A lawn mower’s spindle is a vital component that requires frequent maintenance. Today you are going to read the complete How to Grease Lawn Mower Spindle? Learn and Ensure a Smooth Operation [Essential Information]. Commonly, it is placed at the deck and connected with the cutting deck to rotate the blades during the mowing process with the help of the pulleys. The blade’s function is to cut the grass, so the spindle ensures the blade is rotating in order to cut the grass.
In order to make sure the spindle’s rotating component is always in tiptop condition to guarantee an efficient process of mowing, avoid overheating in short periods of usage, any possible risk of damage, increase the cutting effectiveness of the blades, extend overall life span, and the list going on; we need to lubricate it regularly.
With the help of a grease gun, you can directly lubricate the spindle through the point (grease fittings) where you can inject the grease easily.
Keep reading to learn more about how to grease a lawn mower spindle.
When How To Grease Lawn Mower Spindle?
You will get familiar with the sound of your riding lawn mower if you have used it for a long time and sometimes you can notice something is wrong through the sounds created while using it.
So, if you suddenly detect a creaking sound whenever the blades are rotating, the spindle blade probably needs to be lubricated. Also, you can visit Greenworks Lawn Mower Reviews with Short Guide for 2022
How to Grease Lawn Mower Spindle? Learn and Ensure a Smooth Operation
By greasing the lawn mower spindle properly, it will provide enough lubrication for the spindle to function efficiently and reduce the creaking sounds created due to friction because of low lubrication. The detailed steps of the proper way to grease the lawn mower spindles are listed below.
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Tools needed:
Let’s have a look at some of the tools that need to be prepared before you start. The tools that you may need are:
- Main tools; grease gun, grease (cartridge)
- Tool kit; screwdriver, wrench, etc
- For safety; gloves, goggles (if necessary)
- Cleanliness; rag, floor cover
The following are the steps how to grease a lawn mower spindle:
- First and foremost, make sure you already park your mower in a wide, open space with flat surfaces.
TIPS: It is preferable to conduct this lubricating work on a level area for safety purposes and in addition, to ease you finding the small components in case they have dropped during the process.
- Next, please follow all of the main and important steps stated below before removing the deck. At any time when you fix your lawnmowers, you must always perform this procedure which are;
- Turn off the ignition and remove the key
- Detach the spark plug cable
- Set the parking brakes
- After doing all the steps above, let’s move on. Now, you need to remove the deck so you can access the spindle part to perform the lubricating work easily. To remove the deck, you need to;
- Set your mower deck to a low position (near to the ground). You can perform this by adjusting the lever which is located at the back wheel (left). Make sure you already release the blade engagement lever to disconnect the blades from the ground.
- And then, you need to detach and remove everything that is attached to the deck such as the lift links which hold the mower frame, the suspension arms, the rear deck brackets etc. You may use a screwdriver to unplug the screws if needed.
- When the mower deck is already removed, you can start greasing your lawn mower spindle. In order to do that you must, identify the spindle position and then remove the cover or casing by using any suitable tools to see the spot of grease fitting.
- After that, load your grease gun to start the lubricating work. With the help of a grease gun, you can do this work efficiently. You can refer to the simplified steps below in case you do not know how to do it;
TIPS: It is highly recommended to choose cartridge grease to ease the loading process.
- To start, remove the grease gun head with the barrel (body). Pull the plunger that attaches with the barrel to the back in order to give space for the grease to place inside the barrel.
- Next, insert the grease cartridge. Make sure the cartridge’s cover is already opened before you attach back the grease gun’s head. After everything is set, now you can pump out the grease.
- Before pumping out the grease, you need to connect the nozzle with the grease fittings.
- Now, you can pump the grease out directly to the grease fitting. Just keep pumping until you notice the grease coming out from the fittings which indicate the spindle assembly has been greased completely.
- Repeat the same step for each grease fittings.
- Do not forget to wipe away any grease residue to avoid it becoming hard and difficult to be removed.
- After you complete the lubrication work perfectly, you need to attach back every part that has been removed before. You may refer to the manual or ask an expert if you have any doubts.
- Basically, you are done now!
- You can turn on the mower to test if the creaking sound is reduced or disappears after the greasing process finishes around 5 minutes above. If the sounds still can be heard clearly, you need to check back every step and make sure you grease the spindle parts entirely with enough lubrication.
To summarize, here is the checklist step you need to follow:
- Make sure you do it in a safe place and do all the main important steps (turn off the ignition, disconnect the spark plug, set the parking brakes).
- Remove the deck.
- Prepare the grease gun; load the grease cartridge.
- Identify the grease fittings, and attach the grease gun’s nozzle to it.
- Pump out the grease directly to the grease fittings until all parts are lubricated perfectly.
- Re-assemble back every part that has been removed.
- Wait until 5 minutes above to test the mower.
Additional Tips:
- Always refer to the manual before starting. Typically, the manual comes with a detailed explanation about your lawn mower. Different types or brands will have different specific part location in the mower.
- Do not forget to clean every component of your lawn mower frequently. Make sure the spindle is free from dust or any grass cutting.
- Follow the maintenance schedule. After this, set a future schedule to lubricate your lawn mower spindle so you will not forget it.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. What are the signs that indicate the lawn mower spindle is not in ideal condition?
- Commonly, you will hear weird & loud sounds when the blade is turning if it is not functioning well as it moves with high rpm.
- If the spindle part is bent/damaged by hard objects, you can notice uneven cutting of the grass.
- Another symptom of a damaged spindle is, it creates an abnormal vibration and produces a noisy buzzing sound which is caused by spinning off-center.
- The spindle fails to spin which causes the blade not able to turn. This will impact other parts of the mower such as the pulley system which can lead to another problem.
Q. How frequently should I oil the lawn mower spindle?
You are recommended to lubricate the spindle part of your lawn mower once a month or at least 3 months max.
Q. If the spindle part is not being lubricated, what happens to the mower performance?
Neglecting the lubrication will lead to damage of the mower’s components especially the blade and shorten the life service for the lawn mower. You also will hear unpleasant sounds while mowing and do not get the best cutting results.
Q. Is lubricating the lawn mower spindle a good idea?
Absolutely yes. There is no harm in lubricating your lawn mower spindle as long as you follow the step by step properly. Make sure you do not over grease and always practice safety comes first while doing the lubricating work.
Q. Suitable type of grease for lawn mower spindle?
There are several types of grease options nowadays that you can pick. Buy the suitable grease that is ideal for the efficiency of the lawn mower spindle. Cartridge types of the grease gun are highly recommended as it is very easy to load and use even for the beginner.
Final Words
Greasing lawn mower spindles is a simple task and can be done by everyone including a beginner. You can do it within 30 minutes if everything is already set for you including the tools needed.
Instead of sending your mower to the workshop for maintenance, now you can do it by yourself and get full satisfaction rather than sending it to the workshop and you are not satisfied with the outcomes.
To maintain its performance, you are suggested to lubricate it frequently for every season. Just follow the steps listed above to ease you and as a reference for proper lubrication. Never take it easy and neglect the maintenance schedule if you want to use your lawn mower for a long period with tip-top performance.
