"Toughened Up" Rotary Mower Blade
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I use my Bush Hog 307 7-ft. rotary mower to cut hay as well as brush and weeds on our farm, which has a lot of big rocks. The blades are made from soft metal and often got chipped or became very dull. If I hit a rock it was often enough to snap the blade in half. To solve the problem I cut a 3 by 2-in. piece off the front part of the blade. Then I cut the same size piece out of a stainless steel plow share and weld it on.
The steel is much harder than the original blade material so it lasts three to four times longer. The add-on piece is tapered which makes it easy to sharpen. I still sharpen the blades once in a while, but not nearly as often as before because the stainless steel is a much tougher material. If I hit a rock just right, it may put a big nick on the blade but not on the plow share. Usually the plow share just skips over the rock without being damaged.
Welding two different materials together - stainless steel and soft metal - is a little tricky. I use an arc welder with a stainless steel rod. I've used this idea for 10 years with no problems. The modified blades seem to last forever. (Albert Tritch, 12305 West A St., Lincoln, Neb. 68532 ph 402 474-0721)
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"Toughened Up" Rotary Mower Blade MOWERS Mowers (31H) 26-3-34 I use my Bush Hog 307 7-ft. rotary mower to cut hay as well as brush and weeds on our farm, which has a lot of big rocks. The blades are made from soft metal and often got chipped or became very dull. If I hit a rock it was often enough to snap the blade in half. To solve the problem I cut a 3 by 2-in. piece off the front part of the blade. Then I cut the same size piece out of a stainless steel plow share and weld it on.
The steel is much harder than the original blade material so it lasts three to four times longer. The add-on piece is tapered which makes it easy to sharpen. I still sharpen the blades once in a while, but not nearly as often as before because the stainless steel is a much tougher material. If I hit a rock just right, it may put a big nick on the blade but not on the plow share. Usually the plow share just skips over the rock without being damaged.
Welding two different materials together - stainless steel and soft metal - is a little tricky. I use an arc welder with a stainless steel rod. I've used this idea for 10 years with no problems. The modified blades seem to last forever. (Albert Tritch, 12305 West A St., Lincoln, Neb. 68532 ph 402 474-0721)
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