Loose gear box on rotary cutter

[RoyJackson]

Yep..that's the "Belay that" which is Navy lingo for "Never Mind"

After reading these posts, Brandi will probably never post again!

 

[patrick_g]

I had the same problem. I noticed my gear box was loose. I raised the cutter deck up and put the back end and tail wheel on my trailer so I could crawl under safely. I put a couple jack stands at the front of the mower and left it attached to the 3PH. I took off the blades to lighten the assy I was going to remove. I removed the cotter key and unbolted the big nut that held the stump jumper. I used a 3/4 drive socket set (long reach) so I was not directly under the heavy stump jumper.

I pried, rotated and pried and loosened the stump jumper and let it fall to the ground. I tightened up the gear box mounting hardware. I crawled under the center and slid the heavy stump jumper over me and then lifted it into place. Holding it with one hand (slightly cocked force so it bound to the threads) and used my free hand to start the large castellated nut. Tightened it up and replaced the cotter key. I topped off the gear oil. All works fine.

If I didn't have the strength to lift the HD stump jumper and hold it in place with one hand I could have used a floor jack and a couple wood scraps. Jack it into place and access the bolt to start the nut by reaching in the space created between the wood scraps (couple 1 ft 4x4 or so pieces)

It is EXTREMELY important to secure the mower so it can't fall on you.

I suppose if you were going to use a floor jack you could use it to lower the assy as well land not need to remove the heavy blades. Mine needed sharpening as they had not been sharpened in 5 years and looked really ugly. I don't cut the grass and weeds, I beat it into submission!

Pat

 

[bindian]

Yep..that's the "Belay that" which is Navy lingo for "Never Mind"

After reading these posts, Brandi will probably never post again!

Roy,
I suppose you would like that. By the way........my Mahindra 6520 FEL can lift your JD 790 11 feet. I don't have a JD 790 here in TEXAS to lift, but this photo should do. I am sure the other guys here would like to hear from me from time to time with my 29 years of mechanical experience.
hugs, Brandi

 

[RoyJackson]

Roy,
I suppose you would like that. By the way........my Mahindra 6520 FEL can lift your JD 790 11 feet. I don't have a JD 790 here in TEXAS to lift, but this photo should do. I am sure the other guys here would like to hear from me from time to time with my 29 years of mechanical experience.
hugs, Brandi

You are always welcome here...and I'm sure I express the sentiments of many TBNer's!

BTW, I see you're into horses. Do you shoot too?

 

[bindian]

You are always welcome here...and I'm sure I express the sentiments of many TBNer's!

BTW, I see you're into horses. Do you shoot too?

Roy,
I shoot, but I don't shoot horses.
hugs, Brandi

 

[RoyJackson]

Roy,
I shoot, but I don't shoot horses.
hugs, Brandi

Well, I didn't mean the horses...

 

[bindian]

Well, I didn't mean the horses...

Roy,
Hehe. I knew that .....just couldn't resist. I don't compete in shooting events. I used to go deer hunting with my Dad. I had a left handed Remington model 700 7mm magnum then. Lost it in the divorce. I now have my Dad's Winchester model 94AE lever action in .307 cal and his (from the 1930s) Winchester model 62 pump action 22 that shoots shorts, longs, and long rifle bullets. I also have an old 20 guage loaded and ready in my bedroom. But my sweety is my CHL carry piece, a Kimber Pro CDP in 45ACP.
In the past, I had wanted to shoot my wore out John Deere rotary cutter , which I sold when I got the new Bronco cutter with my Mahindra package.
hugs, Brandi

 

[3RRL]

Brandi, I take it then that the ex was left handed?
My wife and youngest are left handed and I found out it is harder than heck to get a left handed semi auto shotgun that won't break the bank.

It's good that you felt like shooting your old brush hog. That shows you are a normal healthy person. I would love to shoot some of the old stuff I have, just to teach it a lesson. Your new Bronco shouldn't have to worry for a long time.

 

[bindian]

Brandi, I take it then that the ex was left handed?
My wife and youngest are left handed and I found out it is harder than heck to get a left handed semi auto shotgun that won't break the bank.

It's good that you felt like shooting your old brush hog. That shows you are a normal healthy person. I would love to shoot some of the old stuff I have, just to teach it a lesson. Your new Bronco shouldn't have to worry for a long time.

Rob,
I should have worded it differently. I am left handed and lost the 7mm in the pawn shop. I had to pawn it and my Colt 45ACP to make ends meet. Well, sometimes ends don't meet. Because I had the way higher paying job and worked nights.......I had to pay child support! I have been toying with buying another 7mm. But since I don't hunt large critters anymore, I have been thinking about a high powered semi auto rifle for long term and long range defensive needs. I would love to shoot a .50 caliber rifle, just once. Each year when I sighted in my 7mm, it just took three shots! Over three shoots at a time and my shoulder became black and blue.
Now...talking about shooting equipment, my JD rotary cutter had a gearbox made in France and was leaking. You couldn't overhall it anymore, just replace it and the blade hub......at a cost of over $700. With all the cracks and large dings in it, it was ready for the scrap heap. It still mowed, but you needed a lot of gear oil to keep it going. The JD salesman suggested what he did to one gearbox on his batwing, inject grease into the gearbox. Never tried that. Photos below are my old JD cutter and my new Bronco cutter.
hugs, Brandi

 

[3RRL]

Well, I'm glad then you didn't shoot that old Deere mower after all. It looks better than mine! BTW, thanks for sharing that picture of your nice new Bronco cutter.

On the other subject, shooting a .50 cal bmg would be a recoil I'll bet. Why don't you look into a .270? They have excellent ballistics reaching out and are less recoil. Kinda fun to shoot. I'm an 30:06 man myself, that being my best flavor. But I hunt big game with a.378 Wby mag. A little recoil job there too.