Shaky Batwing

[bulldog69]

I have a Bush Whacker T180 batwing I got used. The left wing has a pretty bad shake, so bad that I can't run above 1800 rpms. Anything above that is just simply abuse to me and the tractor. I can unhook the driveline for that wing and the center and right side are smooth. I have replaced the blades but that has done nothing to stop the problem. There's nothing obvious wrong that I can find so I'm open to suggestions on what to look at next. It seems to cut level but just shakes like crazy. Thanks for the help.

 

[mjcountrybumpkin]

Bent shaft, or something out of balance ( really out) be the first things I'd check. I hope it's something simple, like mud built up on it some how. Good luck

 

[rdbigfarmboy]

Shaking is about rotation or lack of. Check to see if the blades on that side rotate freely.

 

[bulldog69]

The blades and bolts are new on that wing and they do swing free as they should.

 

[Industrial Toys]

What kind of blades. A single blade on each spindle or a set of pivoting blades?

 

[farmer2009]

I am thinking one of three things.
1. Bent drive line. Take off guards to check.
2. Loose gearbox. Check bolts going into deck.
3. Bearings in gear box are shot. Rebuild or replace.

Keep us posted.

 

[foreman Etexas]

Maybe u-joint in drive line. Bearing in gearbox

 

[Industrial Toys]

With experience, you should "know" whether it is the spindle (and blades) that are giving you that kind of shake! Drive lines don't have much speed or rotational radius to have much effect. Not sure I expressed that properly. You could remove the blades and spin the thing up to see if the imbalance is elsewhere.

 

[zzvyb6]

Maybe u-joint in drive line. Bearing in gearbox

Specifically, the drive shaft ends are 90 degrees out of phase.

 

[foreman Etexas]

Specifically, the drive shaft ends are 90 degrees out of phase.

Yeah cause when I had the bearing go out on one wing it didn't take long before it gave out completely and blade stopped turning,the shake didn't last to long. I would think more in the line of a bad u-joint but like industrial toys said should be able to work the blade up down and see if has some play on the spindle to rule that out. Gearbox have oil still?

 

[bulldog69]

I ordered the blades from Bush Whacker so I think they are correct. The man I got it from went thru all the gear boxes and resealed them and checked all the bearings. I trust him and his work so I have no reason to not believe what he said. It's full of oil and I haven't been able to find anything loose or bent. The stump jumper doesn't have any visible cracks or bends. The gear box is mounted tight to the deck.

You bring up the drive line. It doesn't seem to have any loose or bad u-joints but the only thing I've done is unhook it to see if the shaking quit, which it did. When it's turning I've noticed the plastic guard does wobble just a little but I figured it was only the cover. Sounds like I need to take a closer look at that drive shaft. Thanks for all the help.

 

[Birdhunter1]

Switch the right and left side drive lines and see if the shake moves. If it does it's a driveline, if it doesn't its in the gearbox or stump jumper assembly.
I had the same thing recently on a 6' Landpride, it was a bad bearing on the gearbox output shaft, when it went out the shaft dropped thus chewing the gears when the input shaft and output shaft didn't mesh well. The gearbox replacement wasn't as expensive as rebuilding the box.

 

[bulldog69]

As soon as I get done with hay I'll swap them around and see what it does. That would be the easiest way to tell if it's the drive line.