Rotary Cutter Sharpening the blades

[ptsg]

Don't bother to sharpen the blades. It's not a finish mower and it will only last 30 minutes or so anyways.

Heck I don't even use blades.

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[repete]

I have two RC's. One is for grass only and the other is for trash. The grass one has a tail wheel and the other does not as I back up into some areas.

I keep the grass one (only hits grass) sharp and the other kind of dull.

Since the cutter rotates in a CCW direction, I always cut grass in a CCW direction (uncut to my left and front slightly high). By doing so I chop the grass multiple times making it easier to break down.

 

[Cycledude]

I remove the blades to sharpen them, once you figure out how to remove them it’s pretty easy, they don’t need to be very sharp.

 

[geneP]

our old sidewinder manual

Do you happen to still have that manual?

 

[Bearsixty7]

Do you happen to still have that manual?

Oh no, that was back 40+ years ago when I was a teen! I remember reading it and showing my dad it could cut hay.

I did find this that may help you, Hercules Service Parts - Agricultural equipment repair located in Minden, Louisiana - Your Rotary Mower Experts!

 

[geneP]

I have a few pages of the manual, but the part describing repacking the spindle bearings is missing. It is supposed to be quite a chore, I'd like to see the original version.

 

[kubota shifty]

I have a 6" rotary cutter I have used for years to clear some old pasture. Like many of us I have hit a few rocks and some branches along the way. All of that being said the "sharp side" of the blades now have a bullnose profile. I have never sharpened the blades.

I went by a local shop and asked about sharpening the blades. The first fellow I spoke with looked at me like I was crazy; he said he'd never heard of sharpening the blades on a rotary cutter. The second fellow interrupted him and said they did sharpen the blades. Since I have never sharpened them they still have plenty of width.

Have you ever sharpened your bush hog blades?

How do you know when they are not worth sharpening?


My plan is to by an extra set of blades to replace my used blades. I will then have the used blades sharpened and keep as extras. Any advice?

I sharpen mine twice a season (a few months in spring). I'm amazed you never sharpened yours. My neighbor sharpens theirs also. I use an angle grinder, lifting up the mower as high as it will go and then brace it with a 2x4 just in case. I take baling twine to keep the blade from spinning. After doing this for at least a dozen years there is still lots of blade left. It doesn't cut when it is dull and I always hit stuff as hard as I try not to.

 

[marhar]

Don't bother to sharpen the blades. It's not a finish mower and it will only last 30 minutes or so anyways.

Heck I don't even use blades.

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[marhar]

I thought you were joking until I did so research on line.

 

[SRMN8R]

I have a 6" rotary cutter I have used for years to clear some old pasture. Like many of us I have hit a few rocks and some branches along the way. All of that being said the "sharp side" of the blades now have a bullnose profile. I have never sharpened the blades.

I went by a local shop and asked about sharpening the blades. The first fellow I spoke with looked at me like I was crazy; he said he'd never heard of sharpening the blades on a rotary cutter. The second fellow interrupted him and said they did sharpen the blades. Since I have never sharpened them they still have plenty of width.

Have you ever sharpened your bush hog blades?

How do you know when they are not worth sharpening?


My plan is to by an extra set of blades to replace my used blades. I will then have the used blades sharpened and keep as extras. Any advice?

I hooked up my brush cutter a couple of months ago to clip the light line behind the house. I hadn't really thought about how much brush I'd been cutting the last few years, clearing trails on my mostly wooded property... but once I started trying to cut some warm season grasses and the dreaded Asian Stilt grass, I realize how horribly dull my blades had become. I ran over the grasses twice and then had to end up taking the zero turn out and cutting with that.

Yeah... got to sharpen those blades if you abuse them at all.