Mulch head balancing

[QwikDraw]

So a few weeks back I had a company come out and to balance the Fecon. I was not present but a good mechanic was on hand to help. I had taken off the teeth thinking this would help...first mistake. They tried to balance the head with no teeth but could not get it close. They also measure about 8/100 play in both bearings.
I ordered both bearings (about 1400) and one stub shaft (about 650) as one of the bearings was seized on. We get that all put together and he comes back and still can't get it right...we measure about 8/100th wobble in the other stub shaft...order a stub shaft, replace and went back to work with the head off balance as bad as when we started. In the next two weeks I rip off two tooth holders and weld those back on...it gets worse.

Now the head is running really bad and I need to get it balanced but after all the new parts and the balancing guy come two times ($1100) I'm out $4000 +/-.

So Friday I order a vibration analysis machine and got it today. A little hard to figure out but within 3 hours my Fecon is running like NEW. A little pricey up front but I'll save cash in the long run and I will not have any down time.

I'll probably do a few heads others when I can and it will pay for itself...right?

How much do you guys pay for balancing? My guy was $95 per hour...port to port. I pay a 26 tired lowboy $95 per hour to move my excavator so I felt this was out of line.

 

[beenthere]

Can't imagine the mechanic going ahead with a balance "act" without the teeth in the first place.

Glad to hear you have it running smoothly.

Care to post some pics of the balancing procedure with some commentary? Sounds like an interesting problem.

 

[Robbie Hegwood]

Well 4k sucks no matter how you put it. But atleast the trouble gave you the idea to get your own machine. If you hadn't had the trouble you probably wouldn't have bought the machine. The hourly rate of 95 per hour sounds right for a shop rate but all the travel time would add up.
I have run a head out of balance before and it make's you think the machine is coming apart and you'll be sitting on the ground in a few minute's. You'll be a jack of all trade's soon!!
I see a whole new direction. Quickdraw's balancing and mulcher repair..

 

[tommu56]

check with an electric motor repair shop for balancing most can do it in place we do our fans at work the guy is good

run it with sensors on
add known test weight run again
he punches some stuff in ballancer tells us were and how much and were to put it and we do that (ususlly welded weights)
test again usually right on or a little heavy grind some wt off check again

tom

 

[Cedar Buster]

Congratulations on the new machine. I don't know what that vibration analyzer cost you, but I bet you're glad you have it and that your Fecon is running smoothly again. I cannot stand running a machine that's trying to self-destruct.

When things go to **** all of a sudden, you tend to forget all the weeks and months when the equipment was running great. Well, it sounds like you just bought yourself some peaceful production time again. Nothing like the sound of smooth-running gear. Love it!

Cedar Buster

 

[SSP&M]

Are you saying you paid $1400 for bearings?? What fecon is it?? we get out bearings local for around $95 a piece....also have torched off seized bearins with little to no damage to shaft. We have also knocked off a few holders before and balanced ourself the best we could...over 5000hrs on one with no balance.

glad you got it to balance....always wanted to keep ours balanced better.

 

[QwikDraw]

Yeah...I know.

I didn't do the tourching on the stub shaft and the mechanic said it was blue and that it should be replaced.

They ordered the whole assembly with the flange. the parts guy said that was the only way they came...I was told later by my mechanic that we could have went and got just the bearings..another lesson learned. It's my expensive education.

 

[SSP&M]

I know what you mean, our first bearing got us the whole assembly.

the only thing we havent found local is the wire seals, but they are fairly cheap anyway.

after you change one and figure it out they get very easy. taking the rotor out is very easy also.

keep it mulching!!!!

 

[cann mulching]

Hey Quick where did you get the balance machine at & how much??? I need to look into that!

 

[QwikDraw]

Cann.

PM sent.

 

[Curbside]

Qwick

I'd be interested in that balance machine as well. Thks

 

[Curbside]

Thks QwickDraw

So how does that work. Do you attach a sensor to the drum and spin it up? How do you know which side of the drum to build up or grind down. Or is it trial and error untill it gets better and better?

 

[QwikDraw]

It comes with two sensors that are magnetic. You put them on the frame of the fecon at the ends (above the bearings). It takes readings of the vibration one sensor at a time. You need the cover off on the pulley side and to make a white linefrom the center outward. The analyzer also comes with a strobe light that you point at the pulley (at speed) and the white line stops where you need the weight. It also shows how much vibration there is and tells you where to add the weight. I used some scrap I picked up at my local welding supply place. You spot weld a "weight" where it tells you and spin it again..get reading, add weight until you have it done. Then go back and finish welding all the weights. This sounds a little easier then it was but that's kind of how it works.

It's hard to explain but when I figured it out it wasn't that bad.

 

[Curbside]

Thanks that was kinda of what I was envisioning. Right now I use the most unscientific method there is. I weld a bolt onto the drum and see if it get worse or better. If worse I grind it off and weld it on the opposite side. Repeat untill vibration appears to go away.

 

[cann mulching]

Thanks Quik I'll check that out!!!

 

[tonyoz]

One of the first things you should do before balancing a rotor is check for runout.I learnt this from my own inexperience when I took a rotor in to get balanced and was told they couldn't do it cause the shafts were bent so into an engineering shop it went,had 12 thau one side and 14thau the other.So $3000 later including new bearings back to balance shop who unloaded $5000 out of my pocket.Now when I balance it I use a magnet and kitchen scales,so this is how it works,slip the belts off and turn the rotor by hand,note were the rotor stops,put the magnet on the opposite side and start adding weights until the rotor stops in verious locations.Then weigh all the steel you have added inclueding the magnet then weigh up some steel to make the same as previous and attach:thumbsup::drink:

 

[Machinist Hand]

Hello QwikDraw, I will be interested in that balancing equipment as well. I am having same issues here. Our Erskine mulcher has started to vibrate as if it will tear the whole machine. Really need to balance it.

 

[tonyoz]

Here's a tip to remove a seezed bearing race. Heat the race in a line across it until it's red hot then pour the coldest water you can get over the heated area. You should hear a quite click. Now just wait until it cools and the race should slip off nice and easy. using this method you can't ever damage the shaft.

 

[grinder123]

Curbside,
I am the Product Support Manager for Fecon. We have just become an exclusive distributor for a line of Mobile balancers that will work on any forestry mower. We have two models. The least expensive model works as a balancer only. It retails for $1,995. We have another model that not only balances but can also determine if you have a bad bearings and even determine if a vibration is caused by a bent stub shaft. That kit retails for $3,995. Feel free to contact me if you would like me to send you any information. I can be reached at kmccann@fecon.com.