How to Sharpen a Lawn Mower Blade | This Old House
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2014
- Cutting grass cleanly with This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook. (See below for a shopping list and tools.)
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Shopping List for Sharpening a Lawn Mower Blade:
- blade balancer
Tools for Sharpening a Lawn Mower Blade:
- blade balancer [amzn.to/2XDIPH5]
- ratchet wrench with socket [amzn.to/2XN9st6]
- metal file [amzn.to/2X7SA3a]
- drill/driver [amzn.to/2KaQUQt]
- blade-sharpening stone [amzn.to/2Kaee0L]
- angle grinder [amzn.to/2F5XymZ] or bench grinder [amzn.to/2XF02Qm]
- putty knife [amzn.to/2F3ZEDI]
- leather work gloves [amzn.to/2F2FOJe], used to hold mower blade
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How to Sharpen a Lawn Mower Blade | This Old House
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Pulling the spark plug, are you kidding me?! Accidental starting! It never starts for me anyways! 😂😂😂
😂🤣
More common to happen with older gas mowers that don't have the release bar on the handle.
Even these guys are avoiding lawsuits lol
I knew a guy when I was a teen who lost both of his hands cleaning a mower blade from it starting.
@@rosencranceneil Woah man that is intense!!!
Not only do I know how to sharpen my lawnmower blade, I have a weird desire to watch Good Will Hunting.
What? Not Slingblade?
What about brightburn
Elizabeth is there a retainer fee on this shaaaaapening?
Elizabeth & Collin That’s hilarious! 😂 🤣😆
Now how do I pahk the cah??!!😆
Another helpful tip ... I keep 3 blades for my mower and sharpen them all at one time over winter. Then, as the growing season progresses, I just swap out the blade with one that's already sharpened and save the re-sharpening for the off season.
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***** Well said....
Better coat them with a protectant like T-9 if you're letting fresh ground blades sit over winter.
I just buy new ones, every 4-5years
Can you pls orgnanise my life ?! WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE lol !?
bro, that blade is wicked shaaaahp.
He shoppened it with a grindaa
LOL
Hahahahahahaha
Love it...
Spaaahk plaaahg wiiyah..
Thank you, i've been sharpening my blades for 48 years and i learned a couple things from your video.Learning is forever,never too old to learn.Thank you very much!
Ever learned how to heat them up and beat an edge with a hammer? (The right way.)
Tip mower on its side with carburetor and air filter up AFTER first slowly pulling the starter rope to find the piston's compression position (i.e. where it becomes much harder to pull). This greatly minimizes oil leaks and subsequent hard starting while providing total access to the underside.
This was the perfect video for me. I was worried I would have to go out and find a bench grinder and either borrow it from my friend or rent something from a local shop. Turns out I can either use the file I already have or buy a simple piece of kit for $12. Perfect!
Edit: bought a kit and it seems to have worked! Blade is definitely sharper
Installed these on a riding mower ruclips.net/user/postUgkxetgfkJxfdT_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.
Lightweight is good and what did I use it for it’s a lawnmower ruclips.net/user/postUgkxTPN04aT-Qdjr_KS3ql7ng8wnU3wwsCqk also recommend Yes it is lightweight so hence not as robust as our old one. But if you take care it does the job really well.
A couple of tips...
1. When starting your bench grinder, do not stand in front of the grinding wheel, stand to the side. If your grinding wheel is cracked for some reason (someone's been abusing your bench grinder), the wheel will often fail (fly apart) at startup. If you stand to the side, you're less likely to be hit by flying chunks of grinding wheel.
2. It is very important not to overheat the lawnmower blade while sharpening. Overheating will cause the steel to soften, and your blade will not retain a sharp edge for very long. I always have a bucket of water I use to cool (quench) the blade so it doesn't overheat.
3. If you are going to the trouble to balance your blade, take a wire brush and clean off all the old grass stuck to it first. The nail method doesn't really work, as the nail might not be at the exact top of the bolt-hole.
4. Do not remove material from the bottom side of the blade. Always grind from the top, then deburr with a file.
5. Maintain the existing cutting angle, don't just touch-up the front edge and make a steeper cutting angle at the front of the blade. This will require you to remove quite a bit of material behind the front edge (sorry filers).
6. If you can "see" the front edge, or nicks in the front edge, your blade isn't sharp. On really chewed up blades, it might be easier to just grind the front edge down until you get to the bottom of all the nicks, then reform the proper cutting angle at the edge. This will require several minutes on a bench grinder. Several hours with a file.
Excellent tips!
❤
First one showed missing parts. Second one was complete. It's a working bench grinder ruclips.net/user/postUgkxxC8HPnl24fu0XhMU_nbmWNEUoK1RMHXk . One thing I like alot is that it's surprisingly quiet. I don't feel like I'm sacrificing any rpms or power for the quietness either. All in all it's a very nice machine. No vibration whatsoever.
'If you hit a rock, you gotta sharpen it right away.'
Where I live, that means every two seconds...
Those pesky garden gnomes playing tricks again.
TheRev buy a gravel, grass and grading blade
R Anderson Sounds like somebody needs a nap ☺️
@R Anderson someone is on that time of the month
@R Anderson Sounds expensive. Not everyone has the luxury of money or easy access to free rockless soil (or a truck to haul it).
Thanks for this video! No oil or gas spilled by tipping my mower 90° vertically as you showed. Blade is like new!
I prefer shoppening my blades with a bench grindah.
You ruin it by grinding.
It's shaapa that way, the grass is cut uuof cleanah.
I'm so happy this was the first comment I saw. I was just about to type something very similar....
Didja disconnect that spaaaahk plug?
Mowah blades always need shappening.
Nobody has better how-to videos than This Old House.
good tip on the nail balancer trick!
Not really. Watch Steves' Small Engine Saloon. "Proper way to sharpen and balance a lawn mower blade," The 'nail trick' is not very accurate at all. Oddly, they had
another tool they could have used to balance, sitting right there on their bench. And, yes, Steve covers that too.
@@marksingleton2739 thanks Mark will check it out 👍
Never knew about the drill attachment or leveling. Learned something new today.
I sharpen my blades using a beltshaahrpening system and lay it across the vise handle to make sure it is balanced. My mower blade isn't round on the inside (it is keyed) so that nail trick wouldn't work for me. I sharpen my blades about every 2nd to 3rd mowing though. I have Zoysia - gorgeous warm season grass and it's like carpet to walk on because it is so thick, but with such dense grass growth, it dulls the blade much faster than other grasses.
That sharpener attachment is useless. Don’t waste your money.
Love it..I've had a mower for 5 yrs and never sharpened. I know what I'm doing this weekend!
I saw this on tv a few years back. I always remembered the nail in the post trick. I plan on doing this in the morning. Thanks This Old House!
Brilliantly put. Which way to tip the mower is very important . Balancing with a nail another great idea. Several options of sharpening just nailed it all . Thanks
This was super helpful, thanks TOH! I've been mowing lawns since I was 10 or 12 (I'm 37 now) and don't think I've ever sharpened a mower blade! 😂
You and me both LOL! But I think I'm going to start doing so going forward. And plus I can buy a new tool and feel important LOL
LOL! "Easy access to the two nuts that are holding it up." My first thought was that he was talking about the two guys holding it up. I couldn't help but laugh.
Good one!!
Roger is awesome. I always enjoy learning from him all the things he knows.
LOVED! Not drawn out and also love the tricks. Excellent. I’m doing this tomorrow.
Take the spark plug wire off so there's no way the mower can spontaneously start. Something that has never happened in the history of pull-start lawnmowers
lol, agreed. I don't think I've ever done that unless I was already going to clean up the spark plug or something. I do have a horror story though. A friend of mine had an electric lawn mower. Got bogged down with wet grass, she reached down and successfully cleared the clog..... and lost 4 fingers at the knuckle. I never saw the lawn mower and don't know how she bypassed the safety mechanisms... but I did see the aftermath.
@@bobcougar77 wow thats awful sorry to hear that
no harm on being overly careful
@@lordmechanic yeah it's a pretty sad story. She was kinda mowing the lawn out of spite to her boy who was being a lazy teenager. It wasn't normally her job and probably didn't really know the mower. I wouldn't be surprised if she was angry and as we all do when angry don't think things through. The relationship kinda went off a cliff after that. Tragic really.
You are lucky if a pull start mower starts when the spark plug wire is attached.
I've been learning from these guys since ?the '80s. Well, a very long time. I watch their tv shows, receive their magazine, and find their online info. They do things right, so short cuts, no skimping, with integrity. I really appreciate these guys. I am sad that they are leaving 1 at a time due to old age. Guess I'm old too.😉
I've been watching you guys since I was a kid, I never looked at from this point of view. Learn something new every day.
Amazing video. Underrated.
How cool is Roger Cook?!? I draw more solid info from this guy than any other source that comes to mind.
Wicked smaht, for sure.
Art Edwards that isn't saying much 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
All of those guys give excellent info
Thanks for the tutorial on shyahpening! That's a really cool looking little shop. I didn't use gloves and cut my hand on the blade on a downstroke using a metal file. I knew at that point that I was making progress. I want to cut my grass, not mince it and fling it into the shroud.
Ya I'd wear gloves while shyawpening yo blade.
Use caution and disengage the spock plug! Live long and prosper! 🖖
I like how when Roger put on the safety glasses he brought the lawnmower blade right by his eye 😂
I've sharpened blades before but never thought about balance until this video!
Wouldnt have even thought about the balancing lol. Thank you again
I wonder if this guy mows Hawvard Yawd.
Joe Scott I don't know but I'm sure his lowen mowah blade is shop!
LMAO!!
Joe Scott how to
Not southern slang a ?
Yall fucking cray 😂😂😂😂😂
Excellent simple advice covering all the options!
This video gets me excited about doing handywork !
I love how they uploaded this near the end of the mowing season
That's because you should do this in fall too before you put the lawnmower to bed for the winter.
Sweet. Now I know how to Shahpen my blade. Thanks TOH.
Really well done. If this wasn't produced/directed by a pro, I'm amazed.
Excellent job 👍🏿 guys. Short and detailed.
Gloves and grinders are a no no. Had a co-worker lose 2 fingers when glove got gobbled in.
Chuck Pav I was thinking the same thing
I was checking the comments to see if anyone had posted that or not. Just to be clear, *_bench_* grinder and gloves are a no-no, not angle grinders which are also good for shopaeneen moa blades ;-)
When I was a child on he farm, my dad used a bench grinder to sharpen the blades on his hat mowing machine. He also sharpened a bunch of hoes, and all of us kids got the job of roaming the fields, cutting thistles.
@@marthajf73 Did you mow any hats?
@@hyzercreek He did, and sent the bills to his dad.
At 2:02 he says "deez nuts"
+grumpybill in the land of Fermunda cheese...
Hahahahahahaha
this is why i pay for internet hahahahhaha
Lmao 🤣🤣🤣
😄😄
Thanks guys. I learned something new and got the job completed in 5 min
Just came across this, funny dad had us boys do the lawn work and we cut grass for money around the hood and we never sharpend the blade . LAWNS ALWAYS looked great 👍
"Well my grass hasn't said anything yet." LOL
I like the old "John" mower.
Thanks for the blade sharpening tip .
Thanks guys! Very helpful.
Sharpen 2-3 times per season 😂 I’ve owned 10 lawnmowers and never sharpened one of them, and my lawn is a beautiful light shade of brown
ha ha , lmao ! do you throw them away or sell in garage sale when the blade needs sharpening !
I hope you're trolling😀
I love the accent. Gotta keep ya blades SHOP!
I liked the video. Can't believe how many videos are on RUclips about this. I've been using a file, balance it on a nail method. It works well. Doesn't add to the electric bill, no power tools needed.
You think using a grinder for 3 minutes adds 50$ to the power bill or so? It will actually be less than 0.03$ ..
Ita a grinda!@@Engineer9736
That is so cool the nail in the wall to balance the Blade Thanks very much Lawnmower shaking like hell
The metal file is the way to go.
It's old school and less expensive.
A scythe for you, my friend.
@@markodriscoll9290 And a cheeseburger from McDonald's and a O'Doul's beer, for you my friend.
that is 1 gnarly looking old mower. Looks like what the creeper from jeepers creepers would use to mow
Andy P lmao.... well played sir
Andy Freeman 😁😁😁
Good video here, thanks for the tips. I like anything that teaches me something that I didn't already know.
Is it possible to be taught something you already know? (Genuine question)
SHAWOUPEN the blade 😅...this guy is great....very helpful video. Ok thank you
Use a 6-point socket (not a 12-point) to remove the blade. No chance of rounding the nut.
Porsche924Tim , also tap it with a snap-on impact driver to loosen.
Very useful, good tip about making sure the blade is balanced. The only thing I wish they covered was, how many times can you sharpen the blade before you have taking off so much metal that you really need to replace it? What if you've sharpened it a hundred times and it's only 3/4 as wide as it originally was?
As long as the blade is balanced, you can continue use it. You basically use the sharp part to cut the grass.
though with the screw on the wall method he pointed out the sharpened side was heavier??? shouldnt it have been the opposite?
@@vn773 Maybe it is the viewing angle effect.. It does not matter what you saw, but the message is correct and clear.
@slchang01 lol obviously when you remove material the object would become lighter just why demonstrate it incorrectly? seemed like blooper that could've been taken out and reshot, this is more a criticism on the editing and directing than on the physics itself, a more effective way to perform this would be placing a level on blade before setting on nail to get a more accurate result
@@vn773 Level on the blade? You are making it complicated and totally unnecessary, now you would have to be worried that the weight of the level is in the exact center of the pivot point too. Many on RUclips don't think the nail method is all that great either, compared to the balance cone.
John has been a great mower
I sharpen my lawn mower blades using a mill file and a Dremel with a stone grinding tip. Work great.
I've had my mower 5 years now and never looked under it.
I have a small riding tractor, I haven't serviced it in 10+ years. These guys are sharpening blades twice a season.
I had a John Deere riding mower and honestly, I don't think they expected the owner would ever be able to sharpen the blades. Just removing the mower part from under the tractor was a two-man job, and reinstalling it was even harder. I think they intended you to bring it to a dealer every time you wanted to sharpen the blades.
Perfectly balanced lawn mower blades, as all things should be.
Thanks guys. A lot of good info, a number of different ways to sharpen a blade, and alternatives for when somebody doesn't have a certain piece of equipment.
NEVER WAIT FOR YOUR GRASS TO TALK TO YOU.
In Bwoston it taaks like this unless it's Kentucky Bluegrass then it talks hillbilly
This video shows how important it is to have a really shahup blade.
Thank you. I gained alot. I will definitely put it into practice.
Thank you for the tip on which direction to tip the lawnmower I had no idea.
To "tighten the blade properly", the OEM's torque specification is required, which can be found inside the owners manual or by contacting the manufacturer.
After setting the torque wrench to the specified foot pound (ft-lb) setting and using the tool to torque the blade bolt(s), don't forget to zero-it-out the torque wrench before stowing the tool so it will remain accurate for future uses.
Torque wrench... LOL. I've been tightening them "good enough" for 45 years and never had an issue. This ain't an airplane.
@@SinnerSince1962 yeah some people take it a little too far lol. These things are manufactured to be tightened by the average Joe, don't need any specialized tools imo
I have never torqued them. A couple uggua duggas with the impact has never failed me.
If you have a grinder with a normal belt you should use that instead of a bench grinder. The bench grinder gives it a hollow grind, which still works but is making the edge less supported. Sharpening it with a flat platen on a belt sander will give it a flat grind, which makes the edge more supported. You’ll probably notice the difference if you hit a rock and see the hollow grind take more damage than the flat grind
Just sharpen it the proper way and never have to grind away on a perfectly good blade.
There isn't anything new tome in this video, but it covers all of the necessary info quickly and concisely. Nice job!
I definitely need to sharpen my blade, this will sure help.
Also, use a breaker bar for the initial loosening(and final tightening) of a nut/bolt. It's what it's meant for. You loosen it, and switch back to the ratchet. You won't break your ratchet( mechanism) that way. Plus you've got both more power, and control with breaking it loose( which is why it's called a breaker bar).
Or use an impact wrench.
Thanks for this. I suggest a couple of extra points:
1. Tie back the spark-plug lead, to keep it a safe distance from the plug2. Have seen spark plug leads without an insulation cap. If so, replace it - see point 1
3. Include a torque reading for the blade nuts - perhaps more important for centre-nut
fixings e.g. on Al-Ko Briggs and Stratton motors
cliffjamesmusic 4. Never sharpen a blade like this, they are demonstrating wrong way.
@@gsp49 And the right way would be???
@@masfishing1 getting it red hot and pounding a sharp edge with a hammer against an anvil. This way the steel does not lose its temper, and it stays sharp much longer.
wow great video thank you so much your channel is to the point and important info.!
Great vid, very quick and informative
2:01 DEEEEZ NUTTSSS
is anyone else reading the comments with his accent ?
Hmmm,wow never thought about the balance,thanks for the info!
Didn’t know drill attachment existed. Just ordered on Amazon. Thanks for tip.
I’m going to need a translator for that video. I don’t think I hear a single “R” the whole time. And they say we talk funny in the South.
This is why Midwestern dialect is the preferred standard for national TV and radio announcing. Y'all just hop in your caws and leave the announcing to us.
As a Canadian I gotta say I enjoy that NE accent. Is that a Bostonian accent or what do you call that?
Lol if anyone has ever read Chris Kyles book American Sniper he mentions the Arkansas accent. “People make fun of my Texas draw plenty but I couldn’t understand a word them national Guard boys from Arkansas we’re saying! They fought like hell and I’m glad they’re on our side but they may as well been speaking Chinese, I needed an interpreter!
@@johnkc4775 That’s what we call a Bill Burr or mean drunk accent.
Yup...from Rhode Island, most of Massachusetts from Worcester east, southern New Hampshire and most of here in Maine. Up until very recently, if you asked for a soda in the Boston area they looked at you like you were crazy. “Oh, you mean you want a tonic?” A holdover from the days when many soda pops like Coca-Cola were actually made as health tonics.
Adding to their list of tools to sharpen the blade with: A dremel tool with a grinding drum.
I literally just did this an hour ago
Thanks for the video. I plan on doing the same for my lawn mower.
This is the best video on how to sharpen lawn mower blades!
Having a battery-operated mower means that I no longer have to worry about the spark plug. Or tipping the mower a special way. Or spilling oil or gas everywhere. I just sharpen the blade and clean it all up and I'm good.
I had a Black and Decker for over 7 years. Bought another one and it was a bunch of plastic. It lasted maybe two years.
"Hi Roger. How often should we should sharpen the mower blade?"
"Well, hah be dah sah bah da and dah mah tah da."
Roger is a national treasure
Thank you for the hints, I learned a lot.
He said these nuts 2:00
I only use a "Flap Sander", Less heat to the blade which preserves the temper and you don't take more off the blade then necessary. Good video though.
perfect, don't heat the blade and take the temper out of the metal, I always use a hand file and hold the blade in a vise
Great tip to unplug the spaaak plug. This was a really helpful video thanks.
That's impawtent.
Immensely helpful video. Many thanks!
I like to use an impact driver, it doesn't try to turn the blade much at all.
2:01 On deez nuts?
That’s a strange tool to sharpen blades with. But I tried it, didn’t work very well. Can you post a video of your technique?
@@kevinh1858 Smartypants
Huh, never thought of that. Take the blade off the mower and let the grinder do the spinning. Might be easier than tipping the mower up when running and have the blade spinning over the metal file. Thanks for the tip!!
ABSOLUTE SARCASM PEOPLE!!! 😜 No more mail!
So funny! Love your sense of humor
You sharpen an already sharp blade like a champ
Very well explained Video thank you for sharing
Spahk plug?
Experts can disagree........KARL (from Sling Blade) prefers using the file.
Thank you, Roger. BTW, nice pic of you in last year's group expose'. 👍😷
This looks like a pretty old video but is still usefull for first time home owners like me.