Installed these on a riding mower ru-vid.comUgkxetgfkJxfdT_B2vGYP-uNTLaBbim9OKTD . They were sharp out of the box, although I've never liked blade edges that were coated...not quite as sharp as I personally want. Using my belt sander, I removed the coating from the cutting edges and refined the edge enough to shave with them. So far, after three runs, these blades are holding up as expected. Even after hitting a few fallen 1/2 inch or so branches, the edges are still sharp as heck. No edge dings, no warping, etc. As far as installing them, the cutouts were of the proper size and shape to fit my aging Craftsman mower. Very satisfied.
He says it can be razor sharp but not completely. I dont have a good guage of how sharp. Like sharp enough to cut your finger if you slide it down the blade? I've heard ppl say no sharper than a butter knife, about where mine is, but is tearing my grass. I worked for a grounds crew at a University and they sharpened the blades super sharp. Thanks for the video.
As sharp as you can get it. The key though is to make sure the blade isn't too thin on the edge or it will chip easily. Sharper than a butter knife, if you can. But you probably don't want to cut yourself on it.
another way is to use the surface of your thumbnail to see if any of your nail comes off, you’ll feel it right away, if it feels smooth it’s probably not sharp enough, it’s a trick we’ve used for years when sharpening ice skates on a grinder
I see he sharpens it with the blade up, and he pushes the file downward, is this the correct way or should you move the file from the thick to the thin side?
This is the correct way. You want to move the file away from you, not pull it toward you (ie do not go from thick to thin end of the file). This way also helps to prevent or minimize creating a burr on the blade.
@@GardeningProductsReview I think this is correct, and you can use your free hand (not the one on the file handle) to balance the file to get the correct angle as the original blade (usually 30 degrees) was milled by the manufacturer
@@GardeningProductsReview - No no no... you misunderstood 'JM Desroliers' point... he was referring to the direction you are filing the LAWNMOWER blade itself... from the edge towards the thick part. He clearly implies you should have been filing the blade in the opposite direction (from the thick part of the blade towards the blade edge).
The video illustrates the correct method, filing from the thin edge towards the thick, main part of the blade. However, I file the length of the cutting edge with each stroke of the file.
I understand your point about reducing burr, but one should be careful with this method as your fingers are going toward the sharp edge. I frankly would have stopped filing after about five or six times with this blade at 2:41. I didn't see a point why every angle has to be ground away, because the grass cut is made at the tip of the blade.
I’ve been sharpening my blades like this a good while and I stopped worrying about balancing. It’s never really off when I check, and I don’t notice any distortion from the mower. Maybe it’s not a bad idea if you’re using a grinder or something that hogs off a bunch of metal, but the bastard file isn’t as aggressive comparatively.
Additionally, you are absolutely right about the direction that you move your file in relationship to the blade. So many videos show people with electric grinders rolling a burr off the edge because they are grinding the wrong direction.
Is this the correct procedure for a new blade? Thank you for the great workmanship! Also, should you make the edge longer than the original length? If you extend the edges (both) a little closer to the center, will that help with a slightly wider cut?
I think the video is fine. I'd add a few points though based on my own practices: 1. The key thing withy sharpening mower blades is to do it OFTEN. I find it doesn't take more than 3-4 cuts before it's tme to sharpen up again. 2. If you are going to sharpen often, it's important to make the practice easy and painless to do. For me, that means I have the tools needed to remove and remount the blade handy as a separate collection of tools. That means one wrench to loosen the central bolt holding the blade, and two other wrenches to use to loosen two smaller bolts that also secure the blade. I also have a manufactured tool to hold the blade immobile while loosening or tightening the bolts holding the blade. Most people just use a block of wood, and that's fine, but I'd have the block of wood with the necessary tools so that you aren't looking for new blocks of wood all the time. 3. I have two mower blades,. so I can remove the mower blade, swap it for one already sharpened and reinstall rapidly. I sharpen the blade when convenient. 4. I used to grind the blade, but in recent years I've used a file as described in the video. I'll use a grinder to repair a major ding, and then finish up with a file. 5. I treated myself to a new file! That actually makes a big difference. The old file was worn and wasn't cutting very well. I paid $3.49 at Harbor Freight for a new file with a handle on it, and it's a big improvement over the old one. 6. I like to run the file all the way along the cutting edge of the mower blade on each stroke. I find that's most efficient ---and most satisfying. It's SATISFYING to file a mower blade! 7. I also file the edge on my splitting maul several times during the heating season. 8. Perhaps those reading this will find one or two items they want to try. That's what I do when I listen to videos like this or read comments. The best advice I've given here is the importance of sharpening a mower blade OFTEN! Happy filing!
I've been sharpening hand planes for some time now and it's pretty common to put a secondary bevel (~3-6°) on the blade-and it's mostly so that it's much more efficient to resharpen (less surface area to cover). I wonder if this would work with mower blades?
My 1st job was with a screw machine company, 90% of the time I was working on a bench grinder for the 1st 3 months. Even then there were people who were better at it then me. It’s a skill that is learned over a long period of time and I don’t recommend it for most people, unless you’ve had 100’s of hours working on them. Using a flat file is much easier, more accurate and less dangerous
Very helpful, it seems like most Pros think they need a grinder to sharpen blades properly, but I found a Nicholson file I liked and it worked extremely well, only took a few minutes. I didn’t even need to remove the blade from the mower or even take off a lot of material, just enough to touch up the bad spots and get a smooth edge. I did a test after and found the mower was cutting like brand new, maybe even better… Of course I was taught to file at a young age so that always helps, also some of your tips in this video really helped, I plan to take it off at the end of the season and use them, need a bit of a refresher
Everyone reading about sharpening while the blade is still on the mower: please remove the spark plug so the gas mower can't start. I have a battery mower, so I remove the key, but even then something weird could happen - I prefer to remove the blade with a big box wrench. Invest in a good wrench for this purpose and you'll be a lot safer...
@@cawag98 Yes and manufacturers are making this a requirement, torque wrench with a specific amount of pressure. Good idea since the blade can come off if it’s not tight
