Z421 60" deck with play in one spindle

[GrizBota]

Many drill the spindle to add a zerk, then pop off the 'inner' bearing seals. Allows you to add grease 'as required'.
One bearing will wear faster. Whichever gets the 'engage torque'.

OP,
Did the bearings in

Many drill the spindle to add a zerk, then pop off the 'inner' bearing seals. Allows you to add grease 'as required'.
One bearing will wear faster. Whichever gets the 'engage torque'.

OP,

First, good on you for tearing into yourself. I see you have a lift, so my guess is you’re more skilled than you're giving yourself credit for. Secondly, did the bearings you pulled out have seals on both sides? If so, is there a zerk fitting in either the spindle case or the end of the spindle? I’m hoping not or it means Kubota is doing MTD level design.

 

[erkme73]

All this info is great, thank you! In the interest of time - and now seeing how easy it was to get the spindle disassembled - I relented and just purchased the identical oem replacements from my "local" dealer. I'll reassemble this morning.

Yes, the bearings were/are sealed on both side. I actually damaged the original ones while hammering them out. There are no retaining clips or dust caps as I'd seen in a few of the other RCK60P-400Z deck videos. Apparently the -400Z designator on the deck means there are many, many variants to the RCK60P. There was also no zerk fitting on the housing (or grease anywhere other than inside the bearing itself, presumably).

Yes, lift is mine, and is so nice on my old knees. I am not one to shy away from mechanical challenges, but lately I just haven't had time to add more projects to my honey-do list. That is really the only reason for my initial reluctance.

Watching videos, and posting on forums is stuff I can do late at night after kids are in bed, and I have some of my me-time back.

 

[erkme73]

Alright - I changed the bearings yesterday and all went smoothly. Noise is gone, and the cut looks good. There is still just a touch of play in the blade tips (they go up and down maybe 1/64th) compared to the others. Makes me wonder if the housing itself isn't to blame.

I picked up a press to make sure I'm able to push them in straight, so if I have to repeat, it should be even easier.

Thanks again to all for guidance.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

There is still just a touch of play in the blade tips (they go up and down maybe 1/64th) compared to the others. Makes me wonder if the housing itself isn't to blame.

Are your blades in balance and straight? My understanding is blades should "generally" be sharpened and balanced every 25 hours, for homeowners that's at least once a season, landscapers tend to do it every 1-3 days, all highly dependent on use conditions.


(note: not an affiliate link; i get nothing from it other than potentially helping another member and have no interest in the product or company, it's simply a direct link to the balancer i own)

 

[Mowbizz]

Are your blades in balance and straight? My understanding is blades should "generally" be sharpened and balanced every 25 hours, for homeowners that's at least once a season, landscapers tend to do it every 1-3 days, all highly dependent on use conditions.

View attachment 126952
(note: not an affiliate link; i get nothing from it other than potentially helping another member and have no interest in the product or company, it's simply a direct link to the balancer i own)

That’s my balancer! Since I bought my Z422-54, I went maniac and bought the balancer and an American Sharpener system for the blades. Makes it a breeze to get the blades razor sharp (although I run the grinder lightly over the finished blade edge to “dull” it slightly. I’m in the “not razor edge” camp and my cut stays consistently good all summer. I’m careful not to hit debris/roots installed a special “moving deck lift pedal” to raise the deck slightly as I mow…works like a charm as I have many roots to mow over.

 

[erkme73]

No, I haven't. I replaced them last season. Something to consider.

ETA
Just ordered new blades and sharpener... will balance them when they come in.

 

[WI_Hedgehog]

No, I haven't. I replaced them last season. Something to consider.

ETA
Just ordered new blades and sharpener... will balance them when they come in.

If you sharpen a blade you likely want it re-balanced. There's static balance and dynamic balance, since I fly R/C I dynamically balance them.

That’s my balancer! Since I bought my Z422-54, I went maniac and bought the balancer and an American Sharpener system for the blades. Makes it a breeze to get the blades razor sharp....

Do you mean the AllAmerican Sharpener? It looks like a standard 4-1/2" or five-inch hand grinder and flapper wheel and the job is done almost before you started. Does is work as well as in the video? What do you use as an abrasive (their product page lists several)?

Also, what's a "special 'moving deck lift pedal' to raise the deck slightly as I mow"?

 

[Mowbizz]

If you sharpen a blade you likely want it re-balanced. There's static balance and dynamic balance, since I fly R/C I dynamically balance them.


Do you mean the AllAmerican Sharpener? It looks like a standard 4-1/2" or five-inch hand grinder and flapper wheel and the job is done almost before you started. Does is work as well as in the video? What do you use as an abrasive (their product page lists several)?

Also, what's a "special 'moving deck lift pedal' to raise the deck slightly as I mow"?

Yes, the “All American” system. I had used whatever I had in my tool drawer for flap wheels and I think they were a finer grit. I have a couple new ones for this season that are a heavier grit to try. Love the system! I have it permanently mounted on one of those old “movable” folding work tables I got from a yard sale. Here is the lift pedal I devised…

 

[PaulL]

I sharpen my own blades on the bench grinder, and never balance them. Doesn't seem to impact things too much. In theory it'll put loads on the bearings, make the blades wobble, and make my deck vibrate more. None of them have been too much of a problem as yet.

 

[Mowbizz]

I sharpen my own blades on the bench grinder, and never balance them. Doesn't seem to impact things too much. In theory it'll put loads on the bearings, make the blades wobble, and make my deck vibrate more. None of them have been too much of a problem as yet.

I went years without balancing my BX25D 60” deck blades. Just sharpened them and put them back on…they were GREASEABLE with a zerk on each one.
NO grease zerks on the new Z422-54, therefore, the need for balancing.

 

[lynnmor]

NO grease zerks on the new Z422-54, therefore, the need for balancing.

Huh????
Anything that rotates at high speed should be balanced.

 

[Mowbizz]

Huh????
Anything that rotates at high speed should be balanced.

Many people do not balance their mower blades…like I said, never balanced for many years and nothing happened. I was, however careful to try and take the same amount of metal off of my blades…thats what ya call kentucky balancin’ NOW, I’m almost obsessed with balancing with the new zero turn…and I have the right tools to do it.

 

[PaulL]

Not sure why greasing makes a difference to balancing, but I don't balance and I do have zerks and grease often. The B2601 deck is quite a bit heavier duty than the BX I had before. I'm pretty sure the spindles will tolerate it. It gets many worse things happen to it than unbalance blades, because I mow about 5km of roadside, and that involves mowing stones, sometimes dirt, sometimes cans or bottles, and quite a bit of stringy plant leaves that wrap around the blades. It doesn't seem to mind much.

 

[Mowbizz]

Well, a greased bearing will last longer than an ungreased one in my opinion.

 

[PaulL]

Well, a greased bearing will last longer than an ungreased one in my opinion.

Probably. I think the logic is:
- grease-able bearing that is regularly greased lasts longer than
- ungrease-able/sealed bearing, which in turn lasts longer than
- grease-able bearing that isn't greased because the owner doesn't bother/doesn't know

And so we get ungrease-able bearings on home owner type machines. The B2601 apparently is large enough that they expect a level of competence from the owners.

Either that, or the owners have an attachment to greasing things even though it's not really necessary any more, and Kubota is just giving them what they want.