Sharpening push reel mower // Backlapping my Gardena 400 C

[@TheLawnCareNut]

"I don't mow that low, but I mow alot" - Sam 2021 🤘

[@SamsLawn]

haha 😂

[@gergemall]

Thanks l appreciate it. Beautiful lawn

[@osmoseGrafik]

I will certainly never do this but the way you make your videos keep making me watching them and it’s so enjoyable. It’s really nice to watch someone with so much humour and self derision. Thank you 👍👍

[@SamsLawn]

Haha thanks man, really appreciate it. You got to have fun with it and not take yourself too seriously, glad you get it man 😁

[@isleygao5866]

Great video. Super informative and easy to understand. I came here because I just got a reel mower and was confused how backlapping works. Other videos did not explain that the bed knife is what sharpens the blades. Thank you for explaining the mechanics of what is actually happening when you apply the paste to sharpen the blades.

[@SamsLawn]

Hey mate, thank you very much, really glad you found it helpful. Good luck with the backlapping and watch those fingers! :)

[@SamsaekSandwich]

Managed to get it done with a deep 21mm socket and a hex drill adapter. Tried a regular socket at first and it didn’t work, has to be a deep one. I used chemico 120 grit back lapping paste as it’s available in the UK. I just used an adjustable wrench to make the small adjustments to the plate position rather than a socket. I was a bit concerned it wasn’t working because I was struggling to get it to do anything to paper except fold it, but after rinsing it off and trying on grass it’s much sharper now and usable again. Thanks for the video, very helpful!

[@SamsLawn]

Awesome mate! Glad it finally worked! It does feel so nice the first times you use it after a backlapping, feels so smooth! :)

[@DudumanBogdanVlad]

Thanks. I managed to do it. Initially I was moving the wheels in the opposite direction and no results. Watched again, saw how the wheels were moving and after 5 minutes, I did the paper cut test and ❤. Thank you!🎉

[@SamsLawn]

Awesome mate, good job! :)

[@davidnguyen9040]

Quick and easy explanation, my reel feels like new!

[@SamsLawn]

Awesome mate, glad it worked out for you :)

[@apmgold]

Very informative video, presented in a light friendly manner. Thanks Sam, it's much appreciated. BTW I'm a new subscriber now, keep up the great work.

[@SamsLawn]

Thanks mate, appreciate it! Glad to have you on board, hope you find the videos helpful :)

[@alceja3522]

500th sub!! 👏🏻 well done Sam!!

[@SamsLawn]

You will always be my no 500 now Al! :D Thanks a lot man, appreciate it 🙏

[@RobinHedstrom]

Perfect! Now I know how to do and don't have to figure it out myself. Thanks!

[@SamsLawn]

Would like to see you backlapp your Gardena too, see how a pro does it. First time ever i did it, felt a bit sloppy :D

[@doomality]

i've watched like 12 videos on this same subject and you have the best one. good work. very descriptive and illustrative. stupid question, but can you provide a link for the power drill that you use? what size bit did you use?

[@SamsLawn]

Hey Mate, I can't put in links, youtube just removes the comment, but the model is DDF484Z, had it for 7 years and it still works as good as day 1, love Makita, such good quality. The socket I use is a 21 mm or 13/16" however, that might differ if you have some other model. Glad you found the video helpful 🙏

[@ewingtaylor5487]

A simpler method - remove the turned-over blade edge burr (a primary cause of the non-cutting) by running a small hard White Arkansas sharpening stone along the blade length, restoring the sharp right angle blade edge which produces the cut. Same approach as sharpening thin speed skates blades - which are flat and polished on the very bottom (for speed, naturally), and cut into the ice using a very pointy right angle blade edge - made by removing the burr produced from running a large stone back and forth along the length of the skate blades. A very fine file could used in place of a stone for reel lawnmower blades.

[@SamsLawn]

Sounds like an awesome way to do it too!

[@itsacrazyworld4958]

😂that was an enjoyable demonstration Sam. I think I will brush the lapping compound on before starting to spin with the drill quickly, that looks a little dangerous for my clumsy hands. Appreciate the tips!

[@SamsLawn]

Thanks mate, glad you enjoyed the video :) For sure, that sounds like a good way of doing it if you do not want to risk losing any fingers :)

[@harryhalfmoon]

Thank you for that! Just what I was looking for.

[@SamsLawn]

Awesome Harry, glad it helped!

[@aquienpuedainteresar4188]

Just in time. I need to sharpen mine.

[@TheLawnShark]

Good stuff! I will be doing this to my manual reel at some point. Thanks! Also, I subbed to your channel Good stuff.

[@SamsLawn]

Thanks man, really appreciate it 😁

[@TheLawnShark]

@@SamsLawn Absolutely!

[@grandpa6535]

Excellent tutorial. Thanks!

[@SamsLawn]

Glad it helped :)

[@yngwieweare]

The best way I sharpen my lawnmower, diamond round, grinding stone you be amazed

[@SamsLawn]

Hey mate, does that work with cylinder mowers as well?

[@yngwieweare]

@@SamsLawn if you got the right technique of sharpening any type of lawnmowers, it works

[@yngwieweare]

@@SamsLawn i’ve been doing it for 30 years no problems no disassemble in any More you could leave the blade on and it works

[@SamsLawn]

@@yngwieweare Sounds really interesting, need to google it a bit, maybe there are some videos out there showing how. Just so I don´t break anything trying it out :)

[@yngwieweare]

You don’t have to disassemble just 220 600 grid diamond stone no lubricant necessary it does work

[@JMBlackNet]

Best video I've seen for manual mowers. What grit compound are you using? oh I saw your amazon link, so 80 grit. Awesome man.

[@SamsLawn]

Hey Mate, thank you so much, glad you liked the video. As you saw, I use 80 grit. If you live in the UK there is a brand called Chemico Lapping Paste, that one is just awesome, ordered some this year from eBay, it´s water based so it washes off very easily. The one I used in the video is oil based so it sticks to everything.

[@PacificNorthwestLawns]

Great video Sam! I should do this with my manual reel mower but I really don't use it much at all.

[@SamsLawn]

Thanks Nate, appreciate it. You should use it, it gives a great cut, but your back will take a beating :D

[@TheMdewell]

Thanks for the video. What direction should I have the drill set to?

[@SamsLawn]

Hey Matt, thanks for watching mate. You should set it to reverse, or backwards. It's called BACKlapping, so the cylinder needs to go backwards to be sharpened 😊Watch the fingers! 😉

[@sophievandevelde6269]

Merci pour cette vidéo idéale pour les nuls comme moi. J'en avais vraiment besoin pour démonter cette tondeuse. 👍

[@SamsLawn]

You are most welcome, glad you found it helpful :)

[@SunnyBermuda]

🌞Just subbed! Great video! Glad to see you didn't lose a finger!

[@SamsLawn]

Thanks man, appreciate it :D

[@x.Prep.Tastic.Sophia.x]

Great explanation and teardown. The gearwheel driving the keyway cam is it hard plastic. I had a bosch pushmower and the plastic gear git chewed too easily.. How well does same gearwheel on gardena hold up

[@SamsLawn]

Hey mate, thanks, hope you found it helpful 😊 It's a metal piece, haven't seen any wear and tear yet, and I had it for 3 years now. Plastic sounds very optimistic by Bosch 😉

[@x.Prep.Tastic.Sophia.x]

@@SamsLawn Bosch consumer grade pushes the limits at times.

[@SamsaekSandwich]

Really useful video, thanks! Do you know the size of the two sockets? As I don't have a socket set and don't really want to have to buy the whole set

[@SamsLawn]

Hey mate, glad you found it useful! I used a 21 mm or 13/16" socket, fit perfectly.

[@SamsaekSandwich]

@@SamsLawn Thanks, glad I asked cos I tried to measure it and I got 23mm!

[@bassebonnlapp-officiella]

Trevlig video med mycket bra information.

[@SamsLawn]

Tack Basse!

[@madsenification]

I have the same mower - the wheels are sliding over the grass, so it is not working very well - any tips?

[@SamsLawn]

Hey mate, hmm not sure what could be wrong, might be worth opening the wheels and checking that the gear can move freely, try rolling it with the wheel off and see if it moves. Might be stuck or something like that or in need of some lubricant.

[@famoberg5674]

Vilken sida på amazon köpte du pastan ifrån? Bra och informativ video fö

[@SamsLawn]

Tjena, jag köpte den via svenska Amazon, finns en länk i beskrivningen. Dock om du orkar så kolla på Ebay på en som heter Chemico Back Lapping Paste, den är vattenbaserad och sååå mycket lättare att bara skölja bort sen när man är klar. Dock finns den bara i UK så enda sättet att få tag på den är via Ebay. Jag köpte därifrån utan några problem.

[@kimandredybdahl9304]

Bra video Sam. Jeg gjør det på samme måte med min 400c 😃👍

[@SamsLawn]

Grymt, bra att det fungerade, visst är det en skön känsla första gången man klipper när den är precis backlappad? :)

[@chupacabra7224]

Hello sit I just bought myself gardena 400c, and as soon as I put in on grass, it's cutting unevenly and stock sometimes. What is the problem. Grass aren't even that long. I cut them 3 days ago

[@SamsLawn]

Hey mate! Have you done a paper test? To see that the blades are sharp, and even? If not, then you need to adjust them on both sides until they cut evenly. I know when I got mine it was not even at all, I had to adjust the blades since they were uneven from the factory.

[@bertprendergast4120]

That pin was so easy; mine had a little wire clamp and when I tried to remove it I lost it lol

[@SamsLawn]

haha I feel your pain mate! I don´t know how many small fiddly things I have dropped, lost or misplaces. I am actually surprised I haven´t lost that little pin yet 😅

[@jasasyiken5561]

Great video. Out of the box, my unit failed the paper test. Strangely it cuts on both sides but not the middle of the reel. Not sure if I should do this process or something else is misaligned. The instruction manual actually says loosen both left and right bolts then slowly tighten only the left bolt until it barely touches. Do you adjust both sides or just the left according to the manual?

[@SamsLawn]

Hey Mate, hmm I would say it sounds like the bed knife might be bent, if it cuts on both side but not in the middle it usually is the case. Take something straight and put it against the bed knife and check. If that is the case you will need to get it to a professional and get it re-ground.

[@jasasyiken5561]

@@SamsLawnHi. Thanks for replying. What I have done was to loosen the bed knife (release the tension) then carefully tighten it back. Then I adjusted the blade to make sure the center touches the knife. This made the 2 ends very tight. Then I did a back lap following your guidance. And now it cuts paper clean throughout. Even if there is a bend, it’s very minor do the backslapping corrected any inconsistency. Very Happy now. 😊

[@SamsLawn]

@@jasasyiken5561 Awesome mate, glad it works now, now you can mow EVERY day :D

[@rillesni1]

Really like your videos and your lawn, Sam! I have the same model and Im in the process of getting this done!💪 Did you loosen up the blades after showing that it could cut with a terrible noise or did you go with that setting when you applied the paste and got to backlapping? Hard to explain in english, but Im trying to be a bit international here!😂😂 Keep up the good work! Rikard, Kungälv

[@SamsLawn]

Tjena Rikard, inga problem att skriva på Svenska, så internationella behöver vi inte vara i kommentarerna 😁 Kul att du hittat till min kanal! Förstår din fråga helt och hållet, jag ändrade inställning och flyttade bladen lite närmare till och med, just för att hela bladen ska ha kontakt med "underkniven" så att säga. Dock handlar det om små små små ändringar, så skruva försiktigt, så får man testa sig fram. Hoppas det går bra och har du fler frågor är det bara att återkomma 😊

[@johncanter9575]

Great video… really nice channel.

[@SamsLawn]

Thanks John, really appreciate it mate.

[@MischaGielen]

Nice and informative video Sam ! You mow this whole lawn with a hand mower? Or you get help from what I think is a robot mower in the top left corner of the video (at the end)? 😁😉

[@SamsLawn]

Hey Mischa, I actually mow it all by hand pretty much all year, good catch mate haha, It is a robomower in the corner. But poor thing is only going 3-4 weeks per year during vacation when I can't mow myself :) Actually got tired of mowing manually so I bought a new mower, hopefully I can show it soon :)

[@MischaGielen]

@@SamsLawn Looks like a pretty large lawn to mow by hand! Today I mowed my lawn for the first time, but with a cheap cirkel mower I bought to fight the jungle in my back yard until now. Inspired by your video I'm search for a manual, or when I can find it an electrical, cage mower.

[@MischaGielen]

@@SamsLawn one more question: where did you purchase the grinding paste?

[@SamsLawn]

@@MischaGielen Bought it from Amazon, the link works if you are in the EU, but the same doesn't seem to be sold in US.

[@mikebond3732]

SAM,WHAT ABOUT THE MULTI-SHARP 1109 MOWER SHARPENER YOU CLAMPON BED KNIFE & ROLL MOWER TO SHARPEN?! MIKE BOND 007!

[@SamsLawn]

Hey Mike, hmm not sure, I mean, that one seem to require to take off the bed knife, the blades etc, seems more work? But then again, never used it, so couldn't really say. If you do use it, let me know how it works out :)

[@ragnarferrand-drakedelcast6337]

Thanks for the video! What diameter does the screw driver's connector need to have to get good contact with the lawn mower? Sorry, don't know the correct words to describe in detail.

[@SamsLawn]

Hi Ragnar, thanks, glad you liked it. No worries, I understand what you mean :) the socket I used was 21 mm or 13/16" however, that might differ if you have some other model. Hope this helps Thanks for watching and the follow, appreciate it 🙏

[@ragnarferrand-drakedelcast6337]

@@SamsLawn thanks, once I get a hold of such a socket I should be able to reproduce what you've so elegantly demonstrated! :)

[@SamsLawn]

​ @Ragnar Ferrand - Drake del Castillo Fully confident you can do it, if I can, everyone can :D Just be careful with your fingers dude haha, let me know how you do.

[@ragnarferrand-drakedelcast6337]

Thanks 21 mm socket worked perfectly! Very satisfying to do it by yourself!

[@SamsLawn]

@@ragnarferrand-drakedelcast6337 Awesome man! 🥳💪🏼 I know right, you really get the "handyman" feeling 😁

[@MihaiAdrianNegru]

I have tried to sharpen mine but I don't have the right drill head. Do you mind sharing yours?

[@SamsLawn]

Hey Mate, I use a 21 mm or 13/16" for mine, hope that works for you.

[@MihaiAdrianNegru]

@@SamsLawn Thanks. Appreciate it. I have watched this video several times. Extremely helpful :)

[@SamsLawn]

@@MihaiAdrianNegru Awesome my man, glad you find it helpful :)

[@fredrikhilton1431]

Tror du man kan göra samma sak med batteriemodellen? Bra video 👍

[@SamsLawn]

Tjena Fredrik, absolut, det kan man göra. Bara att ta av däcket och hitta axeln, så är det i stort sett samma sak. Eventuellt lite mer skruvar och sånt för att komma åt än en manuell handjagare. Tack, uppskattar att du tittade förbi 😊

[@possible1337]

Vilken storlek på hylsan med skruvdragare har du?

[@SamsLawn]

Tjena, jag använder en 21 mm hylsa.

[@possible1337]

​@@SamsLawn okej, jag får inte ens av sprinten på min 380 Li ... får av kåpan sen kommer jag inte längre

[@SamsLawn]

@@possible1337 Den var lite lurig att få av tyckte jag, speciellt första gången man gjorde det för den satt åt ganska rejält. En bra tång och platt skruvmejsel så gick det till slut.

[@SimonFredriksson-y2z]

Tjena, Tittade på ditt klipp och försökte göra det. Men vafan, axeln är ju rund?! Vilken hylsnyckel använde du? Och hur fick du den att fästa i axeln? Och vad använde du för insats för att få den att sitta i skruvdragaren?😂 vill du länka hade jag varit enormt tacksam

[@SamsLawn]

Tjena Simon, jag undrade också första gången jag öppnade den, men jag hade en skiva som gick igenom den runda axeln, en tunn liten liten skiva, som gör det möjligt för en hylsa att fästa. Jag trodde den var nödvändig för att hjulet öht ska snurra? Har du inte den skivan? Jag använde iaf en 21 mm eller 13/16, passade perfekt till skivan som går igenom axeln. Såg dock på facebook en kille som hade skurit av en trädgårdsslang och satt klämmor runt axeln och en hylsa, för att kunna snurra den. Så prova det om den där lilla skivan inte finns på din. Hoppas det fungerar, återkom gärna och berätta hur det gick! :)

[@naifchoudhury1746]

What is the size of that socket please?

[@SamsLawn]

Hi Naif, the socket I used was 21 mm or 13/16" however, that might differ if you have some other model. Good luck and watch the fingers mate ;)

[@nirmalak1646]

What size socket?

[@SamsLawn]

21 mm or 13/16 deep socket

[@nirmalak1646]

​@@SamsLawnthank you!

[@paulhopkins686]

Have you compared the push along to a petrol mower?

[@SamsLawn]

Hey Paul, I don't have a petrol mower, I have a robomower for when I'm not at home or off on vacation. Maybe I'll do a comparison between them. Good idea!