The Observation Deck

Anybody know where I can get the blades on my reel mower sharpened? Any idea what that costs?

Lakewood Hardware. Can't remember what he quoted me, but it was cheap - $5 or something like that. Thanks for the reminder that I have to get mine over there too.

My wife called Lakewood Hardware, and they referred her to Alternative Rental on Hilliard. She called them, and they only do it the last Saturday of the month. Which is why I posted this, because I want it done sooner than that.

Well, then I'm glad you posted before I hauled my mower over there. Sorry for the mis-info - he told me that last summer, I guess he doesn't do it anymore.

Its not hard to do it yourself. You just need some grinding compound and a tool to spin the blades, backward if I recall correctly. Turn it upside down so the wheels are off the ground. Remove one wheel (its the right one on mine) and you will find a square rod sticking out that will spin the blades. There is a special crank to turn the rod, but I just use an electric drill. Daub the grinding compound where the reel blades cross the bar at the bottom and have at it. It usually helps to adjust the bottom bar for evenness and just the right amount of pressure when it is sharp. When the bar is adjusted properly, the mower is easy to push.

Brad--- man up there--- get a REAL mower one that gulps gasoline and spews fumes

If anyone is interested, I've been calling all over and NOBODY does it, except Alternative Rental on the last Saturday of the month. As it turns out, primitive lawn mowers require futuristic equipment for maintenance. Go figure...

Will Brown wrote:Its not hard to do it yourself. You just need some grinding compound and a tool to spin the blades, backward if I recall correctly. Turn it upside down so the wheels are off the ground. Remove one wheel (its the right one on mine) and you will find a square rod sticking out that will spin the blades. There is a special crank to turn the rod, but I just use an electric drill. Daub the grinding compound where the reel blades cross the bar at the bottom and have at it. It usually helps to adjust the bottom bar for evenness and just the right amount of pressure when it is sharp. When the bar is adjusted properly, the mower is easy to push.

Thanks for the advice Will. I almost made it ten words before I went into a coma.

Alternative Rental is doing it Saturday, May 29. They charge $69 + tax.

Looks like I'll be buying some grinding compound...

Brian--- I'm assuming your arithmetic, but it does sound a tad bit expensive as compared to the cost of any maintenance for a power mower or even sharpening one blade on a rotary mower. And, the cost of a new reel mower is about just twice what they want for simple sharpening.
Things to consider, I guess.
Stan

Did anyone get their reels sharpened at Alternative? I was about to but the price kept me home. I took a file to my reels and in about 15 minutes had them sharp enough for this year.

I found a sharpening kit on-line. It has an attachment with self-stick sand paper strips that's supposed to sharpen as you run it. Has anyone tried that?

http://www.cleanairgardening.com/brill- ... g-kit.html

I did get mine sharpened at Alternative. It made a huge difference. They cleaned and oiled it up too. He suggested getting it done every couple years and maintaining the blades in the interim with WD-40 or similar penetrating oil.

I can't comment on the cost-effectiveness of Alternative's service vs. any of these do-it-yourself methods, but they did do a nice job and the mower is working great.

This is my third summer following a spring 2008 sharpening of a reel mower I have, done by Alternative. Still cuts well. I sweep it off and give it a shot of WD 40 after each use. The price freaked me out at first too but the difference in cutting is substantial.

I keep a second reel mower for my backyard that I have not ever had sharpened... bought it from Sears in 1995. We have a maple tree with roots popping out everywhere, and it beats the stuffing out of the mower. So, since it's the back yard and I don't necessarily care about a mega manicure look the second mower does just fine.

What I like best about my approach to lawn care is, no gas cans, no mess, and virtually no chance of mower failure. Only downside are buckhorn plantain seed pods... when they get too high the mower won't cut em.