Bush Hogs are great. They are capable of clearing out so much vegetation, weeds, etc. quickly. But eventually, the blades start to get a bit dull. No worries, we’ll show you how to fix that problem.
Did you know that It’s cheaper to sharpen blades than to replace them? You can sharpen blades on your own with some patience and a grinder.
Bush hogs are used to cut down weeds, clear brush, and prepare grassy areas for other uses. A sharp blade will result in a better job, as will learning to use the machine correctly. This article will explain everything you need to know about how to sharpen your bush blades.
We’ll tell you the tools you’ll need, why you’ll need them, and when to use them.
By following these step-by-step instructions, you can keep your bush hog blades sharp and working efficiently.
When Do You Need To Sharpen Bush Hog Blades?
Bush Hog blades need to be sharpened whenever they’re dull enough that they don’t cut through the bush as they should. To keep this from happening often, you should maintain the blades with regular sharpening.
Things You’ll Need
Breaker bar
Used for leverage to remove the blades if needed
Socket
Whatever size is appropriate
Wood block
This will be used to keep your blade assembly stable if needed
Vice
This will be needed to steady your blade should you decide to remove them from the bush hog
Bastard Mill File
This is a two-sided flat file that has a single cut pattern as well as a rectangular tapered point for detail work The term “bastard” refers to the coarseness of the file
Machine oil
If needed, to lubricate the blade mount points
Step-by-step Guide To Sharpening Your Bush Hog Blade
There are two methods that work best for sharpening bush hog blades. For both methods, we will be removing the blades and mounting them to a vice.
1. Angle Grinder Method
- Make sure you only use a stone grinder disc and attach it to the grinder
- Take one of your bush hog blades and mount it to a vice
- Go ahead and clean your blade thoroughly
- Fire up the angle grinder and start passing it over the edge of the blade. Keep going over the blade edge until it’s nice, clean and shiny. Note: do NOT round off the edges of the blade
- Repeat for the other side. After finishing up, repat for the next blade
2. Bench Grinder Method
- Make sure you only use a stone grinder disc and attach it to the grinder
- Take one of your bush hog blades and mount it to a vice
- Go ahead and clean your blade thoroughly
- After flipping your bench grinder on, you’re going to carefully run your blade past the grinder, keeping the blade at a constant 45-degree angle.
- Again, do NOT round off the edges of the blade
- Repeat for the other side. After finishing up, repat for the next blade
Alternatively, you can easily get your blades sharpened up without even removing the blades at all. You can simply remove the entire hog blade assembly, housing, and all.
After removing the entire assembly, you should be able to stabilize it using the right size wooden block or even leaning it safely against a tractor or wall. Then all you have to do is repeat the Angle Grinder Method above.
Please remember that the goal isn’t to sharpen your blades to Samurai Sword standards. Bush Hog blades are meant to keep vegetation and weeds under control.
FAQ
Do Bush Hog Blades Need To Be Balanced?
Do Bush Hog blades need to be balanced? No, they do not. The bush hog blades on your tractor can last a lot longer than you think. We’re talking about decades here.
Bush hog blades are normally made of high carbon steel. High carbon steel is very hard, which is good for the teeth on the blades.
Provided that they are taken care of properly, you’ll rarely have a problem with the blades. Yes, you might have a problem with vibration down the line, but that normally comes from one or more of the blades being bent for some reason.
Even then, we would recommend that you simply replace the blade because attempting to balance them would be a huge waste of time and effort.
Wrapping Up
And there you have it. We hope you enjoyed our article on how to sharpen Bush Hog blades. We showed you:
- What tools you’ll need to get started on sharpening your blades
- We’ve given you a step-by-step blade sharpening guide
- We discussed two different methods to sharpen your blades
- We also talked about how your Bush Hog blades will not need to be balanced
Take care of your Bush Hog blades and they will take care of your fields. Happy Sharpening!