Rotary Cutter Sharpening the blades

[ParkWhite]

The blades on my 5 foot Woods got in terrible shape so I got replacement blades at TSC and installed them. Afterwards the mower was shaking so bad the tractor fenders were rattling. I tried to figure out what I did wrong. I thought the blades might be sticking at the bolt end and cleaned that up to no avail. I finally removed the blades to inspect and found out that one blade weighed about 12 ounces more than the other. It was too late to take them back as they were all dinged up as per normal use. So, I used a grinder to cut the back side of the heavy blade until I got the weight down to match the other blade (not easy to do). This finally solved the vibration problem.
If you get replacement blades, weigh them before you install them.

 

[diesel85]

The blades on my 5 foot Woods got in terrible shape so I got replacement blades at TSC and installed them. Afterwards the mower was shaking so bad the tractor fenders were rattling. I tried to figure out what I did wrong. I thought the blades might be sticking at the bolt end and cleaned that up to no avail. I finally removed the blades to inspect and found out that one blade weighed about 12 ounces more than the other. It was too late to take them back as they were all dinged up as per normal use. So, I used a grinder to cut the back side of the heavy blade until I got the weight down to match the other blade (not easy to do). This finally solved the vibration problem.
If you get replacement blades, weigh them before you install them.

This also goes for finish mower blades and flail knives. I've run into this before. Even on Gator blades!

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Did you watch the video? I have a 6 foot Woods that the blades look like and attach like in the Bush Hog in the video.

Same bolt, etc. The difference being on the Woods the access hole to loosen the nut is rectangular instead of round.

I also understand the newer Woods have a different bolt blade attachment.

My OLD Woods rotary cutter (more than 30 years) has the blades attached just the way as I described in my last post.

Perhaps you have the cheapest Woods rotary cutter, and that's why they saved some money on blade attachment?

SR

 

[dieselscout80]

My Woods C114-1 has a tool-less means to change the blades and in about 15 minutes I can change all three pairs.

 

[Gator6x4]

My OLD Woods rotary cutter (more than 30 years) has the blades attached just the way as I described in my last post.

Perhaps you have the cheapest Woods rotary cutter, and that's why they saved some money on blade attachment?

SR

Nope not the cheapest. It is a Woods Brush Bull 72 with the Stump Jumper. The stump jumper is a very-very heavy duty circular disk that the blades attach to. It prevent gear box and drive line damage when you encounter a low stump or rock and allows the mower to slide up and over the object rather than strike and stop. The picture shows the top of the stump jumper. Also it takes two of the cheap $25.00 bolts to attach and hold the blades. And yes the torque on those things are 685 foot pounds. I use a 1200 foot pound battery powered impact wrench ratchet to remove and replace the nuts through the 6x6 rectangular access plate on the top of the Brush Bull deck at the rear. The plate is held down with a one half inch bolt head bolt.

Stump Jumper Pan for Rotary Mowers with 15 Splines

Protect the blades on your rotary mower by installing stump jumpers. This steel made part measures 20-1/4 in. in diameter, with a 15 spline center.

www.agrisupply.com

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Nope not the cheapest. It is a Woods Brush Bull 72 with the Stump Jumper. The stump jumper is a very-very heavy duty circular disk that the blades attach to.

All three of my cutters have stump jumpers. Anyway, does it look like this?

If so, the blades are NOT held on by the stump jumper...

The Woods Brush Bull 72 IS their cheaper cutter...

Lets see a pict. of yours...

SR

 

[Gator6x4]

All three of my cutters have stump jumpers. Anyway, does it look like this?

If so, it is NOT hooked to the stump jumper...

The Woods Brush Bull 72 IS their cheaper cutter...

Lets see a pict. of yours...

SR

That is a stump jumper your blades are attached to. Be prepared for a battle if you ever have to remove the stump jumper. I see you also have the debris chains on your unit.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

That is a stump jumper your blades are attached to. Be prepared for a battle if you ever have to remove the stump jumper. I see you also have the debris chains on your unit.

NO they are NOT just attached to the stump jumper, the jumper is attached to what the blades are attached to!!

SR

 

[Gator6x4]

NO they are NOT just attached to the stump jumper, the jumper is attached to what the blades are attached to!!

SR

Look in the center of the round circle. You will see a nut screwed onto a threaded shaft. This shaft comes from the gear box sitting on top of the rotary cutter which is attached to the tractor by a pto shaft which contain either a shear pin or shear bolt or a slip clutch assembly. The shear pin or bolt or the slip clutch is there to prevent transferring a huge stress load into the PTO gears on the tractor when a solid object is struck and the blades suddenly stop moving.

The shaft coming down from the gear box is also splined. The interior of the round hole also is splined. This is where the great problem occurs. Over the years the splines rust together and when the stump jumper get bent or the bottom seal in the gear box needs replacing and you have to remove the stump jumper is when the sweating time starts.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Look in the center of the round circle. You will see a nut screwed onto a threaded shaft. This shaft comes from the gear box sitting on top of the rotary cutter which is attached to the tractor by a pto shaft which contain either a shear pin or shear bolt or a slip clutch assembly. The shear pin or bolt or the slip clutch is there to prevent transferring a huge stress load into the PTO gears on the tractor when a solid object is struck and the blades suddenly stop moving.

The shaft coming down from the gear box is also splined. The interior of the round hole also is splined. This is where the great problem occurs. Over the years the splines rust together and when the stump jumper get bent or the bottom seal in the gear box needs replacing and you have to remove the stump jumper is when the sweating time starts.

Did you bother to watch the vid YOU posted? It clearly shows that the blades are NOT attached to the stump jumper.

Also, MY Woods cutters do not have the blades attached with threaded pins/nuts like he torched off in the vid, either.

SR