Grease... to use or not to use is the question.

[Bange]

After watching some videos about blocking the hitch or non-return of the tensioner pulley on several decks from different brands and even analysis of my own deck/tractor, I am in doubt regarding the placement of grease in unprotected points on the deck and in the plate sector, for example .
In these places, if there is grease, the sand sticks and the result is a large abrasive that I think does more harm than good.
What do you think?

 

[bertsmobile1]

Well just about every manual I have read says to OIL them daily which of course no one ever does
So if there is a grease nipple then it gets lithium grease
Everything else gets dry lithium grease from a spray can, AFTER the mowing has been done and the mower cleaned down with a long air duster
This allows enough time for the carrier liquid to flash off leaving nothing buy a dry coating of Lithium soap .
Cables and control wires get Tri-Flow (from a push bike shop )
Chains get dry chain wax ( also from a push bike shop )
FWIW I use about 1/2 to 1/3 a 12 oz can on every service
Good thing is it drys bright white so the next time I do a mower, all the lube points are highlighted

 

[Bange]

I don't know this technique, let alone dry wax.
If it really dries, the probability of sticking dust or micro grains of sand is very remote.
But does it create a film that hinders friction between parts (which is the purpose of grease)?
... or acts as a dirt repellant?

 

[bertsmobile1]

It is a dry Lubricant
Leaves a costing of lithium soap
You know soap = slippery
Down side is it wears away relatively quickly so needs to be done regularly for full protection
Using the straw pressed agains the joint will firstly blow the crud out of the joint then evaporate to just leave the soap behind
The CRC stuff is heads & shoulders above the rest but priced accordingly

 

[sgkent]

For years I lived near the beach and bicycled a lot. There is only one way to avoid sand from damaging bearings and things. That is to clean them on a regular basis. Some people put neoprene o-rings next to bearing seals to slow the entry of sand, but even with that it finds its way in. That is also the reason we never went back to the moon to build bases. The soil there is full of microscopic shards of glass which gets into everything. There is no way to stop it. Like sand, seals and grease only slow it, then turn it into an abrasive paste. If there is a zerk fitting, grease on a regular basis and wipe the excess grease off.

 

[Bange]

Well, even if it's cleaned after each use, the damage is already done... and only the sum of the next use is prevented.
The ideal would be to avoid the accumulation of sand/dust... but how to make parts like the ones below?

And also between the plate and its support...


Or another similar tensioner pulley support...

Using grease in these places is creating an abrasive paste, with a worse result than not using it.
Berstmobile1's solution seems to be much better than grease, as the medium and larger grains shouldn't stick, but I still have doubts about the smaller ones (micro).

 

[SeniorCitizen]

My take on this is , there is going to be dirt there whether it's greased or not . So it comes down to , do you want dry dirt or lubricated dirt . I opt for lubricated and always have . I even re-enjinered the steering on the X350 so i could oil the steering pinion bearing . The pinion and sector gear teeth are easy to apply grease .

 

[slomo]

Just run it till it dies like all other mowers on the planet. Then throw parts at it. If you can't afford some bearings and a belt or two, you don't need a 0-turn. Get a professional lawn crew. Probably even save you money in not buying the machine, storing the machine, spare parts, fuel and so on. Then you could sit on the couch drinking some cold beers watching the game.

 

[Bange]

Many things happen at a time when we do not assess the consequences, especially when it comes to products, as they are discarded or sold.
It would be nice if there was a comparative statistics of results between those who have never used grease, those who always use it and those who use that dry wax.
Then yes, we would have concrete data and not opinions.
What kind of dirt would stick to a dry place?
Would it be detrimental to the performance or useful life of the parties involved?
The same questions apply to places with grease and wax.