These Home Depot Tools Can Sharpen Your Lawn Mower Blades

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There are two types of people in the world: those who thoroughly enjoy getting out and mowing their lawn every week, and those who hate everything about caring for grass and managing a lawn mower. Whichever side of that cosmic divide you reside on, those who regularly do the deed can surely agree that keeping your lawnmower blades sharp is a good way to ensure your grass is properly being cut. They'd likely also agree that it can be a royal pain to keep those blades sharp and ready for action.

Of course, if your mower is new, you won't have to worry about sharpening the blades for a while. And even with older mowers, you don't need to sharpen them very often, with lawn care pros recommending it be done about twice during peak mowing seasons, or after roughly 25 hours of use. Schedules aside, other signs that your lawnmower blades need sharpening include uneven cutting in your yard, or grass that's torn and frayed rather than smoothly cut. When sharpening time does come, The Home Depot has a few tools to help you get the job done. 

At present, the home improvement retailer's online outlet offers four different products that can help keep the blades on your walk-behind or riding lawnmower sharp. That includes kits from Powercare and Arnold, as well as a blade grinding stone from Oregon and even a kit specifically for old school reel mowers. 

If you're looking to pick up your lawnmower blade sharpener from The Home Depot, you should know that, while all options are available online, in-store offerings may be more limited. As such, we'd recommend you check the stock levels at your local store before you make the trip.

Once you've decided where to purchase your lawnmower sharpener, the question of which best suits your needs is the next to be answered. Of course, if you own a push-behind reel mower, that decision will be quite easy, as there's only one option — the Reel Mower Sharpening Kit. Per the $25.28 kits' product page, it is compatible with mowers from several major brands and comes with everything you need for the job, including a sharpening compound, an applicator brush, and a reel crank. It is also fully refundable for 90 days, though there is no warranty coverage offered.

We'll cover the Powercare and Arnold kits together, as they are essentially identical, save for price, with the former listed at $14.97 and the latter at $10.46. Both kits are fit for use with walk-behind and riding mowers, and come with a drill-mounted sharpening head, as well as a blade balancer. As with the reel sharpening kit, each is returnable within 90 days, and neither is covered by a warranty. Meanwhile, the $88.63 Oregon 8" 30-grit Grinding Stone is designed specifically for use with certain of the brand's blade grinders. So if you don't already own one of those, this may not be the option for you.

Before you start sharpening your lawnmower blades, you should have items like heavy-duty work gloves and protective eyewear on hand, as well as tools to remove the blade from the mower, and a vise to hold it steady during the process. You'll also want to wipe the blade clean with a towel before starting. Once you're set, here's how to sharpen a lawnmower blade with a file or handheld grindstone. 

1. With protective gear on, secure the blade in a vise with the cutting edge up.
2. Run the file or grindstone over the dulled edge of the blade from topside to cutting edge at a 45-degree angle.
3. It should take about 40 to 50 strokes to properly sharpen the blade.
4. When you're finished, turn the blade over and repeat the process for the other cutting edge. 
5. The sharpness of a butter knife should suffice for cutting grass.

If you're using one with a drill-attached option, follow these steps.

1. Put on protective gear and secure the blade in your vise.
2. Insert the sharpening attachment in the drill and secure it. Trigger the drill to test it.
3. Powering the drill, apply the grinder with medium pressure to the blade's edge.
4. Draw the grinder back and forth over the edge four or five times, or until the blade is free of dents and rough edges. 
5. Repeat the process for the other blade edge.

You can test the sharpness by running a blade of grass over the sharpened edge. If it cuts easily, you're ready to mow. If not, it might be time for new blades.