what do your blades look like?

[Vandora Lawn & Landscape]

Eric especially (the blade master) could you and others please post pics of your blades before and after sharpening? I want to see what yours look like when finished.

[Eric ELM]

I could and I will. I will be sharpening them tomorrow again. I do have pictures of blades on my double blade page, but I don't know if they were sharp or dull. :)

[Vandora Lawn & Landscape]

Anyone take any pictures yet?

[kutnkru]

Mine look like them thar GINSU knives. Cuts thru the harshest of metals along the roadside and still slices so masterfully thru a tomatoe. LOL!:D

Van you should purchase an RGB Grinder if you do not already own one. I dont know how fancy you intend on getting while sharpening your blades but we run the steel wheel over ours to remove any excess build-up of grass and dirt to keep them balanced better.

Good Luck!
Kris

[lawnboy82]

how are the efco grinders? cause i am taking one from a customer next week. they want to give me an efco chain saw grinder in return for cutting down 1 tree. the thing sells for 350

[Eric ELM]

Vandora,
Here are two pictures, the top one is dull and the bottom one is after sharpening. I didn't realize how hard it is to take a picture of a blade and have it turn out right. It is hard to see the difference between the sharp on and the dull one. This a mulcher blade that I have been using on the diesel Chopper and I only had 2 sets of blades. The diesel Chopper now has 450 hours on it, so this blade has at least 200 hours on it and I run them on the bottom with a high lift on top, so it has done a lot of cutting. Notice it is unlike a Gator blade, the fins turn out on these instead of turned in like a Gator blade is. This blade will throw the clippings out, instead of in to ball up when the grass is wet. I did get a few nicks in the blade this spring from cutting low at the start and they are about ground out of them now. Sorry I didn't get these taken yesterday, but it was late when we got in from mowing and I was worn out. :(

http://elmlawnsite.com/images/dull.jpg

http://elmlawnsite.com/images/sharp.jpg

[1MajorTom]

Eric,

Matt was thinking about ordering the mulching blades from Preco.
At $7.95 a pop it sounds like a good deal.

Is that a Preco mulcher in the picture that you are using?

[Ssouth]

Eric, I know pictures can be decieving, but at what angle are you sharpening at? The OEM Exmark blades don't appear to have such a steep angle. I sharpen mine a tad steeper than the way the come from the factory but yours look much steeper. Is is just the camera angle or do you really sharpen them that steep. However you do it, you pics always look great. I think it's easier to do them with a higher degree angle and it's also easier to get the dings and dents out.

[Grateful11]

I haven't tried any mulchers yet but why not take a small angle grinder and sharpen the mulcher tips. The way I see it they are just stamped and bent so they appear to have a square 90 degree edge on them. It seems like they would shred better if they were angled back some. If I get some I'm going try it with my 4.5" angle grinder. It may or may not be worth the effort. Some of you guys that have been using them for years would probably be a better judge. Let us know if you try it.

[CSRA Landscaping]

Ssouth, I seem to remember Eric saying in a previous thread that he set his RBG to the angle of a new set of blades when he bought some.

Then I recall that 'we' decided that 30º was the best angle for sharpening blades, as also stated in the last issue of Landscape Management, article "Efficient Mowing," page 30.