With blunt blades, the scarifier is fighting a losing battle against thatch. Although the garden tool is only used once or twice a year, the blade roller wears out more quickly than lawn mower blades due to the high level of wear and tear. This guide explains how to sharpen your scarifier yourself.
How do I sharpen a scarifier myself?
To sharpen a scarifier yourself, remove the blades according to the operating instructions, clean them thoroughly and fix them. Sharpen the dull blades with a soaked whetstone or file, maintaining the existing angle.
Safety is a priority – important preparation work
Before you turn your attention to the blades of your scarifier, you should ensure that the engine starts unintentionally. To do this, pull out the power plug on the electrical device. Please disconnect the spark plug and connector on the petrol scarifier. Since even blunt blades can cause serious injuries and metal chips fly when grinding, please wear gloves and safety glasses.
Sharpening scarifiers manually – tips & tricks
In the hobby garden, it is rarely worth investing in an expensive wet grinding machine to sharpen a garden tool every now and then. For this purpose, the focus is on whetstones or hand files because they are inexpensive to purchase and easy to use. How to do it correctly:
- Remove the scarifying knife according to the manufacturer's operating instructions
- Clean thoroughly with water and a cloth
- Clamp in a vice or otherwise securely fix
- Soak the grindstone in water or oil for a few hours
- Sharpen a dull blade from the outside in with a whetstone or file
When grinding, please ensure that the existing angle of the cutting surface is maintained. If you are working with a hand file, remove the last burr at the end with a grinding stone. As a rule, a simple file is enough to ensure that the blades of the scarifying roller work smoothly. You can achieve more precise results with a grinding file (€28.00 on Amazon), because the grinding stone is on a handle. This design also has the advantage that grinding work is less strenuous.
Tip
Owners of a drill with a flexible attachment can sharpen blades and knives on garden tools without removing them. With the universal knife sharpener from Westfalia, not only rose and pruning shears can be sharp in no time. You can also sharpen scarifying knives on both motorized and manual devices.
