grease in a rotary cutter gear box?

[Soundguy]

SOME boxes on some equipment DO ship with a grease instead of an oil. My Howse 10' hd mower shipped with a thin spec grease. I have a magrix spreader that shipped with a sealed box and grease. Some mowers and lawn equipment use grease in their drives instead of oil. I buy my 00 grease from a lawn mower repair shop.

 

[Fallon]

I do not understand why they don't come from the factory with cornhead grease. Would save a lot of gearboxes.

Oil flows better & ends up lubricating a touch better I expect. Easier to measure the level & change. Also, the lower the viscosity, the less HP loss.

 

[Soundguy]

HP loss based on a pint of thick liquid gear lube that is very very close to pourable 0/00 grease anyway? In a mower gearbox? What are you talking about? 1 micro hp loss? Something that has to be calculated because it's way to small to be measured?

I'd wager that crud buildup on and under the mower deck adding weight to the mower would be more 'hp loss' than a pint of very thick oil vs a pint of very thin grease!!!!


Wow....

 

[Xfaxman]

Oil flows better & ends up lubricating a touch better I expect. Easier to measure the level & change. Also, the lower the viscosity, the less HP loss.

What is this statement based on? Have you used thixotropic grease? Have you seen any videos of it when it is flowing in a gear box, just like oil?

Here is a video:

 

[2458n]

My Center gearbox on the 12ft. bush hog got cornhead grease last week. Saved the day and cut 115 acres of thistles before seed heads set. CRP ground and had to be done. It worked for me.

 

[Turbys_1700]

If Brown Manufacturing specifies cotton picker spindle grease, I figure it's OK. I think Brown knows a thing or two about gearboxes.

 

[RobS]

...even weeds that wind up and then get forced into the seal face.

Exactly what happened to mine.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

OK, here's MY take...

The seal let go on my Rotary cutter many MANY years ago, I've been putting grease in it ever since. What kind of grease? ANYTHING I can get my hands on, I don't believe it makes any difference, as long as you put "something" in that gear box!

Some years ago, a guy gave me a large amount of grease from waaaaaaay back, all different brands/kinds and I'm still putting a half of tube of which ever brand/kind my hand hits when I need some. I put it in before a BIG job and don't worry about it one bit... Even heavy grease will flow some, once the box warms up and every time I look in the box, there is grease covering all the gears/shafts.

My gear box it still quiet and this rotary still cuts perfectly, well as perfectly as the used blades allow! And YES, my rotary cutter get's used HARD all without issues...

You guys argue everything to death, just put what ever grease you have, in and go, I bet you it won't make any difference in yours either!

SR

 

[pmsmechanic]

You guys argue everything to death,

SR

Don't spoil the entertainment!

 

[Turbys_1700]

OK, here's MY take...

The seal let go on my Rotary cutter many MANY years ago, I've been putting grease in it ever since. What kind of grease? ANYTHING I can get my hands on, I don't believe it makes any difference, as long as you put "something" in that gear box!

Some years ago, a guy gave me a large amount of grease from waaaaaaay back, all different brands/kinds and I'm still putting a half of tube of which ever brand/kind my hand hits when I need some. I put it in before a BIG job and don't worry about it one bit... Even heavy grease will flow some, once the box warms up and every time I look in the box, there is grease covering all the gears/shafts.

My gear box it still quiet and this rotary still cuts perfectly, well as perfectly as the used blades allow! And YES, my rotary cutter get's used HARD all without issues...

You guys argue everything to death, just put what ever grease you have, in and go, I bet you it won't make any difference in yours either!

SR

My dad did the same thing...
He called it "hard grease"...

 

[Soundguy]

i've seen people put candle wax in with oil or grease in a gearbox to tighten it up too..

 

[Fallon]

What is this statement based on? Have you used thixotropic grease? Have you seen any videos of it when it is flowing in a gear box, just like oil?

Here is a video: JESCO/John Deere Corn Head Grease - YouTube

Note the I expect at the end of my statement... I've also stated previously I dumped pourable grease in my flail gearbox rather than replace the recently leaking seals. I expect the decrease in lubrication & HP won't any significant longterm difference to a flail I paid $100 (+ $300 in parts & a weekend of work) for.

Car companies long ago shifted to lighter weight oils for minor mileage increases. I'm sure it makes a difference, but not a lot.

 

[Soundguy]

i think you are compairing apples to squash when looking at pump and distrobution system, vs a splash lube ring and pinion gear setup...

 

[IndyJay]

Don't spoil the entertainment!

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Good info. I'm going to look for some Single O grade gear box lube this morning. Lost the slave gear box on our twin spindle semi finish Bush Hog. We replaced that gearbox off of our parts bush hog and went ahead and put a new seal in the main gearbox and now it will not hold oil so instead of tearing it all apart again I'm going to see what different lube will do and if that works out I'm going to transition everything before loosing another gear box hopefully.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

The only way to use grease in a gearbox, and I upkeep several gearboxes.

You have to mix the oil and grease together in a bowl or separate container. It makes a thick sludge. Then pour it in the gearbox. I use a suction gun for some applications. If you don't pre mix the two together, it will never mix. If you pre mix, it will never separate. It will stay in a bad seal mixed that way. Case in point. My dad was using a hydra push manure spreader for clean out. Probably 800 seven cu yard loads. We put it in a shed. We don't spread with it. We keep a 4x4 tractor by the shed to pile the manure high and make more room for tractor and spreader. Piece of string got on shaft and got the seal. Adding gear oil every other trip. I put mix in it, he checked a couple times, it was full, he kept cleaning out. We did fix it later.

 

[5030]

I've always used cornhead grease myself, especially in gearboxes with weeping seals. My ancient Troybilt rototiller with shot tine shaft seals is no exception. Loaded with cornhead grease and has been for years.

 

[Xfaxman]

The only way to use grease in a gearbox, and I upkeep several gearboxes.

You have to mix the oil and grease together in a bowl or separate container.

True for NLGI grade 1 or higher.
Not true for NLGI grades 0, 00, and 000.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Found some 00 today and 1 quart got it up to full and mixed well in the 93F temps after lunch. Lady coming to trim some hoofs now do will field test this weekend

 

[MESSMAKER]

I've always used cornhead grease myself, especially in gearboxes with weeping seals. My ancient Troybilt rototiller with shot tine shaft seals is no exception. Loaded with cornhead grease and has been for years.

I have hundreds of hours on cutters with cornhead grease in them. It works great and does not leak through the seal. I have had to replace gearboxes with gearbox grease, but not with cornhead grease.