If I raise the deck I can just barely get under there to sharpen the blade with a file. I can tip it on it's side but that hardly seems good for the mower. I've been thinking of building some kind of ramp.
- posted
15 years ago
If I raise the deck I can just barely get under there to sharpen the blade with a file. I can tip it on it's side but that hardly seems good for the mower. I've been thinking of building some kind of ramp.
I made a 3 section ramp that the space between the tires could be removed when the mower was parked on top of the ramp, leaving space to get to the blades. I only ramped up 1 side 8" and that gave me plenty of room to remove the blades and sharpen them on my bench grinder. Beat filing with a hand file any day. You do notice all this is past tense. I sold the farm with the 5 acre lawn!! My 40 X 50 foot lawn now is in miniature mundo grass that I mow with a walk behind self propelled mower once a year. :-) Tom J
My mower deck disconnects by throwing a lever then dropping the belt and can be removed without lifting the tractor. Then I turn it on its back, scrape, pressure wash and remove the blades for sharpening on a bench grinder.
I take my decks off, remove the blades and sharpen them with a 4" angle hand-held grinder. But you might want to consider one of the car ramps available in all auto stores / departments.
I bought the ramps, and also a cheap floor jack. After driving up the ramps, I raise the rear end up about 3-4 inches and then lower it onto some 3 in thick-4ft long landscape timbers. That gives me room to clean the underside.
GrtArtiste
If you sharpen the blade without removing it, how are you going to possibly keep it balanced?
Be careful with that pressure washing. It's quite easy to push water into the spindle bearings and they won't last long after that.
I jack the front up with a floor jack and use an air powered die-grinder with abrasive wheel.
And Eggs is an EXPERT in being unbalanced, ;-)
but needless to say he has a good point, I balance my mower blades by placing them on my head after sharpening them, and if they fall off my head, I sharpen the side of the blade that hit the ground first, thus taking a little weight off that side. grin.
Clark
Clark...:
I'm using a pair of car ramps made by Rhino, gotten at the local AutoZone. Not too steep or high. Clears the bottom of the deck when the wheels go all the way forward on the ramp.
Eggs Zachtly:
The old fashioned way, I count strokes. Not high tech or perfect but it works. If it gets too dull or dinged up I take it down to the mower shop where they sharpen and balance it for a couple of dollars.
Got ya. That works, to a degree. You're still going to be left with more material on one side, than the other. Plus, leaving the blade in place doesn't really give you enough room (or the proper angle) to properly put an edge on the blade, IMO. Clamping it in a vise is safer and allows better access to the edges.
You could also spend a couple dollars once, purchase a blade balancer (Ace Hardware has one for about $5) and do it correctly, yourself. =) A perfectly balanced blade is much easier on the spindle (and on up the "drivetrain"). You'll also get a more even cut.
*shrugs* I'm just sayin... =)
LMAO
I forgot about that! =)
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