Are these blades shot or salvageable?

[Brinybay]

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.

 

[StarTech]

Yes it is salvageable unless it is bent.

 

[Rivets]

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.

 

[PTmowerMech]

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.

 

[StarTech]

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.

 

[ILENGINE]

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.

Several years ago had a customer with a JD LX176 that over time the sand actually cut the bottom inch of his deck off.

 

[Brinybay]

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).

 

[tom3]

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.

 

[PTmowerMech]

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).

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.