The Dremel lawn mower blade sharpener attachment works for touch ups on a blade that is only lightly dull. It loses badly against real damage. A deep nick, a bent edge, or a rock chip needs more than this small tool can give.
A Dremel is a small rotary tool spinning a small stone. That combination is fast at fine touch up work. It is slow at anything else.
This guide covers the dremel lawn mower blade sharpener attachment itself. It covers the stone and angle guide, where the attachment beats a flap disc, and where it does not. It also covers the heat risk on thin blade edges.
What the Dremel attachment actually is
The attachment sold as the Dremel 675 Lawn Mower and Garden Tool Sharpener is listed by Dremel itself as a retired product. It still shows up on Amazon and eBay through leftover stock. The manufacturer now points buyers to its A679-02 sharpening kit instead.
Either way, the working parts are the same idea. A small angle guide holds a grinding stone at the right angle. Both pieces clip onto a rotary tool body.
The stone is a specific part, the Dremel #932 aluminum oxide stone. The manual is direct about this. Other stones may not fit the attachment or be speed rated for it.
That is worth knowing before you hunt for a generic replacement stone at a hardware store. The attachment also fits a long list of Dremel rotary tool bodies, including the 100, 200, 300, 400, 4000, 770, 800, 275, 285, 395, 398, and 8200 series. If you already own one for other shop tasks, the attachment is a cheap add on.
Stone size and angle guide reality
The angle guide is not a fixed number stamped on the plastic. Dremel’s instructions say to follow the blade’s existing bevel angle. The guide holds the stone at that angle while you work, rather than forcing a new one.
Technique matters more than the hardware here. The blade goes into a vise or clamp first. You pass the sharpener over each end of the blade the same number of times.
Keep the speed and pressure equal on both sides.
That equal pass count keeps the blade balanced. Dremel’s current guidance also includes a balance check after sharpening. Rest the blade’s center hole on a nail, held horizontal, and see if either end drops.
A dropping end is heavier and needs another light pass. Skipping this step is how a freshly sharpened blade ends up vibrating the deck.
Touch up niche vs flap disc reality
This is where the dremel lawn mower blade sharpener attachment earns its keep, or does not. A small rotary stone removes metal slowly. That is fine on a blade that only needs a light refresh between mowing sessions.
It is a real limitation on a blade that needs actual material removed. An angle grinder fitted with a flap disc removes far more metal per pass. For a bent edge or a deep chip, the flap disc gets you back to a clean edge much faster.
Angle Grinder Flap Disc Set
Best for Real Damage
Multi grit flap disc set | angle grinder compatible | fast material removal
For anything past a light touch up, a flap disc set on an angle grinder does the job the Dremel stone cannot do quickly. It clears rock chips and reshapes a rolled edge fast. A small stone would need many more passes for the same result.
The tradeoff is control. A flap disc removes metal fast enough that it is easy to take off more than you meant to. Light, even passes still matter, just at a faster pace.
Pros
- Clears heavy damage in far fewer passes than a rotary stone
- Works on badly rolled or bent edges the Dremel stone cannot fix
- One disc set covers several blades before it wears out
Cons
- Removes metal fast enough to overshoot the angle if you rush
- Needs an angle grinder, a separate tool purchase if you do not own one
- Overkill for a blade that only needs a light touch up
The honest rule: reach for the Dremel attachment when the edge is dull but the blade is straight. Reach for the flap disc when the blade shows visible damage. Our side by side look at mower blade sharpeners covers the full range between these two extremes.
Heat on thin edges
Mower blade edges are thin compared to the body of the blade. Thin steel loses heat resistance fast under a spinning abrasive. There is less mass around the edge to soak up and spread the heat before it builds.
A small stone concentrates its contact on a narrow strip of metal. That narrow contact patch turns more grinding energy into heat at one small spot. Dwell too long in one place and that heat can draw the temper out of a thin edge.
A softened spot dulls again almost immediately. Neither the Dremel attachment manual nor the manufacturer’s current sharpening guide calls out heat specifically as a warning. The manual does warn about the stone grabbing on the blade corner and kicking back, a related but separate hazard.
Treat the heat risk as basic shop physics rather than a manufacturer caution. Keep the tool moving and use light pressure. Never park the stone or disc in one spot on a thin edge.
Mistakes to skip
Do not force a generic stone into the Dremel attachment because it happens to fit the collet. The manual is specific that other stones may run at the wrong speed rating. That is a safety issue as much as a performance one.
Do not skip the balance check. An unbalanced blade vibrates the mower deck and wears spindle bearings faster. The nail test takes thirty seconds and catches an uneven edge early.
Do not treat the Dremel attachment as your only tool if you also handle a chainsaw. Our page on sharpening a chain with a Dremel covers the separate attachment that job needs. The mower attachment and the chain attachment are not interchangeable.
Do not try to skip a full sharpening session by knocking the worst of a chip down and calling it done. A chip that deep needs the material removal a flap disc or bench grinder provides. Follow it with a fine pass, not a partial fix from the wrong tool.
| Model | Type | Best for | Price band | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dremel sharpening attachment | Rotary tool + stone | Light touch ups, no damage | Under $20 (plus rotary tool) | |
| Angle grinder + flap disc | Powered disc grinder | Chips, bent edges, real damage | Under $50 for disc set | |
| Dedicated bench or electric sharpener | Purpose built grinder | Regular seasonal upkeep | $$ |
Where the Dremel path fits your shop
If you already own a Dremel rotary tool for other jobs, the sharpening attachment is a low cost way to hold off real dullness between full sharpening sessions. It is not a replacement for a proper sharpening tool if you are starting from nothing. If you need a dedicated setup, our bench grinder steps for a mower blade cover that route in detail.
People who mow regularly and want quick touch ups tend to get the most out of the attachment. People who let a blade go until it is visibly damaged should skip straight to a flap disc. If you want the rotary tool kit itself, a general Dremel rotary tool sharpening kit search covers the current A679 kits.
More outdoor tool guides live on our lawn and garden equipment section of the site.
The bottom line: The Dremel lawn mower blade sharpener attachment is a fine touch up tool for a blade that is dull but not damaged. A rock chip, a bent edge, or months of neglect needs more material removal than a small stone can give. Reach for a flap disc instead.
FAQ
Is the Dremel 675 attachment still sold new?
Dremel lists the 675 as a retired product on its own site. Remaining stock still turns up through retailers, but the manufacturer now points buyers toward its A679 sharpening kits instead.
What stone does the Dremel mower blade attachment use?
The Dremel #932 aluminum oxide grinding stone. The manual warns against a different stone, since it may not fit the attachment or run at the right speed.
Can the Dremel attachment fix a bent or chipped mower blade?
Not efficiently. A small rotary stone removes metal too slowly for real damage. An angle grinder with a flap disc handles that kind of repair much faster.
How do I know if I overheated the blade edge?
Watch the metal color as you work. A shift toward blue or straw means that spot overheated. It will dull again faster than the rest of the blade.
Do I need to balance the blade after using the Dremel attachment?
Yes. Rest the blade’s center hole on a nail held horizontal. If one end drops, that side is heavier and needs another light pass.
Does the Dremel attachment work on other garden tools?
It is built for rotary mower blades. It also fits some non motorized garden tools that fit the angle guide. Powered chain tools need a separate attachment built for chain.
Sources
- Dremel: Lawn Mower Sharpening Attachment product page, model 675. https://www.dremel.com/gn/en/p/lawn-mower-sharpening-attachment-26150675ab
- Dremel: How to Sharpen Lawn Mower Blades, official project guide. https://www.dremel.com/us/en/projects/project-plans/how-to-sharpen-lawn-mower-blades