Sharpen new mower blades??

[LunkerLover84]

I just bought 2 new mower blades for my Craftsman push mower. I noticed the blades weren't very sharp at all. I assumed new blades didn't need to be sharpened and were good to go out of the package. I've also heard you don't want your blade razor sharp either because it tends to dull quicker.

Any thoughts on this??

[Jared_P]

I have always just taken mine to the local hardware store and paid the couple bucks to have them sharpened...that way I don't have to worry about getting the right angle or getting out of balance either. Whatever edge they put on has been good for me for the last 5 years...

JP

[harvey lee]

Yep, I have mine resharpened every other year for a few dollars. The years inbetween, I sharpen them mysef. I do have the little coned shaped base to put the blades on the make sure they are balanced when I am done sharpening them.

I take a file to them ot if needed, a smaller grinder to sharpen them if I have a larger nick in a blade.

[96trigger]

I sharpen mine on a bench grinder, never had any problem, balance them on a screwdriver in vise when your done. Biggest pain I always have is getting the crud off of them before I grind them. I like to make sure they are clean before start to sharpen.

[amateurfishing]

just sharpen my own with a cheap $5 hand grinder, never new about "balancing" them

[jjz]

A knife sharp blade dulls in a few minutes of mowing. The tapered profile moving at high speed does the cutting after the edge is gone. As long as the tapered profile is correct, i wouldnt worry about how sharp the edge is.

[MuleShack]

A knife sharp blade dulls in a few minutes of mowing. The tapered profile moving at high speed does the cutting after the edge is gone. As long as the tapered profile is correct, i wouldnt worry about how sharp the edge is.

Only if your cutting rocks

The best way to sharpen mower blades is with a belt sander. They are smooth and even and razor sharp. I have been doing it this way for my commercial mowers for 15 years. When your not scalping the ground or hitting gravel or rocks, they last a long time.

It is not good for the grass to cut with dull blades, one it takes longer to cut and two it can leave the tops of the grass brown from being whacked off instead of cut off.