[askinner]

Hi all,

Just wanted to share a method of sharpening discbine blades I discovered today that works really great, and fast. I normally use a flapper disc on an angle grinder, but being lazy this morning, the grinder had a cut off wheel in it, so I grabbed my electric die grinder that had a flapper wheel in it and used it. It worked very well with an 1 1/2" diameter wheel, as it got right into the radius near the inside of the blade. Produced a razor sharp edge too

These die grinders are available in battery operated versions too, which would be even better.
Hope this helps someone!

Aaron

 

[Vol]

Good idea Skinner....looks like the die grinder would definitely be better about holding and maneuvering one-handed. How's your growing season going in your part of the world?

Regards, Mike

 

[askinner]

Thanks Mike, the positioning of the die grinder is perfect for a discbine, very quick to sharpen this way, and a whole lot safer than restling with an angle grinder with a curtain over your head!
It has been extremely dry down here, only had about 2 1/12" this season, thankfully for irrigation I have still had some really good yields, but at a cost. We are being bent over the barrel down here with electricity prices!!! Our "wonderful" prime minister decided a carbon tax would save the planet

A dairy across the river from me received a $15k power bill for the month the other day!! On the up side, the dry has driven hay prices and demand through the roof

 

[mlappin]

Here it ain't worth sharpening blades. Especially on lighter crops, once the edge is no longer square on the end of the blade it doesn't cut fine stuff near as well as a new blade with a square edge, not to mention with moles and what not I always have chips missing out of the leading edge. I go thru one new set a year, that includes flipping them over once.

 

[urednecku]

Flipping the blades worked on my JD mo-co, but not on my Kuhn mower. I tried it for about 30-45 minutes, then came back to the barn to change them back, sharpened on the bench grinder while they were out.
I will check into a die grinder, all I have now is an angle grinder. I've been using it with a regular grinding disc. Right now that's all I have unless I take 'em off & use the bench grinder.

 

[Nitram]

I had considered building a jig to hold at proper angle on a bench grinder. Is there a concern with heating and causing blade to become fragile?

 

[swmnhay]

Put new ones in!!$2-3 each.

Alot of times the ends are getting rounded off or maybe they are bent a little.A new blade will cut much better then a rounded off,bent resharpened one.

 

[CockrellHillFarms]

Its not worth sharpening just like swmnhay is saying!! Its not worth the time. Flip them if u can. If they are bent toss them and replace them. Way faster! And not worth the time and effort!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Vol]

Sharpening blades is a matter of opinion and circumstance. If you have a disc mower like mine, a Fella, it is a absolute PITA to remove and flip the blades.....which I do every year. BUT, many times I will hit them a quick lick and have a nice edge to mow with which I can do three times as fast as removing. Now, if I had the quick clip type blades, replacement would be a no-brainer....but I don't. I agree 100% when the corner edge starts bull nosing, it is definitely time to flip or replace. And Martin, your right about heating the blades with a disc grinder....its hard not to do it a little at best....that is why I think Skinner from Down Under has hit on a great idea about using a little die grinder with hard paper drums to grind with....much cooler and I would think the ease of handling and comfort would give a fella alot better ability on proper sharpening. One other thing, on my Fella disc mower, I noticed that I can get away with a rounding corner more on all the blades except the pair on the last(outside) disc(Hat). These have to be square all the time or the end becomes ragged for the next pass and causes a little ragged strip sometimes in finer grass, but I can get too picky about that stuff sometime. Kinda that way about mowing my yard too!

Regards, Mike

 

[mgilbert61]

Changing blades can get pretty expensive. I would think an occasional sharpen would be alright unless all the other mentioned issues. I'm going on my own and looking at a nh1411. I guess if you can leave them on it would be ok, but if you got to remove then you might as well flip.

 

[urednecku]

So far I've had good luck sharpening. If you don't wait till they are too dull it only takes a few seconds per blade. Takes a lot longer to change them, and like Vol said it's a bit of a pain. Also the bolts & nuts are supposed to be changed every 3 or 4 times (best I can remember) they are taken off. I just spent $42 from TSC for blades, (I've been waiting for a month for the dealer to get some in.) and $38 for bolts from the dealer. (TSC) didn't have them.

That's just what works for me.

 

[haybaler101]

Changing blades can get pretty expensive. I would think an occasional sharpen would be alright unless all the other mentioned issues. I'm going on my own and looking at a nh1411. I guess if you can leave them on it would be ok, but if you got to remove then you might as well flip.

Really? Two dollars per blade is expensive? Mine takes 20 blades and 30 minutes to change. Usually start season with new blades and flip half way thru. Probably get 5 to 700 acres per side. Usually replace a few in between from damage. Only change bolts when cross threaded or stripped.

 

[askinner]

I personally have a fair amount of sandy country, and it rips the edge straight off the blades, long before they warrant replacement. I also like to have a razor sharp edge each time I cut, It cuts the stems, rather than rips them IMO. And as urednecku said, it only takes a few seconds per blade. On the flip side (paron the pun), I don't flip them. If they're off, they're going in the bin! I like the peace of mind they're all balanced and have no fractures etc...
On the bolts, that being the only thing between those blades travelling 180 mph and my head, I will pay the extra $$ to replace them every change!

 

[cdhayman]

we have sharpened blades in the past. it does help, there is no doubt about that. but anymore we usually just flip them over. we will hopefully go through no more than 3 sets of blades per season. i mean this year each machine will cut a little over 3,000 acres, so if we only do 3 sets i think we are doing pretty good.

 

[Teslan]

Whatever you do. Putting in new or sharpening, they are sure better then the old sickle sections and guards to have to replace.

 

[mlappin]

Whatever you do. Putting in new or sharpening, they are sure better then the old sickle sections and guards to have to replace.

Amen.

20 to 30 minutes to change or flip the 20 on mine. Takes practice is all, first time sucked.

 

[askinner]

Amen.

Takes practice is all, first time sucked.

And a cordless impact wrench! They are great for the job.

 

[Nitram]

I have to admit the quick clips on the vermeer 1030 is fantastic for ease of flipping and removing. I guess some of my father settled on me as I try to save where I can sometimes its not worth it. But I flipped the blades and then put a new set on in the 200 ac this year and the blades I removed look nice except for a few dings and dull edges. Martin

 

[Iowa hay guy]

i tryed to sharpen them in my macdon but at $1.37 each you cant afford not to replace them
especially when the sharpened ones lasted half as long because the case hardening was all gone 50 acres and they were shot and a new set will last for 400 or 500 acres before i say its time to toss them

so far i have quite a pile of old bent and dinged up blades that i could throw in an old junk car to scrap someday

 

[HALLSHAY]

Whatever you do. Putting in new or sharpening, they are sure better then the old sickle sections and guards to have to replace.

I tend to disagree! How often do you need to replace guards and sickles? Was it that hard? A top serrated sickle section continually sharpens itself as it wears. I believe you get a more consistent cut job field after field with sickle mowers.

I really haven't expressed my opinion about disc mowers on this forum because so many people like them and I do not want to offend. Here are the main reasons I don't like them from a hay BUYERS standpoint:

If you changed blades every 250 acres even on 1 ton hay, you have less than .50 per ton of hay in blades. If guys keep them nice and new and slow down a hair and cut a field clean, they work great.

What I see happening on a regular basis is a high speed hay cutting job with blades that are semi-dull that leaves alot of stripped alfalfa stems. Next cutting comes around and that dead stem gets cut with the pretty green hay, and you end up with it mixed throughout. Does it really affect the quality of the forage? Not really. Is it ugly? Hell yes, I can look at about any green load of 2nd or 3rd alfalfa and tell you whether it was cut with a disc or a sickle the time before.

The next big one I see is the dirt and rock content in hay, especially sandy ground. We get hay in here that is littered with sugar sand. You can run load after load and never find one clod of sand, but there is sand everywhere on the floor as we clean. Disc mowers don't slow down for gopher mounds and sprinkler tracks and that dirt ends up in there also.

All I am trying to say is that a sharp blade and a clean cut make for a better product.