Finishing Mower Blade Life

[Pine Island]

I'm mowing between new planted pine trees in Florida sandy soil. I am wearing out a set of blades each time I mow the 15 acres. I have a Bush Hog RDTH 84 mower. Is there a vendor I can get hard surfaced blades from? Does anyone know a shop that will hard surface mower blades?

 

[LD1]

How are you (wearing out the blades) each use??

Or do you just mean dulling them and needing to re-sharpen???

Mower blades dont hold a real razor sharp edge for long if that is what you are after.

If dulling is the concern here, I know that gator brand does make a fusion blade with bits of carbide impregnated on the cutting edge to make them last longer. But I dont know how well they work.

 

[Fixemall]

On a bush hog you should square the blade rather than sharpen it, a knife edge on cheap steel will roll over and dull very fast, try this: sharpen the blades then put them in a vise and file the edge square till it is about 1/16th of an inch at the edge, you will see no reduction in cut quality and will be able to go longer between touch ups.

 

[Pine Island]

No they are not dull, completely worn away. There is a lot of sand exposed where the land was scalped for the trees. The sand actually erodes away the trailing edge of the blade where it sweeps up as if were in a sand blaster. It becomes paper thin. The leading edge is the last to go. About 3" of the ends of the blade just wear away. As the weeds come in & rain melts away the uneven ground I hope the problem improves, but currently, one mowing is all I get out of a set of blades.

 

[LD1]

You should try some low lift blades. This will help keep the sand down and NOT suck it up.

 

[Pine Island]

That's a excellent idea. Any suggestions for a supplier? Bush Hog only has 1 style blade.

 

[Fixemall]

Cut the tails off your next set and rebalance them prior to installing, you may end up with clumps but the will not suck up sand. While you are at it I would flush and fill the gear box on the cutter too, maybe have a look at your air pre filter as well. sand is rough on stuff.

 

[Pine Island]

Cut the tails off your next set and rebalance them prior to installing, you may end up with clumps but the will not suck up sand. While you are at it I would flush and fill the gear box on the cutter too, maybe have a look at your air pre filter as well. sand is rough on stuff.

Good idea. I doubt I can find any low lift blades. I'll give this a try. Thanks v

 

[5030]

Same problem here. I use Glyphosate as much as possible (Roundup).

I don't cut short either. Taller grass= less sand pulled up.

 

[whistlepig]

I'm mowing between new planted pine trees in Florida sandy soil. I am wearing out a set of blades each time I mow the 15 acres. I have a Bush Hog RDTH 84 mower. Is there a vendor I can get hard surfaced blades from? Does anyone know a shop that will hard surface mower blades?

I have had blades hard faced with Stellite. Bad idea.

 

[Pine Island]

Why was Stellite a bad idea? I was thinking about running stainless steel beads across the tails. A 308 rod I think.

 

[Pine Island]

I have had blades hard faced with Stellite. Bad idea.

Why was Stellite a bad idea? I was thinking about running stainless steel beads across the tail of the blades. I think it is a 308 rod.

 

[whistlepig]

The Stellite chipped too easily. I got a far worse jagged edge from a Stellite hard faced edge on a blade than I did with the blade not hard faced with the same amount of use. And sharpening Stellite is like trying to sharpen a rock. Stellite is almost impossible to sharpen with a grinder. I think it is easier to sharpen a flint arrow head than sharpening a metal blade that has been hard faced with Stellite.

 

[whistlepig]

Why was Stellite a bad idea? I was thinking about running stainless steel beads across the tail of the blades. I think it is a 308 rod.

Of all steels used that are required to hold an edge stainless is the worst possible choice. I would never buy a knife with a stainless blade. It is too soft. Stainless steel is designed not to rust. That's the only good thing I can say about stainless steel.