Kubota Mower Deck Pulley Failure

[Williy]

Looks like the pulley said HELLO MR ROCK OUCH!

$80 pulleys don't cost that much at Tractor Supply
The bearings are sealed so a grease fitting does not
put grease in bearing, you need to remove the shield
on one side of the bearing and then grease it good and
put the open side towards the center to keep dirt out
by doing this bearings will last a lot longer

willy

 

[arto98607]

I wouldnt think mowing tall grass with a 24hp diesel zero turn would be to much to ask. If it was I would expect the belts to be wearing out...this looks like the pully contact something and rolled it over.

Here's what I am saying:

In my opinion a mowers with deck pulleys like this (and sealed bearing spindles) were probably not meant for regular mowing acres of fields with fairly tall grass.

ZD1211 is a fine mower no doubt but meant primarily for maintaining established lawns.

This would be a big step in the right direction, but it's still meant primarily for established lawns, just more hours of use:

 

[nyone]

Theres a grease fitting right in the pic of the "sealed bearing" spindle.

 

[arto98607]

Theres a grease fitting right in the pic of the "sealed bearing" spindle.

Yes that's pretty funny, realized that from an earlier post - the photo in post #12 with the cast iron pulley is different though.

Conical roller bearings, the exact same as 2000# trailer axle bearings, but it's still meant & designed to be a lawn mower.

 

[Williy]

On the spindles of riding lawn mowers with grease
fittings on the spindles how does the grease get into
the sealed bearings????? The bearings are SEALED???

willy

 

[nyone]

I'm still failing to see how a rolled over pully because it looks like it's been rubbing against something would benefit from grease in a bearing.

A stronger pully wouldnt even help because nothing should be touching the pully becids the belt.

 

[LD1]

Grease or no grease has nothing to do with the pulley unless lack of grease locked up the spindle. The op said it wasn't the case here as spindle was still free and tight.

Regarding the grease/sealed bearing discussion that this post has turned into.... If it has a grease fitting it is not a sealed bearing. The inboard seals are not there. Only the outboard seals remain to contain the grease AND prevent water from getting in.

There were "some" low end mowers that had greasable spindles....and upon a spindle failure the owner would disassemble only to find double sealed bearings. So no amount of grease in the spindle zerk would get to the bearing.

Most manufactures of mowers offer both spindles that are greasable and ones that aren't. Usually the non-greasable stuff is homeowner stuff. But I cannot help but thin the MFG's have both double sealed bearings as well as bearings with only a single seal in their inventory.

So was it an oversight on a manufacture, did an employee grab a wrong bearing, was it intentional? Who knows. But it is NOT the norm in most mowers. Most mowers that don't have a zerk are sealed bearing. Most that do have no inner seal so the grease actually does go to the bearing.

 

[Williy]

I have seen both with a zerk and without and the bearings
are sealed both sides why? have no idea

willy

 

[LD1]

I have seen both with a zerk and without and the bearings
are sealed both sides why? have no idea

willy

Probably a manufacture oversight like I said.

Take toro for example. They have spindles that have zerks and ones that dont. But the spindles are the SAME. Bearings are the same size. So someone maybe put the wrong combination together.

Either way though....if the bearings are indeed sealed on both sides, Id still rather have the zerk. Wont do any good initially. But the first time you rebuild the spindle, put bearings in with only one seal...now the grease is actually getting to the bearing. Simply rebuilding with the correct bearings is a whole lot easier than trying to modify a spindle to accept a grease fitting.

 

[DB Pilot]

After 12 years of mowing my 60" Kubota deck had a similar problem. The Top nut on the shaft would not stay on. No amount of tightening, new top nuts/lock washers or lock tight paint would keep it from working loose. I found that the hex shaped shaft that the pulley sits on was worn down plus the pulley hex center was enlarged causing a lot of play between those two parts. New shafts, pulley, bearings and grease seals have given me another 8 years of service no problems. I bought the BX2200 in august of 2001 it has 2710 hrs. on it. The belt is still the original one but I keep a close eye on it. Hope this helps and good luck.