shear pins

[jimbo64]

went to tractor supply and one other farm supply store to buy shear pins for my bushog and they both said to use 7/16 or 1/2 number two bolts as shear pins. old pins were shear pins with a grove in them to break under pressure. Will #2 bolts shear as easily- 7/6 or 1/2 inch #2 bolts seem pretty substantial
and i really not interested in tearing anything up=neither store carried "shear pins".

 

[carpenter383]

#2 bolts aren't a very strong grade. I broke a shear pin on a bushog, and replaced it with a grade 5 bolt. Broke that bolt so I used a grade 8, and broke it too! The tractor was a tc30 running a 6ft bushog in tall grass and thorns (all it wanted) Still not sure if something was wrong with the bushog or what caused the repeated pin/bolt breakage (not my tractor)
I wouldn't be worried about a grade 2 bolt being too tough to use as a shear pin.

 

[jimbo64]

#2 bolts aren't a very strong grade. I broke a shear pin on a bushog, and replaced it with a grade 5 bolt. Broke that bolt so I used a grade 8, and broke it too! The tractor was a tc30 running a 6ft bushog in tall grass and thorns (all it wanted) Still not sure if something was wrong with the bushog or what caused the repeated pin/bolt breakage (not my tractor)
I wouldn't be worried about a grade 2 bolt being too tough to use as a shear pin.

thanks for the input carpenter383- is half inch to big or should i stay with 7/16

 

[75H2]

I picked up a 3pt snow blower a week ago. I knew I was going to go through a bunch of shear bolts so I wanted to stock up. My manual made reference to #2 grade bolts

 

[scesnick]

I picked up a 3pt snow blower a week ago. I knew I was going to go through a bunch of shear bolts so I wanted to stock up. My manual made reference to #2 grade bolts

You better buy them by the bagful.. I run only grade 8 bolts and I still break plenty of them.

 

[carpenter383]

thanks for the input carpenter383- is half inch to big or should i stay with 7/16

I would use a 1/2 in bolt if thats what it takes to fit the hole tightly. You don't want to have slop in the holes where the bolt goes through.