I have been using a 42'' Craftsman riding mower that I bought new in 2004. It has led a hell of a difficult life as I use it for a field mower more than a lawnmower. It has been very dependable, starts instantly and runs smooth. It has had but one oil change and filter in 20 years. Many of you probably have a similar mower as they were built primarily by one company but with at least 5 different brand names. It is a solid but not brilliant design that lasts long and the deck can easily and reasonably be rebuilt to extend the life. I bought mine for around $650, the same mower is around $2200 nowadays so rebuilding the deck for under $200 makes a lot of sense.
A couple of days ago mowing just before dark I hit a root that stopped the mower in an instant and blew the top bearing off of one of the spindles. It did other damage too trashing the 2 main pulleys and twisting a blade. The spindles are the heart of the operation and bearing failure is a common problem. They aren't real expensive but are a real pain in the ass to replace because you have to remove the deck in order to replace them.
So today I pulled it apart and surveyed the damage. One of the spindles is still in excellent shape and since I have ordered all new parts I took the remaining spindle apart just to see how it was made. And here is where it gets interesting. The existing spindles have a zerk fitting on top ostensibly to pump grease into the top and bottom bearings. But the bearings are both sealed! An entire cartridge of grease could be pumped into the spindle and not a single molecule of it would ever reach a bearing surface!! How anything so stupid could actually make it into production is mind boggling.
When the new ones arrive I will drill and tap them for a zerk fitting, drill a tiny weep hole at the top and fill them with boat trailer grease. A seal will be removed from each bearing of course and no further maintenance should be required other than the occasional pump of a grease gun. They make these things by the thousands since every mower needs at least 2 of them, it is hard to image how such an engineering gaffe can survive for so many years. I wonder if they are all like that or just one factory dummied up and has been building them wrong for years.
A couple of days ago mowing just before dark I hit a root that stopped the mower in an instant and blew the top bearing off of one of the spindles. It did other damage too trashing the 2 main pulleys and twisting a blade. The spindles are the heart of the operation and bearing failure is a common problem. They aren't real expensive but are a real pain in the ass to replace because you have to remove the deck in order to replace them.
So today I pulled it apart and surveyed the damage. One of the spindles is still in excellent shape and since I have ordered all new parts I took the remaining spindle apart just to see how it was made. And here is where it gets interesting. The existing spindles have a zerk fitting on top ostensibly to pump grease into the top and bottom bearings. But the bearings are both sealed! An entire cartridge of grease could be pumped into the spindle and not a single molecule of it would ever reach a bearing surface!! How anything so stupid could actually make it into production is mind boggling.
When the new ones arrive I will drill and tap them for a zerk fitting, drill a tiny weep hole at the top and fill them with boat trailer grease. A seal will be removed from each bearing of course and no further maintenance should be required other than the occasional pump of a grease gun. They make these things by the thousands since every mower needs at least 2 of them, it is hard to image how such an engineering gaffe can survive for so many years. I wonder if they are all like that or just one factory dummied up and has been building them wrong for years.
