Flail Mower Let's talk flail mowers

   / Let's talk flail mowers #2,301  
I have not used that JD paint BUT can tell you when I did my last Kubota the paint (also no hardener) stayed soft for almost 5 days but hardened up fine and lasted. I also am very careful about watching the window they give you as I tried to cheat once and respray a little too soon and paid for almost instantly when the started to crinkle up in a few spots..... Lived and learned form that one
 
   / Let's talk flail mowers #2,302  
Ok, need some advice! I was flailing around yesterday and started smelling something funny so I stopped and walked around the tractor. All of my gear box oil was spewed out all over the top of the mower. The plastic/rubber ring seal has come off the side of the gear box where the output shaft goes to the pulleys and let all the oil out. I dont think it ran long enough to hurt anything because there was still oil coming out of it when I discovered the problem. Can I seat it back and fill it with the right oil and go on flailing around? Or should I be worried about it more than that? The shaft the goes from the gear box to the pulleys does not vibrate so Im not sure why the seal worked its way out? Ill try to upload a pic of it. image-3249218741.jpg image-1279353071.jpg

image-1614035771.jpg
 
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   / Let's talk flail mowers #2,303  
Ok, need some advice! I was flailing around yesterday and started smelling something funny so I stopped and walked around the tractor. All of my gear box oil was spewed out all over the top of the mower. The metal ring seal has come off the side of the gear box where the output shaft goes to the pulleys and let all the oil out. I dont think it ran long enough to hurt anything because there was still oil coming out of it when I discovered the problem. Can I seat it back and fill it with the right oil and go on flailing around? Or should I be worried about it more than that? The shaft the goes from the gear box to the pulleys does not vibrate so Im not sure why the seal worked its way out? Ill try to upload a pic of it.

View attachment 437908

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UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Sadly you are now the victim of sealus roundus escapus drainus oilus gearboxus;
from which there is no quick and dead repair fix

NOW I will assume you did not overfill the gearbox if it is not vented from what I remember of your flail mower.


My dear friend you have work to do to repair this flail mower



You have one bad seal, plan on replacing them both in order to maintain sanity.

I will add more via editing as soon as I post this.


OK before I change into surgical scrubs, sterilize my hands and upper arms with soapy water and bleach and put on two pairs of disposable gloves there are issues that should be looked at.

1. your having fun and seat time with your mule and your mounted implement

2. buying a replacement gearbox will get you back to mowing much sooner than buying replacement parts for the gearbox-to explain further; when you lose a seal like this it can turn butts ugly and you could be a victim of a cascade failure like the NY power grid did due to a limb clipping a high voltage line in 1994-5.


3. when you lose seal retainer its a good indication of either a bearing failing allowing the yokes orbit to increase and place pressure on the seal and then the retainer and vibration simply took its toll and the seal retainer just fell out with the seal-not likely unless the bearings have ground up and are no longer useable.

Or the gearbox was overfull an either way you need to remove the guards and replace both the seal an the seal retainer and hope for the best.

the only way to tell if the bearings are good is to pull up on the shaft and alos try to move it sideways and see how much play there is if any.

When you have a seal and the seal retainer pop out the worst outcome can be expected or has occured.

I would see how much a new gearbox costs from flailmaster and others and then check the various JD parts supply houses on the internet for their prices before you proceed as spare parts are not very cost effective when rebuilding some gearboxes especially small ones like these as they normally o no have stacked roller bearings to support the input and output shafts.

Groan!!!
 
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   / Let's talk flail mowers #2,304  
I've decided to buy a Caroni TM1900 flail from Agri-Supply. Do they ever put it on sale or offer % off deals? I know my Tractor Supply mails out a 10% off anything coupon 2X a year. Does Agri-Supply do the same? Current price is $1909 plus about $260 shipping. I'm in no rush to get it, mowing season is starting to wind down, so as long as I have it by May 1, 2016, I'll be in good shape.

A big thank you to everyone on this post who helped make up my mind. Leonz and Island Tractor, special thank you to you both. Of course, my wife is not sure you are friends, getting me to spend this kind of money!
 
   / Let's talk flail mowers #2,305  
Short answer. Drive the seal back in, refill gearbox, flail away. Watching and checking periodically of course. I've had a couple seals do that on gearboxes. Both times I reused the seal and in fact, am still using them years later.

If by chance the seal doesn't fit the hole tight enough to stay you might have to adjust the seal outer edge slightly with pliers for tighter fit.
 
   / Let's talk flail mowers #2,306  
Where is the flange that holds the seal in place?

This gearbox does not appear to have a separate
seal retainer flange inside the bore of the gearbox..

Seal retainers containing the seal are typically pushed into
place with seal drivers or screwed into place with seal retainer wrenches
which are also used on hydraulic cylinder packing glandsthat are adjustable
to take up wear on the stuffing box packing material.

A seal driver can be made from a piece of PVC pipe sized to the outer diameter of the seal assembly.
 
   / Let's talk flail mowers #2,307  
The internet price is usually lower than the catalog price for the obvious reasons.

You should plan on buying it now and perhaps purchase the side shift option to
make mowing easier.

They may or may not have the TM1900 model in stock so you need to plan ahead.

They usually have a six to eight week turnaround on containers coming from Caroni as they need full
loads to be shipped to save on frieght costs.
 
   / Let's talk flail mowers #2,308  
Thanks for the input. Ugh. Dont want to replace the whole gear box. Im thinking there was too much oil in there and after heating up it had no where to expand. My fault for not checking it at the proper level after buying it from the last guy. Should there be a vent plug on the top? There was only a bracket holding the very top of the seal in, hence why in the first pic the bottom was pushed out. I think ill first try to put it back in and see what happens. There is no play in the shaft up or down or side to side so hopefully its ok. Which plug should i check the oil level to and how much approx should it hold? And 80w-90 should be the right oil right? image-1021177049.jpg image-2877024508.jpg

image-3731564933.jpg
 
   / Let's talk flail mowers #2,309  
I've decided to buy a Caroni TM1900 flail from Agri-Supply. Do they ever put it on sale or offer % off deals? I know my Tractor Supply mails out a 10% off anything coupon 2X a year. Does Agri-Supply do the same? Current price is $1909 plus about $260 shipping. I'm in no rush to get it, mowing season is starting to wind down, so as long as I have it by May 1, 2016, I'll be in good shape.

A big thank you to everyone on this post who helped make up my mind. Leonz and Island Tractor, special thank you to you both. Of course, my wife is not sure you are friends, getting me to spend this kind of money!

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OWWWWOOOHHHHH that hurts, Did you tell her that Island Tractor and I have only your best interests
at heart and do not have our hands on your wallet(if that helps).After all she is also granted citizenship
status in the flail mower nations where no passports are required.
 
   / Let's talk flail mowers #2,310  
Thanks for the input. Ugh. Dont want to replace the whole gear box. Im thinking there was too much oil in there and after heating up it had no where to expand. My fault for not checking it at the proper level after buying it from the last guy. Should there be a vent plug on the top? There was only a bracket holding the very top of the seal in, hence why in the first pic the bottom was pushed out. I think ill first try to put it back in and see what happens. There is no play in the shaft up or down or side to side so hopefully its ok. Which plug should i check the oil level to and how much approx should it hold? And 80w-90 should be the right oil right? View attachment 437939 View attachment 437940

View attachment 437941



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splash lubrication gearbox:

no vent needed as long as it is not overfilled(oil barely dripping out of the level hole.
The oil level plug is the pipe plug that is directly at the twelve oclock position when looking at the rear of the gearbox and it is in line with the filler plug and just below the bolts holding the rear access plate at the ten oclock and two oclock position.

as far as oil goes, try to buy a quart squirt bottle of 90 weight with the tapered spout.
Kendal oil is one brand that did have them or still does in that small a package bottle
 
 
 
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