Just like a blunt household knife, dull mower blades need honing for a decent lawn cut as blunt edges are likely to make the grass ragged leading to a substandard looking yard.
Sharp blades cut the grass clean without ripping the grass off. The only way to sharpen the dull blades is to use a mower blade sharpener. The tool is easy to use and no additional intelligence or skill is required to make the work done.
The best lawn mower blade sharpener will turn dull blade edges into razor sharp and constantly even within a short moment. We’ve identified for you the best grinding wheel for sharpening lawn mower blades that will fit everyone’s budget for a decent lawn cut.
Best Lawn Mower Blade Sharpener Reviews
The MAG-9000 is a professional sharpener designed to make dull blades razor sharp to make your work outstanding as a commercial landscape professional.
We love the classic ability of the sharpener to sharpen both the right and left-handed mower blades in less than 60 seconds.
It’s made to sharpen in a single direction and at 30-degree angles without causing damage to blades. Plus, it works well both in straight and flat blades.
Setting and using the sharpener is super easy. Even better, the machine does not produce vibrations or any kind of noise during the process.
Adjusting the wheel is also a breeze, plus the wheel is thick so you’ll be able to sharpen the tip of the blade with no apparent problems.
Although it’s made for commercial purposes, it’s also a great investment to small yard owners since its long lasting and super easy to use.
Pros
- Fastest, taking not more than 60-seconds
- Long lasting
Cons
- A little bit pricey
The All-American Sharpener 5002 is designed to work well both in standard and straight mower blades. It is made with a head that grips the blade and an arm that connects with the grinder for even sharpening.
The product can be set or bolted on any surface in several ways, plus, setting up the machine is super simple and fast.
Sharpening the dull blades is fast in matters seconds. But the best part is how the blades are turned into a brand-new condition.
The package includes a M8x1.25 thread pin that connects to a threaded port on a 4.5-inch grinder to firmly secure the handle. The pin can be used in a variety of grinders to connect them to sharpener.
The machine is easy to use away if you’re running a lawn mowing business although this may require the use of a cordless grinder.
Pros
- Fast
- Can be mounted on any surface
- Setting and using is easy
Cons
- Price is high
If your mower cut blades are extended, the Oregon 88-018 will help you maintain them, as this mower can sharpen up to 9-inches of sharpened edges.
This model is made with a reversing switch to let you sharpen both the right and the left side of blades without heating up. Plus, turning the rotary handle is super simple so grounding the blades will be real bliss.
Although the product is made to move in a single direction, we love the safety switch that lets you adjust the height without problems.
Our favorite part is the ground collector (sold separately) to manage the blades waste for easy disposal. It’s even accompanied with adjustable light to help you identify sections of blades that you need to work on.
The machine is easy to put up as there are only few pieces to put together. Plus, setting the product at the right grinding angle is super simple.
Pros
- Sharpens blades at right angles
- Grinds in reverse direction without heating up
- Assembling is easy
Cons
- Slightly expensive
Oregon 8-023 is a standard duty motor blade grinder with powerful energy of up to 1750 RPM to sharpen the mower edges with up to 6-inch of cutting edge.
Setting up the grinder at right angle is simple, plus getting a hang of how to use the whole product is super easy. It makes blunt edges super sharp and consistently even in matters minutes once you’ve placed the blades at the right angle for grounding.
We love the rotary handle and knobs that adjusts easily so height adjustment will always be simple and quick. There’s even a switch that lets you turn the product on and off to make starting and stopping the machine a lot easy.
The best part is how it’s made to work in reverse direction to let you grind both the right and left sides of blades without overheating or destroying the blades.
You’ll appreciate the adjustable light that helps you identify areas on blades that need attention; and the grit collector (sold separately) that gathers the mess for trashing.
Pros
- Setting up is easy
- Works in reverse direction
- Rotary handle easy to adjust
Cons
- Costly to some users
Apart from using the grinder on mower cut blades, it’s also suitable for filet knives, garden pruners, shovels, shears, scrapers, scissors, curved knives, gut hooks, serrated knives and other knives of all shapes.
The sharpener come with an on and off trigger and a fixed speed of 3600 SFM. It runs on a 120 VAC motor with about 0.7 amp accompanied by a 3-prong with a long power cord.
One important feature that stands out is the flexible abrasive belts that makes it possible to sharpen mower blades and all shapes of knives whether they’re straight or curved.
No skill is required to operate as you only need to use the right belt to hone the right blade at the right angle. Plus, belt changing is fast and easy while the whole product is simple to learn.
We love the two guides that accompany the package to assist the user on the best angle to place their tools for consistent even edges. Whether you own a host of kitchen knives that need improvement, a hunter or a lawn care taker, this tool sharpener will be very handy.
Pros
- Adjustable abrasive belts
- Can be used on mower blades and all kind of knives
- Using is easy
Cons
- May not be suitable for small blades
How to Choose the Best Sharpener for Lawn Mower Blade
Frequency of Use
If you’re running an estate or commercial mowing business, then it means you’ll be using the sharpener quite often. In this case, you need to look for a resilient sharpener. A strong one that will withstand a lot of use almost on a daily basis.
Maintenance Costs
Maintaining a lawn mower sharpener can be costly especially if a warranty is expired. Most spare parts are expensive, therefore it’s important to purchase a sharpener with little maintenance costs.
Speed of the Sharpener
Always go for a machine that runs at a moderate speed. Much speed is fast, however, too much speed may be unsafe. High speed is likely to destroy the wheel, disks and the mowers blades as well.
Sharpening Ports
Sharpening ports lets you hone your tools at right repeatable angles. The best sharpener should let you sharpen your blades at 20, 25, 30 & 35-angles.
Mounting System
T- mounting system is suggested to be the most comfortable. There are other mounting systems to mount lawn blades, just make sure it’s safe and easy to adjust when you want to sharpen your tools.
How to Know When to Sharpen Your Lawn Mower Blade
One clear indicator is to take a look at grass tips. Mower blades need to be sharpened if the grass is ragged or damaged at the edges.
You can also look at the blades edges to see if there are scratches or dents. Sharpen the edges if you spot curved edges at some sections or scratched portions that need alignment.
Make sure you sharpen the edges appropriately at right angles if you want your blades to last a while. Before mowing, check the presence of obstacles like stones and branches that are likely to mess up with the sharp blades. Sharpened edges can last you for 20 to 25-hours before you sharpen again.
Best Way to Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades
Remove the spark plug to prevent the motor from starting by mistake. For others, applying a tape works fine in containing the spark plug.
Turn over the mower to contain the oil. Take the blades out by using a wrench to make the nuts loose.
Fasten the blades in a vice on the workbench and sharpen accordingly at even angles after connecting the drill attachment with the power drill. Take the blade out and flip the blade over to hone the other side in a similar way.
Scan the stability of the blades by checking the balance using a blade balancer. This helps you to maintain even sharpened edges on both sides.
Fix the blades and screw up the bolts by using a socket bar and breaker.
Wrap Up
Working with dull blades can be tedious as you are likely to take a lot of time on a single lawn section instead of one-single pass that is possible with sharp blades.
Additionally, blunt edges will lead to unhealthy grass, sometimes pulling the grass off as well as inconsistent cutting length.
The best lawn mower blade sharpener will make the blades sharp and make your job clean and easy. It will cut the grass neatly leading to a great looking lawn.