Finish mower blade sharpening? Jigs, freehand, angle grinder, bench grinder, stone, paper?

[leveraddict]

Sandy soil here. I have to replace my blades every year because they get sand blasted paper thin.

Bring your file, I like to watch work in action!

Ahh ok! I just cut grass. All I ever need is a file! Nope! Not going to add If you cut sandy soil to my rocks and roots post! LOL!

 

[TopK]

I'm much lazier than all of you. But I suspect this is secretly a religious thread with no correct answer.

I do mine on the bench grinder. Probably once a month. After two years I'm close to putting new ones on. I've never balanced them, and they seem OK. The deck doesn't vibrate, they seemed to balance reasonably level when I did check them once.

The other things I do to my deck will do far more damage than slightly out of balance blades. And I don't think the angle is all that important - I can tell I'm slowly creeping the angle over time and I don't really mind. They still cut the grass.

My last Bush Hog totally came apart because my sharpened blades were out of balance. I would just use an angle grinder on them once in awhile - never removed the blades, so didn't weight them to see if the grind was the same. The bolts where the Gear Box attached to the Mower Deck basically failed as a result of the imbalance (and I didn't grind off very much metal at all).

 

[Mowbizz]

All American blade system is the tits! I used to free hand but now my blades are shaving sharp….or can be. I run the edges lightly across the grinder just to create a non-razor edge that lasts all season and leaves a beautiful cut! I mow 5 acres with no land mines to ruin blades.

 

[lynnmor]

All American blade system is the tits! I used to free hand but now my blades are shaving sharp….or can be. I run the edges lightly across the grinder just to create a non-razor edge that lasts all season and leaves a beautiful cut! I mow 5 acres with no land mines to ruin blades.

Since you are now free handing the grinder, how is that any different? That "system" is just a fancy vise.

 

[rickmeir]

I use a die grinder with 40 grit sandpaper sharp in about 30 seconds

 

[Mowbizz]

Since you are now free handing the grinder, how is that any different? That "system" is just a fancy vise.
[/QUOTE/]

I guess you haven’t googled the All American system…your grinder is part of the system. It is attached via a threaded “pin” and fitted into a bushing on the arms of the system. NO FREE HANDING REQUIRED!