Mower bearings

[John2189 583]

Grease or dont grease. How do you tell if the bearings are sealed?  If sealed, then they should not need to be greased right?  

[WHX?? 55,787]

15 minutes ago, John2189 said:

If sealed, then they should not need to be greased right?  

One would think so. Been discussed here tho the grease put in sealed bearings these days is questionable so many of us pick the seal out. Clean factory grease out and repack with Greasy Pete's red tacky. 

 

Here's where everyone's opinion differs. Put the seal back in and run it or leave the seal out and regrease? 

I vote leave the seal out and re grease but then I have the tendency to over grease. This is on decks that I have gone through and replaced bearings.  

 

If you deck is quiet and no need to replace bearings I would say grease since you don't know what bearings you have in there. 

Edited yesterday at 12:38 PM by WHX??

[John2189 583]

1 minute ago, WHX?? said:

One would think so. Been discussed here tho the grease put in sealed bearings these days is questionable so many of us pick the seal the seal out. clean factory grease out and repack with Greasy Pete's red tacky. 

 

Here's where everyone's opinion differs. Put the seal back in and run it or leave the seal out and regrease? 

I vote leave the seal out and re grease but then I have the tendency to over grease. This is on bearings on decks that I have gone through and replaced. 

 

If you deck is quiet and no need to replace bearings I would say grease since you don't know what bearings you have in there. 

 

[John2189 583]

I do grease them, but the older I get it is getting harder to get on the floor to grease them. I should say It’s harder to get up off the floor. 

[WHX?? 55,787]

2 minutes ago, John2189 said:

I should say It’s harder to get up off the floor. 

At quickly approaching 70 yer preaching to the quire ther John.  

Edited yesterday at 12:42 PM by WHX??

[953 nut 64,817]

8 minutes ago, John2189 said:

I should say It’s harder to get up off the floor. 

Being 80 I have learned to plan my work, once on the floor do EVERYTHING while you are down there,      if I can remember why I got down there in thre first place.

[oldlineman 1,663]

Quicking approaching 75 I can completely relate too all comments. 

[pfrederi 20,102]

1 hour ago, 953 nut said:

Being 80 I have learned to plan my work, once on the floor do EVERYTHING while you are down there,      if I can remember why I got down there in thre first place.

  

I get down there and then remember the tool I need that is up on the work bench

[bo dawg 568]

2 hours ago, pfrederi said:

  

I get down there and then remember the tool I need that is up on the work bench

 

Amen brother on that!!!

[TractorEd 669]

It can be quite cold on the floor.

 

what were we talking about?

[parsonsponyz 310]

I have always removed the seal and then shoot some grease after it's assembled.  I have yet to hear of a bearing failing because it was "over greased."  Get a quality bearing and it should last a long time.  Just my 2 cents.

[JoeM 9,704]

If I have to remove and disassemble a spindle, believe me it is getting new bearings. Pretty cheap insurance.

At one time the bearings were coming with cheap grease, that is long gone and if you use electric motor grade bearings, those have pretty good lube spec.

No need to pop the seal etc. (actually most folks tweak the seals and they just don't seal as good as when new), grease is important but keeping out water and dust is upmost. I have not seen a mower deck bearing fail because of the grease but many are contamination related. String, twine, and mono-filament are mostly what I seen takes out the seal and bang bearing is filled with dirt.  

I have been running sealed bearing in mower decks for several years and no issues. Think about it, the mule drive bearings are sealed and some i have are 40 years young. 

If your deck needs bearings and you have issues with getting down to service them.....go with sealed bearings. they will run along time. 

 

[Racinbob 12,878]

I've been using sealed for quite some time now. Keeps things cleaner, no maintenance and have had no issue on their life span.  

[squonk 45,864]

We have many large electric motors on pumps at work. They get PM'd twice a year and have grease fittings on each end. Last year a bearing went bad so it got torn down. Bearings were sealed and the inside of the motor was packed full of grease!! What a mess! 

Edited 6 hours ago by squonk

[John2189 583]

59 minutes ago, squonk said:

We have many large electric motors on pumps at work. They get PM'd twice a year and have grease fittings on each end. Last year a bearing went bad so it got torn down. Bearings were sealed and the inside of the motor was backed full of grease!! What a mess! 

Same thing where I used to work. 

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 12,091]

Surprising how little grease a ball bearing requires. Too much and the balls have to plow through the grease which causes them to run hot. Too much friction.

I grease the bearings on the bandsaw blade guides and then remove the grease fitting and replace with fittings that have had the check ball and spring removed. This keeps the dirt out and as they warm up the heat pushed the grease back out. With water lubricating the blade they are in a harsh environment and so far never had a bearing failure.

[lynnmor 8,697]

I have a rotary phase converter with grease fittings and a plug opposite the grease fittings.  Instructions are to remove the plug and then pump grease in till it come out the plug hole.  Then run the converter till it warms up and no more grease flows out, then replace the plug.

[rick 274]

The last bearings I replaced in a WH were sealed bearings in the front wheels on my 314-8.

I have replaced several deck bearings with sealed bearings, but that deck is gone along with the 310-8 it came on.  Now it lives at my son-in-laws in the weather. 

A lot of my OPE lives under a shed roof, but it is out of the rain, ice, sun and snow.

[oliver2-44 11,329]

18 hours ago, parsonsponyz said:

 I have yet to hear of a bearing failing because it was "over greased."  

 

2 hours ago, gwest_ca said:

Surprising how little grease a ball bearing requires. Too much and the balls have to plow through the grease which causes them to run hot. Too much friction.

At work we had an ultrasound gun and one of its uses was to teach the guy how to grease bearings. Later we bought a grease gum that had an ultrasonic probe on the grease gun tip gin to headphones. At the. Pal plant with a couple miles of conveyor rollers it paid for itself quickly reducing conveyor failures and down time 

[peter lena 9,810]

@WHX??  I don't  use red and tacky grease in my bearings , regularly refer to this . https://www.google.com/search?gs_ssp=eJzj4tVP1zc0LLRIzypJK0o2YPSSzSlNTixWqNAtKUpUyEhNLKtUSCktqVRIL0pNLE4FAGGFD94&q=lucas+x-tra+heavy+duty+grease&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS866US866&oq=lucas++X-, 550 degree  flash point  and polyurea rated , stays  with the bearing . do a total clean out of bearing , carb cleaner flush , then hand pack , reinstall seals , never had a failure  of any kind , all decks and related drive set ups , frayed belts  show you the way , like red and tacky aerosol , tube extension , for pin point areas , plow quadrant  swing  arc / spring  slide , also  squeeze lever , set up , sounds like a rifle bolt . shoulder bolt lever swing  ease , pete