Lube points.

[blank102]

According to the manual the Zerk fittings should be greased every 10 hours of tractor use. I greased my orange beauty today and noticed that most,if not all,of the joints seemed to be still well greased.
So I'm wondering if greasing them every 50 hours when I change the oil would be acceptable? I don't use my machine every day.

 

[ShaunBlake]

I believe the philosophy is to ensure there is always lubrication in those "joints", and to continually move abrasive particles away. It does waste a bit of grease, but those who have to replace parts that failed from abrasion typically regret not greasing more often.

If you do switch to the 50-hour interval, I hope I live long enough to hear how it turned out for you. (And of course, I hope it turns out well.)

 

[BadDog]

The grease you can see has displaced from where it needed to be. Most of these locations are non-sealed full loss systems. In normal operation, grease in the joint is displaced leaving only a minimal but functional system. Built in reservoirs continue to provide replenishment for some period as pressure in operation displaces lubrication in the joint, but eventually the joint is running pretty dry even if it's messy and gobbed outside the bearing surface. That gobbing, while unsightly, provides what little seal there is to prevent grit intrusion, but it's still going to happen. So as Shaun says, greasing semi-regularly helps move abrasive contaminates out.