Blade sharpening service.
- Thread starter Fonz
- Start date
mechanic mark
Lawn Pro
Last edited:
wingless
Active Member
Welcome to the forum.
As you know, the reel mower has a stationary blade and multiple (4 or 5) rotating reel blades.
This link has a decent sharpening process.
A reel type mower is sharpened by first ensuring the reel to stationary gap is correctly adjusted on both ends.
At each end there are one or two adjustments to ensure the stationary blade gap is correct.
The mower drive is disassembled to permit attachment of a manual drive crank handle.
Lapping compound is applied to each rotating reel blade. The reel is manually rotated until each blade has a nice uniform surface finish. The mower is then reassembled for normal usage.
As you know, the reel mower has a stationary blade and multiple (4 or 5) rotating reel blades.
This link has a decent sharpening process.
A reel type mower is sharpened by first ensuring the reel to stationary gap is correctly adjusted on both ends.
At each end there are one or two adjustments to ensure the stationary blade gap is correct.
The mower drive is disassembled to permit attachment of a manual drive crank handle.
Lapping compound is applied to each rotating reel blade. The reel is manually rotated until each blade has a nice uniform surface finish. The mower is then reassembled for normal usage.
Hammermechanicman
Lawn Addict
There are 2 kinds of blades on a reel mower. The expensive type like golf courses use which have bevel ground blades and the cheap homeowner type which has barrel ground blades. The actual sharpening of either type takes specialized machines and you remove the reel for both. Bevel ground reels can be what is called backlapped. Lapping compound is applied to the blades and then rotated backwards against the bed knife. Barrel ground reels do not respond to backlapping. There are tools with flat stones that can be slid back and forth on the reel blades to try and sharpen them but that does not restore the true barrel grind. Many cheap reel mowers have non adjustable blades so any uneven grinding ruins the reel. There are some commercial barrel ground reel mowers that can be backlapped. There is a reason rotary mowers replaced reel mowers. Homeowners won't spend many hours lapping reels and adjusting blades and bed knives with a feeler guage.
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StarTech
Lawn Royalty
And there is a reason why they called the manual reels man makers. They are not for the lazy person. I had one here that a customer just want it so he could teach his son a lesson about complaining about the self propelled walk behind mower. His son quit complaining the very first week. <LOL>
wingless
Active Member
My Fiskars18" Stay Sharp reel mower has blades are designed to remain sharp for the life of the mower.
If sharpening is ever required, the manufacturer specifies usage of lapping compound and a manual crank handle.
If sharpening is ever required, the manufacturer specifies usage of lapping compound and a manual crank handle.
wingless
Active Member
Here is the link to the professional mower maintenance document with the image snippet from Hammermechanicman.
Thank You yes that is what I researched also.Will give it a try.
Do you know of any shop that deals in vintage equipment?