Are these blades shot or salvageable?

B

Brinybay

Forum Newbie
Can these be sharpened, or are they scrap? I don't know how to sharpen mower blades and the local repair place wanted as much as a new blade. Cub Cadet 21inch deck, model 11A-A92.


20200704_134923 Blade 1.jpg20200704_135532 Blade 2.jpg
 
They are salvagable if the wing, back edge of the cutting portion of the blade, is not too thin. I say replace if the thickness is less than 50% of a new blade on the wing. Dangerous to use at this point.
 
Around here, with soooo much sand, the back edge of blades get razor sharp.
I'm gonna start stocking low lift blades.
At least for customers who have a lot of bare spots to mow.
 
Agree. I often see blades in my shop where the air lifts (wings as Rivets called them) completely broken off. Customers are always trying to save a few pennies but price difference between sharping and replacement can be just a few dollars more than sharping.

When these air lifts break they become a dangerous high speed projectile and can seriously injure a bystander. As Rivets noted when the thickness which is usually at the start of the air lift bend is around 50% of the original thickness I just replace them. Safety is more important to me.

In this case if the images are true there only light wear to the bend of the air lifts.
 
PTmowerMech said:
Around here, with soooo much sand, the back edge of blades get razor sharp.
I'm gonna start stocking low lift blades.
At least for customers who have a lot of bare spots to mow.
Click to expand...
Several years ago had a customer with a JD LX176 that over time the sand actually cut the bottom inch of his deck off.
 
I just used them until they got dull, then bought a new one (I actually have 3 blades total). I saw a YouTube video with blades in similar shape, and they used an angle grinder to sharpen them. Critical part I learned is to balance them, which is also appears easy. I bought an angle grinder from Harbor Freight tools yesterday, so I'm going to give it a try. The underside of the mower looks like it good use a good cleaning too. Another thing to add to my to-do list, (sigh).
 
That blade looks better than what I've been using for years. Usually takes a couple resharpening to get it out of balance to where it would be noticed.
 
Brinybay said:
I just used them until they got dull, then bought a new one (I actually have 3 blades total). I saw a YouTube video with blades in similar shape, and they used an angle grinder to sharpen them. Critical part I learned is to balance them, which is also appears easy. I bought an angle grinder from Harbor Freight tools yesterday, so I'm going to give it a try. The underside of the mower looks like it good use a good cleaning too. Another thing to add to my to-do list, (sigh).
Click to expand...

Get you some sanding disks, instead of the grinding blades. My son, who's a welder, calls them tiger disks. I use about a medium grade disk.
They make sharpening a lot easier.
 
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