"Sharpened" the bush hog blades

[Hazel]

The blades only have one cutting edge so balancing is not an option with the traditional blade balancer. What is typically done is you weigh each blade to be sure they weigh the same.

 

[9035768HM]

There is a difference between a brush hog and a finish mower. Finish mowers do good with sharp blades and are good for cutting large areas of grass or weeds. They do a nice job like a lawn mower. Brush hogs will cut grass but are made for bushes and brush although some of us have taken down 2" sapplings with them,,,. The blades arent supposed to be sharp as a few others have pointed out. They are great for clearing ground that has overgrown for a few years.

 

[mo1]

Why does it matter what manufacturers use? The poster is doing this at home. I still use my bench grinder and it works fine.

My pedestal grinder came out of a production metal shop that was the victim of the Great Recession. It had been making sparks since 1968 and other than a new set of motor bearings and a new piece of safety glass in the eye shield, it is as good as new and will last a whole heck of a lot longer than the angle grinder I have (a USA-made DeWalt.) Each has their place but there's no comparison between capability and longevity of an actual pedestal grinder and a universal motor angle grinder.

 

[Sberry]

I raise, use jack stands, cardboard and slide under adding a c clamp so I can hold the rotation with my knee. Not jacked super high, there is a right spot where you can really put leverage on the grinder.

 

[tomplum]

How about using your 2 stroke Milwaukee impact to get these blades off?
Gas MKE

 

[Sberry]

The removal takes too long. I can sharp them in 15 mins including getting a coffee.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

I hope you all are just cutting desirable grasses since you're sharpening brush hog blades. If you are cutting brush and weeds, dull blades are better, they leave a shattered stalk that won't grow back and also won't leave a sharp point to puncture tires.

And the best thing to use to try to remove the blade nuts is a Milwaukee 18V 1/2" impact, Haven't found anything yet it won't remove ...or break off

Exactly. The “blades” are not meant to be sharp, but slightly rounded.

 

[Bill Guenthner]

It is so easy to sharpen the blades with an angle grinder which you can get at HF for 15 bucks by reaching underneath. You dont have to get your body under it . I am 63 yrs old, no way im taking those blades off for a 5 minute job, I also have 3 brush cutters and a finish mower to deal with.

Yep. I’ve never taken the blades off a rotary cutter. Very easy to sharpen in place.

 

[jyoutz]

People actually sharpen the blades on their rotary cutter? I never have.

 

[bcp]

In other parts of the world they use chains instead of blades. Chains certainly aren't sharp but they work fine.

Bruce