum effect on the grass blades, lifting them upright before cutting them. The high lift blade is specially designed to collect grass and it does so really well.
Can you sharpen a Mulching blade?
You can sharpen a mulching blade, it is sharpened in the same way as a collecting blade, best results are achieved by removing it before sharpening and balancing.
How long do Oregon mower blades last?
High-quality blades such as Oregon Mower Blades will easily give you 400 hours of use. Keep an eye on your blades’ condition and how well they’re cutting your lawn so you’ll know when it’s time for a replacement.
Why is my lawn mower blade bent?
Note that a bent, off-balance mower blade is a safety concern and might cause premature mower damage by damaging the bearings.
Do You Need to Balance New Blades?
Like most homeowners, you’ve probably wondered: “do new lawn mower blades need to be balanced?” Some mower blades arrive unbalanced and can vibrate considerably when used.
Does It Matter Whether the Blades Are Sharp?
However, while dull blades still cut grass, they will merely rip through grass and produce jagged tips.
What is the difference between gator blades and mulching blades?
Mulching blades push grass down while gator blades give a clean and even cut by providing a high lift that draws grass up. The high lift produced by gator blades makes them excellent for bagging operations.
How does a lawn mower work?
A lawn mower has revolving blades that work by cutting grass and making the surface seem even. While freshly cut grass smells and looks great, cutting grass with a lawn mower with dull blades can be annoying. If you’ve just bought a lawn mower, you might be wondering whether new blades need sharpening.
What is a mulching blade called?
Mulching blades are frequently referred to as “3-in-1 blades” since they perform three tasks rather than two. Mulching blades can bag or discharge clippings and cut them into fine mulch, leaving them on the lawn.
Why sharpen blades before use?
The main reason that some people believe that new blades should be sharpened before use is due to the powder-coated paint finish that is applied to most replacement blades by the manufacturer. This finish is particularly thick around the blade’s cutting edge and to the touch, it can make it feel like it’s dull. And we all know that a dull blade isn’t good for your grass!
What happens if your mower blades are unbalanced?
Unbalanced blades in particular can have a whole host of knock-on effects, causing lots of vibration (not a pleasant experience when you’re mowing), and place your blade shaft, spindle and engine under greater stress, likely shortening their lifespans.
Why Don’t You Need to Remove The Protective Finish that Makes Your Blade Feel Dull?
After 30 minutes or so of mowing, if you take a look at the blade, you’ll see that the protective layer around the blade’s edge has worn away and as a result, the edge is sharper and perfect for cutting grass (remember mower blades only need to be butter-knife sharp and not carving knife sharp).
Does paint finish protect mower blades?
It Protects You From Injury – When installing your new mower blade, you’re obviously going to have to handle it. The paint finish dulls the cutting edge and makes it much more unlikely that you’ll cut yourself when installing it, even if you don’t wear any protective gloves.
Do new lawn mower blades need to be sharpened?
The fact that brand new lawn mower blades don’t need to be sharpened not only saves you time and effort, but it also saves you potential headaches too. This is because sharpening a new blade can potentially cause it to become unbalanced and compromise its integrity.
Why is it Important to Have Sharp Blades on Your Lawnmower?
Dull lawn mower blades can lead to a variety of problems, such as a clogged mower, improperly and inadequately cut grass, grass trailings, and more .
How Often Should You Replace Your Mower Blade?
Regardless of how much you sharpen your mower blade, I recommend that most homeowners replace their mower blades every 4-5 seasons.
Why is my lawn turning brown?
Using inadequately sharpened mower blades can lead to mowing injury of your lawn and this can lead to a ragged lawn with a potentially brownish hue. More importantly, ragged ends on grass from dull blades can lead to your lawn being more susceptible to disease, which is something that many homeowners don’t realize.
What happens if you use a dull blade on a lawn mower?
If you use a lawn mower that has dull blades, then you will end up with grass that has jagged tears on the tips. After a while, the tips will take on an unattractive yellowish hue.
What happens if you notice gouges on a razor blade?
If you notice any significant gouges or indentations on the blade, then the blade probably needs sharpening.
How to smooth out a sharp knife edge?
Alternatively, you can simply try using a grinding wheel to smooth out the edge. Be careful not to get carried away with this. Don’t ruin the shape. And ensure that the blade is properly balanced before you’re finished.
Can you set the cutting deck of a lawn mower too low?
Be careful not to set the cutting deck of your mower too low. Doing so can lead to the blade being severely impacted by objects in your yard. As a result, you’ll have to sharpen more often.
How do Honda blades work?
The Honda blades have a unique jobs, so the blades are shaped and sharpened differently; as the blades spin across the tips of the grass, the lower blade cuts off a tip of grass that is anchored to the soil, and a microsecond later, the upper blade cuts that now floating tip of grass again.
How to balance a lawn mower blade?
Less vibration on the mower means bolts won't come loose, parts won't fall off, and less irritation to the operator's hands. The engine will, in theory, have a longer service life the less external vibrations exerted on it. You can easily balance a mower blade with a round-shaft screwdriver placed in the center hole. If a blade side consistently drops, remove more blade material from that side. It won't take much.
Why do mower blades have to be balanced?
The blades are a heavy mass being rotated by the engine. Having them accurately balanced will significantly reduce vibrations caused from an out-of-balance blade. Less vibration on the mower means bolts won't come loose, parts won't fall off, and less irritation to the operator's hands.
What is a mower mark?
MowerMark. It is a relative term, "sharp" and with more experience mowing, sharpening, etc. you'll get a better idea what sharpness works best on your lawn yet minimizes wear on the blades. Dull blades will shear or tear the grass, rather than cut it, and too-sharp blades will wear down quickly.
Which blade has more surface area to generator more airflow to keep the clippings circulating?
The larger, bottom blade has more surface area to generator more airflow to keep the clippings circulating, allowing the upper blade to cut and cut and cut again until the bits are so small they can fall down into the lawn when mulching. MowerMark said: 3.
How to tell if mower blades are dull?
The simplest way to tell if your mower's blades are dull is to look at some grass blades after you have finished mowing. If their tips are torn-looking or ragged, it's time to sharpen the blades (or perhaps buy new ones).
Why do lawn mower blades wrap around grass?
Grass will wrap around these dull mower blades as your lawnmower rips them out of the ground, and this will produce more stress yet on the machine, reducing its lifespan and damaging individual components.
What is the same thing on a lawn mower?
No matter what type of lawnmower you use, whether it's a push mower or self-propelled, all mowers have the same thing: blades beneath.
How many hours does a lawn care professional spend on mowing?
It turns out that lawn care professionals spend an average of 25 hours actually mowing lawns every week, so if they are sharpening their blades once in that period too, in effect, they are doing so every 25 hours.
What happens if you cut a dull blade?
Dull blades will leave the grass turning yellow or, worse, brown. Sharp edges make for healthier, less damaged grass, better able to recover swiftly, and leaving your lawn looking more neatly trimmed.
How does sharpening work?
Sharpening works by honing both sides of the blade, grinding the edge down to as thin a surface as possible. The only way to achieve this is by shaving off bits of each edge, making the blade itself thinner and weaker.
Why cut grass frequently?
Cutting the grass frequently is another excellent tip because short grass is easier to rake and keep clear of anything that could blunt blades.
Why Sharpen Your Own Mower Blades?
The biggest advantage of doing your own lawn mower blade sharpening is that it saves you money. All you need are a few pieces of equipment:
How to sharpen a bevel blade?
Use your flat metal file for quick maintenance or if you suspect you might have hit a rock or another object that nicked your blade. Use a disc grinder to restore the bevel’s angle and the blade’s overall sharpness once or twice a season .
Why Use a Sharpening Service?
Your local hardware store might offer blade sharpening services; you also might find blade sharpeners at such gatherings as farmers markets. Having someone else sharpen your blade can be a valuable option:
How to tell if a sharpener blade is dull?
After sharpening, check that your blade is balanced. Look for a nail or a tack sticking out of a wall, and hang your blade on it through the center hole. If the blade tips to one side, that side is too heavy and needs to be filed.
Why is my lawn turning brown?
For the homeowner or property owner who’s been looking forward to green summer grass, the sight of brown spots on the lawn can be worse than a sudden crop of dandelions. You might think that your wilted, dried-up lawn needs fertilizer. You might worry that you haven’t given it enough water.
Do you need a sharpening service for a riding mower?
A sharpening service is also handy if you don’t have the tools or the space to sharpen blades yourself. This is especially true if you own a riding mower, which requires you to have a mower lift to maintain it properly, or a reel mower, which uses special sharpening kits for reel mower blades.
Can you sharpen your own landscaping blades?
That being said, sharpening your own blades can be a timesaver. By doing it yourself, you save the time you would have spent driving to a store or searching online for replacement blades. If you’re a homeowner, you could enjoy some free time instead. If you’re a landscaping pro, you can keep to your work schedule.

When to Get A New Blade
Balancing
- Once the blade has been sharpened, it needs to be checked for balance: an imbalanced blade will cause harsh vibrations that are hard on your mower’s engine and on the person operating the mower. Blade balancers are available, or you can hang the blade on a nail and see if it tilts in either direction. File a little metal off of the heavier (lower) side and recheck the balance. Once t…
Installation
- Before you put the blades back on the mower, you may want to take some time to remove any grass clippings that have gathered on the underside of the deck. A hose or pressure washer should be able to remove most matted grass, while a putty knife can be used for tough spots. Reinstalling the blade is done in the opposite order of removal. Make sure any washers are insta…
Where to Get New Blades For Your Honda Lawn Mower
- www.hondalawnparts.comis a certified Honda Small Engine Equipment dealer. We carry everything you need for your mower from blades to engine blocks, and we can ship your order to any address in the U.S. and Canada. Even if you don’t need a new blade right now, having a spare can keep your mower in service when the current blade needs repair or replacement.