Would Razor Sharp Blades Help The Lawn?
 

I sharpen blades on the mower annually, yea, I know sharp blades help give a better lawn cut.

I have always used a 4.5 inch angle grinder to sharpen blades.

But, I was considering this to sharpen the kitchen knives;

http://www.amazon.com/Work-Sharp-WSK...nife+sharpener

If I did get it, and sharpened the mower blades EVERY time I mowed, would I notice a better lawn? :bigthink:

I have never mowed with a knife sharp blade, :bigeyes:, have you?

We sharpen our blades weekly... I could say they would easily pass for a dull knife blade. It's definitely better and easier on the lawn to "cut" the grass vs. just tearing the grass down to size with dull blades. The lawn is a lot less prone to disease and such.

If you want to get serious... http://www.amazon.com/MAG-9000-Profe...5226356&sr=1-2

Finally a subject that we all should have something to say about. I start my spring cutting with dull blades. Not necessarily to cut grass but to hook up my DR lawn vac and suck up pine needles, leaves and small twigs that have accumulated over the winter. All of which tends to dull blades quickly. After that job I like to remove the blades, sharpen them on a bench grinder fine stone and clean the deck. I then go by feel as to when to sharpen next. If the blade feels dull, it is. I agree with a sharpe blade cuts better and takes less power to get the job done.

I do the same as PaulS, dull blades on the first cut to chew twigs and winter debris. I sharpen my blades about 3 times a season on my half acre. Growing up my dad had a lawn cutting business and we sharpened blades after every 5-6 acres of grass (4-10 lawns depending on the neighborhood). We had multiple sets we would just change out and keep going. He always does them free hand on a bench grinder and is very good at getting them very sharp. I've cut paper with them like people do with a sharp knife. You can travel fast in thick grass when they are that sharp; the razor edge lasts about 20 min in heavy stuff (longer on shorter grass) then I would have to reduce speeds and go back to mowing like normal.

That said, the quality of the look of the lawn always came down to the involvement of customer. Do they fertilize, aerate, overseed, etc? There is more difference in that than if we had sharper blades from one week to the next. If you sharpen them annually now, try once a month and see if it improves the look. My guess is your mowing speed will be all that changes.

Bill

Think of cutting grass like cutting yourself with a sharp knife versus a dull knife or a cat scratch. I sharp knife cut will heal much faster, hurt less overall, etc. Same for grass, damaged or torn grass blades don't recover from mowing as fast as cleanly cut grass.

The tech/owner at a mower repair place told me and showed me .
if you ground the blade flat square, not to a chisel pt , it will cut as good and much longer as you have 2 sharp edges that will cut and it dulls way slower .
I may try it this year my blades dull significantly after 2 mows with 3+ acres,
anyone done it.

I think this is true. I have found that a longer edge stays sharper longer. When I sharpen my blades, I put a long bevel on them.

I don't often sharpen my blades, but when I do, I leave a very small (1/64 inch) flat leading edge.

I grind them sharp, then a quick pass to flatten the leading edge ever so slightly. The blades stay sharp for years. Well, a full season anyway. OK, maybe a couple acres. Whatever.

New blades that I get are not chisel pointed,never seen any that way,only done on one side.here is one of mine I did.Sharp blades do make a BIG difference.

My great uncle Joe (rest in peace) taught me how to sharpen blades on an antique bench grinder and I still do it that way on a modern one, only way you can control the same width and angle imho. He left the small square edge too. Always great to let an old farmer teach you something, its amazing what those guys do to make things work and last!