Bush Hog Blade Question

PineRidge · Aug 17, 2004

I have a KK bush hog that I use only 4 or 5 times a season. Last weekend I was using it and discovered that it wasn't shredding like it did when I first got it so I took a look at the blades and yes they need help badly.

What is the easiest way to tackle a brush hog blade, should I just use the FEL and flip the deck over and use an angle grinder on them? Or should I mess with taking it all apart and replacing the blades themselves? I did get a new set of blades with the deck that are still unused but somehow the angle grinder sounds a lot easier to me and nothing ever seems to come apart without something else breaking in the process.

HammerFour · Aug 17, 2004

I just raise mine as far as I can with the 3ph, block it up with some jack stands, and crawl under with a grinder and touch them up.

My f-i-l's rotary cutter wasn't cutting very well, the problem ended up being the slip clutch slipping to easily. We adjusted that a bit and it cuts much, much better.

Soundguy · Aug 17, 2004

I've angle grinded mine for the last 3 seasons. That includes my 5' hog, a 44" mower on my IH cub, and the neighbors 4' hog.

Use a light hand.. don't make them overly sharp as it removes too much metal and they will get damaged easier. Pretty much anything uther than a 3/16" rounded surface is gonne be great.

Soundguy

SteveBenson · Aug 17, 2004

Sharpening in-place works but IMHO it's good to loosen things like that up at least once a year. You may not be able to get the blades off later without detroying the shoulder bolts and nuts.

em14 · Aug 17, 2004

It's easy to remove them and then you can sharpen much better. As some one said, don't try to get a knife edge. These things cut brush and will dull real fast if you put a real sharpe edge on them. You will be doing yourself a favor if you remove them since that also breaks the "Death Grip" the rust will get on them over time....and IMO it is also safer to take them off to grind than doing on the machine.
Leo

jinman · Aug 17, 2004

Mike, I always use the FEL to lean the cutter up against a tree and then use the angle grinder. This last time, I had to replace the gearbox, so I just put the stump jumper and blades over a wheelbarrow and ground the blades before reinstalling onto the gearbox. I don't ever take the blades off because I think the tighter they are the better. I had a blade come off when I first bought the cutter and it scared me to death. So my vote is for leaving the blades attached.

BB_TX · Aug 18, 2004

I'm with the use an angle grinder and never take them off group. I pull up to the side of the cutter with the FEL extended to the other side, attach a chain securely to the cutter and the FEL, raise it until it stands vertical, then back up a little so that it leans back toward the tractor. Then I have full access to the bottom with no danger of it falling on me. I do this twice a year, sharpening the blades and oiling them to keep them free.

PineRidge · Aug 18, 2004

Thanks for the advice guys! I think I'm going to take the recommendation to sharpen the blades in place. I really don't see much advantage in disassembly of the deck and taking the easy way out will save me a bit of work, and I'm all for that. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Kevin_in_VA · Aug 18, 2004

Just make sure that it is blocked up really well, or flip it over completely. I was working on freeing up one of my blades a while back, thought I had the mower supported really well and one of the the chains I was using slipped and the darn thing fell on me. I was able to control the fall, but ended up trapping my legs beneath it. My wife heard me yelling and ran out and lifted it off of me (pure adrenalin), later she had to have back surgery. Just a word to the wise.

BB_TX · Aug 18, 2004

Good point about safety. I run my chain under the deck then thru the 3ph framework on top of the deck so it can't slip off. I keep tension on the chain so it can't slip out of the hook on the FEL. Then, as I mentioned, I lean it back toward the tractor so that if it found a way to fall, it would fall away from me rather than toward me.
I feel better about that than crawling under it even with it properly blocked up.

soarkrebel · Aug 18, 2004

Take the blades off. you'll need a 3/4 drive socket and i use an extension and a t bar. you need a cheater pipe .

By taking the blades off you can check the balance when your done. if they are not in balance they cause excessive vibration to the driveline and can damage to bearings.
i use a balance beam that i made but you could use a scale.

plus by taking them off you have a chance to coat the bolt with antisieze or a corrosion preventive compound to keep it from seizing.

me personally i would never pick it from the ground with the fel . i lift the thing up with the 3ph and let it down on jack stands placed on the rear and the front ends up on the ground. i feel alot safer this way than any other way.

Your owners manual should cover this . my woods does.

Now installing them my manual says the torque is 450 ft lbs now i don't have a tq wrench that big. i use the cheater pipe and use my calibrated arms to ensure proper torque.

To me it's just as easy and probably will save me money in the long run to take them off. plus i don't really want to be under there with all those sparks flying around.

Soundguy · Aug 18, 2004

( FEL to lean the cutter up against a tree and then use the angle )

I flip my deck over with the boom pole.. It can't go too much farther after that. I always hit the pivot bolts with penetrating oil every season, to keep the blades swinging free.. but I don't unbolt them.. too worried they will come off. If the bolts rust on.. that's fine.. I can get shoulder bolts and nuts for those blades at tsc super cheap.. cheaper than me worrying about re-using old ones, or than worrying about destroying them taking them off.

Soundguy

Soundguy · Aug 18, 2004

( taking the blades off you can check the balance when your done. if they are not in balance they cause excessive vibration to the driveline and can damage to bearings.
)

Keep in mind these are brush cutters.. not finish mowers. There is some room for differences between the blades. They don't have to be ballanced to the gram to not vibrate.

At work I've mowed with a machine with an inch missing off a blade tip.. felt no different than when the blade was replaced. Obvously the smaller the blade.. the more a descrepency can be felt. The larger the blade.. the less a nick makes on the overall weight ratio.

You don't want them grossly different.. like one side square and new, and the other planed off to a nub.. but for a brush hog.. you should be able to 'eye' it.

Soundguy

PineRidge · Aug 18, 2004

Mike, I always use the FEL to lean the cutter up against a tree and then use the angle grinder. 

I like Jim's method, I think I'll use the FEL to get it in position then wrap my chain around the tree to keep it in place while I sharpen the blades. I figure the tree isn't going anywhere real soon. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

OkieG · Aug 18, 2004

...nothing ever seems to come apart without something else breaking in the process. 

Hmmm. I guess so. Your brush hog may be an exception to that rule. My ritual is like SoArk and em14. There's only one bolt holding each blade. It just takes a minute to remove them. Then just put 'em in a vice and grind away.

It's cramped under a cutter deck. The blades will want to pivot while you're grinding. It's awkward and etc. My grinder is a "it takes two hands to use it" size, and I fear I'll lose control of the grinder while under the deck and end up treating an injury. Besides, my body does better when vertical than horizontal.

I don't understand the prevalent concept that ever removing the blades will make them more likely to auto-eject?? My blades are removed for sharpening a couple times a year. The blade nuts are always on tight when it comes time to remove them again.

OkieG

Kyle_in_Tex · Aug 18, 2004

I was told by a friend that some folks will remove the blades, mill or torch out a section of the beat up cutting edge, and weld some premium harder metal into place. Of course you would want to make sure the welds are good and not to use too brittle of metal. But I would guess that a bit harder metal might hold an edge better/longer. We have rocks on our place and they tend to beat up blades quickly. Luckily, I can drive my tractor to the dealer and blades are $32/pair or $50 total cost installed. Because of this price, I have two sets of beat up blades. Maybe I'll try to get a pair fixed up with beefier cutting edges. Just wondering if anyone has heard of this.
I would guess that most people don't remove their own blades because they don't have the tools to deal with 450 lb/ft ...Kyle

HickoryNut · Aug 18, 2004

One reason I like Woods cutters, excellent blade holder design. I have my farrier heat and peen my blades back in shape every spring for $5 a blade then with just a little grinder dressing they look like new and don't loose as much metal. I thought this was a popular practice?

OhioGuy · Aug 18, 2004

I back under my chain hoist, remove the PTO shaft and toplink and raise the cutter close to vertical with the hoist.
Then it's grindin time, works pretty well. Oh yeah, I throw another chain around the tail wheel and ceiling support for safety. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif I do have a small rotary (4 foot).

Curt

Soundguy · Aug 19, 2004

( It's cramped under a cutter deck. The blades will want to pivot while you're grinding. It's awkward and etc. My grinder is a "it takes two hands to use it" size, and I fear I'll lose control of the grinder while under the deck and end up treating an injury. Besides, my body does better when vertical than horizontal. )

Everyone's setup is different. Also.. there is no reason why you would have to be horizontal. Looks like everyone here is using loaders or boom poles to stand their hogs up.

Again.. also appears that many of us are using palm sized die grinders.. or small angle grinders, and not big 'brutus' industro-mill it down in 2 seconds 45hp grinders..

I'v found that using a c-clamp or even a 2x4 wedged under the blade carrier to an edge locks them in nicely.

May be different for some people.. but it is way easier for my to sing the hog over.. hit each blade for a few seconds with the die grinder and then unflip it.. rather than go get the 3' pipe and breaker bar.. r&r and grind them.

Again.. everyone's got a different setup.

Soundguy

Soundguy · Aug 19, 2004

( was told by a friend that some folks will remove the blades, mill or torch out a section of the beat up cutting edge )

Our mechanic has welded a bead of hardface ( abrasive resistant material )on cutting edges before, and then contured it back to original blad length/width... but he didn't actually cut out or weld any 'new sections' in.. I guess you might consider the 'built up' area a new section though.

Soundguy