Cub Cadet spindle life

[tylertown]

I’m leaning towards buying a Cub Cadet riding mower.
I understand the spindles can not be greased. It’s hard to understand why.
How often have other owners found that the spindles have to be replaced?

 

[bertsmobile1]

Quality mowers have greasable spindles except is California .
Residentials usually don't because they are all build down to a price.
A good set of quality sealed bearings should go 5 years if and only if you maintain the blades

 

[Wes F.]

It’s super easy to replace spindle bearings and the spindles with grease zerks aren’t for greasing the bearings. All that happens when you squirt grease in there is the void gets filled with grease, the bearings are sealed. You can get a six pack of bearings on Amazon for $20 and replace all of them when you sharpen the blades. It might take a little elbow grease to pop the old ones out but all you need to put the new ones in is a couple boards and a mallet. I would not base my buying decision on whether or not you have the “placebo” grease zerks.

 

[bertsmobile1]

It’s super easy to replace spindle bearings and the spindles with grease zerks aren’t for greasing the bearings. All that happens when you squirt grease in there is the void gets filled with grease, the bearings are sealed. You can get a six pack of bearings on Amazon for $20 and replace all of them when you sharpen the blades. It might take a little elbow grease to pop the old ones out but all you need to put the new ones in is a couple boards and a mallet. I would not base my buying decision on whether or not you have the “placebo” grease zerks.

And they will be lucky to remain intact for the life of the edge of the blade .
Don't get me wrong , I love those bearings because so many fall apart and trash the housing, blades and even decks
I make thousands out of them every year and it takes a lot less time to swap out the complete assembly than to replace the bearings and the profit on each is the same and I end up with the Aluminium, blade bolt, pulley nut & spindle which I can on sell.
Love the customers who fit rubbish bearings, should be more of them.
Even better when they knock them in with a block of wood or just by tightening the blade bolt and don't bother to use either a drift or punch.

 

[StarTech]

As said good quality bearings should last a long time but many of the bearings that are installed after market are either low on grease or packed poor quality grease. Here I pop the seals and repack most sealed bearing with EP2 grease. I don't know what that semi clear grease is but it tends to only last one season. I actually seen that stuff to harden causing problems. Even on spindles with grease fittings many arrive with sealed bearings. Upon rebuild if the customer has been attempting to grease them I pop the inner seals on replacement bearings.

I think one the reason behind OEMs switching to sealed bearings is that owners are not even greasing their mowers in the first place. I get many where front axles (spindles) are worn out do to lack of grease.

As for the installation yes knocking them in just any old way can damage them leading to early failure.

 

[cpurvis]

I can't speak for new CC spindles with grease zerks but the old ones like I have are NOT sealed bearings. Each spindle has a pair of opposed tapered roller bearings and grease is fed to them via drilled passages in the shaft.

 

[StarTech]

I say depends on the model as I have seen both ways over the years. This is one reason need model numbers to look-up how the decks are put together.

 

[wrldtvlr]

Alas, my newish CC RZT SX54 has no spindle zerks and sealed hydros.

 

[bertsmobile1]

I can't speak for new CC spindles with grease zerks but the old ones like I have are NOT sealed bearings. Each spindle has a pair of opposed tapered roller bearings and grease is fed to them via drilled passages in the shaft.

Yes ,
But the last thing MTD want is spindle bearings that last for 20 years & work perfectly provided they get proper maintenance .

 

[bertsmobile1]

Alas, my newish CC RZT SX54 has no spindle zerks and sealed hydros.

It is called a disposable mower .