Gave up on a $180 bench grinder and switched to a $22 file for my mower blades
I sharpen the blades on my riding mower about 4 times a season, and for 3 years I used a bench grinder because that is what my dad always did. Last spring in Lexington the grinder overheated on the third blade and I finished the job with a cheap mill bastard file I had in the toolbox. The file took about 10 minutes per blade versus 4 with the grinder, but it left a much cleaner edge and the deck cut way more even the rest of the summer. I know the grinder is faster, but the file never burns the steel or dips the balance. Has anyone else gone back to hand tools for stuff like this after a power tool let them down?