If you have been using a riding lawn mower for some time, you will know how it sounds. When you find an abnormal sound every time the blades are turning, you may need to grease your lawn mower spindles. If you need an in-depth guide regarding the greasing of lawn mower spindles, this article will show you how to grease lawn mower spindle.
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Required tools to grease a lawn mower spindle
These are the tools needed to prepare before the process of greasing your lawn mower:
- A grease gun with a grease cartridge
- Wrench set
- Screwdriver
- Cotton rag
How to grease a lawn mower spindle
Following are the ways on how to grease a lawn mower spindle step-by-step.
Step 1: Perform initial steps
To get started, it is necessary to follow some preliminary steps on the lawn mower before the mower deck can be eliminated. These steps are:
- Eliminate the ignition key and spark plug wire:
Make sure to eliminate the ignition key, and disconnect the spark plug wire, which prevents an unintentional engine start when you are working on or close to moving parts. This is a crucial step that always needs to be done whenever you repair your lawn mowers.
- Engage the parking brakes:
You need to perform the repairs on a flat floor such as that of your driveway because it is easier to locate the screws and other small items when fallen, and engage the parking brakes of your mower.
Step 2: Take out the mower deck
You should take out the mower’s deck to perform the greasing easily in the next step. Because this step is a little technical, it is better if you perform all the steps mentioned.
- Adjust the mower deck:
Before the mower deck is removed, it should be lowered to the ground fully. You can push the lever for the mower deck’s level adjustment to lower the mower deck. Remember that the lever is normally present above the left rear wheel, but before you lower the deck, you need to pull the blade engagement lever so that the blades are disconnected to the ground.
- Take out the belt from the engine pulley:
You should eliminate the belt that connects the idler pulleys to the engine pulley from the engine pulley and the belt keepers. You should roll the belt out of the engine pulley to perform this step best.
- Lift links supports at the front:
Use various brackets and links which are called lift links to secure the deck to the mower frame. To disengage them, you have to unscrew the nuts securing the link in its place.
- Suspension arms:
The suspension arms which attach the deck’s center to the frame can be disengaged by pulling their retaining pins and washers out. Make sure that you disengage the arms from both the right and left sides of the mower deck.
- Rear deck bracket:
The rear deck brackets are responsible for connecting the deck from the rear end to the mower’s frame. Remove their clamps and retain pins to pull them off.
Now, your deck is free and it can be separated from the mower’s frame with all these mechanical connections eliminated. Slide the deck out from underneath the mower’s frame.
Step 3: Grease the spindles
- Locate the spindles and eliminate their casings:
You need to tilt the mower deck slightly to see how many blades and their respective spindles are realized below. This step indicates the location of the spindles that need to be greased.
Once identified, visualize the grease fitting on a spindle assembly by taking out any plastic cover or casing. Pull the plastic cover out by utilizing an appropriate wrench or a screwdriver.
- Load the grease gun:
A grease gun helps you perform this procedure considerably easily. Purchase a grease and a suitable grease cartridge. You can refer to your mower’s manual to find some information regarding the grease type. You can purchase both the cartridge and the gun from a hardware store. Below are the steps for loading the grease gun:
- Step 1: Detach the gun’s barrel: Rotate the gun’s barrel anti-clockwise to eliminate it from the head.
- Step 2: Pull the plunger back: Adjust the plunger of your barrel back to its lowest position.
- Step 3: Insert the cartridge correctly: Insert the cartridge into the barrel to make sure that the plastic side points downward. This step helps prevent the formation of air bubbles. The cap side is facing upwards. Now, eliminate the cap securing the cartridge by pulling its handle.
- Step 4: Connect the gun’s head: Attach the gun’s head back to the barrel, ensuring that it is tightly fit. Next, push the follower rod of the plunger back to the top.
You can follow the video below to know how to load the grease gun:
- Attach the gun with the grease fitting:
Pressing the nozzle of the gun’s lever to attach it to the fitting and pump the grease. Keep pumping the grease until you see some grease coming out of it because this indicates that the grease has been pumped entirely into the spindle assembly.
Next, you will need to wipe this extra grease that has come out of the spindle assembly. Afterward, repeat the process on the other spindle assembly.
Step 4: Engage the various parts again and test the mower
At that time, the spindles had been greased. Now, you can reattach the parts and test the lawn mower.
FAQS
1. What is the best grease for lawn mower spindles?
Following are some types of the best greases for lawn mower spindles:
- Valvoline – VV985 Full Synthetic Grease
- Lucas Oil Products Red ‘N’ Tacky Grease
- John Deere Original Equipment Grease
- Mobil 1 MOBIL GREASE XHP 222
- Wolf’s Head Red Grease Tubes
2. How often should you grease mower spindles?
In general, the greasing can be done once a month, which depends on your usage. For domestic use, it is ideal to grease them every month. For commercial use, they need to be greased more often.
3. How do you know if a lawn mower spindle is bad?
If a lawn mower spindle needs greasing, you will hear it make sharp noise while rotating. Also, you can notice the grass being cut in a disorganized fashion.
4. How long do lawn mower spindles last?
Usually, the average service life of lawn mower spindles is about 2-3 years which depends on your use case.
Final thoughts
Greasing lawn mower spindles is not very difficult, and can be performed in less than an hour. You can grease the spindles on your mower once or twice every season to guarantee a smooth operation. Hopefully, the steps on how to grease a lawn mower spindle above will help you save time and money when performing maintenance.