The American Lawn Mower Company reel mower sharpening kit is an easy way to keep reel blades in top cutting form. This do-it-yourself kit allows users to sharpen their own mowers at home. The kit contains everything you need for safe and effective sharpening, including a detailed instruction manual, grinding compound, application brush, and a special back-lapping crank. The kits is designed for use with 1705-16 and 1815-18 push mowers. Cutting down on mowing time, this sharpening kits gives you an environmentally-friendly, perfectly cut lawn.
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Buy American Lawn Mower Company SK-1 Reel Mower Sharpening Kit at Amazon
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September 4th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
If you have a reel mower, you need to sharpen the blades every couple of years, depending on how much you use it (just like with a power mower). If you used to have a power mower, you might be tempted to try to find someone to do it for you. Although I heard of someone in my area who *might* be able to do it, I decided to try this kit first.
The directions are straight-forward and clearly described in the manual. In short: turn the mower upside-down, use the brush to “paint” the compound (a thick goop) along the end of each blade, pop off a wheel, slip on the crank, and have your son turn it for a couple of minutes. (If you don’t have children, you’ll have to do it yourself.) Finally clean off the compound and re-assemble the mower. You should be able to complete this chore in 30-45 minutes. (The alternative is to pack it up, drive it to someone else, and come home; then later drive over, pick it up, and drive it home again. Oh yeah, and you’d have to pay for it too.)
The manual also describes how to adjust the blades for the optimal cut, which is something you need to do occasionally. I use strips of newspaper to ensure an even cut along the entire width of the reel.
I estimate there’s enough compound in this kit for about six or eight sharpenings, which means it could last up to ten years–quite a deal compared to paying someone else to do this simple chore–and you’ll have the satisifaction of knowing you did a great job.
September 4th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
great product, does just what it should
This saved me a bunch of money on having my reel mower sharpened at a hardware store or golf course here in town.
September 4th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
super easy!
this product was soooo easy to use, it’s almost ridiculous!!!i takes a bit of elbow grease, but well worth it. the price was way below any other web site i’d visited, too.
September 4th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
The description of this product really should include a paragraph about how it actually works because the picture gives you absolutely no indication of what it does. The crank lets you turn the blades backwards and the “sharpening compound” which you “paint” on to the cutting edges of the blades turns the mower frame into a grinding stone. It really works well. But wait, there’s more… The instructions are excellent and they also tell you how to adjust the blades. Sending the mower out to a professional (if you can find one who works on reel mowers) will cost you about 75% of what you’ll pay for a new machine. This kit is worth it.
A lot of the negative reviews about the reel mowers here on Amazon.com probably come from people who haven’t adjusted their machines correctly. My mower is working better than ever after making just a few simple adjustments.
September 4th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Cheap and East to Use
If you own a reel-type mower, you’re going to need to sharpen the blades at some point. This kit is very reasonably priced and very easy to use.
September 4th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
There isn’t much to say about this product. It sharpens, and works well on my American lawn mower. However, the directions are flawed. If you READ THE MOWER MANUAL (not the manual in the sharpening kit), it will tell you to do the following:
1. Remove BOTH wheels
2. Remove and switch ratchet gears from L to R and vice versa
3. Flip over pawls
4. Apply Compound
5. PUSH MOWER BACKWARDS!!!!! (for about 5 minutes, or until sharpening goo changes color. Mine turns grey)
The instructions in the sharpening kit tell you to use the stupid crank, which takes forever. If you just push the mower backwards, the blades get sharpened in about 5 minutes. Then you just switch the ratchet gears back and re-flip-over the pawls (and put the wheels back on). My only complaint is that they didn’t SAY that. However, I give it 5 stars anyway, because if you use it how you SHOULD, it is very easy, and makes the cutting quality much better.
September 4th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
4.0 out of 5 stars
American Lawn Mower SK-1 Reel Mower Sharpening Kit
The American Lawn Mower Company SK-1 Reel Mower Sharpening Kit enabled me to sharpen our reel mower like it has never been sharpened before-exceptionally well!
September 4th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reel good sharpener
Worked better than expectations. Simple to use. Minimal dissasembly of mower, Has enough material to do many sharpenings.
September 4th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
3.0 out of 5 stars
Mower
I haven’t used this item yet but hopefully I can use it on my scott’s mowers.
September 4th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Must Have!
I haven’t had to use it yet, but I’m glad to know it’s there when I’ll surely need to use it one day.
September 4th, 2009 at 7:07 pm
4.0 out of 5 stars
good product
The kit is good and did the trick. I would have liked more complete instructions on how to disassemble the lawnmower wheel in order to fasten the cranking tool.
September 4th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
3.0 out of 5 stars
Annoying…
Honestly it was really annoying for me to sharpen the blades on my mower. I thought it’d be straight forward but apparently I’m pretty retarded when it comes to this mower and not…
September 4th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome
This is a great product. The sharpening instructions where very easy to understand, and after I figured out that the hand crank could be replaced with a 1/2 inch chuck electric…