You shouldn't ever need to replace the blade unless it gets bent or broken. Just sharpen it with a file, or a grinder if you have it. The blade has to be balanced though. Blade levels are cheap and easy to use.
Given..... everything it seems likely the next generation was an inferior grade of steel. However, I think you need fancy expensive equipment to differentiate between them
Balancing it can be done on a nail: you need only that the 2 sides balance, not that the weight-distribution be perfectly-even ( no gunk on the blade while balancing, obviously ).
You want to keep the same kind of angle on the edge as Honda had, & take your time grinding it down if you're using a powertool for the grinding ( if you're doing it with a waterstone, you probably want a 80-120 grit, then only bother coming up to 300-400-grit for the edge-finish/microbevel ).
Takes awhile in a single day, & then you're done for a year.
You shouldn't ever need to replace the blade unless it gets bent or broken. Just sharpen it with a file, or a grinder if you have it. The blade has to be balanced though. Blade levels are cheap and easy to use.
Given..... everything it seems likely the next generation was an inferior grade of steel. However, I think you need fancy expensive equipment to differentiate between them
Take it off the mower, sharpen it, & balance it.
Balancing it can be done on a nail: you need only that the 2 sides balance, not that the weight-distribution be perfectly-even ( no gunk on the blade while balancing, obviously ).
You want to keep the same kind of angle on the edge as Honda had, & take your time grinding it down if you're using a powertool for the grinding ( if you're doing it with a waterstone, you probably want a 80-120 grit, then only bother coming up to 300-400-grit for the edge-finish/microbevel ).
Takes awhile in a single day, & then you're done for a year.
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I'm terrible at keeping an angle, so probably just going to get the kit for the rotary. Need the chain sharpener guide anyway.
There are really cheap drill attachments with a sharpening guide, used one for the first time the other week and it works pretty well.
Jigs exist, for keeping the angle..
I'd wrongly assumed that that would be obvious, sorry.
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As long as it's still cutting and not vibrating too badly, I wouldn't worry about it at all.