How to Sharpen Rear Tine Tillers

Preparing the soil for a new garden is back-breaking work that can be made easier by using a rototiller. The tines on most newer rototillers, whether front-mounted or rear-mounted, are self-sharpening; and all are removable for sharpening or replacing, but that may not be the case on an older model. If your rear-tine tiller seems to be struggling to break through tougher weedier or rocky ground, sharpening the tines may help. The process requires very few tools and can extend the life of the tines considerably. To save time in the spring, sharpen the tines in the fall when you are servicing the tiller for winter storage.

Adjustable wrench
Steel rasp or bench grinder with a 24-grit wheel attachment
Bench vise
Sturdy work table or bench
Calipers
Work gloves
Safety glasses

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the spark plug and turn the tiller on its side; locate the bolts that attach the tines to the shaft, and remove them, using your owner's manual, if you have it, as a guide.
- 2
  Fasten one blade to the bench vise and secure tightly.
- 3
  Use the rasp to file the beveled edges of each blade, moving from its rough surface on the thick edge of the blade straight down toward the thin sharp edge.
- 4
  Sharpen each side of the blade on the bench grinder by placing it against the wheel so the grinder moves clockwise down from its thick edge to its fine edge.
- 5
  Sharpen each tine so the blade edge is in the shape of a "V," and measure each finished tine with calipers to make sure that you sharpened them all to the same thickness.
- 6
  Reattach tines securely to the tiller, replace the spark plug, give it a test run to see if the tines are sharp enough, or store it until the next planting season.

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