Sharpen shredder blades or buy new?

[RickB]

If the blade edges are rounded or severely chipped at the outer end they won't cut worth a hoot no matter if they are sharp or dull. The outer 1-2" of cutting edge usually tells me whether the blades need to be replaced or just sharpened.

 

[PapaPerk]

Sharpen with an angle grinder per manual. No need to remove blades or replace. They have very little use on them.
Milling them is a big overkill.

 

[Soundguy]

unless the blades are cracked, broke or otherwise unuseable.. I dress thenm yearly and go, after inspection..e tc..

 

[jbwrangler]

I remember my dad saying that they used to take bush hog blades to a blacksmith that would heat and hammer them back to the correct thickness? Anyone ever heard of this?

 

[Kays Supply]

It is called drawing out the blade. The old guy I served my apprenticeship with said that was the correct way to sharpen them. It makes them last much longer. He said that is the way to sharpen a plow also. If a blacksmith did it, he could also put temper back into the edge while doing it. There is also a mineral dust you can dip the edge in while red hot, and it will make them last longer.

 

[Soundguy]

contrast that to the price of a new blade.. considering you may have to drive to another state or at least county to find a blacksmith anymore..

 

[Kays Supply]

I just took it for granted that all you guys had a forge and anvil in your shop.:laughing:

 

[nikdfish]

Drawing the edge has the additional advantage of not removing metal - less potential for imbalance. I've had a couple of my elders (I'm 58+) be emphatic that a hammer was the "proper" way to resharpen a dinged blade (scythe or cutter ...). A stone or file was for dressing the final result.

Nick

 

[Soundguy]

unfortunately.. while true.. that advice was from the day when labor was 2$ for a days work, and time was laying around everywhere at your feet, and steel was in short supply for war efforts, so you had to pound out that mower blade.. heat was cheap.. labor was cheap, and materials were scarce.

nowadays.. you'll spend more getting a blade heated and beat on, and take more time to do it, cost wise, than just biying a new blade.. or cutting that one till it's no longer able to be cut.. then toss... ( unfortunately )

 

[Ford tractor]

You can sharpen them?

I've always just had to replace.
(see picture)