What is the fastest killer of deck spindles?

[Darryl G]

Never had to replace a spindle so I wouldn't know for sure. I suspect that the fact that I've never had to replace one (all non-greasable) has something to do with always properly balancing my blades with my Magna-Matic balancer and never using water under my decks. So I guess just do the opposite of me to destroy your spindles

 

[SidecarFlip]

I'm on the fence with greaseable spindles anyway. Mine are but one has to be careful how much grease you pump in because an over zealous greasing can displace the seals and cause way more grief down the road. I've never balanced a blade but then I don't sharpen them either. They are cheap enough that I just replace them every spring.

 

[Darryl G]

I balance even my new blades...some come pretty out of balance.

 

[tom3]

Guys when I said Ultra-Fast I wasn't meaning muzzle velocities.. I MEANT, faster than water intrusion or striking a solid object, anyway here's a sure-fire way to ruin your spindles life in a shorter amount of time.....

View attachment 40396...View attachment 40397

I know a lot of guys will argue "Sealed-Bearings" , well...let em believe that water can't get into those type bearings.

Yep, learned that with an old Jeep. Hot bearings, cold water, instant cool down creates a vacuum and draws in the water and crud. Maybe just a small amount but that's all it takes.

 

[ILENGINE]

Guys when I said Ultra-Fast I wasn't meaning muzzle velocities.. I MEANT, faster than water intrusion or striking a solid object, anyway here's a sure-fire way to ruin your spindles life in a shorter amount of time.....

...

I know a lot of guys will argue "Sealed-Bearings" , well...let em believe that water can't get into those type bearings.

Actually most seals are designed to prevent things from getting out, and not to stop stuff from getting in.

 

[ILENGINE]

Been there did that too with a cheapo MTD (More Tools Desired) riding mower with a tinfoil lasts 2 seasons deck. Glad my Cub has a fabricated steel deck, should last a while, has lasted 7 years now.

I grew up not far from the original MTD plant in Cleveland, Ohio, right off West 130th Street and Brookpark Road. MTD stands for Modern Tool and Die btw. I believe they are still there but I could be wrong. They have a huge facility in Mansfield, Ohio and a couple other ones scattered around the state.

Short run automotive stamping used to be their mainstay until they got into lawn care machines.

We always said MTD stood for Murray Tractor Division, but an instructor at my local MTD distributor that was in charge of annual training always said it stood for Make Technicians Drink.

 

[SidecarFlip]

You have to admire MTD. They went from short run automotive stamping to the largest builder of residential lawn mowers and riders in the world. Could have worked there when I was a young man out of the Navy. Instead I took my apprenticeship at another shop in Cleveland that made the airfoil blades for the compressor section of a J5 Pratt-Whitney aircraft engine. Very exacting work, very, very tedious too. Tight tolerances, 0.005 or better.

I believe, could be wrong but I think MTD builds the John Deer line of riders the box stores sells. I know they aren't made in Horicon, Wisconsin.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Actually most seals are designed to prevent things from getting out, and not to stop stuff from getting in.

I get kind of anal about my farm (hay implements and I used to do just that to my 40 grand round baler and seized a bearing on an upper roll and that cost me around 600 bucks to repair, not including downtime and a baler rental because I had a field to bale.....

Now, I just blow the chaff off, grease it, oil the chains and call it good. Lesson learned, pressure washers are death on bearings, why I mentioned the CC deck wash as a good candidate to destroy spindle bearings. My Tank has them, never used them.

 

[ILENGINE]

You have to admire MTD. They went from short run automotive stamping to the largest builder of residential lawn mowers and riders in the world. Could have worked there when I was a young man out of the Navy. Instead I took my apprenticeship at another shop in Cleveland that made the airfoil blades for the compressor section of a J5 Pratt-Whitney aircraft engine. Very exacting work, very, very tedious too. Tight tolerances, 0.005 or better.

I believe, could be wrong but I think MTD builds the John Deer line of riders the box stores sells. I know they aren't made in Horicon, Wisconsin.

Actually Husqvarna is the largest producer of consumer lawn equipment or were up to just a few years ago. Years ago was at one of my annual meetings, and they had the nationwide Walmart distribution map which at that time Murray was its own company. MTD controlled east of the Mississippi and north of I-70, Murray had east of the Mississippi and south of I-70, and Husqvarna had everything west of the Mississippi river under the poulan name, and that was 5% of Husqvarna's annual production. Now Husqvarna is getting out of the consumer walk behinds and economy riding mowers, so MTD will be taking over the entire Walmart line under the Murray and Snapper brand names.

Heck at this point you never know who is going to be making what for which company. Briggs which owns Murray, and Simplicity/snapper is farming the Snapper line of mowers sold at Walmart out to MTD along with the Murray products, Briggs is farming out the Brute tillers, and edgers to Earthquake,

 

[7394]

Business & the bottom line.......