Grading Broke an 1845 Mower Blade

Sedgewood · Jun 20, 2002

Charlie Figured they'd be about a dollar each. They came today, complete with packing slip -- $5.85 per bushing. 
Uh oh I just did the same thing - called Sean Monday and asked him to send me a dozen. That's after doing a local search to no avail and also not finding them in the MSC catalog, and then deciding it would be too expensive (assuming I value my time) to make some. I can hardly wait for their arrival!

Charlie_Iliff · Jun 20, 2002

I think PT can sell the machines below cost and make their profit on attachment plates and bushings.

Sedgewood · Jun 22, 2002

Charlie
I am going to try to assemble a system that uses swiveling blades like the rough cuts, but with finish type lift. I need to track down some washers, bushings, etc., and hope to hear from PT about any systems they've experimented with.

An idea of this sort has been taking up some of my cranial space of late. What have you come up with?

Sedgewood · Jun 22, 2002

I broke the belt the other day (my own lets tighten that belt a bit fault). Aarg now just how does one get a belt over the motor, hydraulic lines etc and onto the pulley I thought before going off to ME for a few days to get psyched up for it. Simple. Remove two bolts and lift the motor to separate it at the cush drive. Turns out to be a piece of cake 5 minute belt change.

Sedgewood · Jun 22, 2002

And of course buying that belt isn't a matter of just going into your local tractor dealer and asking for a B136 - nosirree - no part number no belt. Times they have changed. NAPA otoh - "B136, no problem, it'll be here tomorrow." (Doesn't work for $5.85 blade bushings though).

Charlie_Iliff · Jun 22, 2002

Charlie
I am going to try to assemble a system that uses swiveling blades like the rough cuts, but with finish type lift. I need to track down some washers, bushings, etc., and hope to hear from PT about any systems they've experimented with.

An idea of this sort has been taking up some of my cranial space of late. What have you come up with? 

If my chop saw blade lasts through 6 gravely blades, and the hole saw makes 12 1" holes through the 1/4" blades, I will test it tomorrow,
Stay tuned.

Charlie_Iliff · Jun 23, 2002

If my chop saw blade lasts through 6 gravely blades, and the hole saw makes 12 1" holes through the 1/4" blades, I will test it tomorrow.

Chop saw did great. I now have 12 short blades. Hole saw, on the other hand, made it through 1/8" of the first of 12 blades. Research has begun on plan B. Seems gravely blades are pretty hard.

I did get back to some finish mowing after wearing out a 3" cutoff wheel and part of a side grinder disk getting the remnants of the broken blade off the mounting ring. We then welded on the 1/2 small lawnmower blade PT sent as a replacement for the broken one. All in all about a 2 hour job. It did a pretty job mowing the lawn afterward, but I was careful to make sure the blades only hit grass.

Charlie_Iliff · Jun 24, 2002

Sedgewood:
re: $5.85 bushings.
Aircraft Spruce has 4130 Chrome-Moly tubing 1"OD and .625 ID. Their part
# 03-06800. $6.67/ft and you can order 1' to 20' pieces.
1-877-477-7823.

Cutting it square and the right length may be a challenge, and I already have the bushings, but if I lose them, maybe I'll go that route.

Sedgewood · Jun 24, 2002

Charlie
Aircraft Spruce has 4130 Chrome-Moly tubing 1"OD and .625 ID.
With any luck Sean will have misplaced my order. The time factor in drilling the 5/8 hole in one inch shafting stock is what prompted me to just order some. The cutoff is not a problem - I have a small lathe that will handle that. And the mill/drill would make quick work of the blade holes. The mill/drill is one of those "use it all the time" tools, like bubenbergs take on the forks has turned out to be.

BTW, I was out mowing tall, full load on the mower, grass on a 90 degree day over the weekend and the temp gauge topped out at the highest number, 240 if I remember right, setting off the high temp alarm. It's been running just a bit below that anyway even at moderate loads & ambient temps. You had mentioned in an earlier post that yours was running hotter than you thought reasonable too as I recall. I found no significant blockage of either cooler or the air filter. Does this conform with your experience?

And as far as the mower is concerned I think I misled myself at purchase time into thinking it would do the once a year full grown field mowing I've been using my Bush Hog for but alas that may not be. It seems full height stuff loads the blades in a way that it doesn't with the Bush Hog. I need to rethink my program here and either mow more than once a year or keep the International 484 and Bush Hog just for the mowing. I haven't even started it since PT arrived. Or look into an Ammbusher perhaps.

Charlie_Iliff · Jun 24, 2002

John:
 And the mill/drill would make quick work of the blade holes.
My machining skill is nil. We have a Grizzly vertical mill, but no bit that will put a one inch hole through the hardened blades. I'll have to get one. Anything special I should look for?
(We also have a huge old lathe, but haven't gotten someone knowledgable to help us mount the chuck so it runs true. It is a WW II vintage barrell making lathe with turret -- heavy.)

BTW, I was out mowing tall, full load on the mower, grass on a 90 degree day over the weekend and the temp gauge topped out at the highest number, 240 if I remember right, setting off the high temp alarm.
Mine hits 220-240 regularly. One time it pegged the needle, power wound down and it wouldn't take throttle. But no alarm went off. Although the Deutz book mentioned an alarm, I didn't know we actually had it. Mine obviously doesn't work. Do you know where it is located and wired?