Blade sharpening - How often?

[JSharp]

My 2554 has 50 hours use most all of it mowing. I have the deck off to do routine maintenance and figured I'd sharpen the blades. But looking at them, they look pretty much like new.

There are a couple of small "dings" in one or two of them but without taking a lot off of the blade they'll still be there if I sharpen them. And the unit mows beautifully.

Anyone else had this experience? So do I leave them or sharpen them on general principal?

 

[RobJ]

Small dings can be taken out with a hand file. Otherwise if it looks ok then it probably is.

Rob

 

[JSharp]

Small dings can be taken out with a hand file. Otherwise if it looks ok then it probably is.

Rob

Good call on the file.

I was amazed, the blades really look good. And much of what I mow is filled with small dead limbs, sticks, and all sorts of other crap that can't be avoided.

I'll give CC credit. These aren't $9 MTD quality blades on this machine.

 

[Bird]

if it looks ok then it probably is

That's my opinion, too. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

 

[cp1969]

That's my opinion, too. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Yep. And he also said

And the unit mows beautifully.

.
That's the best reason to leave it alone.

 

[TractorLarry]

Maybe I'm just lazy, but at $11 each I'm not so sure I would bother. I'll just buy a new set.

Maybe after I have 2 or 3 old sets stacked up I'll work on them and put them in a rotation, but for now I just put new one's on.

-Larry

 

[micman32]

I change blades about every 4 weeks. I have 2 sets so it's more a matter of just swapping them when I do a good cleaning on the deck.
Sharp blades do wonders with the quality of cut.

Michael

 

[ice]

It is good to have sharp blades. It makes it easier on the engine, chops the grass up finer, and makes the lawn look good.
On the other hand, there is no need to over do it.
Just look at your lawn. If the tip of the blades of grass have that tan, dead look, then it means your blades are not cutting good. The blades are beating the grass into instead of a good clean cut.

 

[OhioGuy]

The quality of your lawn makes a big difference also. If your not kicking up stones, hitting other debris or bottoming out on ridges in the yard, in other works just cutting grass, you can probably get by with one mid season sharpening or none at all.

It's those collisions with rocks and chopping up sticks and other stuff that take their toll on the blades.

Curt