Question Husqvarna 155 rider

[Hardcase]

Just bought a this mower I love it so far getting used to using it. One question I have is about the deck it seems pretty loud. Mows perfect with no vibration blades are not new, but seem in good shape. Not sure if it being a mulching, timed deck could have anything to do with how loud it is? I am also thinking about replacing the tires with an ATV tires with aggressive tread anybody else done this?

 

[Gem99ultra]

I definitely love my Rider 155. It has served me well for 12 years and ~2500+ hours of use. I do the maintenance thing, i.e. plug, air filter, oil change & filter, grease zerk, pull the scalping wheels off and grease those, about twice a year - at the beginning of the mowing season and mid-way through it - averaging about every 4 months. I did replace the belts about 5 years ago, but only that once for good measure. I do blow the mower off after every use to stave off rusting.

One thing, I was neglect on was greasing the mower deck spindles, i.e. mandrels - never touched them. This past year R-155 got real loud when I'd engage the blades. Just for the heck of it, I pulled the deck off and removed the spindles. Geez - two had missing bearings and the third one bone dry. And they had no grease fittings! That repair cost me about $400 for a complete replacement. All parts were readily available from Husqvarna. That was no small task and I doubt that I'll be taking it apart just to grease them again. If they burn up in the next 12 years, I'll probably just replace them again.

But - if you want a clean start with your 'new' mower, you might consider pulling the spindles and grease those "sealed" bearings. Other than that, I think you will learn to appreciate the quality of the Rider 155. Cuts like no other mower I've ever owned - golf course smooth!

 

[Hardcase]

I definitely love my Rider 155. It has served me well for 12 years and ~2500+ hours of use. I do the maintenance thing, i.e. plug, air filter, oil change & filter, grease zerk, pull the scalping wheels off and grease those, about twice a year - at the beginning of the mowing season and mid-way through it - averaging about every 4 months. I did replace the belts about 5 years ago, but only that once for good measure. I do blow the mower off after every use to stave off rusting.

One thing, I was neglect on was greasing the mower deck spindles, i.e. mandrels - never touched them. This past year R-155 got real loud when I'd engage the blades. Just for the heck of it, I pulled the deck off and removed the spindles. Geez - two had missing bearings and the third one bone dry. And they had no grease fittings! That repair cost me about $400 for a complete replacement. All parts were readily available from Husqvarna. That was no small task and I doubt that I'll be taking it apart just to grease them again. If they burn up in the next 12 years, I'll probably just replace them again.

But - if you want a clean start with your 'new' mower, you might consider pulling the spindles and grease those "sealed" bearings. Other than that, I think you will learn to appreciate the quality of the Rider 155. Cuts like no other mower I've ever owned - golf course smooth!

How do I grease them if they are sealed? I do not see any grease fittings?

 

[Gem99ultra]

How do I grease them if they are sealed? I do not see any grease fittings?

No grease fittings is my complaint also. The only way I can see is to pull the spindle cap to get to the bearings.

The "sealed" bearings usually are only sealed with a rubber gasket, protecting the bearing basket. Take a small prick or a small knife and carefully remove the rubber gasket which will expose the bearings. It's best to add grease from both sides of the bearing. I suspect packing those spindles real good will suffice for many years of use. Personally, I use marine grade wheel bearing grease.

 

[Dan Bollinger]

From what I understand, they aren't sealed bearings as in the image. Rather, they are like the front spindle bearings on rear-wheel-drive cars. If I were taking them apart for greasing, I'd install zerk fittings at the same time and pump the spindle full.

Regarding the noise, make sure that the blades aren't lined up in a row. If they are, the deck becomes a siren. To fix, move the center blade out of sync.

 

[Gem99ultra]

You are correct Dan. I'd hardly call them 'sealed' bearings myself, but that's the way they are referred to as. I ran into the same type bearings on my m/c trailer...
Drilling a hole and installing zerks is definitely the way to go. I was in a hurry and did not do that, but if I were to do it all over again, I certainly would. That would make life a lot easier in the future. I'm a big believer in lots of grease

 

[Hardcase]

Thanks I think I will check the bearing Monday. The blades are lined up correctly. I am going to check all the spindles and go ahead and add zerks can't hurt. Put some chains on this morning made a big difference on hills. Still can't get over the way this thing mows, it does look like a golf course and I have a rough yard!

 

[Hardcase]

Thanks I think I will check the bearing Monday. The blades are lined up correctly. I am going to check all the spindles and go ahead and add zerks can't hurt. Put some chains on this morning made a big difference on hills. Still can't get over the way this thing mows, it does look like a golf course and I have a rough yard!

Checked the deck Tuesday everything was tight, except one bolt on top of one spindle. I tighten it and left off the cover to see if it gets loose again. Does not seem to be any quieter. I was thinking about putting some oil in the hole where the bolt was to see if it would quiet things down? Would that even get to the bearings? What do you all think?

 

[Dan Bollinger]

At this point I wonder if you don't have a bad bearing. Did you check the spindle bearings for smoothness? If not, remove the belt running between spindle pulleys and turn the spindles by hand feeling for any roughness or lateral movment that could indicate bad bearings. If so, then I suggest replacing all the bearings on all the spindles.

 

[montysimmons]

Did you verify the spindles are not cracked? A small crack in a spindle can make the belts ride on the pulleys incorrectly. Causes the belt to ride up on the pulley and the belt will rub other surfaces and make noise. Although, this should also cause the belt to wear out quickly.