"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
04/06/2019 at 21:57 • Filed to: None
2
11|
"TheRealBicycleBuck" (therealbicyclebuck)
04/06/2019 at 21:57 • Filed to: None | 2
| 11 |
I finally found some time with good weather to do some mower maintenance. I dropped the deck, flipped it over for some cleaning, then removed the blades to be sharpened. They’re in bad enough shape to be replaced, but sharpening them will get me through a few more weeks. To keep the blades from spinning while I removed the bolt, I employed a pry bar as a wedge. Worked like a charm.
Notice the white just below the blade? That’s a woven polypropylene bag like a dog food bag or something similar. I have no idea how it got there, but it was wrapped around tight enough to jam the bearing. I tried digging it out with a variety of implements, but finally had to heat it until the plastic melted and oozed out. Then I had to repack the bearing with grease. It has a zerk fitting on the other end just for that.
The blades have suffered some serious abuse. My mom’s place was a bit rough and she didn’t take it easy on this machine when knocking down the growth.
We took a file to the leading edges until they were sharp. They aren’t pretty, but they will do until I get some new ones ordered.
Speaking of ordering parts, here’s what I broke:
I disconnected the link, but it got hung up when I backed the tractor over the mower deck. Dang thing snapped at the hole used for the front retainer clip.
The deck now sits on the ground on the front, but the deck has wheels up front to keep it from getting hung up, so I was able to move the mower into the back yard until I can get the replacement part.
I’m bummed, but the repair is cheap and easy. It should be ready for mowing next week!
atfsgeoff
> TheRealBicycleBuck
04/06/2019 at 22:05 |
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You sharpened it with a
file??
You, sir, are a far more patient man than I. L
ast time I sharpened a mower blade I just hit it with flap disc on an angle grinder. 10 seconds for both sides.
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> atfsgeoff
04/06/2019 at 22:15 |
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When a file is all you’ve got....
Besides , my son is itching to make his own knife. I offered him the opportunity to practice sharpening something. I showed him how on the first blade and he took care of the other two while I removed the plastic bag from the pulley and power washed the deck. :)
The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock
> TheRealBicycleBuck
04/06/2019 at 22:24 |
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Urambo Tauro
> TheRealBicycleBuck
04/06/2019 at 22:38 |
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I like the blade lock!
How’s it work thou g h? Is there a seam in t he deck that it’s braced against ?
FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
> TheRealBicycleBuck
04/06/2019 at 23:25 |
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I’ve had good luck with those balde sharpenering stones that attach to a drill. Sure beats a file anyway!
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> Urambo Tauro
04/07/2019 at 00:47 |
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There’s a piece of reinforcement metal that wraps around a seam. Each blade had something similar I could wedge the prybar against.
MM54
> TheRealBicycleBuck
04/07/2019 at 08:08 |
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This reminds me how badly I need to sharpen my mower’s blades, and how much I don’t want to pull the deck.
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MM54
> atfsgeoff
04/07/2019 at 08:09 |
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Bench grinder is where it’s at, but I may have to try the flap disk this spring.
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> MM54
04/07/2019 at 11:56 |
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Some decks are easy. I was trying to describe the process to a friend of mine and he was incredulous. To pull mine requires the removal of six different cotter pins and disconnecting their associated linkages. There are two for the main support, two for lifting the deck, one for side-to-side positioning, and one for front-to-rear positioning.
On his mower, it’s three cotter pins. The deck on his mower is designed to be driven over so it’s easy to drop the deck and drive away.
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MM54
> TheRealBicycleBuck
04/07/2019 at 13:41 |
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For mine it’s some cotter pins and undoing the belt (might be a b
olt or two)
, which requires unbolting the shaft drive (three interference blades, hence shaft & gear drive
)
to get it out from around the pulley. It may be easier to remove the drive belt with the deck, I’ll have to check. The deck also weighs about a billion tons, as does the tractor. I’m sure the underside of it could use a good cleaning; I’m otherwise tempted to drive the thing up onto ramps to get the blades off from underneath it!
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TheRealBicycleBuck
> MM54
04/07/2019 at 15:16 |
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If I could have found my ramps, I would have done the same.