Sharpen lawnmower blades yourself - explained step-by-step

Content

• Sharpen lawnmower blades yourself - explained step-by-step
• Safety is the key - this preparation is important
• Material and tool requirements
• To remove the lawnmower blade
• Tips
• Manual sharpening tops the grinder - that's how it works
• What to do if the wrong side was cut?
  
• Keep lawn mower blade from imbalance - how to do it
• How common are lawnmower knives?
• Tips & Tricks

Sharpen lawnmower blades yourself - explained step-by-step

If the blades of grass appear frayed after mowing, the blades are dull. High time to grind the lawnmower blade. With a little manual skill, you do the work yourself. The following instructions explain step-by-step how to do it.

Early article Lawn mowing is allowed at these times - information on rest periods Next article How to repair minor damage to the lawnmower itself

Safety is the key - this preparation is important

Work safety has top priority when you grind a lawnmower knife by hand. It must be ensured that the mower can not operate. You should exercise this caution in all work relating to the maintenance of a lawnmower. Here's how to do it:

In addition, sturdy work gloves and protective clothing are required. Ideally you should wear long-sleeved clothing, long trousers, sturdy shoes and goggles.

Material and tool requirements

If all the tools and tools are at hand, the grind of the lawnmower blades is quick and easy. So you should be equipped:

To remove the lawnmower blade

Turn the mower over so you can get close to the lawnmower blade. Position a petrol mower so that the air filter occupies the highest point. In this way, gas will not leak from the tank on most models. Now take the manual of the lawn mower to hand, then remove the knife bar.

If the operating instructions have been lost, this is not a hindrance to the continuation of the work. Take the spanner or open-end wrench to loosen the retaining screw in the middle. Memorize the fit of any washers well.

Tips

A lawnmower blade of a gasoline lawnmower should never be sharpened when installed. The risk of sparks igniting spilled gasoline is far too great. It is safer to remove the knife bar to grind it away from the mower.

Manual sharpening tops the grinder - that's how it works

The removed lawn mower blade is fixed in a vise, which simplifies all subsequent steps. Follow these steps:

Experts advise against sanding a lawnmower blade with a flex. The knife is heated excessively, resulting in a rough cut. In addition, the removal increases unnecessarily, which can cause a larger imbalance. This is only corrected by a corresponding material decrease on the other side.

What to do if the wrong side was cut?

In the heat of the moment untrained hobby gardeners sometimes drag a lawnmower blade from the wrong side. If the quality of the lawn suffers, the knife should be re-ground immediately. This is unfortunately at the expense of a relatively large amount of material on the blade.

As long as the cut quality on the grass is acceptable, the lawnmower blade will be processed step by step from the right side every time you grind. In this way, the correct cutting angle gradually moves to the desired side. Here, the angle should first be set a bit flatter, as long as both sides of the knife are still sharp. If the bevel on the wrong side has disappeared due to wear, increase the angle on the right side again.

Keep lawn mower blade from imbalance - how to do it

If you do not grind a lawnmower blade on both sides to the same extent, the cutterbar later bounces back and forth more or less uncontrollably due to an imbalance in the mower. To prevent this circumstance:

Ideally, use this method to check the balance on the lawn mower blade in between and at the end of the grinding process. Only when the cutter bar is perfectly balanced, it is re-installed in the mower. Otherwise, the engine block could be damaged and a simple grinding results in an extensive lawn mower repair.

How common are lawnmower knives?

The degree of use significantly determines how often a lawnmower blade is to be sanded. The knives often hit branches and stones, blunting them faster. In general, a single sanding per season is enough to mow a lawn perfectly. Have a look at the lawnmower blade regularly, you do not have to worry about frayed grasses.

Tips & Tricks

For a perfect English lawn, a reel mower is indispensable. Unfortunately, its design defies any attempt to manually grind the knives. However, special grinding machines for reel mowers cost more than 2,000 euros, so that at the earliest such an investment pays off in the 2nd or 3rd generation of gardeners.