To Sharpen new G6 or Not to Sharpen

[hockeystewey]

ok guys... got a new set of Oregon Gator G6's for my kubby....been reading on the net some say leave them alone with the 30/30 grind ratio they ship with and just slap 'em on and go....other sharpen them like a regular blade prior to first use.

So...which is it...LOL. And please dont say its a personal preference...there has to be an actual answer someplace...right?

thanks

 

[RCW]

I just slapped mine on.

They hold the edge quite well; I did a sharpening the next spring, but they were in pretty good shape.

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[Saxman]

I have used them for several years on my Kubota ZD. I treat them like any other blade. Put them on as is and sharpen when needed. Great blades IMHO.


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[SidecarFlip]

Never sharpen any blade, replace yearly.

 

[D2Cat]

I use that blade on a Grasshopper zero turn and do just as RCW states. No problem and they almost show no wear after a year of use. Don't really know why someone would trash them yearly! YMMV

 

[dalola]

I sharpen mine in December after all the leaf chopping is done, and winter storage is next. I can then go all the following season which includes three acres of seasonal turf grass mowing & fall leaf chopping, and repeat the process. My current set is on year 3, and still in great shape. I did not sharpen them when I put them on new 3 years ago. I think the key to sharpening is to maintain the margin/face on the cutting edge.

 

[rjcorazza]

I have them on 3 different mowers and do not sharpen prior to first use. I cut about 25 acres per week across 15 lawns, and sharpen maybe once a month. The Oregon G6 Gator blades keep an edge very well.
I did invest in a sharpening jig this season and was shocked how far off my blades had gotten by eyeballing with an angle grinder.


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[mikester]

Sharpen brand new blades before installing? Only if I hand wash and wax the underside of the mower deck first...

 

[Tim Horton]

My little brother was a hobby small engine guy.

His pet peeve with people was when they sharpen any blade like they were going to use it to cut raw meat. He never cared if, when or how often people sharpened a blade. Just NEVER sharpen it less than a 70 degree angle perpendicular to the blade bottom.

Didn't matter if it was a walk behind mower, tractor deck, or brush hog, that was his take on it. He always took care of that for me.

 

[D2Cat]

Yes, a mower blade sharped like a pocket knife will cut grass easily.....for a few minutes. That's it. Much like a picketknife, the sharper you get it, the quicker it dulls.

 

[m.t.hands]

My little brother was a hobby small engine guy.

His pet peeve with people was when they sharpen any blade like they were going to use it to cut raw meat. He never cared if, when or how often people sharpened a blade. Just NEVER sharpen it less than a 70 degree angle perpendicular to the blade bottom.

Didn't matter if it was a walk behind mower, tractor deck, or brush hog, that was his take on it. He always took care of that for me.

when and if you ever look at a factory sharpened blade you'll find that the leading/cutting edge is never sharpened to a 'knife like" edge but more like a scissor, like mentioned razor sharp will cut like crazy for a few minutes, but a factory ground profile is much more durable

 

[rjcorazza]

No doubt 70 degrees will work, but so does a brush hog chain. The standard edge on lawn mower blades is 30 degrees, which gives a good balance of cut quality and blade durability.


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[dalola]

No doubt 70 degrees will work, but so does a brush hog chain. The standard edge on lawn mower blades is 30 degrees, which gives a good balance of cut quality and blade durability.


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Agreed. Most commercial blades, including Oregon, are set at 30 degrees. No way I would use a 70 degree blade on turf grass.