How to sharpen manual lawn mower blades?

[DalesCarpentry]

Do any of you know how to sharpen a manual push mower blades? I was wondering if there was a sharpener I could buy that I would just slide across the blade?        Dale

[Hairtrigger]

I was taught to remove the blade and use a bench grinder. Then check the balance after and correct if necessary before installing.
I have a friend that does commercial mowing and uses a 4" angle grinder with the blades still on his zero turn mower. He does this twice a week or more. He has yet to have any issues (bearings) and has done this for years and years

[DalesCarpentry]

This is one of those lawn mowers that do not run off gas. You push it and it spins. It has spiral blades.  Dale

[oldandslow]

I didn't know there were any of those things left. I wore one slam out when I was a kid and hated every minute I had to push it. We had absolutely no luck trying to sharpen it by hand. My Dad took it to a shop that had a special grinder to sharpen them with so the blades were true. A sharpening job would last about one summer. If the blades are not ground true it will skip little spots as you mow.

[DalesCarpentry]

I didn't know there were any of those things left. I wore one slam out when I was a kid and hated every minute I had to push it. We had absolutely no luck trying to sharpen it by hand. My Dad took it to a shop that had a special grinder to sharpen them with so the blades were true. A sharpening job would last about one summer. If the blades are not ground true it will skip little spots as you mow.

  Believe it or not you can buy them new today. I bought one at a yard sale this past weekend for only $5.00. They claim it is only a year old but they never sharpened the blades. I do see that they need it though. I am sure someone has my answer out there.  Dale

[greg916]

dale, it should be self sharpening. try adjusting the bar the blades rub against. if that doesn't work, i would use a whetstone or a fine flat file.

[Drilling Man]

  I saw a piece on the news not long ago that the OLD company that has been making those mowers is still doing so the same old way, and business has NEVER been better....  There's quite a bit of hand work in making one, and they are running at max with many of the same old employees....

  They use to make a little plastic block that has a stone in it, and you just run back and forth on the blades....  It was set to hold the stone "just right", and i have no idea where to buy one today...

  I bet you can find the maker on line, and perhaps the info will be on there website?

  DM

[Glanceblamm]

I think that greg916 is on the right track...
For what I can remember, those spiral blades are really nothing but paddles that feed the grass into the straight blade low on the backside of the mower.

[greg916]

a little off topic, but funny. my dad wears his initials on his backside from one of these. he was sitting on the mower in an effort to keep his sister from her chores. when he would not move she pushed the mower, the blades bit and cut a Perfect "V K"  ( Virdie Kenneth) there 

[moxgrove]

My american Reel Mower came with a kit. I just looked at it and it has a handle that lets you crank the mower backwards against the guard and some lapping compound to smear on the blades. There is also a little stone for the bigger burs.

[jsoukup]

I saw some at a greenie weenie store here in Dallas brand new. Ditto on the golf course, that's the only place I've heard of anyone sharpening them and the mechanic hated doing it. If you have a commercial lawn mower shop, you could try that too, they might even give you some pointers or know where or what to use.