Try this on!!!

pilonidal · May 15, 2004

A little incident happened, let me set it up. I have 15.5 hrs on my CK20HST I mowed with it intially the first two days after I received it knocking down the weeds around the place. I am working on planting grass. About two hrs total time using the MMM. I took the deck off about 3 weeks ago, because I have been doing FEL loader work with it. The deck just bangs around otherwise. I put the deck back on today to knock the weeds back down. No problems putting it on. Hooked up all four lift bolts and the pto shaft. The shaft turned freely with my hands when hooked up to the deck. Great, doubled checked everything, bolts all pinned in place. PTO hooked up and locked in place, the deck raises and lowers with no problems. Off to whack some weeds. Drive down to the end of the field, put the tractor in low and bring it up to 2000 rpm and engage the mower, didn't lower the deck as the stuff is tall and would take a couple of passes. I am creeping along till about 150 yards into the cut and BANG!!!!!!! (it was a loud bang) The tractor stops dead. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif Holy !@#$%, I run around the tractor and inspect it and the deck. I didn't hit anything. Put it in neutral and disengage the pto and attempt a restart, thinking please, please turn over with no frightening noises. Whew, it starts right up with no problems and I slowly back up to look under the deck. Nothing there!!!!!!! Back to the garage. I try to turn the pto shaft by hand, it ain't moving!!!
I disconnect the pto shaft from the deck leaving it attached at the pto. It turns freely by hand now attached to the tractor but not while attached to the deck. I can't turn the blades by hand either. Man, I guess the gearbox on the deck froze up!!!!!!! One thing I remember. I guess about a 100 hundred yards into the cut I hear a very, very faint whine coming from the deck. I write it off as grass and weeds getting wrapped around the pulleys and whipping around the deck. The gear box is dry, no leaks at all. Sigh, guess I'll be taking it back off tomorrow and into the dealer Monday. Just thankful the tractor itself seems okay after the abrupt stop. Anyone else have MMM problems?

KiotiJohn · May 15, 2004

I'm really sorry to hear about your misfortune Pilonidal. It does sound like something happened in the gear box. Perhaps the gears broke inside and jammed up. Since there is no obvious problem with the PTO, I guess that's what did it. I hope all continues to be well with the tractor. Keep us informed. John

Woodbeef · May 16, 2004

Hmmmm.......now I don't own any of that type of tractor,but what I'm wondering is why you did not start the mower before reving up the engine? Is not the sames a a pto powered implement? If so you engage at idle then rev up the engine to working speed. If it is the same concept,then the damage could have been inflicted by yourself.

pilonidal · May 16, 2004

Okay, I got a little ahead on the story line. I engaged it at around 1500 rpm, slowly releasing the clutch first and bringing it up to speed at 2000 rpm. I didn't start the mower at 2000 rpm. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

wallace · May 16, 2004

Sounds like you didn't have any gear oil in it.
I think you metioned that right.

wallace · May 16, 2004

Sorry you said "the gear box is dry"
Which you mean the outside is dry, my falt.

rback33 · May 17, 2004

In my experience, when gears start to whine bad things are coming..... sounds like there was little or no oil in the gear box to me.... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

KiotiJohn · May 18, 2004

( Okay, I got a little ahead on the story line. I engaged it at around 1500 rpm, slowly releasing the clutch first and bringing it up to speed at 2000 rpm. I didn't start the mower at 2000 rpm. )
Not trying to beat you up about it, but it's best to start the PTO at idle speed to reduce shock to the gear box. I know you said you released the clutch slowly, but it's still better to engage below 1500 RPM. If you accidently release a little too fast, it's a pretty good shock on the drive. At this point, we're all just guessing, and this suggestion really has nothing to do with it I suspect. Good luck and let us know what happens. John

pilonidal · May 18, 2004

Well, rback33 was right. The dealers mechanic forgot the gear oil when he assembled the deck. The bearings seized. They replaced the bearings and had me back on the road in two hours. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Markioti · May 18, 2004

Pilonidal,
I hope the gears did not suffer any undue damage or wear! How many hours did it go before the bearings seized up? Glad to hear the problem is solved!

Mark

GerardC · May 18, 2004

( Well, rback33 was right. The dealers mechanic forgot the gear oil when he assembled the deck. The bearings seized. They replaced the bearings and had me back on the road in two hours. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif)

When I got my Greenfield FM5500 PHD, the first thing I did was check the gearbox. Yup, it's full /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif. G

pilonidal · May 18, 2004

The gears looked fine. About two hours before they seized. Weird that they went for about 1.5 hours straight. Then a break for a few weeks then lasted maybe 15 mins before "BANG".

KiotiJohn · May 19, 2004

( The gears looked fine. About two hours before they seized. Weird that they went for about 1.5 hours straight. Then a break for a few weeks then lasted maybe 15 mins before "BANG". )
Glad to hear it wasn't any worse. The lesson here is to not trust that things are done by others. The first thing anyone should do is to assure that all the bolts are tight and everything is greased properly. Sometimes, in the rush to get a tractor out, things are overlooked, but ultimately, if you're going to get on that deadly weapon, you want to be sure everythings right. Now go cut some grass!

pilonidal · May 19, 2004

Lesson learned /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif , uhh I have weeds, no grass yet. Ran a harrow through the weeds, now I am getting a stone rake today. It looks like a lunar landscape. Softball to volleyball size stones everywhere. Like they were cast as seeds. Unreal site. Lots of work ahead.

Dewave · May 19, 2004

Softball to volleyball size stones everywhere. Like they were cast as seeds. Unreal site. Lots of work ahead. 

You're making my back hurt. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Good Luck

KiotiJohn · May 21, 2004

( Lesson learned , uhh I have weeds, no grass yet.)
Hey, I learned my lesson about putting the ROPS down before going into my shed, but only after having bashed the heck out of it twice! There's always something that gets overlooked, so I hope you don't think that I or others are ragging you at all. If it were not for weeds, I wouldn't have much lawn! This lack of rain we're experiencing here in N.E. Florida isn't helping that situation. I'm just not going to water all this lawn. John

pilonidal · May 21, 2004

I have to much rain. Rented the stone rake Wed. for a week and now it won't stop raining. Weatherman said it would clear and be sunny. Only scattered rain. Well it has scattered over my place everyday - allllll day. Too muddy for the rake now. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

KiotiJohn · May 22, 2004

I saw on the news today that there's a lot of rain all over up that way. Sorry to hear it. And here we sit, dry dry dry. Could really use some water around here, and when it does come, it probably won't stop /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif John

JayC · May 22, 2004

With the storms that just passed through today, we got about an inch and a half to two inches in about 30 minutes! This rain just will not stop. Everything is waterlogged here. /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif