Did you know you’ll get the best performance out of your lawnmower blades if you sharpen them twice every mowing season? And if you’re not sure if it’s time to sharpen them, just take a look at your grass. If the tips of the grass look torn, your blades are dull.
Top Lawn Mower Blade Sharpeners
Although you can pay a mechanic to sharpen your blades for you, it doesn’t take long to touch them up at home. All you need is one of the best lawn mower blade sharpeners and a little patience.
Arnold BSK-1 Lawn Mower Blade Balancer & Lawn Mower Blade Sharpener Kit
The Arnold blade sharpener and balancer kit simplifies sharpening. First, remove the blade from your lawnmower and place it in a vice grip. Next, attach the sharpening bit to your drill. See how the bit is angled at its tip? That’s to help you get a perfectly sharp edge on the blade.
Once you believe that the blade is finished, remove it from the vice grip and place it on the balancer. This will give you an idea of how much more metal you need to remove from one side or the other. If your lawnmower blade is out of balance, it will vibrate excessively and possibly damage your mower. The balancer is an easy way to check that you’ve sharpened the blade evenly.
Oregon Lawn Mower Blade Sharpener 514363
The Oregon blade sharpener is compatible with quarter-inch and 3/8-inch drills. Just insert it into the chuck then grind the lawn mower blade to sharpen its edge. Some customers report that they don’t remove the blade from the mower. Instead, they only disconnect the spark plug wire and jam a piece of wood to hold the blade still. Unfortunately, although this method speeds up the process, you’ll run the risk of having an out-of-balance blade.
Bosmere Multi-Sharp R305 Mower Blade Sharpener
The Bosmere blade sharpener is made of aluminum oxide. It has the advantage of being reversible plus it sharpens other garden tools as well.
This mower blade sharpener lets you grind both edges using a regular power drill. And it’s good for about 10 uses before it wears down and needs to be replaced.
Yellow Hornet Lawn Mower Blade Sharpener / Grinder Motor NOT Included
The Yellow Hornet blade sharpener is basically a jig. It holds the lawn mower blade at a 30° angle to help you sharpen it correctly. But to use the Yellow Hornet, you’ll need a grinder.
There’s some debate among customers regarding which brand of grinder fits best. And owners recommend changing the discs regularly to maintain the 30° angle.
Oregon 88-025 Blade Grinder Economy, 1/3 HP
If you have a lot of lawn mower blades to sharpen, get the Oregon blade grinder. It has a 1/3hp motor that spins the grinding stone at 1750 RPM. As a result, your blades will be as sharp as if you took them to a professional.
Since this is the economy model, it only sharpens in one direction, not in reverse. Although you can adjust the height, it does not come with a light. Owners the grinder is built well and works with minimal vibration.
Oregon 88-023 Professional 1/2 HP Lawnmower Blade Grinder
Oregon also sells a professional lawnmower blade grinder with a 1/2hp motor. Not only is it more powerful, but it also sharpens in forward and reverse. That feature makes it possible to grind left and right-hand cut blades.
The other highlights of this commercial-grade grinder include an adjustable light, adjustable height, and a better grinding stone.
American Lawn Mower SK-1 Reel Mower Sharpening Kit
If you have a push reel mower, you’ll want to sharpen your blades in a different manner. This do-it-yourself kit from American Lawn Mower comes with a grinding compound paste, a brush, and a back-lapping crank. It’s compatible with Scott’s, Great States, and American Lawn Mower models.
Once you apply the compound to the blade reel, all you need to do is crank it until the blades are properly sharpened. Luckily, this is a process you shouldn’t need to repeat very often. In fact, reel mowers need less sharpening than rotary mowers.
Smith’s 50603 Mower Blade Sharpener
The Smith’s mower blade sharpener has a replaceable carbide grade with coarse grit. There’s also a wire bristle cleaning brush inside its handle.
All you need to do to use it is swipe the lawn mower blade with it. It’s just as easy as it looks because the sharpener has a large handle and safety guard. It’s still smart to wear gloves while you use it, though.
Creative Sales Company 41000 Lawn Mower & Garden Tool Sharpener
This tool sharpener works on lawnmower blades, pruning shears, and other items that only need sharpening on one side. While it’s not as effective as a grinder, it will touch up the edge to keep your blades sharp. If you’re not opposed to regular maintenance, this small tool can help you maintain your blades all season long.
AccuSharp 006C GardenSharp Tool Sharpener
The GardenSharp tool is all-around useful. It sharpens single-etched blades on lawn mowers, shears, scythes, and more. To this end, it has a diamond-honed tungsten carbide blade that doesn’t require any oil to work.
An interesting feature of this blade sharpener is that you can wash it in a dishwasher. Plus, the full-length finger guard protects your hand from cuts.
How to sharpen a lawnmower blade
Here is a quick overview of how to sharpen a lawnmower blade at home. We hope the information helps you make an informed decision as you shop for a blade sharpener.
In the first place, not everyone realizes that there are two sides to a lawnmower blade. Before you pull the blade off the mower, put a mark on it to remind you which side faces downward. Why does that matter? Because if you install it upside down, the edge will face the wrong way and it won’t cut the grass.
But before that, if you have a gas-powered mower, there’s something important you need to do. Just like an electrician turns off the electricity before working on the wires, you’ll need to disconnect the spark plug on your mower. That prevents the mower from starting up accidentally while you’re working on the blade.
Next, you have several tools to choose from that can sharpen your lawnmower blade. As you saw in the reviews above, there are grinding bits for power drills, jigs for handheld grinders, and powerful benchtop grinders, too. These three tools are able to smooth out nicks, not just put an edge back on the blade.
On the other hand, handheld sharpeners like files or grinding stones will fine-tune the edge, but not erase damage on the blade. In fact, if your blade is bent or badly damaged, just purchase a new one.
If you still have the owner’s manual or instructions that came with the blade, check to see if it mentions the proper angle for sharpening. It might be 30°, it might be 40°, or could even be 45°. Otherwise, follow the bevel as you grind.
Finally, it’s smart to pause now and then and check the blade on a balancer. See if the blade is level. If it’s out of balance, you’ll want to grind the other side to compensate.
Conclusion
From benchtop grinders to handheld accessories, there are several ways you can sharpen your lawnmower blades. Of course, the best lawn mower blade sharpener for your needs is the one that you’ll be willing to use on a regular basis. By sharpening your own blades, you will save a lot of money over time. Plus, a sharp lawnmower blade keeps your lawn healthy and gives it a manicured appearance.
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