Maintaining sharp blades on your woodchipper is one of the most critical requirements to ensure your chipper gives the best performances and stays serviceable for as long as possible.
The main enemies to Woodchipper blades (or knives as they’re often referred to) is anything brittle or tough that is NOT actual timber – the main culprits being stones, rocks, metal and dirt which have become caught up in the tree branches and brush that is being fed into the chipper. Chipper blades must have a razor-sharp edge for best performance and as soon as this edge starts to dull, the chipper will have to work a lot harder to process the same amount of timber. It is not only the engine that works harder to power the cutters through the timber, but as the dull blades smash the timber with more force against the anvil, this will wear its cutting edge faster, the bearings holding the shaft which supports the cutter drum or disk will be fed greater vibrations as a result, and the entire machine and all welded joins will be subjected to greater forces and stresses compared to a sharp edge slicing through the timber being processed, ultimately leading to premature component failure as a result. Dead, dry timber and tough Hardwood will also dull your blades edges a lot quicker than soft green timber.
Woodchipper blades are typically made from an A8 modified (hardened) tool steel which is extremely strong and hard-wearing, but it does not have a very good resistance to abrasion hence why as soon as dirt or anything tougher meets its cutting edge, it very quickly starts to dull. It’s critical that you only feed clean timber into your woodchipper to get maximum life from your blades and to ensure that the sharp edge lasts for several hours (not minutes).
When chipper blades start to loose their sharp edge it is possible to slightly re-sharpen the blade in the machine without removing the blade from the drum or disk, and there are several files and sharpening tools specifically made for this purpose available on the market these days, but ultimately while these will give a slightly sharper edge than you started with, you really do need to get the blades professionally sharpened with a liquid cooled grinder to restore the razor-sharp edge your chipper deserves.
At Piranha Chippers we have witnessed firsthand after many thousands of hours of testing and real-life experiences that there is no substitute for razor-sharp blades with a fresh factory edge to not only produce a quality, clean wood chip, but also for the preservation of your wood chipper – there is just no comparison and your chipper will ultimately last for longer the better you maintain a sharp blade on your cutter drum or disk!
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