Sickle mower sharpening

[550Doug]

I have a 7 ft sickle mower and 2 knives. One has the old style sections that can be sharpened with a stone or file. But the other one has the serated edges on each section and it has rusted from sitting too long. What is the best was to clean up these serated edges? Can these sections be sharpened or do they need replacing?
Thanks

 

[old]

Best way to clean them is to run them go out and cut some hay with it and it will clean right up.

 

[JimEvans]

If they are sharp and just rusty, they should be fine.

If they need sharpening, I would probably just use a hand grinder. I don't think too many dealerships offer sickle sharpening any more.

 

[55deere70]

The serrated sections depends on what kind if they can be sharpened. If they are bottom serrated, you can sharpen them just like a non-serrated section. The top serrated knives would be difficult to sharpen easily.

 

[GordoSD]

What kind of ledger plates are on the guards. If they are smooth use serrated sections. If they are serrated replaceable plates use the knife with smooth sections.
Sections are too cheap to be thinking about sharpening them. And you don't want to sharpen serrated sections. You will lose the 'saw tooth" at the edge.
What Old said, brush some ATF on the bar and go polish it up mowing the hay.