Removing Bush Hog blade?

[ROUSTABOUT]

This. Sometimes all you need is a prybar on the nut holding it up.

I always took a high lift jack and jacked hog up. Put jack stands under it. Then put a bottle jack under the bolt head, to keep it in position. Then went down from top and took nuts off blade bolts. I'd jack it up the same way and sharpen blades with them on. I'd use vise grips to give me a handle to hold the blade, small angle grinder to sharpen.

 

[TimberFarm]

I second that. I just sharpened my blades last week. Took the angle grinder to it with the blades on.
A little awkward, but a whole lot easier than what it would take to get them off and back on again.

 

[deezler]

I also sharpen my hog blades as installed, with the angle grinder. Takes less time to sharpen them than it does to try to get them off. And how sharp do hog blades really need to be? I charge right back into saplings and bushes with mine, so, not very. It's kind of amazing how blades as dull as the side of a pencil can still cut grass, though.

My king kutter manual said to torque the blade nuts to 350 lbf-ft for reinstall! yikes.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

This. Sometimes all you need is a prybar on the nut holding it up.

Really, the blade has so much leverage on the bolt, that's what makes it take and keep all you loosen. It was quicker to treat them all as bad. Them folks was paying me.

 

[sandman2234]

The original poster didn't say why he was removing the blades, but if I were replacing the blades, I would start by ordering a bolt kit and once I had it, torch the old ones.
Now if the blades need sharpening, I drive the tractor up on my trailer and leave half the bushhog hanging off, and sharpen them on the bushhog! I never remove them to sharpen, and I never sharpen them very much, just enough to take some of the bluntness out. They are made to break not cut!
David from jax

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I second that. I just sharpened my blades last week. Took the angle grinder to it with the blades on.
A little awkward, but a whole lot easier than what it would take to get them off and back on again.

A good pair of big vise grips, clamped on there for you to use for a handle, makes that sharpening go a lots better. Work that magic.

 

[bearthebruce]

I was told that if tightened to proper torque, the bolt is stretched and should never be reused. If taking them off, replace the bolts. A second torquing of the bolt can lead to a fracture which then results in flying blades.. at the speed of the blade, one does not want to Loose the Hounds of metal!

 

[MH8675309]

Blue flame ratchet is the way to go. Why are you sharpening the blades though?

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I have Woods cutters, so I don't have to go through all that, they have a simpler/better system, no big impact needed.

That won't help the OP now, but it may with his next purchase.

SR

 

[Joe_R]

The bolt has a key formed into it that is supposed to fit in a keyway cut in the arm. It's the same as the one I used to have, and you see it on the drawing if you look just right:

View attachment 801036


If it turns, either it's dropped down so the key is out of the slot or it's sheared off.

These smaller Bush Hogs do not have the key. I have the replacement bolts and there is no key. The dealer assures me there is no key, and they cut them off with a torch when they don't spin off with an impact driver.