Just what I've been looking for.

My mower needed sharpening but the cost was prohibitive, I was told about $60. That was more than half the cost of the mower itself. I finally found this kit and after reading some reviews ordered it. The instructions were good (they include a section on adjusting the blades) and the whole thing took less than 15 minutes. Now it's like I have a new mower, one pass and that's all it takes.

Frustrated with Amazon

We would have like to have this item pop up as a possible item of interest at the time we purchased the mower so we could but and shio together!

Do it yourself and do a superior job

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.^M
^M
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.)^M
^M
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.^M
^M
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.