Finish mower bearings.

[Utopia Texas]

I just retired from 40 years in the nursery business and when we dismantled the greenhouse I sold 36 fans with 48" blades, some that were over 30 years old and had sealed bearings. These fans pushed 14,000 cubic feet of air per minute and many ran 18 hours a day for 9 months of the year for the whole 30 years. I never once had to replace a bearing. Go figure!

 

[Ultradog MN]

I am wondering if it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and shoot some grease in the zerks anyway.

If you put grease in the zerks it can't go anywhere except maybe push the seals out of the bearings.

 

[gschones]

Thanks Utopia and Ultradog. I will just go with the sealed bearings. Makes sense. I have 2 spindles to rebuild and both the high quality sealed bearings and the Chinese original type that take grease. I may just build one of each and put them to the test.

 

[Maxify55]

I'll tell you like they tell me at all the commercial mower shops. Years ago the entire industry went with sealed bearing for all their spindles.
I, like you, had been used to servicing my machines with high quality red tacky grease for all my spindles.
It seems that I've been schooled, as you were, by people a little higher on the pole scientifically than myself.
They've done loads of testing on bearings/lubricants and have come up with what I feel is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
I've schooled myself on the bearing nomenclature and the teeny tiny numbers written on them.
I now buy nothing but sealed {Metal Jacketed} bearings for my spindles. {Ferris ZTR 52", Sitrex 48" and a King Kutter 72"}
The KK is new. So it won't need any for a spell yet.
If you check the numbers on the races of your bearings they give you a world of knowledge about them and the packed lubricants within.
you can buy whichever you want and spend as much time as you like inverted pumping grease through zerk fittings.
I'll do my bushings and other related wheel bearings but spindle bearings? I'm through greasing them.
Engineering has caught up with wear. As long as you know how to look and ask for the correct type of bearing.