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Rotary Cutter Blade Sharpening

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Rob
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2000-08-02          18466


Just got my JD790 last night! I feel like my six year old on Christmas day. First of many questions: Do the rotary cutter blades need to be sharpened? I got the JD513 cutter and the blades are nice and thick with a very round profile on the leading edge. Seems to me it ought to be sharp, but I'm new at this. Any thoughts from you seasoned pros? Thanks, Rob.



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Rotary Cutter Blade Sharpening

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Bird Senter
Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 962
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2000-08-02          18472


Rob, rotary cutter blades are never as sharp as a lawnmower blade. They're designed to "break" or "tear" off small trees and brush, as well as grass and weeds. If yours is new, the blades certainly don't need sharpening. If you put a sharp edge on them, like a lawnmower blade, you'll very quickly get nicks and gouges in the thin edge if you use it the way most of us do. Of course, if you know you're only going to be cutting grass and weeds, without hitting any brush, small trees, stumps, rocks, etc., then you can put a sharp edge on them if you want to. ....


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Rotary Cutter Blade Sharpening

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Jeff
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2000-08-02          18476


I disagree about not having to sharpen new rotary cutter blades,My 513 came new from the factory with the blades with the factory edge on them,out in a hay field which had not been mowed since last year,the rotary cutter was not cutting well at all(the grass just looked shabby),an old farmer neighbor stopped and told me I needed to put alittle bit of an edge on the blades,which I did.You have to be careful and not over sharpen the blades,because of getting knicks from sticks and rocks,you need to be prudent when sharpening rotary cutter blades as not to over do it,I have put about 34 hours on my blades since sharpening them and believe me I have mowed everything there is to mow,I have no knicks,and when I cut in the grass exclusively it looks a lot better than when I first got the rotary cutter,also a dull set of blades will increase fuel consumption too.The blades from the factory on the 513 were very round on the edge before sharpening,you probably will need to "take them back a bit"by sharpening them,just dont over do it and try to sharpen them like lawn mower blades because then they will knick if you put to much of a edge on them.
A little sharpening will help but just dont try to make them too sharp. ....


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Rotary Cutter Blade Sharpening

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Bird Senter
Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 962
TractorPoint Premium Member -- 5 Tractors = Very Frequent Poster

2000-08-02          18478


If I were only going to mow my own pasture (no brush) or a hay field, I'd probably put a really sharp edge on the blades (and did on the last rotary cutter I had). Just depends on what kind of work you intend to do with it, and there's certainly nothing wrong with experimenting with different degrees of sharpness, even if you have to buy another set of blades. ....


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