BUYER BEWARE: Generic Auction Brush Cutter Inspection & Repair (Brand new JCT)

[@danbartolini27]

I would have painted the blades and bolts bright orange.... So they're easier to find next time

[@bigjim5723]

HA -good one!!

[@drunkdunc8738]

President Xi Jinping forbids this. The blades don't fall off, never have . Matt is a capitalist liar 😝

[@388gruardian]

Drunk Dunc lol 😂👍

[@jix177]

Agree. That was the first thing I thought too.

[@peterbills4129]

LOL!

[@godbluffvdgg]

My old pappy told me in the 60's.."Buy cheap; pay twice"...It's served me well every time I did it over the next half century remembering it too late..:)

[@BruceNitroxpro]

ROB-IN-PHILLY , Mine too, back a decade or more since I was born in 1941.

[@JCWren]

My favorite expression is "Buy once, cry once".

[@raypinkerton7793]

This is why they auction them, no warranty, no responsibility, take the money and run. They are too low a quality to sell retail.

[@paulblaney5726]

I believe that is an accurate and true statement. you get a negative vibe off this stuff when seeing it in the auction yard.

[@peterbills4129]

This make me wonder what they pay. What's the markup?

[@chemech]

@@peterbills4129 check on ali baba...

[@peterbills4129]

@@chemech That's actually a really good idea. So after looking on Ali Baba, and from memory of previous google & duck searches for JCT Equipment, I didn't find anything relevant to, "brush cutter," but did find a bunch of listing for emulsifiers and vacuume mixers for the food industry which seems to be their key market. IDK, maybe a one off contract swap/buy because they knew the quality was schit? IDK.

[@alan6832]

The parts seem adequate, so it seems strange that they would go so cheap on assembly to not tighten nuts. Also, a good retailer could correct the problems as is being done here, except more efficiently through repetition.

[@timothybaker8234]

It’s the “Chicago Electric” of brush cutters.

[@apachepaul]

A couple washers would have put the cutter pin deeper into the castelation of the center nut.

[@chubbysumo2230]

@@apachepaul or a second nut to make a 2 nut friction lock.

[@BillyBob-fd5ht]

@@apachepaul or another nut on top of it, welding it jinx it. a lot of times just need to upgrade the weakness. grade 8 bolts make it into a 3 blade with quality blades from another brand

[@BruceNitroxpro]

@@BillyBob-fd5ht , Unless making "something" out of a "NOTHING" doesn't haul the freight.

[@oldtimeengineer26]

I would have added 1 or 2 more washers so when the key is put in it is in the slots of the nut problem solved

[@DieselCreek]

I highly doubt that the key would have stayed in there, most likely it would have loosened up again, this was simple and I know it’s not going anywhere

[@martinsnyder4947]

more washers and a roll pin

[@WhiskeyGulf71]

Was gonna say the same thing, those tacs are going to be subjected to a lot of impact & vibrations plus if you need to get the disk off & back on, on a job site & the welds that you have done have held you need a disk cutter & a welder to do that. I think the loctite some washers & the split pin would have been enough.

[@shaneo7016]

put a nyloc on top

[@jdub229r]

I’d just flux mig the bolts & nuts. Grind them off later.

[@Hraethigaldur]

I think this was a shining example of how you can save money on buying cheaper machines and fix minor problems yourself. It also means that I get a great video to watch on Saturday night. :) Self-sufficient at its best.

[@packofhounds]

One of the rare times somebody would ever say "I'm glad the blades flew off"

[@AlexanderJScheu]

Hi, rare time is * relative = if I repair the Equipment (w/my russian farm-hand) in 10-or-20-30-hours, I don' care = in progress = time for Hundreds hours (12-HA-wilderness-park) use better my money for 250-years old manor (family-own, bought back from Govmt; ex DDR -communists-time) -- aside from costs of service companies... thanks for Attention, Greetings from Germany,

[@BruceNitroxpro]

@@AlexanderJScheu , I had to hold my gut as I laughed out loud!

[@f1s2hg3]

I enjoy watching you do what I did 40 years in a row

[@rhiantaylor3446]

With that central nut, I would have added washer(s) behind it so the cotter pin went where it was supposed to, between the gaps in the castellations

[@JCWren]

I'm a little late to the game here, but my experience says attachments are always shipped dry. Partly because it adds to the shipping weight, but it's also a shipping hazard. If you buy your equipment from a dealer, the pre-delivery process includes adding any necessary lubricants.

[@TopTopTopD]

SO you are saying they make a good quality product if greasesd?

[@hossrod]

I've got a couple chinese ATVs and the first thing you do when you get them new is to go through every nut and bolt and tighten them. At least 20% of them are loose. For some critical bolts, I replace them with 8.8 bolts as the ones they come with are almost pot metal lol.

[@FishFind3000]

Lol I had a chinese atv, you ride it around the yard are few times and all the bolts that hold the axle on are backing out and losing nuts. It was a death trap.

[@chriss2500]

Also remember to replace or at least check ALL of the fluids. You never know what kind of garbage oil they used in the crankcase, transmission, etc.

[@jesperdahl1486]

Hoss Man The bolts are made from "Chinesium" the only metal known to man, that is both soft AND brittle.

[@anonkiba]

Same, i bought a 1200 scooter off amazon. Even after tightening everything down everything still rattles lol

[@funone8716]

@@jesperdahl1486 2 funny

[@stevenlea4500]

Matt, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS......PRE-DELIVERY INSPECTION on any machine or equipment new or used. I can't stress to you or anyone else how important that step in ownership is. Even borrowing or hiring anything that you don't know the history of. Best regards from Sydney Australia.

[@ForeverwildMS]

Thanks for posting this video. I purchased one just like this, and thanks to you i inspected it before using, found it to have the exact problems as you did! You saved me a ton of down time!

[@scottdorau4969]

Wish I would have seen this before operating my machine, same one. Obviously why I am watching it now!

[@486kyle]

lovejoy couplers always do that when on hydraulic motors they're made for high speed very low torque stuff get you two sprockets and double roller chain

[@DieselCreek]

Yes I’ve seen that style before too. Might be the way I go I also thought of putting a slip clutch in there

[@harrypotter4309]

We used to run this type coupler a lot between electric motors and hydraulic pumps with no bother, but they were a lot better quality than the s##t from China looks to be. Overall from what I've seen of chinese "generic" stuff, (knock offs) it's nearly always rubbish. Remember what grandma used to say, "buy cheap, you buy dear", and you know what, she was right.

[@frankdeegan8974]

I do for sure know Massey Harris and Oliver farm tractors and probably other brands used the sprockets and double roller chain, a slip clutch might save some wear and tear on the gear box. I would hit the farm equipment junk yard and look for better built used motor and gear box with plate and blades for a total rebuild spare, when this one craps out swap out the cheap one and Let.s Roll.

[@notajp]

Genuine Lovejoy couplers are actually quite rugged. My Case garden tractor uses a Lovejoy coupler between the engine and the hydraulic pump, and tractor runs totally off the hydraulics, even the drive. My tractor has been running off the same spider for over 30 years...

[@JT-qf4it]

@@DieselCreek Or, use a U joint

[@arni780pl]

when you buy any machine like this you should disassembly it totaly first and mount it properly. It's only DIY parts set. Some modification needed.

[@dniebel739]

Suggestion, I believe you can get a friction clutch type coupler to replace the spider coupler at tractor supply. That would be a lot more durable drive with some give when hitting tough items.

[@steveharry8762]

Between the brush cutter and the crane truck it's been a rough couple weeks!

[@MedusalObligation]

I still don't want to buy a crane truck!

[@ryanolander457]

Oh no I totally forgot about the crane truck lol it's going to be hell week

[@BeachBoyAAA]

That’s what you get when you buy junk.

[@philipunderwood477]

Only the best chinesium - thanks for all the warnings and good advice I'm looking at an auction mower in the next week or 2. I'll be sure to go through all the nuts, bolts, connections, gear box before starting. Good video & good luck!

[@logan2244]

I have the same unit. Sheared the jaw coupler after about 8 hours. I was unable to find lovejoy replacement for my shaft sizes. I ended up building up original couplers with stick welder and ground them mostly flat and I run it with no rubber spider bushing. I've got about 40 more hours on it and so far so good. Yes you get what you pay for but for less than 1/4 the price I make it work. At the end of the day these Chinese attachments are a roll of the dice but they're a good platform to start with if you know they're going to need some love.

[@austinswindler5418]

Company I work for we just bought a brand new 85’ radial conveyor from Ritchie bro’s. Same kind of deal. We realized we were going to have to check every single component before we lifted it. When we went to lift it up to it’s working height the stainless bolts they had bolting the sections of frame together literally blew the nuts clean off the bolts. So we learned that lesson and replaced any load bearing hardware with grade 8s and it’s been working great since we got it set up. But like you said now that we’ve done it and learned the lessons we realized if we just went over all the hardware right off the bat we would’ve had no issues really.

[@northgeorgiaclearing6982]

Thank you for showing how to make what could be a throwaway piece of equipment into something that you can use. I would love to see a comparison of this cutter versus a higher quality one. You have earned a thumbs up and a new subscriber. I look forward to seeing more content like this.

[@ke6bnl]

should have been sold as a kit, partially put together may want to remove every bolt and lock tite each one engage. How about extra washers so the castle nut engages properly?

[@tedefinley4780]

Yes sir. Proud of you showing professional attitude and getting on top of it all. Just beef up everything now, I know you will after your first job with it.

[@gubr]

When you buy a bicycle in the super market, you have to check all nuts and bolts, since they just pre-assemble it, but not really complete it. Guess same for this brush cutter. They pre-assembled it for you but just so everything is at the right place. You needed to fill in fluids and tighten up the nuts.

[@young11984]

The bicycle thing is because they have these kids now days assembling stuff and most cant even change a tire, so you give them a box with 100+ parts and expect them to be able assemble it when they cant comprehend directions in an owners manual as how to use a jack and lug wrench lol

[@oldschool6345]

There's a reason they're cheaper. I used a "name brand" for exceptionally rough duty for years. While I had failures- I can honestly say they weren't the cutter's fault. Your cutter will be a constant problem. The differences I see are huge. I guess run it till you're tired of it at this point idk.... Thanks for sharing

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

I have seen that issue before Where the cotter pin Isnt in the slots on the castle nut on several vehicles it was the wrong Thickness Castle nut And people cheaped out and just put the cotter pin in anyways Seen it happe. Tp many times on CV axle Castle Nuts and the wheel on the customers vehicle went flying off after the hub got destroyed Matt Not Good at all Shoty Work there 12:00 @Diesel Creek

[@120acrewood7]

I used to work for the company that built that. I was in the John Deere attachments. That symbol with the name JCT is the Paladin symbol. Paladin has a facility in Delhi Iowa.

[@lisaarns6501]

Haha "Blades fly off" That's great!

[@thekodiak77]

Sooo let me get this straight, you mean to tell me, that you bought a new piece of equipment, and DIDNT CHECK THE FLUIDS!?

[@DieselCreek]

The Kodiak 77 that’s the only part that I can blame myself for but typically there is a tag or sticker or some sort of warning to let a person know it’s empty, there was NOTHING that’s what made me mad!

[@thekodiak77]

@@DieselCreek well, at least now you know when you buy ANYTHING from auction, When in doubt, check everything out.

[@arneanka4633]

But there was signs of oil on the cover. Someone put oil in or on the unit at some time.

[@davidsmith-ih2kk]

I have to say in Australia when you buy domestic 4 stroke anythings lawn mowers etc it's rare they import them with oil in them but your right over here they do put numerous warnings on the outside and sometimes rarely now they supply a small bottle of 4 stroke oil of course there is no problem with 2 stroke stuff but the machine looks good to me for the 1900 dollars paid

[@alan6832]

@@DieselCreek Wouldn't it be easier to just put a washer under that center nut so that it meshed properly with the cotter pin? Or a second nut it there is enough room, under the castle nut instead of a washer?

[@donaldstevenson2475]

I especially like the sound quality that Matt puts into each and all of his videos, he must use quality sound and great auditing .

[@stanleyjohnston5876]

Whenever you buy equipment you should check bolt & nut tightness. Check fluid levels that's a given. LOVE Your Videos

[@seldoon_nemar]

17:00 a few tips for things like this. hit the nut and bolt with brake cleaner to let the locktite really bond well. and welding on it afterwards just burns the locktite back out old farm trick. take a center punch and nail 3 faces good and deep. it will deform the threads inside and make it an interference fit. I had to do this when the quicktach adapter for our backhoe started falling off because the dealer was cheap with hardware. I got all grade 8, with nylock, and red locktite, and I punched three faces. It might as well be welded on there now. I was just being polite in not adding a few strings of 7018 on it for good measure just in case we ever need to get in there for hoses or something. I'd rather just torch the nuts off to get it back apart (I have no intention of even trying a wrench on them it's so hopeless)

[@NicoSuaveee]

It’s not cheap equipment, it’s just a DIY kit with half the work done 😂

[@tekvax01]

caveat emptor

[@davidmount7560]

You’re a waaaaaaay more patient man than I. I can appreciate not spending a boatload on the cutter but after watching this I do believe I’ll spend a bit more for better quality. Awesome videos, very informative 👍

[@mattywho8485]

Quick "shade tree mechanic" fix for stripped threads (if you don't have a die for it) buy an extra sacrificial nut, cut three cuts inside the nut, across the threads with a metal cutting jigsaw and run it over the stripped threads of the bolt, (the three cuts give a place for the filings to go) it will clean it up enough to help get the permanent nut on.

[@junkyardmole7738]

I like the warning labels upgrade

[@snowmobile488]

I bought the same one from richie brothers. I only used it for 2 minutes, but now i have to plan on spending a few hours going through it.

[@Gageleavitt25]

We have the same 72 in mower and we made is to where we could fit standard blade and bolts because you can’t find those shitty ones that come with it online. We also had to modify the attachment plate because that wouldn’t fit on our bobcat t450. Finally we had to replace the love joy spider coupling. Would highly advise people to stay away from jct.

[@snowmobile488]

went through my cutter, had no oil in it. But mine had a chain instead of a love joy. All my bolts were tight though. Blades held up fine when I mowed down 2 acres of sage brush.

[@petermcdevitt8232]

That's crazy!! It apparently was not dealer prepped. Good to know. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.

[@danevans7214]

I think I would weld all the the stuff l just hope that you can make enough money with this one so you can buy a better one, good luck

[@jmullen2426]

I agree

[@thegreatchickenoverlord5976]

Fr. What a hunk a junk.

[@earlmccraw7374]

I bought a new Chinese 48” flail mower recently and had to get tighten up very nicely t and bolt on it and fill gearbox with oil.

[@catfishslayer100]

Couldn't you have used thicker/ more washers to get the castle nut out far enough?

[@firesurfer]

I'm pretty sure there is supposed to be a bushing there to pack it out the right dimension so the castle nut is in the right spot. Possibly the bushing is supposed to be on the other side of the body.

[@donaldjordan8832]

I very glad I watched. I have a few acres to mow and thought a cheap brush cutter would be perfect. Great advice on rebuild before you use it.

[@cumulusvapes7]

8:53 Pretty much describes this thing!

[@Justin-pb3lt]

Cool,glad you got somewhat fixed,but you'll get it back in great working condition & I'd like to see more of the brush cutter in use

[@artnickel1664]

Good point to perform a pre-use checklist on anything made in China.

[@johngarnich3653]

Glad you caught the gear box lacking fluid before....., but it was unbelievable how many bolts were not even tightened!!

[@mead6754]

We have a saying here in Australia "Buy Cheap Buy Twice"

Even when you have high-end European product you still might be in a world of hurt. HOWEVER, I would say this is because of American leftist divorce laws. Marriage is about the only working tool I paid to leave.

[@rakeyworth3]

@ Buy it Right, But it Once

[@patb4493]

poor man pays twice

[@jizzer6969]

It's good practice to check all this on every piece of new or used equipment regardless. I've bought brand new cars with an unbelievable amount of loose/misaligned/incorrect hardware or fluid levels. Also, a periodic check after several hours of operation is prudent.

[@BarnyardEngineering]

To be fair, you are buying these things straight out of the container from the overseas factory. No dealer prep. Dealer prep is where they would have put oil in the gearbox, and done a "nut and bolt" on the whole machine, AND it's why you pay 2X as much for the same exact unit at a dealer.

[@corydriver7634]

hawkturkey he used it 5 minutes last week then it sat in the weather until he had the time to fix it.

[@bryancromwell9625]

That's just an excuse for overseas garbage, no dealer prep would cover taking everything apart to torque everything down.

[@codestah454]

Also he knew about some of the issues they have why not go through machine to make sure everything is okay before running it

[@inigomontoya971]

Really good video. Like the righteous indignation!! Fortunate no one was hurt with the blades coming off unexpectedly.

[@easternlandclearing10]

Ole gear oil bottle sounds like someone in the restroom after Taco Bell

[@mikesdungeon8398]

Damn it ...nobody was supposed to hear that... They told me the stalls were soundproof 🤬

[@markmelby4479]

I started working at CEG/Erskine manufacturing. I believe they are making some quality products. I’ll be able to stand behind that statement after I get a chance to try out a variety of their products.

[@gutsngorrrr]

Always always always check everything on new or old, as stuff always gets missed, especially with the cheaper equipment.

[@Bricky-gs3lp]

When cutting threads with a new nut take a hack saw and cut 3 or 4 groves in the threads of the nut so the material that comes when cutting the new threads has a place to go then use another new nut to tighten the bolt. The nut has to work like a thread tap and die. Also the correct rotation on the cutterhead will tighten the nuts instead of losening them.

[@jeremytoms5163]

Don't trust the cheap locknuts, either replace them or double nut the originals so they don't come loose again. Locktite is good but wouldn't rely on it especially when you consider the forces exerted on it when it's running. Also looks like you could do with replacing the originals with some decent quality nuts and bolts , just for peace of mind and so the damn thing starts earning money instead of costing.

[@unogazzy84]

I really like these type of videos. You get new a tool and then you improve it.

[@HootMaRoot]

If it was straight out of a shipping container before you bought it that's why there is no oil in it as its illegal to ship items in containers with oil in them. Unless the shipping company covers insurance against oil carriage. And as for most new machinery you should always check every nut and bolt is tight especially the cheaper Chinese imports, as they don't torque everything to spec to save on costs. There is no need to complain about something you should have checked before using it

[@williamb6869]

buy american period or stop complaning

[@Error-5478]

Buy once cry once. Words to live by.

[@erichouser6337]

I really like those tack jobs you did on those nuts really smart brother, i like the no quit attitude you have and the no swearing either takes a lot of self control buddy. And that is a big part why i like watching your channel besides how you explain how to fix problems too. Not to many people can get very mad and not cuss, you are a good role model sir. Your friend from Larned Ks Eric Houser. Besafe and take care.

[@frootloops1655]

Well said.

[@mdouglaswray]

Hey, I love that you SHOW US even the bad calls. Very instructive akshually! :-) Love your vids Matt, best viewing going.

[@MrChassmith]

Don’t you know the Chinese treat everything the same ...(including people)... DISPOSABLE?

[@FQP-7024]

That's why I i try and check everything where it's made so I can keep my money away from China

[@2H80vids]

Nice that you gave a close-up of the manufacturer, along with a good, loud, clear shout-out to J.C.T. - obviously a maker of quality s̶h̶i̶t̶ machinery. Without trying to be over-dramatic, that's some life-threateningly dangerous sloppiness, maybe not so bad on a shopping trolley but on anything that spins quite fast, just not acceptable. It would maybe be unfair to blame the auction guys (they don't make them) but they should be aware of what they are selling. I'm never likely to buy one of these but, if I do ......etc etc.😁 Good Luck with the upcoming job; I think you'll need it. Cheers for now, Dougie.

[@davidbranch397]

made in PRC i think is "peoples republic of china"

[@cujoedaman]

All this little Chinese kids that had to cut all the sheet metal by hand!

[@dougyurecko6500]

I have a Anbusher brand, I have had it for 18 years. Quality built. I did have the coupler fail once. The couple was not a Lovejoy style, it was very heavy built.

[@Vein1986]

Welding nuts to bolts/threads is a hackjob, don't do that ever, you could just put thicker washer so pin would engage castle nut, no locktite nor welding would be required.

[@cyrilhudak4568]

Also, heating the shaft with weld releases the loctite.

[@jdub229r]

I’d weld the shit out of them, cut them off next time you sharpen the blades, the original bolts are garage anyway.

[@Vein1986]

@@jdub229r bolts were OK, issue was poor fitting, and loosing pins, followed by loosing castle nuts. Bolts were damaged by ripping them thru holes, not by stripping threads.

[@ljprep6250]

Time (-3 yrs) to weld actual nuts onto the frame where the cover sits, or use rivnuts. I refer to cheap Chi hardware as "Grade 1". 3 years later, there is talk of "Tofu Dregs" in many of China's metals and building materials/labor. I think you found some, Matt!

[@motor2of7]

Not unusual for this stuff to ship without oil. I think it has something to do with hazardous material transportation. Shame on the auction house for not making sure it had the warning labels on it.

[@zaappp1588]

I see these go under the Wolverine brand a lot. Have seen them go sometimes for $2200 but saw a bunch go for as cheap as $1300. To my knowledge, they're all Chinese made, usually imported under a certain brand name and often through some nondescript address in a strip of offices somewhere. Basically, you get what you pay for. If you're doing a bunch of light brush and limbs, you're probably okay but like you've found out, it pays to be able to work on your stuff or weld a little bit if you buy one.

[@richardlavoy4]

Most of these are assembled here in the USA by minimum wages you get what you pay for😄

[@alainmoran8560]

Quite often it's worth viewing cheap tools like this as a partially-assembled kit for making your own tool :D

[@robert3302]

I'm guessing JCT did not sponsor this video.

[@Rickimusic]

lol. I love the new name, not JCT but "BFO" Blades Fly Off.

[@funone8716]

@@Rickimusic JCT Junk China Turd

[@wolfpreist]

coming back to this 2 years later, the drop shaft castle nut did not ever back back off...

[@matthewgooch7198]

The doobly do 😂 nice AVE reference

[@ShainAndrews]

Tapered spline shaft to hub. Install adequate thickness washer under the castle nut.

[@peterdubyoski4622]

I would not have run those bigger trees right off the bat. A few minutes with a chainsaw would have saved all these headaches

[@stevensievert8375]

Every implement I've bought with a gear box is shipped empty of fluid. That brand of 60" brush cutter is readily available between 2k and 3k which is the low end of the market for those things. Those blade are thin compared to my tow behind brush cutter (pd $1200) and my tractor 5ft Bad Boy brush cutter I got for $1900 at Tractor supply on sale. I've cut 3"-4" trees with both even though both are rated at 2"

[@bgorbeene58]

LMFAO !!! Love the warning sign.....

[@viatronmac]

With the nut on the tapered thread surely you would have been better off sticking some hardened washers undeneath to space it out to where the cotter / split pin actually did its job?

[@DiveJersey]

Would be better if they had just left it in pieces and sold it as a self-assembly kit.

[@dinnertime9013]

Lolol😂

[@dakotaparsell9867]

Love the humor! Blades fly off!

[@rottenbot]

JCT = Junk Cutting Tool😁

[@MikeGonzalez84]

You take a practical approach to everything. Really enjoy your videos!

[@WhiskeyGulf71]

This is so typical of Chinese equipment, they have the capacity to make good stuff but they choose to not to ? You were spot on when you said that if you had gone over it prior to playing it would have worked out fine ! You will probably need to swap those blades out sooner rather than later, they didn't look as if they were made from particularly hardened steel, if they don't crack & break they will probably just wear down very fast. JCT = junk Chinese tools

[@bruceirvine3962]

Wamat want 3 cents off price.......take out 3 washers! Yes, comrade!

[@FunkDitch]

you can make your own die by filing some grooves down the inside of the nut, it will clean the threads

[@markrandall1456]

Woulda shoulda coulda I think you are right. A good check over before operation woulda helped. I’m not in favor of tacking the nuts. In my experience double nutting is just as effective and easier to disassemble. Are those blades reversible? Also you went pretty hard on some large trees in the beginning. That didn’t help either. I think it will serve you well now that it has some lube and the nuts are tight.

[@joshreynolds9164]

Richey Bros is known to buy used equipment for cheap sandblast and repaint it to look new . Saw it happen in Lebanon tn all the time

[@jimdieseldawg3435]

Hi Matt. I admire your persistence and your new, appropriate signage :-D I also despair when simple "One Job!" stuff like torquing bolts and oiling gearboxes hasn't been done. It's called "Mechanical Sympathy" :-)

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Down below in the Doodaly Do lmfao Matt 😂 0:10 @Diesel Creek

[@edwarddavis507]

“I’m not going to cry the blues too much.” That’s what Matt said. I would have checked the gear oil before running her. But the other stuff, you needed to run her to figure out. But before I say you did good Matt, I’m going to watch the other clips.

[@ohhpaul7364]

With the tapered spline on the blade carrier/hub to the gear box- I think it started out tight and as it was used the splines on the blade carrier loosened up to "seat" better on the gear box shaft. Check the splines on the blade carrier part to see how bad they are too. Still, it makes no sense to install a castle nut where the cotter pin does not actually engage the castellations on the nut. Why did they drill that hole so low? Are you missing a washer that should be on there? The bowed blade looked like it has a twist in it too. Temporary, so whatever. Have you been able to find/source some new blade bolts that match the steps you need for yours?

[@eformance]

I would build a second plate to go over the bolt heads so the bolts are in double shear. You could welds some round bar to the mower plate and cut holes in the stacked plate to plug weld it to the other side. You have to be careful not to impede the collapsing flail action of the blades, so placement of the standoffs is important. You might just get away with a welded tube in the center that still allows access the center shaft, but stands the bottom plate off from the top plate. The double shear will take a lot of stress off those bolts and help prevent it from spitting blades.

[@johnnybarbar7435]

They are shipped dry so lube is expected. That is a low hp gearbox...anything over 3/4" saplings will kill it in short order. Use it to mow and a little brush work like buck brush or multifora rose and it will be serviceable. Cut couplers from conveyor belting with a sharp chisel and they will last much longer.

[@nicholaslynch7694]

I put locktite on just about all the equipment I fix. Really helps call backs.

[@mp3625]

Well the thought of Preventive maintenance?? Its must be working better?? Lol luv the additional Warning labels!!!

[@harveystephens6115]

You have a sense of humor!!! That’s good. Lemon 2 for you but you got it going. Blade mounting hole seems to still be not straight but you made it work. Hope u get rubber geometry pieces before that tears up and ruins shaft. Enjoyed Looking forward to next video

[@davidphillips6861]

do away with lovejoy coupler get a double chain connector

[@markfurman4386]

I flinched at the mig arc. Too many burned eyeballs in my past.

[@jeffreylehn8803]

years ago my buddy made a brush hog and I couldn't figure out why , now I know why .Like your videos

[@kirk467]

I was going to say tack weld the nuts temporary until you can get something better! Or either you can double nut them and tack weld the last nut so you don’t mess up the majority of the threads!

[@doumor99]

not sure if they still make them, I'm retired for over 15 years but Gerbing Jaw Couplings curved spider didn't distort under load like Lovejoy's did they were numbered by size like G100 so on