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....