Where do you guys get your shear bolts??

N80 · Jul 14, 2008

The TSC's here have grade 2, 5 and 8 in good supply. I use grade 2's. Would be concerned about using 5s.

EddieWalker · Jul 14, 2008

Mine came with the grade 2 bolts or whatever they are called and I broke them real fast. My dealer gave me a handful and said that's what they are supposed to do. After I broke all of them, I went back for more and he gave me grade 5 bolts. I asked why the change and he said that everyone was breaking them so fast that they upgraded to grade 5 so that you could actualy get some mowing done. I've been using grade 5 bolts since then and only break them on rare occasions. I still have a few left from the handfull he gave me something like four years ago.

Eddie

canoetrpr · Jul 14, 2008

studor said:
I am begining to believe that every bolt made in China is a grade 2

LOL! studor.

I just thought of the faster places this am as well. I'll make a stop in to Acklands Grainger this afternoon I think.

kennyd · Jul 14, 2008

N80 said:
The TSC's here have grade 2, 5 and 8 in good supply. I use grade 2's. Would be concerned about using 5s.

Same here, both my local TSC's have grade 2,5 and 8 also.

N80 · Jul 14, 2008

Maybe there needs to be a new grade system. Grade-2-U which is the standard US made grade 2 bolt and Grade-5-C which is a standard China made grade 5 bolt.......which is equivalent to the Grade-2-U.

And on top of that Anheiser-Busch is owned by Belgians. What is the world coming to?

canoetrpr · Jul 14, 2008

Eddie, is yours a heavy duty bush hog or a standard duty? It wouldn't shock me if my dealer put it a grade 5 originally in my bush hog. I

haven't broken the thing till the third season and I've had several encounteres where I thought I should have. Except back think I thought the 'slip clutch' which my bush hog was supposed to have would have been slipping

I'm not on talking terms with the dealer so I'll probably just put in grade 2s and buy several replacements and see how it goes.

peterc38 · Jul 14, 2008

Do you have the bolt that broke? I'd check the diameter too. My bush hog owners manual called for the same size as yours, 1/2" x 3", grade 2. When I broke a shear bolt I discovered what was installed (when I bought it) was actually only 3/8" diameter so there was some excess play in the hole. I don't know if that had anything to do with break but I don't think it is an ideal situation. Then I also discovered the hole will not accept a 1/2" daimeter bolt so the manual is wrong. I ended up using 7/16 diameter which fits in hole snugly without escess play and have not had one break since. The dealer I bought the Bush Hog from was kinda clueless about this. I found a local hardware store guy that to purchase from.

schmism · Jul 14, 2008

my grade 2 bolts come from the "common" bin at any big hardware store.

If there is a question, i check the head for grade stampings, if none are present, its fine for shear bolt duty for me.

jinman · Jul 14, 2008

EddieWalker said:
My dealer gave me a handful and said that's what they are supposed to do. After I broke all of them, I went back for more and he gave me grade 5 bolts.

Eddie, I was using 3-1/2" grade 2 bolts and going through several everytime I ran my cutter. Then, I started looking at them and noticed that the threads were taking part of the shear load. I went to 4" bolts to get the threads out of the shear force "zone" and my bolts last much longer.