How Long

jeffcat · May 16, 2016

How long can a bad Mandrel keep going? These are out of the 54 inch I am rebuilding. These were still going and were not that noisey.

T.R.K. · May 16, 2016

Are you SURE those came off the same mower? The top one is Husqvarna/Craftsman/AYP and the bottom one is MTD/Troybilt/Cub Cadet. Totally different companies.

You can probably put the bottom one back on if you think the bearings are O.K. If it was me and I had any question about them, I would at least change the bearings. If your local mower shop won't sell you just the bearings, take one to a bearing supply house and they should be able to match it up.

The top one has the mount holes broken out, so I would toss it. Lots of corrosion on it, too.

P.S.: In some cases, the bottom bearing in the Husqvarna spindle will be the same as both bearings in the MTD spindle.

T.R.K. · May 16, 2016

Actually, I didn't answer your question. How long they last depends on hours of use, how its treated, and how it is stored. I have seen some bearings fail in as little as 10 hours. The customer was fastidious about washing the mower right after he mowed. The cold water on a hot bearing was just sucked right in where it immediately caused corrosion.

I also was marveling at a mower a week ago that those seemed o.k., when I know I put used bearings from damaged spindles in it about 6 years ago.

Another thing that affects bearing life is how much thatch you allow to pile up and stay on the mower deck. The chemicals in the decomposing grass are very corrosive. For a while there, I had a customer that I rebuilt his mower deck every year and a half, the bearings in all the pulleys were rough every time I saw it. I guess he gave up and retired the mower, I haven't seen it in about 2 years.

Thatch on the deck is probably what ate up that Husqvarna spindle in your picture.

jeffcat · May 16, 2016

Oppps...Your right. I was picking the junkers out of the pile and throwing them out. All three AYP mandrels were that bad and the dang things were still going. Another thing that will rip them up is when they mow a day or two after lawn green top dresses the lawn. They just dissolve! I also fixed my Troy Pony a week or two after and it was in the pile. They were just noisey. Last year I went to NAPA to pick up bearings and they gave me a big song and dance about how good their expensive bearings were. Sure! Went on Ebay and three days latter I had two mandrels for almost the cost of just the bearings! Most of the time the bottom bearing is the one that goes bad from the stress they take. One of my friends works on mowers and he went on fleabay and bought the sleeves of bearings. Much more cost effective.

D beatty · May 16, 2016

I replaced two mandrels on a 50" craftsman deck that's 20years old and two mandrel on a 50" AYP deck 19 years old. Both decks use the same parts with same part numbers. I found it cheaper to replace complete mandrels instead of parts. Two of the spindles had the star wore bad. I never wash decks out I scrap them out.

gab · May 16, 2016

The deck on my Wheel Horse is a 1969, bought it used in about 1982, replaced the top bearing on the three cast iron spindles when I bought it and it's cut 1.75 acres a week since. Used a few deck belts and a couple of idlers, put a couple of pumps of grease a week in the 5 grease zerks and I can't wear it out.

gab · May 16, 2016

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D beatty · May 16, 2016

Dad had a 1977 Craftsman ST16 with a deck with grease able bearing. The bearings in his deck where Timken roller bearings and I think we replaced only one bearing in the 30 years we had it. He mowed a 2.5 acre yard and mowed the right away along the highway in front of house.

How Long

jeffcat

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T.R.K.

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T.R.K.

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jeffcat

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D beatty

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gab

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gab

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D beatty

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