Easy Way to Fix a Leaking Gearbox on a Bushhog (rotary cutter) - Use Corn Head Grease

Corn head grease - John Deere: amzn.to/3p15aBr
Corn head grease - Agco: amzn.to/3N2Wgv7
If you have a leaking gearbox on bushhog (rotary cutter) don't go through the hassle of taking it all apart to replace the seals. Use corn head grease!
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[@kawkid]

I had same problem. 2 hours of mowing would go thru 2 quarts of 75/90 gear oil. I put the corn head grease in and mowed for 6 hours with no change in grease level. Fixed! I think I would just do this with any brush hog even if it didn't leak.

[@dizzolve]

been dealing with ticks lately. just watching this video is making me itch. ok back to grease

[@IndyFarmLife]

haha Smother them with grease!

[@hamtalker2007]

What ever you do on Sunday you have to redo on Monday, lol good video tho

[@IndyFarmLife]

ha I haven't had too much trouble with it leaking out. Much less time/effort than replacing the seals, esp for as little as I use it.

[@60BloodyChamp60]

Don’t fill gear oil to the top! Fill it to the drain plug of halfway if it doesn’t have one! Maybe you knew that and just said “filled it to the top” because that’s how you talk I know but that’s what makes the seals leak. To much pressure from to much oil. Also I think that cornhead grease is just cheap grease gun grease but it definitely work for this.

[@IndyFarmLife]

Ahh yea. She's not full to the top, but that's a good thing to point out!!

[@tcmits3699]

There's no vent in an angle grinder, and they use grease. Pressure buildup is probably minimal, plus, aren't seals used in an engine with 60psi oil pressure

[@mr.monitor.]

@ 2:54, that's what she said.

[@IndyFarmLife]

Hahahaha

[@nathanr.8556]

Cornhead is good stuff,, and is what I use in cheap MTD transmissions

[@IndyFarmLife]

Yea, I have been happy with it for sure! Good stuff!

[@2LTWD]

Have done this to a gear box for years with no issues. I use cheap icing bags to fill it. Takes two minutes if the fill hole is smaller.

[@33zakb]

Just an FYI that might save you a buck in the future. Corn Head Grease is just JD's fancy way of selling you Polyurea grease. Just buy NLGI #0 to get the specific mix JD uses or even just buy plain old Polyurea grease, they'll both work better than just pumping a box full of lithium grease.

[@AP-xq3jm]

The video was good and very informative. Next time save some of the silliness.

[@IndyFarmLife]

Thanks! Silliness is what makes life fun!

[@perry9492]

I think that is the same stuff as 00 grease which is also used on the old Snapper Riding mower chain drives. You can get it in a squeeze bottle like rear end lube.

[@2003chevyduramax]

Any grease works, been using grease for my whole life. Not worth fixing seals on a rotary cutter if you do constant heavy cutting

[@bus-fun-addict]

If it turns onto fluid when hot why not put it in a metal can and heat with a torch?

[@dougdiplacido2406]

Seriously?

[@mr.monitor.]

​@@dougdiplacido2406Yes. It helps with the break-in process 😉

[@oldskoold22]

How about black pepper?

[@nicholasinfinger8708]

Will this work on a finishing mower gear box?

[@bobberger918]

Put tube in hot water use funnel when liquid 😋

[@IndyFarmLife]

Since this video I have started pushing the entire tube in through the opening by using a long screwdriver and the metal cap!

[@williampoole2911]

how many tubes does it take to fill a 6' bush hog finishing mower gearbox

[@IndyFarmLife]

Hard to say without seeing it. My guess is 2 or 3 would serve you well. Also how many licks does it take to get to the tootsie roll center of a tootsie pop? 😁

[@williampoole2911]

@@IndyFarmLife One if it's big enough lol

[@IndyFarmLife]

Hahaha touche., Mr. Owl!

[@windzer]

spends $40 on grease instead of $10 seal lol yea that makes sense

[@IndyFarmLife]

4 minutes vs 2 hours...time is worth it

[@windzer]

@@IndyFarmLife all depends how much money u want to throw in it

[@IndyFarmLife]

For sure! I view time as money.

[@brianc1240]

Exactly! This is why I'm so reluctant to buy anything used. This right here is the prime reason why.

[@IndyFarmLife]

In the grand scheme, this fix is a small time/monetary commitment. This rotary cutter is a monster and will level 3" and 4" saplings with ease. I purchased it for $800...new it would have been considerably more expensive. I would buy this used 10x over.

[@Mobev1]

I would pay a guy to do that. Time is money. I have 42 million from not doing jobs I can pay Pablo to do.

[@IndyFarmLife]

Could have paid someone to watch this video and make that comment. 🤣

[@Mobev1]

@@IndyFarmLife he did

[@IndyFarmLife]

Yet the initial reply was in the first person...🤔

[@johnhasse3995]

sounds pretty good,,, but why not a tube of gun grease and a couple of cups of gear lube oil???

[@davesaam4308]

I put the cornhead grease in greasegun with pump assy. off, put open end of greasegun tube over hole and let plunger go. It shoots the grease in fast.

[@waynemasters-4qfa111]

U just answered a question that I do not have to type! Just what I was thinking, use a grease gun, vs "cake frosting" in a plastic bag. Seems easier/cleaner.

[@IndyFarmLife]

Yes, I got smarter over the years. Ha. I have found that taking a tube and opening one end, placing it over the gearbox opening, and then ripping the foil lid off and pushing it through the tube with a stick works perfectly and is incredibly quick.

[@milonjano]

Be a farmer and fix the seal in the winter.

[@IndyFarmLife]

Yes! Except I don't really have space in a barn right now to do so. That cutter is big!

[@MauriceChartrand]

Hello, why not warm it up in a pot, then pour it into the gear box ????

[@derfvader6951]

corn head grease doesn't do well under hi temps

[@randyhathaway6203]

It most definitely don't!!!

[@dougdiplacido2406]

Thanks for the tip.

[@alanward3400]

If oil will come out, dirt will go in. This may end up biting you down the road.

[@shopdoc]

I have used Extreme Pressure grease in a Woods Brush Hog for years without any leaking (despite a bad seal). I really think it is a better alternative to using the corn head grease.

[@JohnDoe-ox5ni]

Thanks for this tip as iv just bought a old cheap lightweight blue 6 foot Irish topper called a Belmont for 350 pounds in seemingly good nick but when I got her home I checked the oil seemed it needed some so went out and bought some ep 90 next day which dripped right out underneath within a acre so was going to order a new seal or maybe a new gear box.but after reading your solution and happend to have a 20+ year old can of extreme pressure gear box oil I think 90/140 in the shed and a cartridge of red heat resistant grease I had around. piped in all the grease and then topped up with the oil.then off to work and no leaks iv topped up since as when I opens up the drain hole it was below the level as assumed the grease had mixed with the oil and coated the side walls of the housing so added some more oil until it ran out of the level hole .No leaks and yet seems to be less noisy and less heat I'm going to check every hour .to see how its holding out .I'll let you know what's the verdict after 20 Acres. So far iv done 5 with no leaks what so ever ..there's no vent hole so have decided to put a hydraulic U in the filler hole to let it vent and won't let in water so moisture holding inside and vent out in a hour or so . .don't know if this is a good idea?as it is extream pressure oil .but I'm worried if it gets hot it might try to push past the seal again making it worse?iv got nothing to lose by giving it a go.but not sure about the venting thing.I'll give it a try anyway.!don't know what gear box is on it seems a generic part but it just says made in China and Chinese stuff was even worse quality 30 yrs ago than it is today. It doesent look a nightmare to change .so we shall see.?the old topper does have a nice unique feature as it is held on solely by the rear arms only by jamming underneath forward of the pins so doing away with a top link and it pivot hinged from the centre so follows the ground undulations beautifully and also I found out if you lift up the arms you can easly flip it right over to vertical on the pivot and lock it in place sharpen it or change the level of the skids easly and So the end of the season you can get everywhere to clean and paint it with old oil for the winter or even store it leaning against a wall maybe i might try.Very Very impressed and can't see myself parting with this beauty as I don't want to be buggering around underneath things when I'm older.Why don't they put this feature on belmacs latest toppers.The set up doesent look complicated or weak or more expensive. They have just gone back to a conventional generic set up.Odd.if you ask me ! its the best thing iv bought in a long time .even if I did leak oil.but a replacement gear box is only 250 quid if I had to do it .but no rush now.Cheers for the tips.

[@shopdoc]

Just be sure to not thin out the grease too much with oil as it will defeat the purpose. Mine is pretty thick and has had no issues at all. Also the grease thins out some as it warms up so that helps with lubrication in the hard to reach areas.

[@JohnDoe-ox5ni]

@@shopdoc That's a very good point .No leaks yet .but if i do get a drip I'll add some more of the grease to remedy .Thank you for saving me money and time .Its funny how you forget things but I'm sure my grandfather used to do the same thing with leaking gearboxes with his ancient tractors and machinery and probably had a sly joke about it .but it saw him out and he never ripped anything apart if he could help it .Things were only parked in a gap in the hedge if they were truly ronnied or rotten normally both.as most of his gear was 80 to 40 yrs old its safe to say they had had a life and were not wasted as a good supply of part knick nacks .lol he always parked his old zetor tractors on hill so he could start .as I don't think he ever bought a new battery .things could get a bit of a tiresome charade sometimes if there was a stoppage and nothing could be started as there was no good battery's to be had even in his land rover which he hand cranked its like OMG here we go again.seemed to have a garage full of dead batteries and dead battery chargers. .Tesla he wasent but usually got things going ...eventually he had the patience of a saint and would always say there's no rush and would be as happy as a pig in shit especially if he thought he was saving money on a job as we witherd as he fixed things slowly

[@kennethwren2379]

DO NOT PUT GREASE IN A GEARBOX! Grease will turn into grinding paste and wear out the gears. Replace the seal and then the oil can be changed when required.

[@JDman107]

Grease is fine. Many use it, along with myself and it works fine.