60" Finish Mower Problem

kootch88 · May 20, 2013

Fired up the mower this weekend only to find it smoking like a chimney. I greased the 3 spindles before starting only to find one bearing was ceased up in one spot. I got a wrench on it and was able to break it free and greased it again after turning it several times. Ran like a champ. Never saw a bearing cease like that on an item that has maybe 10 hours on it. I am guessing it wasn't greased properly from the factory and I created some wear running it dry. Hope I solved the problem.

Jim Dodgins · May 21, 2013

kootch88 said:
Fired up the mower this weekend only to find it smoking like a chimney. I greased the 3 spindles before starting only to find one bearing was ceased up in one spot. I got a wrench on it and was able to break it free and greased it again after turning it several times. Ran like a champ. Never saw a bearing cease like that on an item that has maybe 10 hours on it. I am guessing it wasn't greased properly from the factory and I created some wear running it dry. Hope I solved the problem.

I would use a lithium high temperature grease ONLY on bearings. It may help but there is defiantly some damage. On linkage and ball joints your every day grease works just fine.:2cents:

LAWALLSTRACTOR · May 21, 2013

I was having some spindle problems on HOWSE finnish mowers this past summer. The spindle housings were so large that it took 150 grease gun pumps to fill it. If you only filled it part way, when it got warm all the grease would settle to the bottom and lubricate the bottom bearing only. I replaced about five of them before I figured out the cause.

rback33 · May 21, 2013

Holy cow Galen! My hand is tired just thinking about squeezing that many times to grease one spindle...

PoorPlowboy · May 21, 2013

Here's what I use. It's proven to be very handy. Lot's of folks complaining that the fitting adapter is too tight. After hammering it off of the first zerk I used it on, it loosened up.

hawkeye08 · May 21, 2013

I was going to get one of the air grease guns, but am going to hold out and get one that uses batteries. I have both DeWalt (drill) and Ryobi (several) that use batteries so will eventually get one that uses batteries that I already have. I don't like having to drag an air hose out to grease... but then again, it would be better than doing it by hand on several of the implements..

PoorPlowboy · May 21, 2013

hawkeye08 said:
I was going to get one of the air grease guns, but am going to hold out and get one that uses batteries. I have both DeWalt (drill) and Ryobi (several) that use batteries so will eventually get one that uses batteries that I already have. I don't like having to drag an air hose out to grease... but then again, it would be better than doing it by hand on several of the implements..

Makita makes one that will work for you. I use the Makita LXT Li-ion cordless tools, and want a grease gun that will take the battery directly, without mounting it on my drill. I'm still waiting for that one. :laughing: