Sharpen your dull lawn mower blades easily using an angle grinder. This versatile hand-held tool is one of the easiest ways to solve dull blades.
This common power tool is used for plenty of fabrication jobs, including finishing, cutting, polishing, and grinding. Most of them need electricity to work. You can find both battery-powered and corded options.
It’s easy to use and finishes the job fast. However, if lawn mower blades are not sharpened regularly, they can become dull and tear the grass.
With dull blades, you can’t have a neat cut lawn. Clean cuts are pivotal for the health of the lawn. Using torn or dull blades increases the grass’s risk of illnesses and damage from the sun.
This is where angle grinders come to the rescue! This tool will grind away nicks and refresh the blade instantly.
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Can You Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades with an Angle Grinder?
Yes, you can!
Sharpening lawn mower blades with this tool is an easy and effective way to boost the blades’ sharpness.
When the blade of your lawn mower is sharp, it will cut faster and without damaging the grass. The cuts will be neat, and the final result will be great.
An angle grinder can help you solve the problem of dull blades. You can damage the grass and pull up the roots if you mow with dull knives.
Sharpening the blades is recommended every 10 hours of use or so; however, if you’re using the mower near rocky sections, it may be necessary to do it more often.
An angle grinder or a bench grinder is a fast and effective method to sharpen blades at home. You need work gloves, protective eyewear, and earplugs for this process. And, of course, instructions on how to use this tool if you’re a beginner!
Angle Grinder Explained
Angle grinders are common in garages, not just in professional settings, because they are versatile tools.
This hand-held power tool is commonly used in metal fabrication jobs for grinding, finishing, polishing, deburring, etc. It usually requires electricity to work.
You can find corded options or ones that work with batteries. The angle grinder works with abrasive discs. Which ones are used depends on the work being done and the material that is being ground.
They’re a staple and can help you sharpen your lawn mower blades. Using the right discs with the angle grinder can be an excellent replacement for various tools and help you finish even the most tedious jobs faster and effortlessly.
Moreover, this tool is easy to operate, and even novices (following the instructions and safety precautions) can learn how to use it.
How to Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades Using an Angle Grinder?
If you need to sharpen the mower’s blades quickly, reach for your angle grinder. It will restore the blades’ sharpness, and it works quicker than flat files.
Blades of lawn mowers are known to be of a chisel type. That is, one edge is flat and the other is beveled. Therefore, when you’re grinding, do it only on one side.
Follow these steps for optimal sharpening of your lawn mower blades using your angle grinder:
- Unplug any spark plug wires. Remove the gas cap and cover the opening with a plastic bag or wrap. This prevents the gas from coming out of the hole. To reach the blade, turn the mower on the side with the carburetor up.
- If you have a riding lawn mower, elevate the deck to the highest position and elevate the mower on the ramps to reach the blades. Chock the rear wheels and put on the brakes.
- Remove the nut with a wrench. If the blade spins while you’re doing this, use C-clamps to stop it. Once the nut is removed, slide the blade from the lawn mower.
- Tighten the blade in a table vise.
- Brush away debris and dirt with a soft wire brush. If needed, rub the blades with coarser sandpaper.
- Put on your protective gloves and glasses. Make sure the grinder is fitted with a grinding disk.
- While holding the disk perpendicular to the beveled edge, run it side to side to level out the nicks.
- Since the metal will be ground quickly, keep the tool in motion. Remove a bit at a time, pausing to check the progress.
- To prevent a lot from being removed from the metal, line up the disk with the blade’s angle and follow the same angle used by the manufacturer for sharpening.
- Grind until the metal is clean and bare across the blade, and the edge is sharp again.
- Remove the blade from the vise and hang it on a nail to check its balance. If one end is pushing down, it’s heavier. File it to lower the weight and check once more. When the blade is well balanced, there’s no uneven cutting and shaking when it’s working.
- If you have a lubricant or oil, rub some along the edge to lower the risk of rust formation.
- Set the blade on the mower and fix the nut. Tighten it properly and make sure the blade is steady.
- Remove the piece of wood and spin the blade to see if it’s working correctly. Remove the plastic cover from the gas and connect the plug wire if it’s okay.
Final Thoughts
Although mower blades don’t need razor-level sharpness, they must be sharp enough to cut grass properly.
When wondering how much sharpness is enough, know the blade shouldn’t cut your hand if you touch it. This ensures the cleanest cuts of grass.
One common way to sharpen lawn mower blades is with an angle grinder. This hand-held power tool is easy to use and does the job fast.
Grinding the blade using this tool is easy, and we’ve explained it in detailed steps. It’s good news that even beginners can use this tool and restore their blades’ sharpness.
Of course, before moving on to the grinding, read the steps in the manual. Always use it according to the instructions for optimal safety!