We have found 700 to 800 A5 blade sets per side to be the average on manual usage. Up to twice that number is obtainable with proper care. Keeping the grit charge fresh has the most influence on disc life.
Sharpeners that remove .0005" per blade as opposed to sharpeners that remove .0015" per blade will do more blade sets since they are honing for less time per blade set. Disc wear is relative to how much time has been spent grinding. Although counting blades determines how many sets have been sharpened on a disc surface, it does not determine if the surface is true or not. In order to produce well sharpened blades at all times, a disc needs to be refinished before it is out of tolerance. Monitoring the grind on each blade by the use of a rubbing block is the best way to know when your disc needs refinished.

A test/rubbing block is a precision ground cast iron plate that you rub a blade on to determine the contact pattern of the ground surface. This burnishes the high areas of the surface and reveals whether or not the blade was ground correctly to insure even tooth contact for optimal cutting and blade life. This monitors the technique of the operator and also the condition of the disc surface. The only reason for not using a rubbing block to check your grind pattern is that you do not want to know what it is. Visual inspection without the use of a rubbing block does not indicate one of the two most important factors in clipper blade sharpening - tooth contact pattern.

The length of time honing per set and the size of the blades will determine the number of sets you can sharpen before excessive down pressure is needed to effectively hone. We recommend approximately 2 minutes of honing time per charge when sharpening A5 blades.

Using 240 grit, 20 seconds removes approximately .001". Depending on the blade, this may or may not be enough to make it completely sharp.

Yes. There is a misconception by many people that disc diameter and grinding speed play the determining factors in the hollow grind and sharpness of blades. We have proven results that show that better than factory results can be achieved on discs of any diameter clear down to 6" if the proper angle is machined into the plate and then the surface scraped for accuracy. Any amount of hollow grind can be achieved no matter the disc diameter. It is the angle that it is machined to that determines the amount of "hollow" it will grind into a blade. Keep in mind that the disc profile is somewhat irrelevant unless it is accurately transferred to the blade by using proper sharpening techniques.

It effectively contains the grit within the housing. Air borne grit is drastically reduced as compared to a machine with no lid. The optional dust control blower and filter makes the machine practically dust free.

Two hours of instruction are included with the purchase of our manual system, and four hours are included with the purchase of our automated system. Detailed printed instructions and a video are included with each machine that lead you step by step through the sharpening process with our system. We are also available for phone consultation for any questions, or problems you may be having.