Cutter shakes like crazy

[moship]

Any chance the PTO shaft is bent?

 

[whistlepig]

Or maybe a bad universal in the PTO shaft. I have never lost a universal on a PTO shaft but I guess it could happen.

 

[AchingBack]

Without being there to look it over I can't add to any ideas that have already been mentioned.

Don't sharpen those blades too much. Don't you figure they came blunt from the factory for a reason?

Very good suggestion. A duller blade will shatter saplings. Therefore, there is less chance of flat tires caused by spears.

 

[Ram4x4]

Very good suggestion. A duller blade will shatter saplings. Therefore, there is less chance of flat tires caused by spears.

Makes sense. No more saplings on the property though. I mowed them down (several clumps of them in spots in the field), then dug them out with the FEL. It's all field grass and weeds now.

 

[whistlepig]

Tried the idle/pto thing, no dice.

Yes, the blades swing freely. Yes, it shakes even when lifted and not cutting anything.

I agree, something is out of balance as that's what it feels like, like one blade is heavier, but nothing is broken off any of the blades, not twisted, etc.

The nut on the stump jumper is a big castle nut and it has a huge cotter pin in it, and it is not broken or twisted.

I'm going to take the blades off and weigh them, heh.

If nothing else, I have a grinder and if they are that much different in weight, I can fix that! Besides I want to sharpen them up some anyway, they were pretty blunt from factory.

Just boggles my mind how all of a sudden they got that way. I'd understand if I had hit something big and solid with it, but I didn't.

My first thought was they might of had some kind of balance weight on them and it came off, but that doesn't make sense. You balance them by grinding the heavy one, even at the factory.

Ah well, kinda puts a damper on the day...and it's supposed to rain tomorrow too, yuch.

I have never tried to balance the blades on a rotary cutter when I sharpened them. In my experience with the rotary cutters that I have owned balancing the blades didn't seem to matter. But that's just my limited experience.

 

[pjbci]

If you take the blades off to weigh them. I would engage pto without blades on just to rule out the gearbox and stumpjumper.

 

[DT86]

I have never tried to balance the blades on a rotary cutter when I sharpened them. In my experience with the rotary cutters that I have owned balancing the blades didn't seem to matter. But that's just my limited experience.

I agree, never have had a problem with blades being out of balance after sharpening.

 

[Ram4x4]

If you take the blades off to weigh them. I would engage pto without blades on just to rule out the gearbox and stumpjumper.

Yeah, will try that.

Supposed to storm and be rainy tomorrow, so might not get a chance to do it.

 

[Xfaxman]

My guess is something wrapped around the shaft and is laying in the stump jumper. It has happened to mine.

 

[NoTrespassing]

So, snow is gone and finally got to do some serious hogging on the field. Took the 5035HST out with the 7' HD Mahindra cutter and for the next couple hours it was smooth going. Then, all of a sudden the thing starts shaking like crazy. I didn't hit anything, it just starts shaking. I shut it down, lifted it up and there is nothing tangled in the blades, no missing parts, no broken blades, no bent blades, nothing, perfectly clean, it just shakes like ****.

Any ideas?

My 6ft. mower does the same thing from time to time. It happens when the swinging blades don't pivot back out to the proper position and it becomes out of balance. The pivot points get gummed up or rusty from sitting too long. I usually shut it down, get a can of lube of some kind and spray the pivot point down. Then I work it back and forth so it's swinging freely. That has always fixed the problem.

Kevin