When Do I Sharpen My Mowers Blades?

Everyone knows that sharp mower blades are key to having a well-mowed lawn, but working out how often to sharpen them can be difficult, and not sharpening your mowers blades regularly can have bad consequences for your mower and the lawn.

The schedule of sharpening your mowers blades will differ for everyone depending on the blades they buy, how often they mow and the condition of there lawn. On average, we recommend sharpening your lawnmower's blades after 25 hours of use or around twice a season to get a professional cut on your lawn.

We have gone into some further detail below about when to sharpen your mowers blades below and how to see the signs that your blade might need sharpening.

How To Workout When Your Blades Need Sharpening

So as you can work out a specific schedule of when to sharpen your mowers blades, we recommend using the 'after 25 hours of use' rule.

To use this 25-hour indication, you first need to work out how long it takes you to mow your lawn, if it only takes you 30 minutes to mow your lawn then you would have to sharpen your blade after 50 mowing sessions to maintain the correct sharpness.

As we mentioned above, this will still depend on several factors such as the season (summer will need mowing more often), the condition/size of your lawn (such as thick grass) and what blades you are using; mulching blades will need sharpening much more often than regular ones.

Consequences Of Using Unsharpened Blades On a Mower

Using blunt blades on your lawn can ruin the health of it and cause more strain on your mower to cut grass, you may also use more time to mow as you will have to keep going over the same patch of your lawn to get an even cut.

We have listed some other consequences below.

• Yellow grass.
• Lawn diseases.
• Longer mowing sessions.
• Rugged cut.

Signs Your Mowers Blades Need Sharpening

If you would rather look for yourself to see when your mowers blades need sharpening rather than using the 25-hour rule, we have put together some common signs that will be a good indication it's time to sharpen the blades of your mower.

• The grass is uneven - One of the most common signs that your mowers blades need sharpening is if it is cutting your grass unevenly. If you find yourself mowing the same patch of your lawn to get desired height, then your blades need a sharpen.
• It's tearing the blades - Look closely at the blades of your grass to determine whether they are being 'torn' or 'cut', a jagged edge will indicate the grass is being torn.
• Your blade is thick & new - If your blade was brought recently and still has a good thickness to it then it likely can be sharpened still before needing to be replaced.

How Do I Sharpen My Mowers Blades?

To finish off our short guide, we will quickly explain to you how to sharpen your mowers blades so as you can make sure you are sharpening them correctly and safely.

• Step One - Wear protective gear such as gloves and goggles and start by removing the spark plug of your mower. Tip the mower on its side with the carburettor facing upwards.
• Step Two - Mark your blades and remove them by clamping them and loosening the bolt with a wrench.
• Step Three - Clamp your blade and start to sharpen it with a file at a 45-degree angle, always start with the cutting edge first and aim for a butter knife finish, not a razor. Make sure your blade is balanced well.
• Step Four - Reinstall the blade and spark plug then test your mower.

Frequently Asked Questions About When To Sharpen Your Mowers Blades

How do I know when to replace my lawnmowers blades rather than sharpen them? 

As soon as your lawnmower's blades get damaged, reaches a couple of years old or has been used for over 100-200 hours, you could need a replacement blade.

Should I sharpen brand new blades for my mower?

Most of the time, there is little need for you to sharpen brand new blades as they will already come sharp enough for your mower.

How can I stop my mowers blades from getting dull so quickly?

Always check your grass for debris such as sticks and stones before mowing, all these things can take a toll on your mowers blades and make them blunt quicker.

Last Words

To conclude, sharpening schedules for your mowers blades will vary from the mower to mower according to their usage and type of blade, we will always recommend sharpening after 25 hours of use to maintain the sharpness of the blades.