How often do YOU grease your rotary cutter u-joints?

[TBone]

I've always been taught to grease my rotary cutter u-joints every time I grease my tractor and other places on my cutter (about every couple of days of use). For this reason I have always removed the plastic guards from the shaft. It's just too much hassle to move this crap every time to grease the joints. I know, it's there for my safety but having run cutters for 60 years without getting tangled up in a rotating shaft I feel pretty confident that I can continue down that path if I choose to. All other safeguards are in place and operational.

That being said, I am now wondering if I have been foolish in greasing the joints as often as I have. In all the years of running a brush cutter I have only had to replace one U-joint. I think that's a direct result of my greasing schedule but mayhaps I have been overdoing it. I have a neighbor that never greases his and he has to change out his U-joints pretty regularly. He has replaced his entire shaft at least twice. I have NEVER had to do that.

Back to my question: How often do YOU grease your U-joints?

 

[1010]

Once a week this time of year. If it's getting run everyday. Once a month on the tractor. Once a year on the tractor rear axles.

 

[Redlands Okie]

Every 8 or 10 hours of operation.

 

[Alan W.]

Usually give them a shot of grease before using the cutter. Do this on all my pto joints.

 

[LouNY]

At least every 10 hours on the pto u joints.
Daily isn't a bad idea, we have an unknown number of pto u joints and i can't think of a single pto shaft that doesn't get greased daily if used.

 

[ehcrain]

Every 10 hours on the hour meter of the tractor i hit the three zerks of the cutter while ive got the grease gun out.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I grease my F-935 every time I go mowing so every three hours or so. My rototiller is about the same. My tractor once in spring and when ever I do the front end loader. Everything else either doesn't have zerks or it gets greased when I use it.

 

[stevewarner1957]

I grease every 2 or 3 hours on my ZD326P and my L3830 bush hog u joints. Always remember when greasing, “The bigger the blob, the better the job”!

 

[Texasmark]

Like others 8-10 hrs besides first use of the season.

 

[Beeenvenue]

Wow. I cannot get to my zerks without detaching the pto and even then the shaft hits the arms so it basically means dropping the mower. Even then the shields get in the way. I’m thinking about removing them but am also just considering running it until the u joints fail and replacing them (to preserve the shields).

What about something like the new wd40 gel lube spray? Says it is designed for rotating parts....

 

[Industrial Toys]

Just whenever. As long as you do it once in a while.

I have no use for sheilds. I never go near spinning equipment.

 

[crashz]

Yikes!

I grease the loader each day that I use it (by use, I mean more than an occasional lift or 5 min of use). The rest of the tractor gets fully greased every full day of use. But reading here, I was under the impression that over-greasing U joints was bad. So I have been greasing the U joints maybe 2 time per season. In terms of hours, that is probably 20-30 hours between greasing.

As the OP mentioned, these things are a pain to grease with the shields on. I leave them on, but have to remove the shaft to grease the joints. I usually grease the slip joint too. Clean and Fluid film everything afterward.

Looks like I should be greasing even more often...

 

[Industrial Toys]

I mean, if you are professionally running equipment, then yes regular intervals are important. For light use, it's not that important. It's things that NEVER get grease and are totally neglected, abused and dry, that fail.

And, there are things which I almost never grease, like the telescoping zerk on a PTO shaft. It's a bad deployment of grease if you ask me. I would sooner take the thing apart once in a while, clean it and wipe a coating of grease on the shaft by hand. Or caster wheel spindles. Same thing. I would prefer to clean and lube them manually once in a while.

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Every major use they get greased.

 

[mred2]

Spring time, try to go thru and grease and check oil on everything. And then, before each major use before I attach it. I don't think I have a shield that has lasted over half a year before falling apart. I don't engage the pto with anyone around the tractor.

 

[5030]

At least every 10 hours on the pto u joints.
Daily isn't a bad idea, we have an unknown number of pto u joints and i can't think of a single pto shaft that doesn't get greased daily if used.

Same here but the sliding halves, every year.

 

[YLee Kioti]

my eight acres take about 10 hours now.

So every ten hours or so.
It seems these U-joints do not have the automotive cups that seal real well.
When I apply grease it will take a few pumps before they ooze through the cups.....Hm...wonder where'd it go......???...lol.....

 

[5030]

my eight acres take about 10 hours now.

So every ten hours or so.
It seems these U-joints do not have the automotive cups that seal real well.
When I apply grease it will take a few pumps before they ooze through the cups.....Hm...wonder where'd it go......???...lol.....

Look at the inside of your PTO shields, it's there in globs.:laughing:

 

[YLee Kioti]

Look at the inside of your PTO shields, it's there in globs.:laughing:

A little bit not much.
Small flat tip screwdriver release tabs, pull them back.
use shop towels in the U-joint area and wipe up afterwards. So just the little that slings out.
However, the older I get may be the lazier I'll get....lol...

 

[RalphVa]

Every once in a while. Easiest is when taking it off or putting it on when you can bend the Ujoints about 90 degrees.

Think once they've been greased, they'll stay greased for a long time as everything's pretty much sealed up in there. Main thing is to get some grease on fairly new ones in case they weren't greased well when built.

Ralph