Shredder repair - Fix or trash

DeudeMann · Feb 16, 2020

So I have a 5' shredder that a friend of mine gave to me that had been sitting on his property. I have no idea what brand it is but it is orange (sort of). It needs work so I have been dissecting it to determine what is OK, and what needs to be replaced. There are pictures attached below. Here is what I have found so far...

* Gear box - It rotates freely without noise and appears to be fine. I'm going to drain it and replace the gear oil. There is evidence the seals leak a bit but as long as it is not a bad leak I can live with that or replace the seals later.
* Rear wheel fork and tire assembly - Completely missing. The sleeve and frame bits are there and appear to be OK. Takes a 1-3/8" yoke shaft.
* Driveline - The current one is visibly bent and the safety cover is trashed so I'll need a new one.
* Deck - This has a few cracks and rusted through welds. I have everything I need to clean it up and weld it (MIG) so I can handle that part. The deck has some bent edges and will need to have new skids welded onto the front. There is also no guard on the front (chain or rubber) but I can strap a tire tread across that. The mounting holes are still there.
*Blades and blade pan - The blades appear to be OK and are only about 1" short each of being the full 5' in cutting diameter. The blade pan has a bit of vertical runout when I rotate it, about 1/4" by eyeballing it. I have no idea if this runout comes from the blade pan or the gearbox output shaft; I have not torn that far into it yet. The blade pan does not have any visible runout in the horizontal plane so that could mean the vertical runout is from the blade pan being bent, and not the gearbox output shaft.

I can buy a new wheel/yoke assembly and a driveline from Agri supply for $285 shipped. This is more than I want to spend but after looking at the shredders that are for sale around here (Craigslist, Facebook) I cannot get one that is in better shape than this one for that much, not even close. The ones that are in good shape have an asking price of $600 and up, and/or they are too large. Right now I am inclined to repair this one as long as it holds up to relatively low usage for several years. I will use it to clear small shrubs and brush but not frequently, and only in a small area, say 1-2 acres. It may also get occasional use for friends and neighbors. I do not care if it is pretty, just functional.

So, do I fix it or dump it?

Gary Fowler · Feb 16, 2020

I think I would try to borrow a PTO shaft and hook it up to see how it turns (vibrates, gear drive sounds, etc) before investing any money in a tail wheel. Use your FEL to turn the deck up on it's side so you can evaluate the bearings and gear shaft. If it is loose, try to tighten the nut that holds the stump jumper in place to see if that corrects the runout in the blades. The gear drive shaft might be bent and that would negate doing any other work on it. If you have to replace a gear box ($200, buy a PTO shaft($150-200) and tail wheel ($285), the cost would be almost as much or more than a good used mower, not to mention the cost of your labor and welding material to patch it up.

DeudeMann · Feb 16, 2020

I agree. If the gearbox output shaft is bent then I will not try to save it. I have the unit up on jackstands so I can pull the blades off, and the stump jumper, and check the output shaft for runout.

I might be able to use the driveline from my finishing mower for testing but I'll have to check to see if it has the right kind of fitting on the gearbox end. It's a three blade Bush Hog.

Attached below is the price breakdown on the stuff I know I need.

BertZegers · Feb 17, 2020

It could be that the swivel wheel was taken of for use on rough terrain. This rotary cutter is designed with 2 angle bars from 3 point hanger to deck. I have replaced the 2 angle bars by chains, so the rotary cutter can pivot on the lower 2 bolts of the 3 point hanger.

DeudeMann · Feb 18, 2020

I'm planning on using it on rough terrain in that it is not smooth pasture land. I do know the people who gave it to me have a smooth, more pasture-like property.

So I can see what you are getting at... I want to use the rear wheel in order to keep the deck from dropping when traversing small rocks and what-not; front tire runs over a 3-4" tall rock, deck dives and then blade hits another rock. That could mean the slot in the upper link attachment point might not be long enough to allow the deck to rotate around the lower two pins. So if it used chains like you suggest, it has plenty of space to do so.

Before anyone says anything, I am planning on clearing the larger boulders, and will be running the cutting height very high, like 6". This tactic has worked well with my finishing mower but it cannot cut brush as well as the shredder will.

airbiscuit · Feb 18, 2020

EddieWalker · Feb 18, 2020

I think it's a waste of time and money. It's a lightweight deck, which means it's already completely worn out once.

Add up what all the parts will cost you to fix it, and without adding in the dozen or so hours that it will take to get it working, compare that number to what a new one will cost, or what a used one in good shape will sell for.

DeudeMann · Feb 18, 2020

Thabks for the link on the wheel. But...It turns out that the gearbox has issues after all so after talking it out with the buddy that gave it to me we both agreed that it is time to scrap it.

ovrszd · Feb 18, 2020

Wise decision.....

DeudeMann · Feb 20, 2020

Update - I found a 5' shredder locally in good condition at a decent price so I bought that instead. It's a Woods MD-160 and is built like a freaking tank. It weighs over 800 lbs which is pretty heavy for a 5' model. It looks exactly like this one (from another post).