Finish Mower Replacement wheels

[40_acre_mule]

I bought a Land Pride Finish mower FDR 1672 back in 2005. Served me well even though I was a little rough on it as I developed my property.
In 14 years, I think I only bent two wheel yokes (able to press them straight), and never replaced a wheel.
I let it go when I sold the old Kubota in 2019, but immediately replaced it. The areas I'm mowing are finished up now and far easier on the machine.
Now, in only four years, I've bent three yokes and just busted a wheel. These assemblies seem to be made from much more inferior materials then before.
I don't want to just get the same old cheap stuff.
Can any of y'all recommend a more robust yoke/wheel with which to replace them?
It has a 1 inch shaft.

 

[workinonit]

You don't say what brand the mower is. I've owned 3 finish mowers since 2000 of various different sizes from 8' to 21' and one thing I can say is I've never bent or destroyed a yoke or wheel. What are you doing to tear them up?

 

[slckeys]

I have posted this company before. Ordered from them twice with quality products arriving. The rubber tires were even better the second time I ordered.

Quality Laminated Tires | High Grade Manufacturing

Enhance your equipment with durable laminated tires from High Grade Manufacturing. Experience superior performance today.

highgrademfg.com

 

[old and tired]

...

Quality Laminated Tires | High Grade Manufacturing

Enhance your equipment with durable laminated tires from High Grade Manufacturing. Experience superior performance today.

highgrademfg.com

I bought 2 tires from them, I need to buy 4 more!!! ..and plan to soon. They held up well.

 

[chim]

I bought a Land Pride Finish mower FDR 1672 back in 2005. Served me well even though I was a little rough on it as I developed my property.
In 14 years, I think I only bent two wheel yokes (able to press them straight), and never replaced a wheel.
I let it go when I sold the old Kubota in 2019, but immediately replaced it. The areas I'm mowing are finished up now and far easier on the machine.
Now, in only four years, I've bent three yokes and just busted a wheel. These assemblies seem to be made from much more inferior materials then before.
I don't want to just get the same old cheap stuff.
Can any of y'all recommend a more robust yoke/wheel with which to replace them?
It has a 1 inch shaft.

Bending the stem of the yokes was the one weak link on RFM's for me. Been using RFM's since 1991 - a couple LandPrides and a few Caronis. All had what appeared to be the same yokes and wheels. I did buy a couple wheels from Agrisupply over the years, but no yokes. I bought one new 5' Caroni back in '91 and two fixer-uppers (5' and 7-1/2'). I used two 5 footers to make one good 5' deck for the Ford. They have common parts so that gave me some extras pieces. There are wheels with either roller or needle bearings available through different sources.

I made a steel device to straighten the stems of the yokes using a hydraulic jack. Earlier this Fall, I replaced the factory wheel supports on my 7-1/2' Caroni with a homebrew one. The factory support had large upward offsets at the ends that required most of the spacer bushings to be installed between the wheel and the support. With that much leverage I managed to bend the yoke shafts occasionally when swinging the deck over the edge of the driveway or a big root.

The homebrew support is a lot closer to the ground and requires no spacers to achieve the desired cut height. So far it's been working very well.

 

[40_acre_mule]

Sorry, thought it was clear that I replaced the Land Pride with another Land Pride, same model (14 years apart).
I am not doing anything different, just mowing the same areas I've been mowing for years. It is all smoother than when I started all those years ago. Still scraping the same occasional tree root and bumping the edge of the paved portion of the driveway. I think the yokes might be bending when I back up for some reason. I've pressed a couple straight again, but the metal seems softer or more pliable than the old ones. I don't have any idea how the wheel split. The other wheels are chipping pieces off, not just wearing down.

I am hoping some other brand has a stronger built yoke with the same shaft dimensions and some better wheels, too.

 

[kdparker]

I have a similar setup and problem. I had a LP 1660 purchase 10 years ago and never bent a yoke. I have a LP 1672 bought a couple of years ago and currently have two bent yokes. I am looking for the same solution.

 

[Xfaxman]

Can any of y'all recommend a more robust yoke/wheel with which to replace them?
It has a 1 inch shaft.

I also ordered from https://highgrademfg.com/finish-mower-assemblies/

Much better quality than what was on the China made (not Caroni) mower.

 

[40_acre_mule]

(Complaining ahead)...
One of the things that bugs me is that Land Pride has a nice pretty sticker that says "Made in the USA"
When I see that, I expect American quality (another time for discussion of the work ethic of Gen Zers).
But, I'm guessing the fine print says "from domestic and imported parts".
I want strong American steel, not cheap chinese stuff.
Complaining over

 

[40_acre_mule]

Thanks to those that replied. I will look into this High Grade Manufacturing