Rotary Cutter Time for new rotary mower blades?

[seapea]

I just bought a 25 year old Befco 4' rotary mower. The owner said the blades are original. They are very rounded at the tip/end.




I'll only be using the mower once a year to knock down about 1 acre of annual (winter) rye. The field is rock and obstruction free. I had been keeping it mowed with my riding mower in the past, but that's been too much of a pain. I'm in CA, so the grass grows in the winter. It always has a very high moisture content, so the grass clogs up the mower deck. I've decided for now on I'll mow just once a year in late April or early May as the grass starts to die back for the summer. Since my riding mower won't handle 2-3' grass, I grabbed this used rotary mower.

I see 3 choices:

1. File down the rounded tip so it is sharp.
2. Cut off maybe 1/2" of the tip so it is square.
3. buy new blades ($70 plus tax and shipping).

Obviously I'd rather not shell out money if not needed, especially given the low amount of planned use. This is my first rotary mower, so I'm not sure what performance to expect with the blades I have vs. new ones.

Thanks!

 

[PHPaul]

They look to be in pretty decent shape, not all dinged up. Sharpen 'em and run 'em.

Just in case you weren't aware, "sharp" on rotary mower blades is different than "sharp" on a knife.

If you look at new ones, the cutting edge is perhaps 1/8 wide, NOT a razor edge. It'll cut just as well and last much longer.

Plenty of You Tube videos on the topic.

 

[Fallon]

Rotary as in rough "brushog"? If so those are as sharp as a baseball bat from the factory. They shatter stuff rather than cutting. That leaves fuzzy frayed stumps rather than sharp clean tire/foot puncturing stumps by design.

If it still cuts I wouldn't bother doing anything to em & keep running em.

 

[seapea]

Yes, rotary as in "brushhog". Since they are just cutting very tall grass, and no rough stuff, I don't mind them being more sharp than blunt. My main concern is that the rounded part at the tip of the blade would be making most of the contact with the grass, so the the cut would not be as clean as it could be. I know this isn't a finish mower, but I'd still prefer it cut the grass if possible rather than rip/tear/hack at it.

 

[Ed of all trades]

A bushhog is a rip/tear/hack kind of machine. I would sharpen and use. Blades are not cheep, nothing is , and after you use them once you would know better if you want new blades. Be aware you likely wont get a finish mower cut. Ed

 

[CDN Farm Boy]

I'm with the others, sharpen them and run them. What have you got to loose other than a bit of time to do it? Do yourself a favour though, use a grinder not a file if you want to have it done sometime before NEXT summer.

 

[LD1]

Agree they are fine as is. And if all you are cutting is winter rye, sharpen them sharp. the blunt duller edge is used to shatter saplings instead of leaven clean cut spears that puncture tires. Cutting an acre of grass a year....those will last another decade.

And its wrong to say they wont last as long if sharpened. Thats nonsense.