Stop Wasting Time Sharpening Lawn Mower Blades — This Hardware Store Will Do It For You

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

If you are seeing warning signs that indicate your lawn mower's blades need sharpening, you might question if you can do the job. Uneven cuts, grass blades that look torn, and brown edges are all clear signals that you're overdue for this task. However, it can feel like a hassle to unbolt the blades, sharpen them correctly, and safely reattach them, especially if you don't have the right tools or know-how. 

Although most people can manage sharpening a mower blade in less than an hour, a professional can probably do the job in around 10 minutes with a guarantee of success. If you do this job yourself, you'll have to take care to avoid common mistakes people make while sharpening lawn mower blades. Consequently, you might prefer to pay someone to take on this job for you. Many Ace Hardware locations offer lawn mower blade sharpening services, along with many other "handyman"-type services, such as glass cutting, automobile key programming, and screen repairs. 

Because most of its stores are independently owned and operated, not all Ace Hardware locations offer this service. You can use the Ace Hardware website to search for stores in your area that do this work. When you select lawnmower blade sharpening from the list of services offered, red dots will appear on the map for the store locations that sharpen mower blades. Prices for this service will vary by location, reportedly around $5 to $15 if you disconnect the blades yourself. If you bring in the entire mower and ask Ace Hardware to disconnect them, you'll likely pay more.

If you don't have an Ace Hardware near you that sharpens mower blades and don't want to do the job yourself, you may have a few other options. Some local lawn mower repair businesses will also do blade sharpening for an extra cost. Perhaps you have a knife sharpening business near you that also works on mower blades. Some areas have mobile blade sharpening services that will come to your home and do the work.

You might find it less of a hassle to purchase sharp, new blades instead of paying someone to sharpen older ones. (Of course, you will have to then install them yourself or hire someone to do it.) You'll often pay $25 to $35 for a new blade, although some mowers need multiple units and some designs are far more expensive. Lawn mower blades aren't universal, meaning that if you buy new ones, you'll need to be sure they match the size of your machine, match the mower's bolt holes, and can accomplish the tasks you want, such as mulching. If you don't sharpen your lawn mower blades every 20 to 25 hours of use as recommended, you'll need to replace them every couple of years to ensure clean cuts. Additionally, blades that are noticeably worn or damaged should be replaced instead of sharpened.