was Stuck blade pivot on Rhino rear blade

I took it back to the fellow I bought it from, who refurbishes and resells tractors and equipment, who had promised to either fix it or give me my money back. I didn't want the money, I wanted the blade since it is a good one at a great price.

I had spent a good bit of time with a variety of penetrants, sledge hammer, come-along, and finally the seller said to just bring it by and he'd take a torch to it and heat it up and that would do it.

It didn't!

He finally freed it up by putting it on his tractor, backing one end against a tree till it moved just a bit, then doing the same on the other end. He repeated the process many, many times, with more penetrant along the way, and finally got it to where it moves freely. He never saw anything quite like it. All my local friends who had suggestions also never heard of one being stuck so tight. I'm picking it up tonight.

I guess the lesson is - whoever had it before he bought it apparently never used it in any but the back-facing square-on position, and never bothered to grease it. He apparently didn't know what zirks are for, but I do and plan to take better care of it.

Thanks for your suggestions. Happy ending to a long story!

I got a TW20 tractor, thought the power steering was bad on it a 1/2 year later, took it to the neighborhood mechanic. Turns out the front spindles were so rusty the ps pump was bypassing & overheating. He spent TEN hours pressing & twisting on the spindles, air-pressured penatrent into them, etc. to get them out & free. He told me he was pretty sore in the morning.... He also considered just ordering me a used front axle....

Some people are just afraid of grease I guess!

--->Paul