Broke Down Again

[kdexpd]

Well, finished my 6 trenching jobs for underground perferated drainage line and decided I better get back to the mowing jobs. Just started on a Church I take care of and got about half of it done, and the main pully on the deck decided to burn up it's bearings. I thought I smelled something hot, but decided it was my belt so I tried to get as much done as I could before it went. The deck shut itself off, so I got off and looked and the belt was off, so I pulled around to the truck for my tools. As soon as I flipped the foot rest plate I saw it wasn't the belt. The pully was sitting near one of the spindles and was just a tad bit warm..as I found out when I went to grab it. So, back for another 50 mile round trip to the shop for repairs. I know this time I won't be getting that Simplicity loner again that's for sure! HAHA!

[CHEESE2009]

Lawn care business tips

I hate August. My truck goes in for repairs tomorrow. = another delay... Lawn mower gets fixed, truck quits... I feel like I've been cursed!

[kdexpd]

I know how you feel! I was finishing up with trenching on Friday and coming back from a guy's house who was helping me and my tire went flat on my trailer. It had been going down for a week, but I kept putting off fixing it until I could get a day off. It started going flat while I was at his house, so he put some fix-a-flat in it to get me the rest of the 6 miles home. It worked till I pulled forward and exposed the hole. HAHA! I came out so fast it got all over him and the stupid trailer! I thought I would die! So I haulled but back for home but came up shy by a few miles. By that point I was so frustrated I just drug the trailer home on the flat...making sure it didn't come off the wheel and ruin it too. By the time I got home that tire was smokin! HAHA! Stupid thing anyways. So I took it to WalMart to get it replaced..I hate WalMart, but my regular tire shop wasn't open after 5 so I tried there. Well, they told me that due to their "policy", they couldn't put a car tire on a trailer. I couldn't believe it. Who the hell makes these idiot rules? So I left the trailer on a jack all night till I could get to the tire shop the next morning. They got me a cheap car tire, mounted and balanced for $82. I was hoping for a little cheaper, but they didn't have any used in stock. I guess I should mention that the trailer had a 800lb concrete buggy and about 1/2 ton of chat on board, so that's probably why the air shot out as fast as it did...she was a little over loaded.
Gotta love life's little suprises...especially when you don't have time for the crap!!

[Steve]

I am guessing there is just a useful life of the bearings before they tend to seize? How are they lubricated?

[picframer]

I know some of these rules may seem to suck but they are there for a reason, trailer tires are designed for load and have a very heavy sidewall designed to prevent roll, they are worth the extra bucks in this business, same as out trucks, I run 10 ply sidewall tires, desperate expensive but never a worry on heat, load or sway.

As for bearings, our's get repacked every 60 days, maintenance is one area our small company is over the top, everything is logged and tracked by the piece of gear, I think this pays off as it's rare we have anything brake down granted 95% of the equipment was purchased this year.

[Steve]

As for bearings, our's get repacked every 60 days, maintenance is one area our small company is over the top, everything is logged and tracked by the piece of gear, I think this pays off as it's rare we have anything brake down granted 95% of the equipment was purchased this year.

I have never messed around with the spindle bearings but I am guessing the motor needs to be taken off first and then the bearings need to be pulled and then repacked?

I tried to find some pics that show the spindle housing. The second one shows the components lettered.

A: Bearings

B: Housing

C: Spindle

D: Grease fitting.

E: Grease relief valve. eliminates the potential to "over-grease" and damaging a seal.

F: Blade bolt mounting hole.

Correct me if I am wrong, but even though you may use the grease fitting, it doesn't eliminate the need to pull the bearings and re-pack them.

I had my center spindle go on my exmark lazer a couple months ago...$700.00 later. My spindles do not have grease nipples on them and I need to rip them apart and repack them twice per year (don't do enough mowing to do them every month).

[Steve]

My spindles do not have grease nipples on them and I need to rip them apart and repack them twice per year

How long does it normally take to do this per spindle?

well as long as everything comes apart the way it should start to finish should take about an hour per spindle. I completely take them apart and and clean out all old grease file down any rough spots and repack.

[Steve]

How do you figure out how much time to go in between servicing this item?

Does it tell you in your manual to repack the bearings every x amount of hours of use? Or what?