What's happening to JD???

[kennyd]

Thanks DeereHunter,
Do you know the actual size of that bolt? I've been trying to use an adjustable wrench and its not doing the job.

I can't help with the size, or the rotation for sure, but if you are going to do your own maintenance on your machines, you need to get the right tools. An adjustable wrench is NOT the right tool to apply massive amounts of torque to loosen or tighten a blade bolts properly. Get yourself a 1/2" or 3/4" drive socket set and get the job done correctly and safely. For just occasional use the Harbor Freight sets are hard to beat...The 1/2" deep-well impact socket set's are often on sale for $14.99 are of decent quality for the occasional wrencher.

 

[Deere Hunter]

My mower is a King Kutter, and I think it is a 5/8 inch, but yours could be metric. Everything is going to Metric it seems. My little JD 1050 is all metric (Yanmar). I would not put an adjustable wrench on the bolts, easily stripped.

I'd try a breaker bar (pipe over socket wrench if you don't have one) with the blades blocked off, try normal thread first (I always do this automatically-left to loosen), and reverse thread if that doesn't work (right to loosen). Let us know how it works out.

 

[Deere Hunter]

Oh yeah, be careful with the leverage, try both ways gently with the breaker bar, increasing force until it gives - a bar can ring the head of the bolt off.



Archimedes - Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.

 

[Birdmayon]

I've got a GM1072E (made by Befco/rotomec), has standard right hand threads, the bolt heads are 27mm or 1 1/16".

 

[snoiger01]

Thanks for the help guys. I got a call from a regional representative from John Deere about the issue of the dealer telling me they no longer handled Frontier equipment. He was not happy and assured me they would do what it takes to earn my trust.....short of telling me how to get those blades off. He is having the local store manager call me tomorrow to discuss.
And kennyd you are absolutely correct, I do NOT have to proper tools for the job. I have skinned knuckles to prove it. When I got home from work today I went and soaked the bolts in 3-in-1 oil, being careful not to get oil on the bolt head, hoping to penetrate the threads somewhat. After an hour or so, they still would not budge. I've often wanted to try the hot candle wax trick, but my patience has run out. I think it would be best for me to wait until I talk with the store manager tomorrow. I'm one step away from an angle grinder and a whole bunch of sparks.
If anyone is interested, I'll let you know how this turns out. 5 acres is ALOT of grass for my wife to have to mow with a 21" push mower

 

[unit40]

If push comes to shove, and shove comes to swearing, then try the blue wrench, that is...... torch. Sometimes when all else fails, you could pick up a small torch like a propane torch but outfitted with a small bottle of MAPP gas, and just heat the bjeezus out of it. WEAR GLOVES!! And remember to clean all of the dried grass and stuff away, have a fire extinguisher ready, and get ready to smoke up some paint and grease.

 

[snoiger01]

Unit40, I like the way you think! Fire is always fun I almost went and bought an air wrench today, but a friend at work said he didn't know if the 15 gallon compressor I have puts out enough psi. I'm thinking the one I have maxes out at about 120psi but I wouldn't swear to it. And I have no experience with air tools, so I don't know if he's feeding me bovine rectal excrement or not.

 

[radman1]

Check your owners manual for the mower. My rhino 84" finish mower has left handed (reverse) threads. There is a stick on the mower which also states that.
Air impact wrench is the way to go if you have one for loosening. Just don't over tighten.

 

[Nuru]

That's it, a flail mower for me! I have serviced the blades on my MMMs in the past and it was just as everyone's says 1/2" and bar extension (Floor jack handle, both sides if required for rusty bolts), or the impact wrench!

 

[bjcsc]

The torque spec on my Bush Hog blade bolts is 600 ftlbs. By the time you add resistance from rust/corrosion, who knows what it would take to break them. Some things require air tools; this is one of them...