Anyone done mower blades?

[Phil Pasteur]

Did I miss something?
I often do 🙂
What did “Tom” point out ??

[Ken Buzbee]

Did I miss something?
I often do 🙂
What did “Tom” point out ??

You should’ve worked out the chips with a grinder or a file first, then fixed everything up with the 50’s!

Don’t waste the WEPS diamonds if you don’t need to, IMO! :ohmy:

😉

Ken

[Phil Pasteur]

Yeah… that is why I use the belt grinder on the bad ones… even when using files for the rest of the job…

[Ken Buzbee]

I need to get one, one of these days.

Ken

[Mikedoh]

Can’t wait to hear the results on your lawn from your WEPS sharpened blades.

[Ken Schwartz]

Just another approach:

—
Ken

[Mikedoh]

Any updates?

[Ken Buzbee]

Any updates?

No. It’s all done, just waiting on my next blade change. Probably this fall.

Ken

[Mikedoh]

I half expect the cut blades of grass to just stand there ’till a gentle breeze comes along to fell them. My lawn grade is much too rough to appreciate a superbly sharpened blade. I periodically terraform with the mower blades despite my best efforts not to.

[Ken Buzbee]

I half expect the cut blades of grass to just stand there ’till a gentle breeze comes along to fell them.

HaHa, great imagery!

Actually the goal wasn’t as much for the initial cut. It already did fine with that. I use it in “mulch” setting and sometime it would leave clumps of grass behind. I was hoping to rectify that. But honestly, the new factory blade on it doesn’t. I was just over thinking the whole thing.

In the end, successful or not, I won’t be repeating this exercise. 😉

quote=”Mikedoh” post=11557My lawn grade is much too rough to appreciate a superbly sharpened blade. I periodically terraform with the mower blades despite my best efforts not to.[/quote]

Nice! 😉 I’ve had yards like that. Ours isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty smooth. Smooth enough that the 1″ deep depression and 1″ tall mound (each about 3′ in diameter) I left from less than perfect plant relocations are very noticeable.

About 10 years ago I decided to take the yard organic. No more Scott’s weed & feed etc. That stuff turns your grass into the plant equivalent of a ‘crack addict’ 😉 and isn’t so great for humans or dogs either. No real evidence, but I kinda suspect it caused mast cell cancer in the paw of one of our dogs before I switched.

So I mulch in the grass and, in the fall, the leaves and let the bacteria and fungus microbes feed it for me. I’ll pull dandelions and anything really annoying or invasive but I’ve finally kind of come to terms with ‘my yard is never going to look like Augusta National Golf Course’

Still, every Spring I spend 4 days druling over that place on TV. Wow…. Just gorgeous! 😉

Ken

[Mikedoh]

I used a little fertilizer for the first time in an area I replanted last fall. Everything worked out, but found out I did most things wrong. I like clover.
It’s ability to fix nitrogen is just great. I seeded with both clover and grass. Not supposed to seed clover in fall. I put down some fertilizer because I did nothing more than rake stone out and level the area. Not supposed to fertilize when you plant clover and grass, gives the grass a chance to crowd out the clover.

A different area I planted last spring, I put down a layer of humus before seeding with clover and grass. It is very happy.

I know, most think of clover as a weed. I guess it’s a version of “weed and feed” that I used then.;)

[Ken Buzbee]

Planting clover with grass is old school. Home lawn seed used to come this way until maybe 40 years ago when the Sotts era was born.

I don’t need to plant any. We have plenty of clover already 😉

Ken

[Robert Gilvary]

I see no one has mentioned balancing the blade so one side isn’t heavier than the other. Supposed to keep the engine running smoother and eliminate vibration at the crank or blade axle if you’ve got belt driven blades.

Just stick a nail in a post and hang the blade from the center hole horizontally. If the blade stays horizontal, it’s balanced. If it drops an end, then that end is heavier and needs a bit of steel removed.

There is also a balancing cone available that has a variety of steps on it so different sized blade holes will rest on it.

[cbwx34]

I see no one has mentioned balancing the blade so one side isn’t heavier than the other. Supposed to keep the engine running smoother and eliminate vibration at the crank or blade axle if you’ve got belt driven blades.

Just stick a nail in a post and hang the blade from the center hole horizontally. If the blade stays horizontal, it’s balanced. If it drops an end, then that end is heavier and needs a bit of steel removed.

There is also a balancing cone available that has a variety of steps on it so different sized blade holes will rest on it.

Good info… thanks. I read somewhere that the blades had to be balanced, but didn’t know how so steered clear of them. Didn’t know it was so simple.

[Phil Pasteur]

Definitely want to balance the blade.
I bought one of the cone type devices about 15 years ago from a local hardware store (Ace I think). I have also seen them at Home Depot I believe. I use it every time I sharpen a lawnmower blade. The advantage is that the cone balances with more sensitivity because it is supported on a base by a thin pointed rod. I think the device can be purchased for under $5.

Good tool to have if sharpening any lawnmower blades! Even if it is just your own.

[Author]

Posts