How to sharpen blades on a non electric lawnmower?

Mowers with a cutting cylinder have two adjustments.

The bottom blade may be lowered or raised to determine the cutting height.

The rotating cylinder may be moved against the bottom blade so that they are close together and act in a scissor like fashion - each part of the curved rotating blades bearing as close as possible to the fixed bottom blade.

Stones and use over time may blunt the blades slightly but the most common cause of poor cutting is the adjustment of the cylinder against the bottom blade - if there's a gap, the grass will just get bent as you pass over it.

Look for adjusters each side that move the rotating blade up and down. Turn one and watch the cylinder move in relation to the lower blade. Reduce the gap to zero on both sides and back off slightly to allow the cylinder to rotate - you should be able to cut a piece of paper when the adjustment is correct. WATCH YOUR FINGERS.

Sharpening, if your mower really does need sharpening, usually requires disassembly and workshop facilities - Youtube has vids on it...

Good luck...

Peccavi
April 2009