How to Sharpen Reel Lawn Mower Blades

A reel lawn mower is a fun alternative to gas or electric powered lawn mowers. Reel mowers cut grass more cleanly than rotary mowers. Over time, however, reel mowers can become dull and need to have their blades sharpened. Although not technically difficult, turning the blades for sharpening can be physically tiring.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Reel mower
• Flat blade screwdriver
• Reel mower sharpening kit
• Paint brush
• Plastic container

1. Remove the handle from your mower. This is usually done by unscrewing a couple of screws and pulling the handle away from the mower.

2. Uncover the C-ring that holds the wheel on the mower. This is sometimes under a plate on the outside of the wheel; you may need to remove this plate to access the C-ring.

3. Remove the C-ring with a flat blade screwdriver. Be careful, as the tension in the ring can cause it to fly off quickly.

4. Take the wheel off the mower and set it aside.

5. Remove the drive gear that transfers power from the wheel to the blades.

6. Slide the crank from your sharpening kit over the place where the gear was attached to the mower blades.

7. Put some sharpening compound in a plastic container and paint it evenly on the cutting edge of all of the mower's blades.

8. Turn the crank so that the blades rotate backwards. Keep rotating until you see a clean metal edge on every blade.

9. Reassemble the mower once the blades are sharp.

Tips & Warnings

• Depending on how dull your blades are, creating a clean edge can take a long time. If you get tired of cranking, take a break and come back to cranking in a few minutes.

References

• Reel Mower Sharpening
• Introduction to Reel Mowers