How To Sharpen Ride On Mower Blades

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The actual removal of the blades from the mower deck can prove to be more of a challenge than sharpening them. An air impact gun works best for removing the bolt that holds the blades on the shaft. This eliminates the need to keep the upper pulley stationary while loosening the blade bolt. It is a good idea to remove the plug wire from the spark plug and eliminate any chance of an accidental startup of the mower engine.

Once the blade bolt is loose take notice of how the blade is mounted so you can be sure and replace it the same way. It is best to clamp the blade in a bench vise and use a side grinder for the sharpening. Look closely at the factory angle on the blade and stay uniform with that angle when grinding. Just grind one side of the blade down to a sharp edge and the rotate the blade and grind the other end.

When you have a sharp edge on both ends then use must make sure the blade is balanced. You can check this by driving a nail into the side of your workbench and hang the blade on the nail using the center hole where it mounts to the mower. Hang it on the nail where the blade hangs horizontally and if it is balanced properly it will remain that way. If one end of the blade drops down then you must grind some more on that end and recheck it. Grind a little and check it until the blade remains horizontally.

Once you have it balanced properly and sharp on both ends then you can reattach it to the mower deck and tighten it with the air gun. When the blade is back on the deck and you are sure it was reinstalled the same way and direction that it came off then you are ready to put the plug wire back on and see how it cuts.