Where do you guys get your shear bolts??

canoetrpr · Jul 13, 2008

I guess my bush hog does have a shear bolt and it does shear after all First bolt in 3 years.

The manual calls for a 1/2 NC x 3" Grade 2 bolt. All the normal places up here - TSC, Princess Auto only have Grade 5 bolts. Is there some secret place that sells grade 2 bolts? Didn't think I'd have to go to a Kubota dealer to get one but thats my next stop.

DirtHauler · Jul 13, 2008

I had sheared the bolt on my rotary while on a job, on a Sunday and called the wife to go find one and get to me ASAP! While several hardware stores later and no luck! So I just replaced it with grade 5 and guess what? Hit another large rock and sheared it ! So you can just use a grade 5 and yes, they will shear !

Went to another hardware store the other day for bolts and nuts for a project and low and behold found they carry shear bolts in different lengths! (the wife never checked this store) but I still run a grade 5 with no problems.

canoetrpr · Jul 13, 2008

Interesting. The (now) Mahindra dealer who I bought my snowblower from sold me grade 5 shear bolts for the blower. He claimed that grade 2 were like paper. I did break 3 of the bolts last winter so I figure they are working fine. I trusted him on it since he sells a lot of these blowers.

Figured I'd stick to what the manual recommends for my Woods bushhog. What do the rest of you guys think?

eanjay · Jul 13, 2008

Broke a bolt on a Bush Hog last week - first one this year! Local JD dealer didn't have any in stock, and my MF dealer is 50 miles away. Found them at my local building supply store. I went with the grade two's, bought a whole bunch 'cause they were cheap enough, but could have had the five's if I wanted.

EanJay

xlr82v2 · Jul 14, 2008

They don't have Grade 2 bolts at TSC? Suprising.

Here at Rural King and Buchheit's, they carry Grade 2, 5, and 8... just go grab what you need.

I certainly wouldn't recommend running a Grade 5 bolt as a shear bolt, unless the ops manual specifically calls for it... Instant void to the warranty if you still have one, and a good way to bust a gearbox in any event. Sure they'll shear if you put enough force on them... but you might bust a gear or twist the PTO shaft or break a U joint cross before you break the shear pin.

The shear pin is supposed to be the weak link in the driveline... if you strengthen the "weak link" by upgrading to a Grade 5 or stronger bolt... do you still know that the shear pin is still the weakest link? What if you now made the gear inside the gearbox the "weakest link"... now you hit something hard, and instead of a $.20 bolt, it's now a $200 gear...

You spends your money, you takes your chances...

mjncad · Jul 14, 2008

Grade 2 bolts are nothing more than garden variety hardware store bolts. There are no markings on the head. You'll find these at D & D's (Despot & Doh's), Ace hardware, etc.

I wouldn't use a Grade 5 or 8 bolt for shear protection unless the manufacturer calls for it in their manual.

canoetrpr · Jul 14, 2008

I'll stop by Lowes or HD and see if they have any. Maybe the TSC just didn't have them marked.

Brian - our TSCs up here typically have a MUCH smaller pool of stock than yours. You would think that I'm not the only guy in Canada looking for grade 2 bolts though!

Perhaps the dealer is the best bet.

jinman · Jul 14, 2008

I was at our new TSC store this weekend and noticed they had four grade 2 shearbolts and nuts in a carded package for just under $5. Right over in thier bolt bins, they have 1/2" bolts and nuts for $1.28 per pound. You can buy 2 dozen shearbolts for the price they want for the carded package.

studor · Jul 14, 2008

The TSC stores in Canada have no relationship with the Tractor Supply stores in the United States. Any similar lack of stock, poor service, missing flyer items, etc is purely coincidental ( the stores in Canada were bought by management many years ago)
If you look for a fastener supply house (like Ottawa fastener in Ottawa) they will have various grades of bolt and a number of specifically designated shear pins-- having lost one in my blower in the middle of a snowstorm last winter I went and stocked up with various grades and sizes to fit the blower, garden tractor, phd, rotary mower etc. pretty cheap insurance.
I am begining to believe that every bolt made in China is a grade 2

Barneyhunts · Jul 14, 2008

I run a grade 2 bolt as the shear bolt unless the manual specifically calls for something else, eg., the shear bolt on my Howse plows are grade 5. I can get the grade 2 bolts at TSC, NAPA, or the local hardware store.

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.