How to Sharpen Equipment Blades

Agricultural, landscaping, and construction equipment all use durable blades to complete important heavy-duty tasks. However, because they’re tackling such tough materials, these blades have the tendency to go dull rather quickly—reducing efficiency and increasing the likelihood of damage to your important machinery. To increase the service life of your blades and avoid an equipment repair, check out our article on how to sharpen blades below. 

Safety Gear 

Before you remove and sharpen your blades, make sure you have everything you need to protect yourself. Not only do we advise wearing thick close-toed shoes and a set of gloves with a tough rubber grip, but eye protection as well as a mask to avoid inhaling any particles as you sharpen your blades. Remember to also tie back your hair and remove any loose clothing or dangling jewelry.  

Inspect Your Blades

Begin by removing your blades from the machinery. Once you have, be sure to give it a very thorough inspection. While sharpening blades can increase their service life significantly, eventually, you will need to have them replaced. Before you begin sharpening your blades, ensure that they aren’t significantly damaged to the point they would need to be replaced and that the blades aren’t so thin that sharpening them could deteriorate the integrity of the metal and cause them to break. 

Sharpening your Blades 

Start by locating the sharp side of your blade and pressing the top against the sharpener. Press down from the bottom of the blade to move the cutting edge against the sharpener. You’ll want to do this at least 20 to 30 times for each edge in order to get your blades sharp. Be careful not to over-sharpen your blade, and remember to check its balance afterward, or you may risk damaging your machinery or even breaking the blades. 

To shop for replacement blades and other helpful parts for your agricultural and landscaping equipment, be sure to stop by SS Equipment. We have a number of convenient locations across the states of Oregon and Washington, and offer amazing on-site parts departments at each of our dealerships, fully stocked with everything you need to keep your equipment in top condition.