You probably just got a new lawn mower and are wondering whether or not to sharpen it before using it or just use it right out of the box.
There are many advantages to using a sharp mower blade versus a dull blade.
The sharp blade provides a clean cut, reduces work for you and your mower, and keeps your lawn healthy.
Using a dull mower blade has many drawbacks including lousy cutting, clogging the mower, grass clumping, etc.
Bottom Line – If your mower is brand new, you do not need to sharpen the blade. Mower blades are sharpened during the manufacturing process.
Why Does My New Mower Blade Feel Dull?
Maybe you’re wondering why the new mower blade feels dull.
However, before you sharpen it, you should know that the blades come pre-sharpened.
They may not be sharp enough to cut your finger, but they are sharp enough to mow the lawn.
Over sharpening your blade is also something to consider because it shortens the life of the blade before a change. A super sharp mower blade will bend in less than ten minutes. Just remember that even new mower blades are susceptible to damage from debris and roots in your lawn.
New blades have solid edges that are key to overcoming this impact for the first few seasons.
What Will Happen If I Sharpen A New Mower Blade?
If you ask me, don’t worry about sharpening your new mower blade.
Rocks and roots can easily chip the blade if it’s very sharp. This means you’ll have to sharpen it every time it chips.
This will shorten the blade’s life, forcing you to buy another one very soon. If you buy a new blade, go ahead and use the blade before sharpening it and see what results you get.
If it works well without damaging the edge, move on without worrying about sharpening it for more than twenty-four hours. Generally, the longer you wait before you sharpen it, the longer the blade will last.
The only time you would want to sharpen your mower blade is if the edge has super thick paint. But you don’t have to sand the paint off, it will wear off with time.
How Many Times Should I Sharpen My New Mower Blade?
As stated above, you don’t need to worry about sharpening your mower blade, once again because the factory sharpens them.
However, one should sharpen blades regularly as long as one has a mower that one uses.
New mower blades should be sharpened after a few hours of mowing. In your case I’d recommend sharpening a new mower blade after twenty-five hours of using the mower.
If your lawn has a lot of debris, such as stones and sticks, you will have to sharpen the blade more often.
These objects dull the blade because of their hard substance. Also if you have a large yard the blade needs to be sharpened more often.
How Do You Sharpen A Mower Blade?
A lot of people like hiring someone to sharpen their mower blade.
But you can do it yourself. Most mower manufacturers have included instructions on how to sharpen their mower blades.
It takes a little time and doesn’t have to be knifesharp.
You can sharpen the blade while it is on the mower. However, this will only work if the blade is not too badly worn.
However, it is best to generally take the blade off. If you sharpen the mower blade while it is still on the mower, it may become unbalanced which will affect its performance.
Works Best: The best way to sharpen a new mower blade is with a large flat metal file. You file in at forty-five degrees angle. Remove the burrs at the end by running the file across the back. This method will not work if the blade is too badly worn.
How Do I Tell My Mower Blade Needs To Be Sharpened?
To get a good view of the blade, place the mower, sideways, and make sure the carburettor faces upwards, so gas doesn’t leak & spill out of the carburettor.
After mowing, look at the grass. If the ends of the grass are nice and cleanly cut, the blade is sharp, but you easily need to sharpen it soon if the edges are rough and ragged.
Wear gloves and feel along the angled edge of the blade for large indentations.
You can also obtain this through observation. If you see gouges or indentations on your blade, it needs to be sharpened.
What Tools Can You Use To Sharpen A Mower Blade?
For a typical home user, the best tool for sharpening mower blades is a 10-inch file. You can use power tools like angle grinders, but they are pricey and dangerous. One thing to think about before you buy any sharpening tool is how important blade balancing is. You will also want to buy a blade balancer.
Most people do not balance their blades while sharpening. An unbalanced mower blade generally makes the mower work poorly. An unbalanced mower blade means the mower will vibrate when in use.
Use the following safety procedures when sharping the blade:
Wear gloves and eye protection;
Make sure the spark plug is disconnected before sharpening the blade;
The best thing you can do is buy an additional set of blades to keep incase.
Hand sharpening will use a 10- inch file. This is recommended becuase it essentially makes sense financially instead of using power tools.
Using power tools means that you would need a vice grip for the blade to sharpen. The other tools you would use for safety are gloves and eye protection.
When Should You Replace Your Mower Blade?
The condition of your blade now will dictate when you need to change it.
There are usually those that change their mower blades every five seasons and others that will change it every five years.
No matter how many times the blade is sharpened, it is good practice to change it regularly for optimal lawn results.
The number of times to replace the blade depends on many factors such as how often you mow your lawn.
The more you mow, or if it’s larger in size, you will have to change frequently.
That is the same for debris on your lawn, stones, and sticks. You should also take safety precautions when changing the blade. Do not wear shorter gloves and are a must since it can get very sharp.
Keep In Mind – Make sure to use a torque wrench when putting the blade back on to tighten the mower blade to prevent it from working loose and damaging your engine. If you do not have one, you can borrow it instead of the cost.
How Do I Take Care Of My Brand New Mower Blade?
Just because you don’t have to sharpen your brand new mower blade, doesn’t mean you can neglect the maintenance of the mower.
When you properly maintain your mower blade, it will allow your mower to perform at its peak for many years.
Before you mow the lawn, check for stones, rocks, branches, and large sticks so you accidentally don’t run over them while mowing.
Hitting things like those is most likely to damage your mower blade. You should sharpen the blade regularly, most commonly after about twenty-four hours of use.
Learn how to sharpen the blade and know how to sharpen it correctly, not too much or not too little. If you sharpen too much you will simply wear off the blade.
Keep the mower deck relatively high. If the deck is set to the lowest setting, chances are you will run over more obstacles.
It is better to have a higher mower blade since it will ride over small obstacles. Also, you shouldn’t be cutting grass at the lowest base because it is just not healthy for your lawn.
Final Thoughts
When many people buy a new set of mower blades, they assume the blades will need to be sharpened before putting them on their mower.
But this should not be the case, as the manufacturers have already sharpened the blades. The factory has already sharpened the blades at the correct specs.
Blades do not need to be supersharp to be effective. Plus if the blades are super sharp they are much easier to damage from debris on your lawn.
Just remember to keep your mower and mower blade maintained to get the best results and life out of it.