I've been sharpening my JD 48-inch mulching blades for years with a flap disc on an angle grinder. It's quite easy to maintain the factory cutting edge angle. I clamp them in a vise and first clean all of them on both sides with the angle grinder using a knotted wire cup wheel. Once clean I sharpen as required with the flap disc.

 

Same here.

 

Hand grinder with 4 1/2" grinding wheel.
Still sharpening original blades more than 15 years later

 

I've had a mower blade grinder for years, and most of them now have an adapter that has a rest designed to follow the curve of the JD mulching blades. I don't want to spark off a angle/bench grinder vs purpose build mower blade grinder debate, but a with a dialed in, fixed angle rest to nail that 30 degrees, an 8" wheel, and a Tecomec balancer, it's very quick and easy, and the results are as good or better than factory. I do mine and a few neighbors and friends every year and the beer payment alone has paid this thing off long ago. Once you use a mower blade grinder, you will never go back to anything else.

 

I've had a mower blade grinder for years, and most of them now have an adapter that has a rest designed to follow the curve of the JD mulching blades. I don't want to spark off a angle/bench grinder vs purpose build mower blade grinder debate, but a with a dialed in, fixed angle rest to nail that 30 degrees, an 8" wheel, and a Tecomec balancer, it's very quick and easy, and the results are as good or better than factory. I do mine and a few neighbors and friends every year and the beer payment alone has paid this thing off long ago. Once you use a mower blade grinder, you will never go back to anything else.

Do you have a photo or make/model number of the sharpener that does mulching blades? I've seen several nice commercial blade sharpeners but haven't seen one yet that does the curved mulching blades.

 

The only affordable thing I have found to help sharpen John Deere mulching blades is All American Sharpener for $200. You attach your angle grinder to it and it maintains the proper angles. I believe the JD mulching blades have 2 angle sets, One for the out side swing and a different for the inner mulching area of the blade. For many years I used a bench grinder for my blades but they all had straight flat cutting edges. I was OK at it but it wasn't pretty. Now with 2 different angles on the same blade I am also hoping to find a better way. I have thought about a 1" x 30" table top belt sander..thinking I could make a jig or guide and slide the blades along. Home Depot sells some belts for metal but I do not know it they would actually sharpen a blade or not.

 

The only affordable thing I have found to help sharpen John Deere mulching blades is All American Sharpener for $200.

Flap disc and a hand grinder seems much more affordable, at least to me. It is after all a lawn mower blade, not something I shave my face with.

 

I know the higher end commercial (Magna-Matic, RBG, etc) units pretty much all include these mulch rests, but they are pricey, approaching and exceeding $1K. Even the more consumer models like Oregon have them, but they might be a few dollar accessory. I have the Bradley S-105 1/2HP which I bought 6-7 years ago for less than $200 direct - Stopped on my way to see the kids at U of I, and got a great deal. Its very similar to the Heavy Duty Oregon Grinder. They have this same mulch rest available. Last I looked, you can get them for $299 shipped in their eBay store.

Before this grinder, I used something similar to the All-American for a couple of years, and it just didn't work very well. I sold that to a neighbor, and he gave up with it too, and I do his blades now.

I know many people use angle grinders and are very happy with the results. That's cool - Again, I don't want to debate who uses what. For those who want professional results, these purpose build blade grinders are very nice, and make it brain dead easy. I would however warn not to get any lower end model with less than 1/2 HP / 8" wheel.

Just for reference, the local dealer charges $10 a blade to sharpen, and even then, the result was not great. I do 6 or 7 sets a year now, and an occasional mid-year touch up, so you can add up the savings. If you are only doing your own three blades once or twice a year, it might not be worth the investment. That's a personal decision, but I love mine!

 

I know the higher end commercial (Magna-Matic, RBG, etc) units pretty much all include these mulch rests, but they are pricey, approaching and exceeding $1K. Even the more consumer models like Oregon have them, but they might be a few dollar accessory. I have the Bradley S-105 1/2HP which I bought 6-7 years ago for less than $200 direct - Stopped on my way to see the kids at U of I, and got a great deal. Its very similar to the Heavy Duty Oregon Grinder. They have this same mulch rest available. Last I looked, you can get them for $299 shipped in their eBay store.

Thanks. I see they are currently $329 on the Ebay store. They don't appear to sell the S640 mulch adapter on Ebay so that would be another $49 from the web site.

Just for reference, the local dealer charges $10 a blade to sharpen, and even then, the result was not great. I do 6 or 7 sets a year now, and an occasional mid-year touch up, so you can add up the savings. If you are only doing your own three blades once or twice a year, it might not be worth the investment. That's a personal decision, but I love mine!

I once paid the dealer to sharpen my blades because I wanted "professional results". I forget what I paid but the blades I got back were so destroyed that I accused them of not giving me back my original blades. That's when I decided I would just stick to doing it myself.

I think it all boils down to how many times you sharpen a year or how many sets you do. Myself for example, I could buy a new set of mulching blades every year for 10 years for my X500 for the same price as a commercial sharpening machine. There's no question that a properly adjusted sharpening machine is going to do a primo job. But... a careful hand with an angle grinder and flap disc gets pretty darned close. I'm sure the same argument could be used for sharpening things like chainsaw chains... automatic machine vs. hand file.

 

You may be right. It's just a mower blade and some of us are probably making this more complicated than it needs to be. But if we purchased John Deere equipment we are probably looking for a slightly better mowing experience. If there is a way to re-sharpen JD mulching blades that is better, this may be the place to find it. Meanwhile I will try the flap disk an dangle grinder and try to get better at it.

 

And after sharpener buy whichever method you choose, don't forget to check the balance of the blade. A few nicks/dents on one side and heavy grinding to make that "perfect edge" can through the balance off! Drive a nail in a post/wall/tree or clamp in a vice. Put blade on nail and gently spin. If it always stops with the same end on the bottom, that's the heavy end. Grind that end until blade stops spinning in the same position. Bob

 

Am I the only one left in the world who uses a file?

 

Probably. 😊 I’ve tried using a file and it just takes too long.

 

I take a look at several of those blade grinding jigs, where you mount an electric hand grinder within them, a year or so ago. At the time, I had just been sharpening them on the bench grinder, which really gets the cut surface off quickly Between the jig, the grinder, shipping and tax; it was going to be way north of $300. I then looked at how many new blade sets I could purchase from greenframparts.com from a spring promo they were running. It was quite a few. I have my mowing area free of rocks and other obstructions and the season is fairly short here, in MN. So I can get two seasons out of a set of blades before they requiring sharpening. So, I just replace them when they are dull.

I don't know your particular situation, but you may want to weigh replacement against sharpening.

 

I think JGayman makes a good point. A set of new blades $45.00 each season and go with it. Why put a lot of money in an expensive device to use once or twice a season.

I will probably buy a new second set of mulch blades from Deere...Not sure if I am ready to try the Gator mulchers yet and I will look to see if I can get a 120 grit flap disk and see what happens.
Who knows, I just might be great at it.

 

I think JGayman makes a good point. A set of new blades $45.00 each season and go with it. Why put a lot of money in an expensive device to use once or twice a season.

$36 during GFP's annual spring blade and maintenance kit sale.

I will probably buy a new second set of mulch blades from Deere...Not sure if I am ready to try the Gator mulchers yet and I will look to see if I can get a 120 grit flap disk and see what happens.
Who knows, I just might be great at it.

I bought a second set of OEM mulchers during a GFP sale. Rotating between two sets really makes it convenient. A 120-grit flapper is what I use. I think you'll be surprised just how easy it is.

 

Fwiw, I run the G5 Gators. I upgraded to the x540 in the spring of 2013 and the first thing I got was the G5's. I am still running the same set. Side note - For next season I will be replacing them.

I'm not a math guy, but let's say I sharpened them approx 12 times so far. That would have been $360 just for the sharpening. Alternatively, I could have bought new blades for $480 as someone suggested. So just with easy numbers, I'm up at least $160. Plus umpteen cases of beer and good will for the blades I've done for others. I think I made out like a bandit.

And yes, as someone else mentioned, balancing is a big deal. The tecomec is a good value, and does a great job. I just evenly run both edges the same number of swipes on the grinder until the all the nick's are all gone. Check the balance, run a swipe or two to zero the balance, then get the file out to break the edge. Done.

 

I don’t even sharpen blades. There’s enough sand and rock around here they are just as rounded after an hour as they were before sharpening.

I also intentionally ride over sand if it’s available at the end of mowing to clean the deck.

I might not mow as fast as others but if you don’t use a magnifying glass you don’t notice a difference.

 

I don’t even sharpen blades. There’s enough sand and rock around here they are just as rounded after an hour as they were before sharpening.

I also intentionally ride over sand if it’s available at the end of mowing to clean the deck.

I might not mow as fast as others but if you don’t use a magnifying glass you don’t notice a difference.

You be you.

 

I am on my 4th season with my Gator blades now. Typical mowing time is 2 hours each time. I’ve never needed to sharpen them but I do touch them up each spring with a file when I install them.

I think some people sharpen them too much. The sharper the edge the more quickly it will become dull. I try to follow Deere’s recomendation which makes the edge last forever for me.

Keep original bevel (A) when grinding.

· Blade should have 0.40 mm (1/64 in.) cutting edge (B) or less.

 

I am on my 4th season with my Gator blades now. Typical mowing time is 2 hours each time. I’ve never needed to sharpen them but I do touch them up each spring with a file when I install them.

I think some people sharpen them too much. The sharper the edge the more quickly it will become dull. I try to follow Deere’s recommendation which makes the edge last forever for me.

View attachment 738608

Keep original bevel (A) when grinding.

· Blade should have 0.40 mm (1/64 in.) cutting edge (B) or less.

Excellent point. And for point of reference, 1/64" is 0.015625", which is just about the thickness of a coated, glossy business card. To achieve this, simply finish the sharpening, and then run a file a couple of quick passes to break the edge. The correct bevel should be 30 degrees. With the correct break, the blades will last a good while, depending on your environment.

Also, the Red Oregon Balancer posted above appears to be the exact same as the Tecomec, and Oregon might be private labeling them now. Its a very nice balancer. I think I got mine way back when for about $40. The best price I just saw in a quick search was $69. Again, some will swear by using a nail, and that will work to some degree as well.

 

I bought an All American Sharpener and really like it. I also got one of those Oregon balancers as well. This set up works very well for me! I even have folks to bring blades to to sharpen now so I make a little cash with it as well. I had a 54d w/ mulch kit and that’s one of the reasons I bought that set up. I’ve always been able to freehand blades on my grinder but with th AA Sharpener I can do a much better and easier job at keeping the blade tips square. Also with the Oregon balancer vs the old plastic or nail in the work bench balancing there’s no comparison. I sharpened a blade then balanced it with the plastic balancer then put it on the Oregon balancer and there was no comparison. And remember, balanced blades keeps your spindles healthy! I now use it for the blades on my 60d as well. Now when I hit the MMM PTO switch I don’t feel a thing and have to listen to see if my MMM is actually working. IMO get one. You won’t got wrong with the investment.

 

Oregon has several balancers. One had a bad review because it is to small for larger blades. Which one do you use?

 

I think he means one of these:

It's those little cone-style that never seem to have a step that fits your blade. I've had a few of them over the years and regardless of my mower blade despite all those different steps there was NEVER a step that fit the blade hole. Why?

I never understood why no one ever just made one like a smooth cone that would fit an infinite number of blade holes.

 

Very informative....thank you. I watched a couple of the All American Sharpener video's last week and they were very interesting. I will do some more checking on the All American Sharpener and the Oregon balancers. It's kind of pricey for a homeowner and from some additional feedback posts it may make more sense to just buy a new set of blades each year and relax. But I may be more like you and want a hands on approach and do it my self.

 

Follow up...well I just installed the Gator g5 blades and what a big difference. The additional lift from the new blades makes for a much more even cut because it pulls up the grass blades so much better. Because of the lift I can raise the deck to 3.5 or 3.75" and still get a great cut, leave the grass taller, and mulch. The deck does not load up as badly as it did with JD mulch blades. I think I may have solved my issues with deck build up on my x590 48" mulching mower.

 

Yes, the G5's cut very well with high deck heights. I do mine at 3.5" to 3.75" too, and they do a great job. As mentioned earlier, I'm still using the same set from 2013, but I did just receive a new set for next year. I've got to inspect them and see how sharp they are. The current set had about a.080" break when I got them new, so I had to sharpen them before installing for the first time. I'm interested if they've improved this.

 

The biggest issue with Gators (G5 & G6) is interference with the plastic insert versions of the mulching kits. For those with the metal surrounds, they work great. You just have to check the clearance.

 

I have a x590with the 48" A deck and the auto mulch kit.......not a plastic insert. The clearance is fine. The G5 blades make quite a bit more noise but the uplift is so much better. Not sure what you would order if you have a plug or baffle. someone may post their results.

 

I have a 60D with metal baffles and plug. The problem people tend to describe is that they move so much air that you end up with half the lawn plastered to the inside top of the mower rather than circulating back down.

 

I think the build up is an issue inherent with all mulcher set ups. In my experience using the G5's and the Tricycler set up for a number of years, I did not feel the build up was any worse with the G5 vs the JD Mulch Blades.

 

I have three sets of Mulch Blades in rotation, for mine.
The stock set was removed after one cutting.
I use a Makita 4.5" Disk Grinder, and one of these for finals

 

I know many people use angle grinders and are very happy with the results. That's cool - Again, I don't want to debate who uses what. For those who want professional results, these purpose build blade grinders are very nice, and make it brain dead easy. I would however warn not to get any lower end model with less than 1/2 HP / 8" wheel.

No doubt. Much like a $500 automatic chainsaw chain sharpener gives professional results but yet most just go ahead and use a $10 round file.

 

My FIL prefers the Bradley sharpener. Works great on our Gator blades for the 54HC, 60HC and on his RFM.

 

I purchased one of those All American Sharpeners about 1 1/2 years ago along with an Oregon wall mounted balancer. Best money I've spent in quite a while. The All American Sharpener works very well with any blade, any angle. I used to use my bench grinder and I could do a pretty decent job with it but the advantage the AAS has on a bench grinder is that it keeps the edges straight and doesn't round off the tips. And the Oregon Balancer, well , after using it in conjunction with the AAS , when you hit the PTO you can hear the blades kick on, but you can't feel them .Zero vibration....! Is it expensive, yes. BUT, it makes your blades last longer AND its easier on your deck spindles. I look at it as an investment. Good luck with your decision!

 

I purchased one of those All American Sharpeners about 1 1/2 years ago along with an Oregon wall mounted balancer. Best money I've spent in quite a while. The All American Sharpener works very well with any blade, any angle. I used to use my bench grinder and I could do a pretty decent job with it but the advantage the AAS has on a bench grinder is that it keeps the edges straight and doesn't round off the tips. And the Oregon Balancer, well , after using it in conjunction with the AAS , when you hit the PTO you can hear the blades kick on, but you can't feel them .Zero vibration....! Is it expensive, yes. BUT, it makes your blades last longer AND its easier on your deck spindles. I look at it as an investment. Good luck with your decision!

I’ve been looking at those expensive balancers for a long time. The thing that always puzzled me is just how long do they stay that balanced? It would seem that as soon as any grass debris sticks to the blade it would become unbalanced again.