How to Sharpen Brush Cutter Blades

I have a lot of questions about how to sharpen brush hog blades, and, unfortunately, I'm not an expert on the subject. When growing up on the farm, there were some items that dad tried to sharpen himself...I remember holding one end of the bar out of our sickle mower while he sharpened the sections at the grinder on the other end. I'd hold the opposite end and try to keep my fingers out of the way of his constant turning of the bar back and forth. When holding the sharpened end, it was a little dangerous but I managed to come out of it with all ten fingers.

But, a lot of items, dad took to the local saw sharpening shop. They didn't charge all that much and when it was done, you knew it was right. He did occasionally take an L-head grinder to the brush hog blades and lightly touch them up, but that was about once a decade, and I never witnessed that process. In fact, almost every thing I've ever sharpened has not cut as well after I'm done than before I started. So, when it came time to do a video about sharpening brush hog blades, I went to an expert.

Tech Central is a fix-it shop about five miles from me in Nixa, Missouri. I've always heard they did good work, and everyone seems to like Jerry, the guy who runs it. I called Jerry one day to see if he'd be willing to sharpen my brush hog blades. His first reaction was, "Why would you want to do that?"

Turns out Jerry is a no-nonsense guy and he feels, as I did before this interview, that most of us worry way too much about those brush hog blades being sharp. It's not a lawn mower, it's designed to rough cut, tear, yank on and destroy brush, and if you over sharpen the blades you can cause premature wear. Jerry himself owns a Deere rotary cutter. He tore the side out of it and had to re-weld it, and while he had it apart he didn't even touch up the blades.

Now, if you're wanting a really good cut, and you're only in grass, you can put a sharp edge on your bush hog blades and make it cut pretty, but if you''re doing that, why not get a finish mower that's designed to give a pretty cut?

In the end, Jerry said you could take the burrs off the bottom of the blades, but that's all you need to do. He thought the blades that I brought in from an 8' cuter were just fine...perhaps a little out of balance, but perfectly acceptable to put back on the machine. I've already bought a new set, so I'm going to put them on and put these back in the back of the shop to use as back up's, in case I break or bend one of the new blades.

Before I end this, I'd like to plug Jerry's business, Tech Central, on Highway 14 in Nixa, just east of main street. His phone number is (417) 724-9988. He's a good guy to know if you have mechanical issues on a small motor of any kind, or want honest advice about sharpening stuff.

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