Flail Mower How to change the rotor bearing on a JD 25A flail.

[stravis]

I've got an older model John Deere 25A flail that, after lending to a friend for a weekend, has come back to me missing a rotor bearing. From what I understand the repair will be similar to a 300 series JD flail also. I've ordered the new bearing, but am unsure of how to install it. Will it be as simple as removing the small shroud protecting it, unscrew the allen set screw, remove the locking collar, slide the new bearing on and reverse the process? The entire rotor assembly doesn't have to come out does it? I'm really hoping this is a 30 minute fix as I really need to get mowing again.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[kennyd]

I can't help exactly, but I can get the parts breakdown for you when I get home later...or you can get it yourself from www.jdparts.com

 

[stravis]

Thanks. I've actually already signed up there and gone over the diagram. I'm just not sure how much I am going to have to take apart to put it back together. The site was very helpful though. I appreciate your posting it.

The bearing comes in today, so I guess I'll figure it out tonight. I was just hoping to get some confirmation here so I know what I'm getting into this evening.

 

[sandman2234]

I hope you do a step by step discription of this project, and include twenty-seven 8x10 glossy pictures with circles and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each was was... I have the same mower and it has a bearing failure also. Since I caught some guy wire with my bush hog and pretty much toasted it, I am going to need to get the flail running soon, or something cause SWMBO isn't going to put up with the back part of the property filling up with snakes and critters.
David from jax


From an old, old song that nobody sings anymore...
they took twenty seven eight-by-ten colour glossy photographs with circles
and arrows and a paragraph on the back of each one explaining what each
one was to be used as evidence against us. Took pictures of the approach,
the getaway, the northwest corner the southwest corner and that's not to
mention the aerial photography.

 

[stravis]

I hope you do a step by step discription of this project, and include a dozen 8x10 glossy pictures. I have the same mower and it has a bearing failure also. Since I caught some guy wire with my bush hog and pretty much toasted it, I am going to need to get the flail running soon, or something cause SWMBO isn't going to put up with the back part of the property filling up with snakes and critters.
David from jax

I'm glad I checked this thread before I left the office, cause I wouldn't have thought of that had you not requested it. I'll do my best to document it and will post it for you. Like I said earlier, flailmaster.com told me the parts would be in likely today. I haven't been home yet, but if they are there, I'll be working on it tonight.

 

[Knight]

Can you post a pic now of the bearing area. Maybe we can help along the way.

 

[sandman2234]

Bearing must not have gotten in, or was the wrong one? Looking forward to this posting to continue...
David from jax

 

[stravis]

The bearing came in and as I started taking it apart I found out why the bearing went out in the first place. Looks like there was some nylon rope wrapped around the inside of the bearing. Looks to have been there longer than I've had the mower. I cleaned it up and realized that 1. I have the wrong bearing and 2. the rope had torn apart the bearing shield as well. So I have parked it and am mowing with the rotary cutter. I will revisit the flail in the next couple of weeks. Apparently there are two types of bearings on the 25a. One that was on the older models with the square shaped bearing housing and one on the majority of the 25a's out there with the round housing. I bought the most common bearing and it turns out I have an older model with the square housing (even though the serial number indicates I have the round housing type).

David, if the bearing you need is the JD9275, I've got one I'll send to you for $25 shipped. I bought it from Flailmasters for $33.55 plus shipping (Mower Parts). It's obviously brand new, I got it Monday, put a little grease on it and tried to slip it on. It didn't and I took it off.

When the new parts come in, I'll still do a write up with pictures for you.

 

[stravis]

Actually, I'll go ahead and walk you through what I DID get accomplished in case you are going to do this before I finish up.

First remove the two bolts holding the shield.


This is what I found after removing the shield. As you can see the bearing is completely gone.


On the end of the shaft is a locking collar. It's held on by a t30 set screw. Back out the screw and pull the collar off (with much grunting and force in my case)
Backing off the set screw

First attempt to remove collar

Frustratedly thinking about approach for second attempt

Success


And this is what you have once it is removed


This is where I got hung up. My thoughts were that the bearing would slide on and I would reverse the process and be on my mowing way.


After I realized my new bearing wouldn't easily slide on, I thought that I would have to take the housing off, put the bearing on , collar, shield and move on. While under the mower figuring out how to remove the housing, I discovered the rope. As I cleared the rope, I discovered that I had a square type housing. Armed with this discovery, I looked at my rotor diagram and discovered I had the wrong bearing. At that point, I parked the flail in the shop, hooked up the rotary and went to work so as not to upset the new neighbors.

If yours is the round bearing housing type, the bearing may very well just slide on after the collar is removed. If it does, this is a very easy fix, however if the housing has to be removed, I think the rotor shaft has to be removed for it to happen which turns this fix into something slightly more difficult. Not impossible, just more time consuming. I'll be ordering my new parts this week and when they come in, I'll do a write up for that as well.

 

[sandman2234]

I went out and looked at the flail to see what type of bearing housing I have, and it looks round from the outside, but looking at the bearing housing from inside the cutting area, the housing is square, so I am going to assume I also have a square bearing housing. I am not the best at finding things on jdparts, and was unable to locate anywhere that listed more than one bearing (how did you find the square versus round?).
The bearing on mine is the one on the other end, but don't let that stop you with your excellent work of showing how it is done. I may go ahead and change both, although one at a time, because I don't want to buy two of the "wrong bearings". Once I find the correct one, and get it installed, I will probably go ahead and replace the second one, on the end where yours went out. This discription will probably help untold number of people who are doing a search for info on the 25a for years to come and you seem to be able to do a great job of discribing it.
Thanks, and looking forward to more, (especially the square housing bearing source)
David from jax