Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Does anyone use the Dremel Tool lawnmower blade sharpening attachment ?. I saw one at HD for around $ 9.00. Seems like it would work ok ,but may be slow. If anyone has any favorable opinions on it I may go get one. 

I just use a bench grinder too. Some will say they sharpen their blade via file. Do you know how long it take sto shapren a beat up blade with a file? A VERY LONG TIME! Just use a bench grinder and you will be happy

i use a 4 inch right angle grinder, but a bench grinder will work as well, although to me its harder to manuver a a blade at the proper angle on a bench grinder. its much easier to clamp the blade in a vice & use the hand held grinder. what ever method you use though, some  points to keep in mind, are maintain the proper angle on the edge, usually 30 to 35 degrees, dont over heat the cutting edge as you grind, or you will lose the temper on the blade edge so it doesnt stay sharp as long. ( if using a bench grinder keep a can of water close to dip the blade in frequently, or if using a hand grinder with the blade in a vice, i find a spray bottle works well) & lastly dont forget to balance the blade,  this can be done with a bolt or steel rod the same diamter as blade bolt hole. insert the bolt in the blade and hold it so the blade swings free, the heavy end will drop, indicating the need to grind a bit more off the edge of(a little at a time here as it doenst take much to bring a blade into balance)  heavy end or if the blade is fairly well balanced it will remain level. blade balancers are also available but i find the rod or bolt method works as well. If ive happened to use a courser wheel on the grinder, sometimes i'll lightly file  for a smoother edge but with a med grit grinding wheel this really isnt necessary.
something else i do to extend the life of my mower blades, is after they have worn down, i'll run about 3 passes of hard facing welding rod on the blade edge & regrind. after hard surfacing the edges stay sharp longer & i get about double the blade life. again just remember to sharpen at the proper angle of 30 to 35 degrees. thats about the optimum angle to balance between blade sharpness and cutting edge life. a lesser angle will be sharper but ill dull faster, a greater angle will stay sharp longer, but not with as sharp a cutting edge.

Very nice tips Spotted Pony.  I still don't sharpen my blades yet, but sometime I'll take it up.  I'd rather have it done by the pro and know it's supposed to be done right. 

spottedpony...

Excellent post/advice !

Dave..

Thanks for all the opinions. I think I will buy a small  4.5 inch hand grinder to use. I have a bench grinder that I have used before to sharpen my blades, but like some of you said it is hard keep a proper angle. That is the reason I wanted to maybe use a Dremel because it always keeps the correct angle. Is  there some type of attachment you can use with a hand grinder to keep the same angle ?. What grit grinding disc do most of you use ?.