How To Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades Without Removing

One of the crucial maintenances you have to go through with your lawn mower is sharpening the blades. It’s important to do so if you often use your mower, and over time, the blades get dull. Now, many people out there sharpen the blades after removing them from the lawnmower.

Well, that’s great, but what if we tell you, you can sharpen the blade without even removing them. Doesn’t it sound much more convenient and better?

Don’t you worry, we won’t leave hanging there. In this article, we go through the whole process of sharpening lawn mower blades without removing them. So, let’s get on with the step-by-step guide to doing so.

Sharpening Lawn Mower Blades Without Removing Them

Let’s get one thing out of the way; you won’t need to go through any extra trouble if you choose to sharpen the blades without removing them. It requires the same effort as you would need to remove the blades. However, with this process, you will need some basic tools.

Tools you will need

• A pair of protective gloves
• A flat file or grinder
• Block of wood
• Steel wire brush or wool
• Safety Goggles

Once you gather all the tools, you can move on to the process. Here’s where you start-

Step-1: Setting up the mower for sharpening

The first thing to do is disconnect the mower from any electric source. The best way to do that is by disconnecting the spark plug. It will make sure that the mower doesn’t start suddenly, no matter what type of mower you have. If you have a gas mower, you have to follow this step; otherwise, skip it. For the gas mower, you have to seal the tank properly. All you need to do is cover up the gas tank mouth with a plastic bag or wrap and then close the lid. This makes sure no fuel is leaking from the tank.

After that, you have to keep the mower sideways, so the blades become accessible to you. You have to tilt it in such a way that the carburetor stays on the upper part.

Next, you have to put a wooden block on the lower side of the mower to keep it stable. And finally, put another wooden block diagonally under the mower blades to prevent them from moving.

Step-2: Preparing the blade

There is nothing much to do here. All you have to do is clean the blades properly. You have to remove any kinds of rust and debris on the blades. You can use your wire brush or steel wool for that. Make sure to clean all the extra dirt or rust for a smoother and better sharpening result.

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Step-3: Sharpen the blades

Now, take a filer or grinder to start sharpening the mower blades. Here, you have to keep quite a lot of things in mind. First of all, always start the sharpening process from the center of the mower blade. Otherwise, you may damage the blades altogether.

Next, you have to maintain an angle when you sharpen these blades. Without an angle on the sharpening, you will move around your filer and thin out the blades. So, go for an angle but not too much; a 45-degree angle is always the best option to go with.

Always remember to sharpen from both sides of the blade. Or else you will have an inconsistent blade that will give you inconsistent cutting results as well.

If you keep these in mind while sharpening the blades, you won’t have to worry too much. The sharpness and thickness of the blade will mostly depend on the angle you choose to file or grind. So, make sure to choose an appropriate angle.

Step-4: Finishing it up

Once you are done with the sharpening, you can give it a finishing touch with some lubricating oil. This doesn’t have any functionality; it just makes the blades look shiny. Then after that, you can tilt the mower to its original position. Then, remove the plastic cover from the gas tank. And that’s it. It is that easy.

As you can see, there is nothing complex or troublesome about sharpening the blades of your mower. You may need some help with tilting the mower if it’s too heavy. Other than that, you can do all of this yourself.

Additional Tips To Keep In Mind

Here are some tips that will greatly help you get better results and avoid mistakes while sharpening.

• Tip-1: The best time to sharpen your mower blades is when the fuel tank is empty. This takes away all risks of wasting any gas at all.
• Tip-2: Wear all protective gear before you start the sharpening process. Especially the gloves and goggles are essential for your safety.
• Tip-3: Make sure to check up on your mower blade every once in a while. Knowing the condition of your blade is very important.
• Tip-4: Never grind or file from the end of the blade. Always do the sharpening from the center. Make sure the filer goes from the center of the blade towards the end in a downward motion.
• Tip-5: Before you even begin sharpening, check if the mower and the blade are stable or not. If not, then use blocks and clamps to make them stable. You don’t want them to be moving while you are sharpening the blades.

Conclusion

Well, now you know how you can sharpen the lawnmower blades without even removing them. It’s a pretty handy knowledge to have for something that must to do. Using dull blades for a long time can damage the blades and even damage the whole machine.

Aside from that, you won’t be getting the results that you want with dull blades in the first place, so what’s the point. And now that you don’t need to remove the blades to sharpen them, it’s much easier and convenient to do so, then why shouldn’t you give it a go, right?