I grease mine without removing the deck, its a real pain to get some of the bolts out that hold the covers in place, so out of curiosity I left mine off one time, it threw the belt in less than 30 seconds. That was the only time it ever threw a belt, I put the belt and covers back on, no further problem!
That's great to hear after I spent $2,800 on an E170 it comes with no grease So for the first 10 hours I ran it It had no Grease in it because I ran it for 10 hours before I did my first greasing on all zerk fittings. Shouldn't the dealer grease the damn thing?
Yup! Done on purpose to wear out the spindle so you have to buy new parts. Pop the 2 bearings out of each spindle, pop the seal off and pack the bearings full of grease and reassemble. The grease zerks are pushing grease in the bearing housing but not at all in the actual bearings.
Same problem with my 130. Drill out the rivets, split the spindle, cut the seal on the bearings, replace the rivets with bolts, grease, and re-install.
If the tiny ball at the end of the zerk fitting can be pushed in, most likely it is working. If you are trying to remove the zerk fitting, a 5/16 or 8mm 6 point socket works to remove it. Sometimes it is hard to get the grease gun on the zerk fitting straight enough to get grease it properly so I recommend putting a flexible hose on the grease gun.
best to use air, compressed or a leaf blower to clean the deck as water will be sucked in as the deck spindles cool and ruin ur bearings. i flick the inner seal on the bottom bearing out so the grease will pass through it , as the most dirt etc will be carried out with the grease. also grease may be thrown on the belt through the top if ya remove the inner seal of the top bearing..
I just purchased a D160 and greased the mower deck before the first run. It seemed like I could have kept pumping more grease in after 25 squeezes (I have a one hand pump squeeze trigger). What will happen if I keep going? Will the grease only push out of the value, or could I blow out the valve? How do I know it is full? I would like to lubricate during all services and don't want to mess my new deck up.
Great comment on not washing the mower deck. John Deere did such a poor design on the 125 - 42" series. That and the rear mount brackets and flanges are very poorly welded - but they want a grand for a 'no parts' replacement deck. NFW to that. The more the deck stays wet the more it rots out. Stay handy.
I have a Craftsman without grease fittings on the spindles, and it's been fine for years. (I never wash the underside of the deck and seldom rinse the top. I keep the underside clean using a sturdy plastic scraper and use compressed air.) I greased the spindles on a John Deere LA145 until I started to see some grease exit, and man did I regret that. Fired up the blades, and grease splattered everywhere under the deck and below. If these are sealed bearings, and grease is just filling the shaft area between the upper and lower bearings and not into the bearings themselves, then I see little value in putting a grease gun to the spindles.
@@JohnsonsSmallEngines Thanks for the comment. Yes, apparently so. I remember being surprised at just how much grease each spindle took. But for spindles using sealed bearings, is there significant value in greasing these units? Still not seeing it...
The Deere assembly guy on my D130 put the zirc nipple on the inside so you can't get to it. Thanks a lot! Fortunately it didn't take too long to remove the deck, remove the bolts and rotate the spindle.
This can definitely be down with the deck attached and is simple as heck! Lower mower deck completely. There are holes in the black spindle covers to get in with a flexible hose grease gun. You can easily see the grease zerks. Everything should be greased regularly! Every 8 to 15 hours. Now, there's a problem with the John Deere mower decks having sealed bearings in their spindles and grease can't get inside the actual bearing. You're basically pumping grease into an empty space in the spindle. You'll at some point have to pop those 2 bearings out on each side, remove the bearing seal covers, and pack them with grease then reassemble. Easy job that will save you big bucks down the road.
How important do you think the, (not sure what they are called) spindle breaks, pulley breaks on the deck? My breaks are about wore out can i just take them off or should i replace. where do i buy a set and what is they correct name of them? I have a D110
I would replace them as they are a safety feature. Call a John Deere dealer and give them your model of the tractor and ask for two blade brakes for the mower deck
They have a slot in the cover to reach the zerks, but they are too fricking small, and its a real pain in the butt to remove those covers with the deck still on the machine. Some of the upscale models for 2018 have hinged covers, boy would I like to have that on mine!
HANDY VID!.. I just got to my 25 hour maintenance on a D125 and it's pretty similar. spindles, wheel shafts, and the 1 behind the muffler.. that guy was hidden... turns like a champ... And my deck won't wear out prematurely.
Sealed bearings....idk if it help if we took off one side of the bearing plastic cover..plus I ordered bearings for the front wheels it has bushings,I have a s240
In my opinion, The way you can avoid needing new deck bearings and front wheel bushing is to (1) Do Not Wash your tractor or use the deck wash port ever. (2) grease mower deck bearings until the blade hub is full of grease then once a year after put a few more pumps of grease. (3) grease front wheels at least twice a season.
He said you don't recommend washing the more a deck is that for only the top of the deck or for the bottom and the top? From factory they have a hose outlet on the top of the deck probably to keep the deck from Rusting out. Will that put moisture into the bearings
Not only will using that fitting increase the possibility of water getting into the bearings, it also causes the grass clippings to bunch up into a concrete like mass that is difficult to remove.
They are sealed lubricated bearings from when they were made. Normally we replace those when you spin them freely and they sound loud. Do not wash your mower deck!!! just use a blower to clean. Water is not good for any bearing.
My 1988 hydro 185 has sealed bearings on the deck. I've only replaced one since new. Still runs and cuts like new, too. Unless you buy JD's commercial mowers ($10,000 and up), the new smaller ones are almost getting to MTD's standards.
I have the John Deere 135 & have a grease fitting on the spindle that won't take grease. I've tried ever thing to get the fitting out to replace it. I've had no luck with getting it out. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks
I think I know why they don't come with grease. There are two different greases JD recommends. They have a severe duty polyurea grease and a lithium grease. Maybe they leave them empty so you can use your choice of grease in them? Do keep in mind if you use the polyurea, it is incompatible with most other grease types *unless it says it is not **_on the label_*.
The cheaper tractors take lithium, a lot of the more expensive X series take Polyurea, and your right they're not compatible... I don't know what happens if you mix them but anyway.
I think my L118 is a 2004. JD did not put a zerk fitting on the spindle. Pretty darn annoying. Do you have any suggestions? I'm thinking of simply trying to use my finger or a blade of some sort to pack some grease in the top as best I can...
Unless you pull the blade shaft out and pump grease in the hub there is not a lot you can do. You can replace the hubs but that can get expensive. You can drill, tap and screw a zerk fitting in but it isn't easy unless you take the hub off the mower deck and you must clean all the aluminum out from the drilling. Just do not wash the mower deck and do not cut wet grass!
I will pump grease into the hub assemble until I feel pressure the give a few more pumps. The pressure will push grease against the seal and seep in through time. The bearings have grease from when they were made and the main reason why you should fill the hub is to keep the moisture out of the hub that is hollow. If you wash your machine (not good in my opinion, unless necessary) If moisture enters the hub it will ruin the lower bearings quickly.
If properly greased I would say a long time. The problem is they do not make the bearings as good as they did back in the day so it's hard to say. I have had customers that have had the yearly service performed and never had issues for 10 plus years because the bearings were properly greased and remember, do not wash the machine unless necessary!
Spindle bearings on my 145 ( 3 spindles) are at least 10 years old and still fine. I lube them a few times a mowing season and actually look on the blade side ( under deck) and keep pumping grease until I see it come out of the point where the shaft exits the spindle..
There are three blades on my D 140 john deere tractor. Are all three spindles the same size? Would I order three spindles same size in order to replace mine?
2 questions - why doesn't J.D. include grease in those blade spindles? Seems like that would be very important. I'm going to grease mine today. In the past, I've seen at least one video on RUclips where the person said that those spindle grease sections/tubes are bogus and that when you try to add grease nothing happens. What is the straight scoop about that? Seems like it would be fraudulent on J.D.'s case if you really couldn't great those areas. Thank you!
In my opinion John Deere selling out to the box stores is Sometimes why you do not get grease in the spindles. If a John Deere dealership delivered your tractor I would say 99% of the time there is hubs will have grease in them if the dealership performed the pre deliver look over correctly. If you buy them from the box store nobody will have them grease properly. I understand what people say about the bearings are sealed and you do not need grease but if there’s a grease fitting use it. There is a reason for that grease fitting and by filling the hubs up you are eliminating any moisture that can fill up that void inside the hub which is needed to keep those bearings from prematurely failing. If you wash your tractor which I do not recommend water will seep past those seals and eventually the bearings will fail prematurely if The Hull is not full of grease. I greasing the hubs and the front suspension which is it also important your doing the right thing. Don’t forget about the single grease fitting under the center of the front axle you have to look for it but it’s there.
@@JohnsonsSmallEngines Thank you. That helps a lot. So hard to believe (but I do!) that JD would try to save a few bucks and put tractor owner's in a bad position without grease where it should be. Not a good way to build long-term trust, if you ask me.
I was anxious to see you get grease into those fittings with a standard straight grease tip. I can't do it. The fittings too close to the deck to allow proper seal between greae gun tip and fitting. Too much of an angle.
How come the manufacturer don't grease spindles ? Thank you, I will grease mine. I'm 20 hours of use and I will grease my cub cadet RZT S for the first time next time I use it.
Probably because set up and delivery is supposed to take care of greasing the machine. Just think how much money they save by only greasing the bearing itself rather than filling the entire spindle assembly. Every Harley I have ever owned that came with serviceable front fork bearings was greased at the factory and supposed to be filled by the dealership during the first service. I've never come across one that was. That is why independent shops are usually the best bet for getting routine service done right. Figure out how much the OEM saves on not fully greasing it at the factory, and how much the dealer makes selling replacement parts.
Park on flat level surface. 10 PSI in both rear tires, 14 in front. Measure to top of Gauge Wheel brackets and adjust rear hangers until measurements are equal both sides. Make adjustment at front rods or rear hangers so rear of deck is 1/4" higher. Done.
In my opinion; The bearings are sealed with grease inside them when the bearings are made so technically you should not need to grease them but any moisture will seep in. This is why they put grease fittings on the hubs. If the hubs are full of grease it will push grease up or down into the bearings and help keep the moisture from entering the bearings I think the bearings hubs are dry from the factory and when the dealer gets the tractor to set up they are suppose to fill them or at least put some grease in them after trhe sale. If you purchase a John Deere from a box store I will assume they are dry. That said "DO NOT WASH YOU MOWER DECK unless necessary!
I've always greased the mowing decks and all the other grease fittings. Least on the John Deere mowers I've owned. My first riding lawn mower was a old Lowes and it didn't have grease fitting but it didn't last long.
I grease mine without removing the deck, its a real pain to get some of the bolts out that hold the covers in place, so out of curiosity I left mine off one time, it threw the belt in less than 30 seconds. That was the only time it ever threw a belt, I put the belt and covers back on, no further problem!
Thank you for doing this video. I have a new D 130 and need to grease these.
Glad it was helpful!
That's great to hear after I spent $2,800 on an E170 it comes with no grease So for the first 10 hours I ran it It had no Grease in it because I ran it for 10 hours before I did my first greasing on all zerk fittings. Shouldn't the dealer grease the damn thing?
you can also use a "needle" grease fitting adaptor to get up to the zert fitting. good video
bad news is...ive taken mine apart, and those grease fittings arent greasing the bearings, cause theyre sealed.
Yup! Done on purpose to wear out the spindle so you have to buy new parts. Pop the 2 bearings out of each spindle, pop the seal off and pack the bearings full of grease and reassemble. The grease zerks are pushing grease in the bearing housing but not at all in the actual bearings.
Same problem with my 130. Drill out the rivets, split the spindle, cut the seal on the bearings, replace the rivets with bolts, grease, and re-install.
How long will the sealed bearings last on their own?
So true...I've seen it where you take the inside seal off but then if you put too much grease in there I think the outside seal would pop off.
Just another example of John Deere engineering failure into the machines they sell.
for the price of a John Deere they can't pump a little grease in there.. glad I saw this , I just greased my John Deere at 20 hours run time..
You can't blame Deere. Whoever set the mower up didn't do it
If the tiny ball at the end of the zerk fitting can be pushed in, most likely it is working. If you are trying to remove the zerk fitting, a 5/16 or 8mm 6 point socket works to remove it. Sometimes it is hard to get the grease gun on the zerk fitting straight enough to get grease it properly so I recommend putting a flexible hose on the grease gun.
Why you give bad advise? The bearings are sealed it won't take grease
best to use air, compressed or a leaf blower to clean the deck as water will be sucked in as the deck spindles cool and ruin ur bearings.
i flick the inner seal on the bottom bearing out so the grease will pass through it , as the most dirt etc will be carried out with the grease.
also grease may be thrown on the belt through the top if ya remove the inner seal of the top bearing..
I just purchased a D160 and greased the mower deck before the first run. It seemed like I could have kept pumping more grease in after 25 squeezes (I have a one hand pump squeeze trigger). What will happen if I keep going? Will the grease only push out of the value, or could I blow out the valve? How do I know it is full? I would like to lubricate during all services and don't want to mess my new deck up.
Great comment on not washing the mower deck. John Deere did such a poor design on the 125 - 42" series. That and the rear mount brackets and flanges are very poorly welded - but they want a grand for a 'no parts' replacement deck. NFW to that. The more the deck stays wet the more it rots out. Stay handy.
I have a Craftsman without grease fittings on the spindles, and it's been fine for years. (I never wash the underside of the deck and seldom rinse the top. I keep the underside clean using a sturdy plastic scraper and use compressed air.) I greased the spindles on a John Deere LA145 until I started to see some grease exit, and man did I regret that. Fired up the blades, and grease splattered everywhere under the deck and below. If these are sealed bearings, and grease is just filling the shaft area between the upper and lower bearings and not into the bearings themselves, then I see little value in putting a grease gun to the spindles.
Geoffrey Hess you over greased the bearings on the John Deere.
@@JohnsonsSmallEngines Thanks for the comment. Yes, apparently so. I remember being surprised at just how much grease each spindle took. But for spindles using sealed bearings, is there significant value in greasing these units? Still not seeing it...
The Deere assembly guy on my D130 put the zirc nipple on the inside so you can't get to it. Thanks a lot! Fortunately it didn't take too long to remove the deck, remove the bolts and rotate the spindle.
Nice!
This can definitely be down with the deck attached and is simple as heck!
Lower mower deck completely.
There are holes in the black spindle covers to get in with a flexible hose grease gun.
You can easily see the grease zerks. Everything should be greased regularly! Every 8 to 15 hours.
Now, there's a problem with the John Deere mower decks having sealed bearings in their spindles and grease can't get inside the actual bearing. You're basically pumping grease into an empty space in the spindle.
You'll at some point have to pop those 2 bearings out on each side, remove the bearing seal covers, and pack them with grease then reassemble. Easy job that will save you big bucks down the road.
Couldn’t you just leave the top bearing seal off so when you pump in the grease it always gets to the bearings?
How important do you think the, (not sure what they are called) spindle breaks, pulley breaks on the deck? My breaks are about wore out can i just take them off or should i replace. where do i buy a set and what is they correct name of them? I have a D110
I would replace them as they are a safety feature. Call a John Deere dealer and give them your model of the tractor and ask for two blade brakes for the mower deck
@@JohnsonsSmallEngines thank you for the quick reply
They have a slot in the cover to reach the zerks, but they are too fricking small, and its a real pain in the butt to remove those covers with the deck still on the machine. Some of the upscale models for 2018 have hinged covers, boy would I like to have that on mine!
What type grease you use. And how do you keep that deck that clean
HANDY VID!.. I just got to my 25 hour maintenance on a D125 and it's pretty similar. spindles, wheel shafts, and the 1 behind the muffler.. that guy was hidden... turns like a champ... And my deck won't wear out prematurely.
Whaaaa? Thanks.
So the bearings last longer. It will keep moisture and water out if the hubs are greased properly.
Sealed bearings....idk if it help if we took off one side of the bearing plastic cover..plus I ordered bearings for the front wheels it has bushings,I have a s240
In my opinion, The way you can avoid needing new deck bearings and front wheel bushing is to (1) Do Not Wash your tractor or use the deck wash port ever. (2) grease mower deck bearings until the blade hub is full of grease then once a year after put a few more pumps of grease. (3) grease front wheels at least twice a season.
He said you don't recommend washing the more a deck is that for only the top of the deck or for the bottom and the top? From factory they have a hose outlet on the top of the deck probably to keep the deck from Rusting out. Will that put moisture into the bearings
my opinion; do not use deck clean out. Only wash machine if needed and scrape under deck, do not wash.
Not only will using that fitting increase the possibility of water getting into the bearings, it also causes the grass clippings to bunch up into a concrete like mass that is difficult to remove.
The smaller pulleys that do not have spindles.... are they lubricated at all?
They are sealed lubricated bearings from when they were made. Normally we replace those when you spin them freely and they sound loud. Do not wash your mower deck!!! just use a blower to clean. Water is not good for any bearing.
My 1988 hydro 185 has sealed bearings on the deck. I've only replaced one since new. Still runs and cuts like new, too. Unless you buy JD's commercial mowers ($10,000 and up), the new smaller ones are almost getting to MTD's standards.
I agree!
They have to be cheap to compete with MTD. I don't get why people can't see this. Deere has to be able to compete in that market.
I have the John Deere 135 & have a grease fitting on the spindle that won't take grease. I've tried ever thing to get the fitting out to replace it. I've had no luck with getting it out. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks
Maybe galvanic corrosion between the steel fitting & aluminum spindle housing. Just install another Zerk next to it.
I think I know why they don't come with grease. There are two different greases JD recommends. They have a severe duty polyurea grease and a lithium grease. Maybe they leave them empty so you can use your choice of grease in them? Do keep in mind if you use the polyurea, it is incompatible with most other grease types *unless it says it is not **_on the label_*.
The cheaper tractors take lithium, a lot of the more expensive X series take Polyurea, and your right they're not compatible... I don't know what happens if you mix them but anyway.
I think my L118 is a 2004. JD did not put a zerk fitting on the spindle. Pretty darn annoying. Do you have any suggestions? I'm thinking of simply trying to use my finger or a blade of some sort to pack some grease in the top as best I can...
Unless you pull the blade shaft out and pump grease in the hub there is not a lot you can do. You can replace the hubs but that can get expensive. You can drill, tap and screw a zerk fitting in but it isn't easy unless you take the hub off the mower deck and you must clean all the aluminum out from the drilling. Just do not wash the mower deck and do not cut wet grass!
Thank you for replying - I'll follow your advice
I washed my deck off with a power washer to get all of the gunk out. Not even 20 minutes later "SQUEEEEEK!" Oh man I screwed up. lol
With a fairly new S110 John Deere rider how do I know the inside bearings are getting properly greased
I will pump grease into the hub assemble until I feel pressure the give a few more pumps. The pressure will push grease against the seal and seep in through time. The bearings have grease from when they were made and the main reason why you should fill the hub is to keep the moisture out of the hub that is hollow. If you wash your machine (not good in my opinion, unless necessary) If moisture enters the hub it will ruin the lower bearings quickly.
Thanks for sharing. How long can I expect the spindles to last if I grease them properly? Do they have a shelf life?
If properly greased I would say a long time. The problem is they do not make the bearings as good as they did back in the day so it's hard to say. I have had customers that have had the yearly service performed and never had issues for 10 plus years because the bearings were properly greased and remember, do not wash the machine unless necessary!
Spindle bearings on my 145 ( 3 spindles) are at least 10 years old and still fine. I lube them a few times a mowing season and actually look on the blade side ( under deck) and keep pumping grease until I see it come out of the point where the shaft exits the spindle..
How do you take the mower deck off?
5 e clips
There are three blades on my D 140 john deere tractor. Are all three spindles the same size? Would I order three spindles same size in order to replace mine?
Yes
Good video thank u
2 questions - why doesn't J.D. include grease in those blade spindles? Seems like that would be very important. I'm going to grease mine today. In the past, I've seen at least one video on RUclips where the person said that those spindle grease sections/tubes are bogus and that when you try to add grease nothing happens. What is the straight scoop about that? Seems like it would be fraudulent on J.D.'s case if you really couldn't great those areas. Thank you!
In my opinion John Deere selling out to the box stores is Sometimes why you do not get grease in the spindles. If a John Deere dealership delivered your tractor I would say 99% of the time there is hubs will have grease in them if the dealership performed the pre deliver look over correctly. If you buy them from the box store nobody will have them grease properly. I understand what people say about the bearings are sealed and you do not need grease but if there’s a grease fitting use it. There is a reason for that grease fitting and by filling the hubs up you are eliminating any moisture that can fill up that void inside the hub which is needed to keep those bearings from prematurely failing. If you wash your tractor which I do not recommend water will seep past those seals and eventually the bearings will fail prematurely if The Hull is not full of grease. I greasing the hubs and the front suspension which is it also important your doing the right thing. Don’t forget about the single grease fitting under the center of the front axle you have to look for it but it’s there.
@@JohnsonsSmallEngines Thank you. That helps a lot. So hard to believe (but I do!) that JD would try to save a few bucks and put tractor owner's in a bad position without grease where it should be. Not a good way to build long-term trust, if you ask me.
I was anxious to see you get grease into those fittings with a standard straight grease tip. I can't do it. The fittings too close to the deck to allow proper seal between greae gun tip and fitting. Too much of an angle.
How come the manufacturer don't grease spindles ? Thank you, I will grease mine. I'm 20 hours of use and I will grease my cub cadet RZT S for the first time next time I use it.
That is a very good question?? Only the manufacturer can answer that question?
Indeed, I could write them an email
Probably because set up and delivery is supposed to take care of greasing the machine. Just think how much money they save by only greasing the bearing itself rather than filling the entire spindle assembly. Every Harley I have ever owned that came with serviceable front fork bearings was greased at the factory and supposed to be filled by the dealership during the first service. I've never come across one that was. That is why independent shops are usually the best bet for getting routine service done right. Figure out how much the OEM saves on not fully greasing it at the factory, and how much the dealer makes selling replacement parts.
sweet info
I'm glad it was helpful!
@@JohnsonsSmallEngines Very helpful. Thank you..
Thank you
How do you level a mower deck for a LX277 John Deere
Park on flat level surface. 10 PSI in both rear tires, 14 in front.
Measure to top of Gauge Wheel brackets and adjust rear hangers until measurements are equal both sides. Make adjustment at front rods or rear hangers so rear of deck is 1/4" higher. Done.
Bearings wouldn't last long without any grease. The factory would have to put something in, wouldn't they?
In my opinion; The bearings are sealed with grease inside them when the bearings are made so technically you should not need to grease them but any moisture will seep in. This is why they put grease fittings on the hubs. If the hubs are full of grease it will push grease up or down into the bearings and help keep the moisture from entering the bearings I think the bearings hubs are dry from the factory and when the dealer gets the tractor to set up they are suppose to fill them or at least put some grease in them after trhe sale. If you purchase a John Deere from a box store I will assume they are dry. That said "DO NOT WASH YOU MOWER DECK unless necessary!
I've always greased the mowing decks and all the other grease fittings. Least on the John Deere mowers I've owned. My first riding lawn mower was a old Lowes and it didn't have grease fitting but it didn't last long.
They limit grease to save money !!!
What type of grease "?
I use HD Lithium Complex Grease from John Deere for my grease gun. Part #TY24416.
Johnson's Small Engines thanks