bush hog sharpening

[eddie]

Greetings all of you tractor heads. I've got a Walco bushhog for the back of my B2620 and I bought it used and have never sharpened it. I wonder if one of you could give me a few hints about putting an edge on the brute. Thanks in advance for any replies.

eddie

 

[GeoHorn]

Yes, I can give you some advice.... Don’t waste your time sharpening bushhog blades. It will make no difference.

I spent several attempts with an angle-grinder and wore out several wheels and it made no difference. Here’s a pretty good explanation from an experienced tractor guy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lllw_odH_24

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I sharpened a neighbours last year, once I got it into garage and near vertical to get GOOD access to blades, sharpening was easy, took maybe an hour. he came, used it and was delighted it ACTUALLY cut instead of mushing down the grass. He did 10 of the 12 acres...

 

[D2Cat]

The only time it does not make a difference is if you are mowing rocks, just like the comment in the video.

I do not mow rocks, only pasture, and high enough to miss everything that may do the damage they showed and sharpening the blades does make a difference.

 

[SDT]

The only time it does not make a difference is if you are mowing rocks, just like the comment in the video.

I do not mow rocks, only pasture, and high enough to miss everything that may do the damage they showed and sharpening the blades does make a difference.

I use all four of my rough cut mowers as HD finish mowers so keep the blades sharp on all of them.

Sharp blades cut better and require a bit less power and fuel.

That said, one does not want sharp blades if cutting saplings because sharp blades are much more likely to cut saplings off cleanly creating stakes that can impale tires on the next round.

Of course, it is a waste of time to try to keep rough cut blades sharp if one regularly hits rocks, etc.

I use a 4" angle grinder to sharpen mine without removing the mowers. Because I dress the blades after nearly every use, it usually takes less than 10 minutes per single spindle mower but about 30 minutes for the BW.

SDT

 

[Shadetree03]

I do not mow rocks, only pasture, and high enough to miss everything that may do the damage they showed and sharpening the blades does make a difference.

Like D2Cat says - First try not to mow rocks. Also it depends whether you are going to be working over woody brush, or just grass and weeds.

My King Kutter has the nuts tack welded, so I can't remove the blades without grinding them off, so I have a block and tackle crane to raise the back about 3 ft. then after placing stands, and using wooden wedges to brace the blades, I go to work with the angle grinder to remove the worst of the dings in the blade. I try to grind a little along the original taper, and finish with the flap wheel just to make things prettier - probably not worth the time, but I feel better, and the grassy areas look better than with the riding mower.

The best use of time was to get the pivots freed up so the blades swing free and the then to get the front to back angle right so that the front is about 1/2" lower than the rear so the cut grass clears out good while mowing.

 

[old and tired]

I put on new blades to an old brush mower and sharpen them to a point, they cut like my finishing mower... well, at least for a while. I still sharpen them on the mower, helps that I have T-N-T so I can raise it up pretty good. Brace the mower, crawl under and hit it with a 4" grinder.

I still sharpen the blade to a point...

 

[Tire Biter]

I just pull mine into the my shop building and raise it up as high as it’ll go. Lock the PTO, and wedge a block between the blades and the deck. Then I just roll under with an angle grinder and let the sparks fly. Not pleasant, but gets it done. It makes a difference. Some of the places I mow with it comes out almost like lawn.

 

[SidecarFlip]

I just buy new ones every few years. Yes, I mow rocks occasionally .....

 

[In Utopia]

I don't mow rocks, I resize them.

 

[KHW59]

I don't mow rocks, I resize them.

That made my day.

 

[hodge]

My dad is pretty insistent on keeping his bush hog blades sharp- he hits them almost every time he hooks up the mower. I've started sharpening them for him, because it's harder for him to get down there. It isn't hard to do, and it does make a difference in the cut quality.
It all depends on what you are looking for- I don't sharpen mine, because that's not what I'm trying to accomplish.

 

[GeoHorn]

My earlier comments were made after years of efforts sharpening shredder blades to little avail trying to cut bluestem grass on an aircraft runway. Bluestem is just hard to cut cleanly.

The solution?: A Finish Mower! Now I use the shredder on rough pasture and woods and the Finish Mower to get that nice, clean, “finished” cut on the runway.
No more shredder on that at all.

 

[man00]

A good sharp blade sure makes a difference when mowing Gopher mounds

 

[BigG]

A good sharp blade sure makes a difference when mowing Gopher mounds

And the gophers appreciate the difference.



Little bastards.

 

[BAP]

I don't mow rocks, I resize them.

If you hit them just exactly right, it is like using a honing stone on them and you will sharp them. The odds of that happening though are more than anybody can imagine.

 

[Bark]

Kind of wonder what the blades look like on the cutter behind our Ford 9N. Nobody can remember looking at them for at least 30 years. It is not a finish mower.