Useful attachments adapted to PT ?

[2manyrocks]

The parts from McMaster Carr arrived. The bushing looks to be of a higher quality than the OEM, but it's 1/2" long where the OEM appears to be 3/8. Is your blade 1/2 thick where mine is only 3/8? Or is the 1/2" length supposed to work?

The diameter is also tight to the mounting hole in the blade which I assume is a good thing indicating that my blade mount isn't wallowed?

Many of my issues with the PT cutting deck would be resolved if I could just raise it another few inches. It's already at the maximum cutting height, but just 2-3" more would help keep the blades from getting so beat up.

 

[MossRoad]

I went through a few bushing on my 48" brush cutter on our PT425. I ended up measuring the ID of the hole in the blade and the OD of the bolt, then ordered a piece of DOM tubing with the correct dimensions, a few thousands bigger for the bolt. Then I used my band saw to cut a couple dozen bushings the correct length. That was probably 15 or more years ago. I think I'm down to just a few left, so maybe time to do it again.

 

[2manyrocks]

These are oil impregnated high load bushings which would be great to use provided I can understand how they fit. Maybe I could use a couple of washers as spacers, IDK?

McMaster Carr's on line catalog does not show a 3/8 length for these 5/8 ID x 1" OD type of bushings.

 

[ponytug]

The parts from McMaster Carr arrived. The bushing looks to be of a higher quality than the OEM, but it's 1/2" long where the OEM appears to be 3/8. Is your blade 1/2 thick where mine is only 3/8? Or is the 1/2" length supposed to work?

The diameter is also tight to the mounting hole in the blade which I assume is a good thing indicating that my blade mount isn't wallowed?

Many of my issues with the PT cutting deck would be resolved if I could just raise it another few inches. It's already at the maximum cutting height, but just 2-3" more would help keep the blades from getting so beat up.

View attachment 870778

I will have to go get a micrometer on the parts that I have, but what I previously posted is what I'm using. McMaster is not one to change part numbers.

I have an old blade in my metal stock that I will check for thickness. That said, having the bushing a little taller than the blade enables the blade to swing freely while the bolt is tight. Washers just spread the force from the bolt uniformly across the bushing.

All the best,

Peter

 

[2manyrocks]

Adding a few pictures to help clarify where I seem to be on this at the moment.


If I add a 1"ID washer to take up the slack, the blade no longer wobbles up or down, but the washer seems to be locking the blade in place so it can't freely pivot. My concern is whether the blade attempting to pivot on its axis will work the bolt loose?

If I remove the washer, then there is enough free play that the blade can then wobble up and down again, which seems worse than the original problem.

The original problem was the OEM bushings wallowed out and this allowed the blade to strike the edges of the mower deck housing.