greasing of spindle bearings

[MSgardener]

I own a Toro 325-D with a 72" cutting deck. I cut just a little over 3 acres of St Augustine grass once every 10 days. My Groundsmaster seems to eat bearings for dinner. How often should I grease the spindle bearings? Every time I use it? Once per month? I should mention the property I cut is on the Mississippi Gulf Coast where we have lots of sun and lots of rain. I also cut the grass on the lowest setting. It has been suggested that I raise the cutting height, that I use synthetic grease. I've been told that I also should not grease too often because it might break the seal. Is there anything else I should be looking for? Thanks for any help and Happy 4th of July

[parkmaster]

You should grease the spindles daily and caster wheels daily
or every 8 hours of operation. Go to TORO's web site and down load an operator's manual. Maintenance spec's are in the operator's manual

You plant it
I'll maintain it

[parkmaster]

Also raise your cutting height to 2 1/2 inches.
Greasing your spindles about 4 good pumps should do it from a manual grease gun

You plant it
I'll maintain it

[mowerman90]

St Augustine should be mowed at 3.5 to 4.5 inches depending on the time of year. Apparently you're cutting WAY TOO LOW.

[nelbuts]

Honestly I have no idea. I have had the same set of bearings in my Scag Turf Tiger for five years and I have NEVER greased bearings daily reguardless of the type of mower. The least I have heard of is every 25 hours. Remember too much grease will cause problems too. If they are the cheaper bearings which I think they could be then you cqan pop the seal allowing dirt and water to get into them and cause damage.

[bob]

Originally posted by MSgardener
My Groundsmaster seems to eat bearings for dinner.

Do you balance your blades? Blade that are out of balance will contribute to bearing wear.

[MSgardener]

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.
Based on responses to this forum and one other, I've decided to raise the deck height by at least 3 inches and go to the daily greasing "after" each use. A service rep for a Toro distributor called me back today and said given the St Aug grass and the heat of southern Mississippi, I should grease after each use. I'm still a little concered about overgreasing and breaking a seal which I have done before. Nelbuts, I have no idea about the quality of the bearings. I purchase them fom a Toro dealer and "assume" they are of good quality. Bob, I never gave any thought to the balancing of the blades which I do NOT do but will consider doing so in the future.

[MSgardener]

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.
Based on responses to this forum and one other, I've decided to raise the deck height by at least 3 inches and go to the daily greasing "after" each use. A service rep for a Toro distributor called me back today and said given the St Aug grass and the heat of southern Mississippi, I should grease after each use. I'm still a little concered about overgreasing and breaking a seal which I have done before. Nelbuts, I have no idea about the quality of the bearings. I purchase them fom a Toro dealer and "assume" they are of good quality. Bob, I never gave any thought to the balancing of the blades which I do NOT do but will consider doing so in the future.
One last question, do any of you favor synthetic grease over oil grease. I know Exmark is a big believer in the synthetic. Again, many thanks for your ideas. Hapy 4th of July.

[David Haggerty]

If you're replacing those bearings yourself there's a pitfall you need to watch out for.

To keep the tapered roller bearings separated the proper amount there is a cylinder that goes in between the two bearings.
There is also a thin split ring that belongs in there too.
It often gets lost.
It's a custom thickness specifically for that spindle assembly so they vary in thickness a little.
But if that ring is omitted all together, the bearings get too tight and overheat.
I've checked Toro parts, but they don't even give a part number for it.
https://lookup2.toro.com/partdex/index.cfm?xCaller=Toro

If you don't have that ring you might substitute a machine bushing (available at TSC etc.) After assembly check that the bearings have the slight bit of play. (you should just be able to detect a very slight click when you wiggle the blade tip in and out.)

If I can be of help let me know.

Dave

[TLS]

That, or from cutting SO low, you've bent your spindle SHAFTS, and putting bearings in is like taking a shower and putting old underware back on.

Why not price out complete spindle assemblies? J-Thomas? Don't know weather they sell them or not, since your mower isn't a "popular" unit these days.

Synthetic HD Amsoil Chassis grease is what I use. But I don't have high speed spindles to lube anymore, if I did, Id be using something designed for High SPeed wheel bearins with disc brakes. It works good under high temps, and won't seperate and settle out.

Heck 3 hrs every 10 days, you ought to go about half a season before needing to grease!

Good Luck!

[tiedeman]

we usually grease up about every 8 hours..sometimes we can get away with about 15 hours, but that is pushing it big time

[David Haggerty]

Originally posted by TLS
That, or from cutting SO low, you've bent your spindle SHAFTS,


This is Toro Commercial equipment. You could plow with a 325-D and not bend the shaft.
Personally I've mowed off the corners of concrete curbs and not bent a shaft.
The shaft is about 1 1/4" case hardened steel.
I have an old shaft that I've been using for a punch for about 20 years and the end is starting to deform. They should make punches this good.

Believe me, it ain't the shaft.

As for this mower not being popular ...

It's the most popular mower ever built. Designed by Toro in 1971 and copied by everybody. Toro tries to upgrade the 300 series with the 3000 series. Customers just kept buying the 300.
The ZTR will (or maybe already has) take over as the most popular mower. I may even get one if they beef them up a little. But sealed bearings and an air cooled engine? You're talking homeowner grade equipment!

Dave

[TLS]

Easy there David! :D

After re-reading the wording of my post, I thought it may ruffle a few of your feathers! :eek: Sorry!

What I meant by "popular" is by the fact that you don't see 9 out of 10 LCO trailers with Toro Frontmounts on them! I personally think your equipment is awesome, as I always loved the "Big Guns".


As for the spindle shaft....

My Exmark uses a 1.19" diameter SOLID spindle shaft, and its definately possible to bend these. Why would a slightly larger (0.06") spindle shaft be "impossible" to bend? I just feel with his older machine, and him cutting so low, that he may have always had bent shafts, and by just changing the bearings, its only buying him about 100 hrs per replacement.

Its either what you said about the bearing spacer, a bent spindle shaft, or SEVERELY out of balance blades.

[David Haggerty]

Originally posted by TLS

As for the spindle shaft....

My Exmark uses a 1.19" diameter SOLID spindle shaft, and its definately possible to bend these. Why would a slightly larger (0.06") spindle shaft be "impossible" to bend?


Case hardened cast steel shafts instead of machined cold roll steel.

The shaft would be more likely to shatter than to bend.

I've only had one class in metalurgy, but it was enough to teach me the material is more important than the size.

Plus in 20+ years of running these machines, I've never seen a bent shaft. I can't say the same for Howard Price or Alamo. They both have cold roll steel shafts. When they went bad I had my own machined out of a better grade of stock. Definite improvement!

It isn't the blade balance on this machine either. The spindle housings and bearings are too massive for balance to affect bearing wear.

Sorry but you're underestimating the durability of these industrial machines. They're tougher than what you seem to be acustomed too.

I could be wrong but I doubt it.
But lets ask MSgardener.
Did you put the ring back in or not?
It looks like a snap ring without any holes.

Dave

[MSgardener]

Guys, thanks for all of your responses. I honestly don't know if I left a part out but I will double check and get back to you.