Sharpen Your Mower Blades With An Adjustable And Easy Solution From Amazon

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Your lawn mower may spend most of its time sitting in your garage or shed. However, that doesn't mean you can just pull it out, use it, and put it back. It needs maintenance, too. Sharpening mower blades, especially, is one of those tasks you need to keep up with; it not only helps to improve lawn health, but it also increases the efficiency and lifespan of the mower itself. Do-it-yourself methods often include repurposing tools like a metal file or freehand grinder. Alternatively, you could opt for a product like the Kimgsoak Lawn Mower Blade Sharpener Kit (Amazon, $54.99), which was made specifically for this task.

The Kimgsoak tool mounts to a work bench, and comes with an adjustable jig that lets users change the sharpening angle from 15 to 45 degrees. As for the build, the sharpener is made from high-density aluminum alloy; the kit also includes a zinc-alloy blade balancer and four guide pins. Note that the sharpener can only accommodate lawn mower blades of a certain size: with a width of 1.69 to 3.54 inches, a thickness up to 0.28 inches, and a length that doesn't exceed 30 inches.

As of this writing, the product has a 4.5-star rating (out of five stars) from over 375 reviews. A total 75% of reviews give the sharpener five stars, while 16% give it four. Six percent give it either one or two stars. Many reviews remark on how "easy" it was to set up and use. Some buyers, however, note that the sharpener has stability issues, specifically that they found it difficult to hold the angle.

A lawn mower blade needs to be sharpened every 20 to 25 hours of use. However, you must also keep an eye out for the signs that indicate your lawn mower's blades need sharpening, like the grass looking uneven, or even changing color from a healthy green to brown.

When you decide to sharpen your mower blade, make sure you do so at the existing bevel level, rather than simply sharpening it at a setting that feels convenient. Use the adjustable guide on the Kimgsoak tool to get as close to this angle as possible. It's also worth noting here that lawn mower blades do not need to be razor sharp to cut the grass properly. It only needs to be as sharp as a butter knife.

If you try to make the mower blade too sharp, it can actually misfire. Such blades not only crack easily, but they also have a shorter lifespan. Similarly, don't apply too much pressure when you're sharpening the blade. This is one of those mistakes everyone makes when sharpening lawn mower blades, and it can result in an uneven edge that won't mow properly.

Also, don't treat sharpening as finished just because the blade's edges look good. You also need to make sure the blade is properly balanced. An unbalanced blade can cause vibrations in the mower, which can ruin both the machine and the mowing experience. So, use the balancer included in the Kimgsoak blade sharpener kit, too. (Plus, learn how to tell when it's time to replace lawn mower blades.)