Grading Brush hog blade sharpening

[djradz]

DCS, you probably know this but since no one has mentioned it I will. But when we talking about 'sharpening' rotary cutter blades, you don't really grind them to a sharp edge. I just take the nicks and dings out and leave a smooth rounded cutting edge.

I think that is subject to each ones use. If you're mowing mostly fields and trails that have had all the rocks picked, and there's no more to hit, someone might sharpen theirs pretty sharp. After all, many blades come fairly sharp right from the factory. Obviously however, if you're hitting rocks, stumps, dirt on a fairly frequent basis, sharp blades would just be a waste of time and it would be a toss-up as to whether the rocks, or sharpening, remove more metal. As our fields and trails are now faily clear, we get the blades pretty sharp and get a near-RFM quality cut.

 

[3RRL]

I agree with Djradz,
Once a field is cleared from shrapnel you can sharpen them up. My Howse came with what looked like a 1/32" flat or so....not dead sharp. Of course now it's about a 1/8" flat with several dings and chips, so I will sharpen them back up.

 

[BB_TX]

The main reason I raise mine up is my blades tend to stick over the winter. Raised up I can unstick the blades and sharpen them easily.

 

[DCS]

Got it done.

Since I had the tractor on the trailer, I just raised up the deck and had plenty of room. I gave it a quicky this morning since I had a pasture to finish up. I am going out now to really work on it. I have been mowing with it for 2years now and never have sharpened them. Those T-post, concrete blocks, piles of bricks, etc, that you never see until it's too late can really do a number on the blades. Thanks for the help.

 

[john_bud]

I think that is subject to each ones use. If you're mowing mostly fields and trails that have had all the rocks picked, and there's no more to hit, someone might sharpen theirs pretty sharp. After all, many blades come fairly sharp right from the factory. Obviously however, if you're hitting rocks, stumps, dirt on a fairly frequent basis, sharp blades would just be a waste of time and it would be a toss-up as to whether the rocks, or sharpening, remove more metal. As our fields and trails are now faily clear, we get the blades pretty sharp and get a near-RFM quality cut.

Yes, you are correct, BUT --> when cutting brush and trees a DULL blade will shatter the plant and kill it. A sharp blade will slice it off, leaving it alive and eager to sprout 10x more branches.

Sharp blades are for grass, dull blades are for brush and trees.


Ever look at what the highway dept uses for blades on those monster mowers that whack EVERYTHING from the right of way? It's a 1" x 6" steel bar. No edge at all. And man, you they shatter the trees!


jb

 

[firemanpat2910]

sharp blades make tire eating spikes

 

[Soundguy]

Yep.. fireman pat beat me too it.. but I agree.. a Dull-ish blade.. or a flattened blade edge will make a shred or shattered stump out of small brush. This shattered brush is less likely to poke tires.

As we all know how spendy rubber is.. gotta make them last as much as possible. I just knocked a hole in one of my front 10-16 tri-ribs.. It was a bad hole.. but a boot, patch and new tube has salvaged it for now.. but it's on borrowed time.. I gotta get new front rubber for it before next mowing season.

The hole deffinately looked to be sharp woody debri damage.. I guess i can't complain.. It's the first tire I've lost on that pasture in almost 6ys..

Soundguy

 

[N80]

The other issue with a sharp blade is that even if you are just mowing grass and weeds, its going to lose that sharp edge very fast, unless it is just a lawn or something in which case a rotary cutter isn't the tool of choice anyway. And if you put that edge back on every time you wear it off, you're going to be using a lot of your blade edge up. And if you do hit anything of substance (rock) with a sharp edge it is going to cause more of a nick.

I lost a new mud terrain radial on my truck a few years back after some folks did some some path clearing with machetes and brush hooks. Left sharp stubs all over the place. Went right through the sidewall, no way to repair it.

 

[RalphVa]

There are usually 3 bolts/nuts holding the blades on a brush hog. The middle nut holds everything to the shaft. You shouldn't ever had to touch this one. Bet it may be the one that's tack welded in place.

The other two are at the ends of the blade in the middle and usually have their nuts facing upwards. They are usually accessed via holes in the top of the brush hog body. On mine, you remove the tail wheel to get to the access hole, rotate the blade (or PTO shaft by hand in neutral) until the nuts are below the hole.

I was able to get these two nuts off easily with a 3/4" drive and 6' pipe over the end of the drive. Getting them back on required a couple clamps to hold the stump jumper and nut and swing blade in place. I just proped the brush hog body up on a couple jack stands in order to reach underneath or to crawl under there to attach the clamps.

I just sharpened the blades with my big bench grinder but not very sharp.

Ralph