Can Mower Spindle Bearings Be Greased Too Much?

[vern6973]

Hi:

I have two John Deere garden tractors, one is an 18 HP and the other is a 25 HP. I have 48" decks on both machines.

Enough about the tractors ... can a guy grease the spindel bearings on the mower too much? It doesn't seem to make any difference whether I give them 5 shots or 20 shots of grease ... none ever oozes out anywhere.

Vern From Illinois

 

[mrutkaus]

I would say you can't grease them too much, based on my Cub Cadet 44" deck. The grease just comes out, there is no critical seal or anything like that.

Mike

 

[DanD78]

I have a JD 525 and 737. I give each spindle 10 shots every other time I mow. It comes out on the under side. I have never had a bearing failure on either machine and the 525 has a boat load of hours mowing.

Dan

 

[Stimw]

The only problems I can think of would be if you popped the seal off the bearing from the pressure or if grease got on the belt it could have problems slipping.

 

[art]

Most bearing spindles will have a relief hole for the excess grease although I do know some don't!!!!

To have one that doesn't have the holes and to be over greased will push out the seal!!!!

 

[J_J]

Some bearing are sealed from both sides and do not require grease. Some bearings have a seal on one side only, and must be placed correctly on the shaft for the grease to work. Others bearings have so seals at all, and must be greased often. Some people go to the extent of injecting grease under the rubble and steel seal. There is such a thing as over greasing, bearings only need so much grease, and over greasing is just wasting grease. A lot of that grease is slung off the bottom. Sometimes grease is put in the spindle to keep water out . A lot of spindles do not have grease fittings.

If you have a good fit of the the sealed bearings in the spindle, adding to much grease will blow the seals, and when you do that, you might as well keep up with the grease schedule, because it is not a sealed bearing anymore.

A shielded bearing will allow grease in.

Some of the bearings can have rubber seals or steel seals, or a combination of both.

http://www.wwdmag.com/How-Grease-Lubricated-Bearings-Function-article4043

http://www.idcon.com/article-smart3.htm

http://www.idcon.com/article-smart3.htm

http://www.plant-maintenance.com/articles/Ultimate_Bearing_Maintenance.shtml

 

[ahoude]

Hustler recommends greasing every 500 hrs or annually. They have a seal that can be dislodged by too much grease and let in contaminants.

 

[jpm1]

I mow with a KK 72" rear discharge finish mower. 37 plus acres a week and I put a coulpe of skirts in each fitting EVERY time it goes out. Guess it's got 1800 acres of hard mowing over the 3 years I've had it now and it's still a "cherry" mowing just as good as it did on the day I brought it home.

 

[ovrszd]

I mow with a KK 72" rear discharge finish mower. 37 plus acres a week and I put a coulpe of skirts in each fitting EVERY time it goes out. Guess it's got 1800 acres of hard mowing over the 3 years I've had it now and it's still a "cherry" mowing just as good as it did on the day I brought it home.

I agree, small doses EVERY time it's used is a lot better than squirting a bunch of grease on the ground once a year.

 

[buck12]

I have a deere GT235 with 48" deck. I bought the mower used several years ago and the pulley/belt guards were missing. If am not mistaken the manual calls for two shots of grease every 10 hours. I have noticed that it takes 3 shots of grease any more and the grease oozes out under the pulleys and slings onto the deck. If your mower has the guards you wouldn't be able to see the ooze.