Most of the time its the "hastle factor" that stops us from doing proper maintenance. Not a man here that doesn"t know they should remove the blades, inspect, sharpen, balance, etc. We're just too lazy and get away year after year with shortcuts. After having a tip thrown approximately 50 yards and come thru the side of our metal warehouse travelling another 40ft at ankle level before skidding and clanging into the front where I was standing I became a believer in doing it right. Get a setup that makes it simple and do it atleast once a year. Use a flap disk instead of an abrasive wheel and I bet you find it more manageable.
Rotary Cutter Sharpening shredder, bush hog, rotary cutter blades.
- Thread starter MutzFarm
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krackerjack9
Silver Member
try to keep my fairly sharp on most jobs run the right rpms if your a 540 then run the rpms that is marked on your tach, its a lot eaiser on the drive train. I go thur a set of blades about every other year. I due a lot of brush mowing about 200 to 300 hrs a year at $45hr cant go wrong
gwstang
Platinum Member
That's what I'm talkin' about! :thumbsup:
I agree. It is designed to run a certain way and I think these guys running a geared unit with the pto going half way to where it is supposed to be is not good on the equipment. Not bad I do $60 an hour unless its a big job then I'll do by the job. Since we got some rain the last couple of years there is a lot of competition now. Probably the same for you since doesn't seem your that far away.
LD1
Epic Contributor
I think after awhile, if not sooner, you will start throwing chain links at 10000-15000 fpm out from under the deck and on to God knows where.
gwstang
Platinum Member
Ye-ouch! Bad enough to have the occasional rock fragment whack me in the back of the head. A piece of chain would be a major headache.
rd_macgregor
Veteran Member
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I suppose you could do that, or even use appropriate-length pieces of steel cable (like a really heavy duty string trimmer!)...but, even without considering any additional hazard, what is the advantage over the blades?
Heavy Duty String Trimmer.........WHOA!!! That would be massive.
N80
Super Member
Must admit that I rarely sharpen my blades. Last time was probably 5 years ago. But remember, they do not need to be 'sharp'. They need to be properly shaped but do not need an 'edge' on them.
To remove the blades on mine requires larger sockets and socket handles than I have. Suppose I could borrow them from my B-I-L down the road but I hate borrowing tools.
To remove the blades on mine requires larger sockets and socket handles than I have. Suppose I could borrow them from my B-I-L down the road but I hate borrowing tools.
N80
Super Member
That's what I do. I use the loader to lean it up against a tree then sharpen from there. The nut to remove the blades is huge and is accesses, if I remember, from a hole in the deck so you cannot access it from below if you need to remove the blades.........could be wrong about that............
MESSMAKER
Veteran Member
You don't need to remove the blades to sharpen with a grinder.
Gary Fowler
Super Star Member
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Last week I sharpened the blades on my brother in laws bushhog without removing them. I used a 9" grinder blade and sharpened them to a sharp edge. All he cuts with it is grass so a sharp edge will require less HP and make a better cut.
I positioned the blades to the back of the mower(had BIL hold drive shaft in position), used a c-clamp to immobilize the swinging blade and just ground it down in less than 2 minutes to a knife edge.
N80
Super Member
The OP had mentioned removing the blades as part of regular maintenance. I never have for reasons mentioned above.
Some people do remove the blades and even try to balance them like lawnmower blades grinding the same amount off each side. Of course I dont. I just stand the rotary cutter on end or side and grind away like in my video I posted.
