John Deere mower deck bearing replacement

Many riding mowers use disposable sheaves (pulleys) with integrated bearings. With a simple modification, these can be made to accommodate replaceable bearings than you can service yourself for about 1/20th of the price!
---- COMMON QUESTIONS ALREADY ANSWERED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION ----
BEARING GREASE: When using bargain bearings, be careful, some bearings sourced from overseas have little to no decent grease in them. This can be remedied on an otherwise good bearing by gently lifting the grease cover from one side using a pick or small blade, add desired grease, and replace cover prior to installation.
SHEAVES VS. PULLEYS: The terms are used interchangeably in most countries, though there are certain localities where there is a preference for one vs. the other, and this can be industry or company specific as well. The fact is here in the US, the convention is ambiguous. The deciding factor is "what term does the manufacturer use?", and in the case of JD riding mowers, the manual calls them sheaves... so sheaves they are in this case ;)
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE LABOR?: Sometimes I do just drink a beer, and sometimes I make the beer myself, and share it with my friends and family. Not because it's cheaper, but because sometimes I just like to do it myself, and then bathe in the DIY afterglow ;) Doing it yourself is fun, and to me that also figures into the ROI calculation. 😉
PRESS OUT BEARINGS: In many designs, pulleys/sheaves CAN be pressed out (with arbor press, or by using other improvised techniques), HOWEVER… on this JD design, the sheave is composed of two identical half shells stamped out of sheet metal, with a retaining lip that covers the bearing outer race, “captivating” it, which prevents simply pressing them out.
CRESCENT WRENCH: I used an adjustable, even though I have multiple socket sets, which makes me a terrible person according to many… guilty! 😊
Parts used (Amazon):
1/4-20 x 1/2" Button Head Socket Cap Screws, Allen Socket Drive, Black Oxide, Grade 10.9 Alloy Steel, Fully Threaded, 50 PCS ; ASIN: B07NQN2G2F
1/4-20" Black Nylon Lock Nuts Inserted Self Locking Hex Nuts Carbon Steel Zinc Plated, 50 PCS ; ASIN: B08RHVC7MP
6203-2RS Ball Bearings (17x40x12mm) Double Rubber Red Seal Bearing, Deep Groove, 10 PCS; ASIN: B07PCQJ1SL
00:00 Intro
00:45 Sheave (pulley) removal
03:15 A closer look at sheave & bearing assembly
04:55 Preparing sheave for drilling
06:43 Drilling out old rivets
09:22 Resizing rivet holes for nuts & bolts
10:14 Separating sheave halves, and removing old bearing
13:16 Installing new bearing
16:05 Parts discussion
17:18 Conclusion
John Deere Mower, Mower bearing replacement, Mower sheave replacement, Mower pulley replacement, Pulley bearing, Sheave bearing, Mower deck bearings

[@Arfonfree]

John Deere is pioneering the art of making their equipment difficult to service. (Along with HP, Apple, and many other companies who put their customers last.) I would add that 100 or so hours is terrible service life for a bearing in this kind of service. JD must be using cheaper bearings than the bulk pack you bought. So happy to see this hack.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

I couldn't agree more... Thanks for your comment, and for watching!

[@warenmann1042]

Excellent idea/job, i salute your choice of the black oxide hardware, not only is it totally functional, but also presents an aesthetically pleasing appearance against the gold surface of the pulley. It is truly a work of art that works. Thank You...

[@halfmoontechlabs]

It did come out nice. Thanks for watching!

[@grahamsmith347]

Just finished doing all bearings on John Deere x300R ,lots of ideler's, save heap's with this method.some are spot welded as well must drill them as well.Managed to get 630 hours out of original bearings !!!! Thank You.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Glad it helped, thanks for watching!

[@durainedavis1160]

You can insure the longer life of te bearing by popping the seal and packing good grease because they are not always sufficiently greased when bought new.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Thanks for watching!

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Ditto for "cheap" Chinese made angle grinders. Take the gearbox apart, remove the blob of yak fat that has been spun out to the outside of the housing... and pretty much fill the housing with a good high speed high temperature bearing grease e.g. what you use in your vehicle wheel bearings. Pop the gearbox back together... It's now quieter and will last as long as a super duper 10x more expensive name brand... perfect for lending to mates or workers on site that "just want it for 2 seconds mate alright"?

[@BigBoxDodge2020]

I've been doing that for over 25 years. The first time doing that was repairing a router got tired of replacing bearings that didnt last. I took them apart and put in better grease, & sealed back up.

[@joehagen6562]

This is a great idea the bearing is sandwiched between 2 identical pulley halves the guy did a great job and if you are sitting in your easy chair and don't own a riding mower or work on them you should not make any comments at all

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Thanks. I do try to be fair and answer most all questions, even when some can seem unfairly negative. I only delete the most nasty or non-sensical comments. 98% of comments are positive, or truly inquisitive. Thanks for your support!

[@billsmith1770]

i'm currently nursing a busted nail and cut , or maybe busted fingertip . the bit grabbed , the pulley slipped on drill press table , and i did a quick and expletive enhanced dance around the shop . i now advise clamping the pulley to the table .

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Eeek!, Yeah, careful there, and thanks for watching!

[@bertgrau3934]

A very good informative, interesting video I've done many of those. I have been asked if it really worth the time just to change the bearing. Like you said, it makes changing the next bearings much easier and definitely much cheaper. The only time I couldn't do that was one side of the pulley was cracked where the bearing goes. However I did separate and saved the good half just in case I need it. I buy the 10 pack bearings as well

[@halfmoontechlabs]

It really is easy if you're even moderately handy with tools, and well worth the effort to save future expense IMO. Thanks for the comment, and the support!

[@r.lavernemiller9047]

Even though it is a new bearing , I always pop out the seal and check the amount of grease in them! Always not much in them, so I pack them with a little bit more grease !

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Yes, this has been a popular comment by many... good to double check the amount of grease, especially with bargain bearings ;) Thanks for watching!

[@craigsmith8217]

It's amazing how little grease is in the new bearings. I pack mine full. If nothing else, it keeps dirt and moisture out.

[@cullosh5208]

Very good. Explains how and why things are done that way !

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching!

[@durainedavis1160]

The seals are easy to reinstall after removing. I use a razor knife to lift the seal and replace the same seal by simply pressing it back.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Yes, a knife edge, razor, pick... lift it, pop it out, grease and snap back in place! Thanks for the comments!

[@TheBamayaker]

Excellent DIY video !

[@halfmoontechlabs]

I appreciate it, and thanks for watching!

[@Dstromb232]

Nice, A lot of time the bearing go bad is when you power wash your mower. Water gets into the bearing from the pressure of the water.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Definitely something to avoid, I wash my mower sparingly... no need to drench it after every use. Thanks for watching !

[@christopherbritz7520]

Also don't forget to secure pulley in vice or clamped to drill table.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Yes, solid advice! I am trying to work safer, but admit I have relied on PPE or luck in the past far too often, and with mixed results ;) I am endeavoring to improve in this regard. Thanks for watching, and for the good advice for all!

[@jeanlawson9133]

Heated grease poured over bearings occasionally... Awesome video..

[@halfmoontechlabs]

That's one way to get it in there quick. Thanks for watching!

[@Terry-ej7bv]

awesome...so easy, great instructional video.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I hope it helps... Thanks for watching!

[@jimkillen1065]

Nice job thanks for the videos

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Glad you liked it, thanks for watching!

[@Monza62000]

that bearing is use in a lot of stuff...we used the 6203 in our delco fan clutches

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Yes, the 6203 is a fairly generic bearing. Thanks for watching!

[@lannydecamp7460]

Great video, thanks

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Thank you for watching!

[@johnfura9637]

Fantastic, easy fix.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Thanks John, and thanks for watching!

[@stephenwarlow1762]

Great Job thank you

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Thanks for watching!

[@billhendrickson5506]

When I replace new bearings I take and repack the new bearing with Lukas red sticky grease. The grease from the factory is limited and only lasts until THEY want it to last. By repacking I get many more hours of usage. I have been in the lawn business for over 75 years. My advice is if it works for you keep doing it.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Lucas really is great stuff. Thanks for sharing, and watching!

[@bigronnie1419]

Thanks for the info.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching.

[@timgruver5932]

A bottom hole milling bit on a press works great. Instead of a standard metal bit.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Lots of different methods but I stuck to a simple method that most handy folks with limited machine shop experience can use... otherwise I would have used my industrial CO2 cutting laser :)

[@b.malnit8983]

Good job.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Thank you, and thanks for watching!

[@tomasnagy4518]

It’s not a sheave it an idler pulley. Sheaves are for V belts, also you should have alternated the bolts with half the nuts on one side half on the other for balance.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Both of your suggestions are covered in previous comments by others. Thanks for watching!

[@richardpelzer4049]

You can change the berrings on the blade spindles too, take off top nut,knock the shaft out. Knock out berrings. A guy on KZbin greased the spindle till the grease came out both ends of spindle with little dust covers still on berrings!!! Put some oil or grease on top of the transmission pulley to prevent water from getting into the splined shaft and destroying it

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Good advice for the other bearings, and thanks for watching!

[@timgruver5932]

It’s not a real hard job but it’s not like super easy either. I did all my bearing on my JD three blader. Was a pretty good project for sure.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

It really was pretty fun... the first one took me about a half hour (with all the noodling and setup), and the other two took 5 mins each, lol. Super simple once you get the approach worked out. Thanks for watching!

[@hiscifi2986]

I never realised that those cheap bearings were even cheaper by the dozen. I hope there are suppliers here in UK, as my Countax is getting a bit noisy down there..

[@halfmoontechlabs]

I found mine on Amazon, but eBay has bulk packs too. Thanks for watching!

[@alandust2188]

Excellent Video on replacing the bearings at quite a savings. BEST VIDEO I'VE SEEN ON THIS SUBJECT AFTER WATCHING MORE THAN A DOZEN. I have one additional issue. My pulley also has a bushing inside that needs to be removed. Any suggestions? I don't have a press. By the way, it's John Deere part #AM136621 that John Deere sells for $70.00 as of July 2023. So, I'm definitely looking forward to saving some money now and in the future. Also, I've had the mower for about 10 years and this is the third time that the pulley has had to be replaced. Never had a problem with the blade mandrel assembly in all that time.....still original. Thanks Again for the Video!

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Thanks for the kudos, and as far as the bushing, it can get stuck or basically spin-weld itself to the inside diameter of the bearing over time... or just be plain corroded into place. An arbor press is the best, but in lieu of that, you should be able to hunt around for anything metal that has a slightly larger ID than the bearing's ID, and lay the bearing on top of that on a flat rugged surface. Then place a FLAT piece of metal stock on top of bushing that is protruding on top. Then (carefully) deliver a solid blow or two with a hammer AS FLAT AS POSSIBLE, and with any luck, the bushing will pop out from center of bearing. When the bushing is freed, I'd clean it up (gently) with some very light emery or Scotchbrite pad prior to inserting it into a new bearing during replacement. Hope this helps, and thanks for watching!

[@alandust2188]

@@halfmoontechlabs Thanks....hoping you'll be making a lot more videos, you do a great job.

[@dc6233]

@@alandust2188 It's difficult to tell without a picture, but often you can remove or install things (push or pull) by using threaded rod, bolts, plates of steel, nuts, washers, sockets etc, just think about how it went in and how it needs to come out. Many sockets have a different size outside diameter, and a threaded rod slips thru right thru a 1/4", 3/8" or 1/2" socket, get creative and you'll find you can push/pull bearings, sleeves, bushings out without any type of press...

[@halfmoontechlabs]

You are correct, many ways to improvise to either push or draw a component from another item. In this case, the stamped shell design with a lip that covers bearing negates doing this without destroying the assembly... thus the rivet removal instead. Thanks for watching!

[@skostro100]

​@@halfmoontechlabs Yep, spin weld itself in. If that happens, it's throw away the whole spindle. Happened to both my idler & spindle on my LA145 Deere.😢

[@robertlivingston1634]

If you don't have a drill press you could use an angle grinder and gently remove the face of the rivets.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Thanks for watching!

[@jt9498]

Smart move. I would have done the same if I had a riding mower. Good for you to outsmart the manufacturer! :)

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Thanks for watching!

[@bobbyproctor2971]

I just woke up and watched this video. You said there was three of these . I was thinking how does the blades turn with pulleys that has bearings in them. There must be just the one idler pulley like that.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

There are 3 sheaves (JD's term) that serve as idlers (back of belt contacts sheave in this case), and the V-belt then passes though separate V-pulleys (on spindles) for the 3 blades. Pause the video towards the beginning when I'm pointing under the mower, above the deck, you can see the difference between the idler function and the actual V-pulleys on the spindles. Thanks for watching!

[@andretraversy9391]

Merci

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Vous êtes le bienvenu. Merci d'avoir regardé!

[@clivewilliams3661]

Whilst this is an exemplary DiY fix, if you took your mower to the mower shop they would replace the whole unit as the labour cost to make the modification would exceed the cost of a new part. 'Tis the state of the world.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

No doubt, which is why I took a crack at it. Thank you for watching!

[@GettingNervous]

If I do the work of drilling out the rivets and replacing them with screws to replace the bearing, then I wouldn't use cheap bearings. Cheap China bearings don't last long, I only use high quality bearings. It pays off at the end.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

I did inspect these bearings before use, decent grease, and nice quality, but I hear ya... whenever buying parts from overseas, be cautious when it comes to quality. I took a chance on these, and they seem to be decent quality (good overall feedback as well). Time will tell! Thanks for watching.

[@GOBRADON502]

Companies hate this.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

And if it helps change their behavior when it comes to timed obsolescence and/or discouraging repairs by owners, I'm good with that! Thanks for watching ;)

[@bobbg9041]

Do you wash your deck with a hose? From the factory they dont put enough grease in the berrings you can take the plastic shild off and pack a lot more grease into them to make them last longer. My cub cadet all of them are spot welded I washed the deck really good but put it away for winter without using it, the next spring they squealed like pigs it was really loud, I took the deck off the mower and repacked every berring the noise went away, that was 4 years ago and its still working good. But I dont use the hose on the mower anymore and its filthy but runs like a top. I can use the leaf blower and scrap the bottom of the deck clean. Id rather it work then clean it spotless. On the thin sheet metal id rather not use water on it just paint and oil. If you oil it and grass sticks the oil will protect the metal from rust. Even if it bare metal. Something like a garage spring spray is fine. Put it on the blades too.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Wow! Thanks for all the information, and for watching.

[@daleolson3506]

If I don’t have a drill press could I use my wife’s mixmaster?

[@halfmoontechlabs]

I think that odds are better that a drill press could double as a Mixmaster more easily than visa versa, lol. Thanks for watching ;)

[@jamesc9327]

Would you mind me asking how long each bearing took to drill out and replace bearing then install all eight bolts again?

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Setting up the first one was longer, but once I had it down, the other 2 identical sheaves took about 10 mins. Thanks for watching!

[@jamesc9327]

@@halfmoontechlabs Thank you, I am going to order the bearing because mine has same issue. Thanks again for making an awesome video to help others save some money. John Deere is certainly not what they used to be years ago. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

[@jamie66233]

THE CRESCENT 🔧 WRENCH THO!! You spent more in labor and parts than what the "replacement" would cost...not everyone can do this in e.g. fields, parks etc.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Except I love doing stuff like this, and my time is just that, my time, and noodling through DIY repairs can be its own reward. Does not always have to have a blistering ROI. And yes, I have multiple socket sets, but intentionally picked up a crescent in this case, as it was close by, and never asks "metric or SAE" ;) ... cracks me up how many people are hating on the lowly adjustable wrench, lol. Thanks for watching.

[@jamie66233]

@@halfmoontechlabs busting your balls buddy no pun intended

[@billmalec]

Those are idler pulleys. Definitely wouldn't put lithium grease in those bearings. How much were the bolts?

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Raw parts cost (per sheave) Bolts 24¢/ea x 8 = $1.92; Nuts 22¢/ea x 8 = $1.76; Bearings $1.45/ea x 1 = $1.45: Total raw component cost to repair each sheave = $5.13 Tools are a "sunk" cost for me as I already have them, other peoples mileage may vary as they say. Thanks for watching!

[@user-qy3jx4qs6c]

I am so glad my Allis no it's so easy to change to change bearings

[@halfmoontechlabs]

After this modification, I can now change out all 3 bearings in the sheaves in about 10 minutes flat. Thanks for watching!

[@thatdave86]

What one must consider is your time , everyone is worth something,also we must question the manufacturer as why these bearings or bushes wear out so quick ? Should they be using a bigger diameter bearing ? Can you try spraying a liquid grease into the bearing?

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Yeah, I probably would have put a larger OD bearing in if I designed it, but JD is trying to make money? lol. Spraying oil or trying to apply grease externally to a bearing is usually a losing proposition. The "lid" or cover on this style bearing can be gently removed with a pick tool, allowing re-greasing if the bearing is not too compromised, and then snapped back into the bearing. When a bearing starts to get "grumpy" though, IMO it's usually better to just change then out, as this style of bearing is dirt cheap anyway. Thanks for watching!

[@erikbarbee3907]

One thing I see is that a lot of folks bust out that water hose the minute they get done mowing. Hot bearings will draw in the water and wreck the bearings. John Deere doesn’t use any smaller bearings than anyone else. Just for credibility sake, I have been in the outdoor power industry as a technician for 20 years.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

@@erikbarbee3907 That's good info on the hosing down some people give their mower after every use, not a good idea... I agree! Thanks for the info, and for watching!

[@garygreninger903]

That's a lot work

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Really not that bad, plus I enjoy doing stuff like this... so for me, more like a lot of fun ;) Thanks for watching!

[@TheCaperfish]

lol really tho , wouldn't take more than an hour lol and save yourself $90 and a fun project not labor intensive at all , would you work for $90 an hour if someone offered you a job ?

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Right on! Thanks for watching.@@TheCaperfish

[@rickdff62]

Regarding many comments about adding extra grease to the bearings. I bought new bearing from a local bearing store for my spindles and I specifically asked the owner (40 years selling bearings) if I should add more grease. He said absolutely not. He said, the manufacturer uses a "special" Teflon type of grease that's engineered for bearings. Being a curious person, I added some white lithium grease to one set of them so guess when one of spindles fails at some point I'll have the answer, ha! Good job!

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Nice! Thanks again for watching

[@daleolson3506]

Quality bearings don’t need any cheep ones do.

[@soz8347]

What is the length of the button head?

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Look under video details, all parts and descriptions are listed there, as well as answers to commonly asked questions. Thanks for watching!

[@matthurley921]

Sometimes you gotta figure your time and material vs fixing things..you can get a generic pulley

[@halfmoontechlabs]

True, time is a factor... but after setting it up once this way (by the way, only a few mins per) the future replacements will take a fraction of the time. Also... DIY, the enjoyment is it's own payment sometimes! Thanks for watching.

[@bobbg9041]

​@@halfmoontechlabs you could make a jig, clamp it to the drill press and do all of them in a production line. You can use the center of the berring as a piviot point and just index the rivets one at a time.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

I like it! Thanks for watching.@@bobbg9041

[@TheCaperfish]

do ya think people buy drill presses and tools for decorations , time has no meaning when your in the garage , we have the tools because we enjoy fixing things , if ya save a few bucks doing it great , if ya spend more on doing something needless but enjoyable thats great too .

[@halfmoontechlabs]

I couldn't agree more! I brew my own beer too, and not because it's cheaper, but because I brew what I want, when I want to, and the satisfaction of doing anything yourself vs. paying another is it's own reward ;) Thanks for watching, and for the support!@@TheCaperfish

[@TRUCKMAN-zg4xh]

. Question for you why didn’t you just press out the wheel bearing instead of going through drilling and buying screws

[@halfmoontechlabs]

If you look carefully at the bearing in the video, it's captive inside the sheave with a preformed shelf that negates pressing out the bearing (on each side)... hence having to drill out the rivets to separate the two sides to extract the bearing. Simply pressing it out is not feasible on this JD design unfortunately. Thanks for the comment, and for watching!

[@wendellmosley1375]

should have removed seal and added grease to new bearing . Sometimes there is little grease in there.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

I actually did this, and mine were fine. You are correct however, as many are not properly greased. This was mentioned and answered already in another viewer's post. Thanks for watching!

[@tonyd6897]

You never said, what length the quarter 20 screws are

[@halfmoontechlabs]

For this sheave, I used 1/4-20 x 1/2". This could vary depending on make of sheave, etc... but 1/2" long for this particular one. Thanks for watching!

[@jackdonkey22]

Fire it up fire it up

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Thanks for watching!

[@wxfield]

Chinese bearings come ungreased. If the new bearings fail prematurely, try opening the dust cap and packing the bearing

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Some do, but unfortunately not the majority it seems. This was one of the most mentioned items in comments, so I put a text blurb in the description section. Thanks for watching!

[@shiv0123456789]

Why wouldn’t you go four bolts up four bolts down

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Not a bad idea, but not sure if there would really be any tangible benefit as far as longevity. Maybe I'll try that on next round! Thanks for the suggestion, and for watching!

[@BobSmith-cs9nq]

You should post the links.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Parts list and Amazon stock numbers (ASIN) are listed under video details. Thanks for watching!

[@richardpelzer4049]

It's good you know how to fix things instead of throwing away a 75$ part. Add some good grease to the berring lol

[@halfmoontechlabs]

It's true that some of the less expensive, overseas sourced bearings can be light on or flat out missing any useful grease. Luckily it's easy enough to use a pick to gently remove the "keeper" on either side of the bearing, smoosh a bit more in, and replace the lid so to speak. Thanks for the comment, and for watching! Take care.

[@gearhead366]

Could you use pop rivets instead of nuts & bolts?

[@halfmoontechlabs]

It's a nice idea, but I would not recommend pop-rivets, their strength is ultimately based on the diameter of the center pin, which are very thin compared to a 1/4-20 or comparable bolt. Also the much smaller size may make for an excessively sloppy fit. Thanks for watching!

[@gearhead366]

@@halfmoontechlabs Thanks.

[@uawsux]

it's incredible with John Deere charges for new parts.. my friends all laugh at me they just don't understand... I have three spindles that I rebuilt with those bearings that you talk about ... I spent $150 at harbor freight for that press I rebuilt 4 spindles... they don't understand that I am money ahead those spindles are about $180 each.... I now have a harbor freight press for sale..... I wonder if John Deere's intention is to be proprietary with this repair or if it is just a manufacturing cost saving measure John Deere lost those cases against farmers they wouldn't let them fix their own stuff that was a fight that didn't need to be fought

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Yup, definitely a fan of "right to repair" as well! Thank you for watching.

[@danmcgarrity5901]

why didnt you pop the inside dust cover off and full the new bearing up with grease, then put the dust cover back? you have no idea how much grease is inside your brand new bearings

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Ah, the miracle of editing... I had already popped another open in the pack to check (mentioned already in earlier feedback). I showed you one, but I had already verified on one of the others. Good advice though, and I totally agree. Thanks for watching!

[@tcmits3699]

Or just replace it with an automotive serpentine idler, if diameter is acceptable. They last forever

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Thanks for watching!

[@tcmits3699]

You did do a nice job on the pulley, funny my old JD F935 has a snap ring that you remove to replace bearing on a cast v-pulley. Very easy and cheap. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@halfmoontechlabs]

It was nice when more things were made to be easily repaired, now everything is disposable, and nothing lasts :( Thanks again for the comments, and for watching!

[@birrextio6544]

ERROR New bearing detected, please transport the complete unit to JD for software calibration and come back in December.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

LOL! Seems that way with JD sometimes, eh? Thanks for watching, and the laugh ;)

[@shangrilaladeda]

Ink for printers come to mind

[@kevinhumphrey932]

We use to do this on farm equipment year's ago it's alot easier to to cut the rivets with a band saw

[@halfmoontechlabs]

The shell design on this was so thin that I fear a bandsaw's kerf would destroy it in the process. I have seen this done with thicker pulley/sheaves, but this is basically stamped sheet metal... too thin IMO. Good suggestion for beefier ones though, thanks for the comment, and for watching!

[@rickybailey7123]

6203 bearing part # save someone some time

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Parts list and Amazon stock numbers (ASIN) are listed under video details. Thanks for watching!

[@jtw37]

Why not just grind of the lip of the center bearing mount and press old out and press new in. Would to be easier and quicker, I would think.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

As I pointed out to several viewers, if you watch the video, you will notice that the bearing is intentionally "captured" under the stamped metal lip on each half of the sheave. It cannot be simply pressed out with an arbor press or otherwise. Thanks for watching!

[@dc6233]

Each half has a lip, that's all that keeps the bearing in place. These are cheap "stamped" pulleys. Probably not cheap to buy, but made about as cheap as could be...

[@daveblane6442]

3 in1 for drilling?? LOL

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Try it, it actually works quite well... especially if you are out of Cool Tool ;)

[@cjack121]

I didn’t think hearing pulleys called sheaves would bother me so much, but it does.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Lol... the terms are used interchangeably in most countries, though there are certain localities where there is a preference for one vs. the other, and this can be industry or company specific as well. The fact is here in the US, the convention is ambiguous. The deciding factor is "what term does the manufacturer use?", and in the case of JD riding mowers, the manual calls them sheaves... so sheaves they are in this case ;) Thanks for watching!

[@mikespain8655]

Ironically you use a drill press (most people don't have, and isn't cheap), to save money on a $30 pulley. How much is your time worth for the extra labor? Then, to cap it off, A crescent wrench to remove bolt.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Also ironic is dismissing the good 'ol crescent wrench... I'd point out not everyone has a socket set large enough to use on the large shake-proof nuts, so I deferred to the wrench in an effort to show that nearly anyone can do it. I also admit that not everyone has a drill press... but more likely a do-it-yourselfer willing to take a crack at this has one. You missed that I was holding the crescent backwards... I noticed when editing, but that can happen when you are trying to film and turn a wrench at the same time, lol. Thanks for watching!

[@hacksaw149]

I cringed a little at the opening scene "knuckle buster" but this guy clearly knows what he's doing. Also, I think the average Joe Public could do this job with a regular old hand drill. Otherwise, Brilliant repair work and I love it when I get to keep more of my hard earned money in my pocket. Thank you Half Moon Tech Labs !!! Liked and Subbed ! Mike, are you by chance a JD rep ?.....LOL

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Another commenter said that his JD store was charging $75 per each....... now that makes the setup ROI for this job even better.....

[@davidmoran4471]

@@halfmoontechlabs My late father was a machinist by trade, he was quite anti crescent wrench, but sometimes it is the needed tool for the job.

[@27kilofoxtrot]

The time for the extra labor? Don't you think it takes more time to drive to the John Deere store and return with a new part? Don't you ever just sit and drink a beer? How much is your time worth if you can afford to sit and drink a beer? I'm not wasting $50 on a beer. Imagine what is cost to sleep at night.

[@SPUDHOME]

You got to love center punch, not centered. Don’t call it center punch unless it is punched in the center. Otherwise it is just a divot for the drill to start at.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

"By eye" centered is close enough in this case because as mentioned in video, I was going down to surface but not drilling through on first pass... just need to touch the surface and then knock out with hand punch. Then I drilled clear through in 3rd op to resize holes now exposed to accommodate bolts. Extreme precision not required in this case. Not mentioned in video is that the machine peened rivets do not "squash" the rivet heads in a perfectly uniform fashion. "Eyeballing" it in this case lets you make minor adjustments to compensate for this if required. Thanks for watching!

[@SPUDHOME]

@@halfmoontechlabs ok i understand center punch has nothing to do with center, or center punch would be called, just punching close, maybe close enough. Or else don’t use the term center punch, try “PUNCH”. DA

[@halfmoontechlabs]

@@SPUDHOME Ok, how about "approximate ellipsoid concentric marking tool"? I feel better now too ;)

[@alharris8188]

Maybe it's called a center punch it because that's where the center of the drill bit goes. Holes aren't always drilled in the center of an object.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

That's a fact! Thanks for watching.

[@seanduffy1460]

Typical John deer, but the whole pulley not just the bearing,that’s how they make their money, that’s why I would not buy their products

[@halfmoontechlabs]

Yes, but luckily in this case, easy to fix if you are willing. Thanks for watching!

[@dc6233]

Do it again but use a SKF bearing. Just teasing, but that's why the first bearing died, they're just cheap China bearings...

[@halfmoontechlabs]

I'm a fan of SKF myself, but wanted to try some decent quality generics, these actually have some decent grease. Thanks for watching!

[@jimw6991]

​@halfmoontechlabs You mentioned three pulleys on your mower. If you bought a dozen cheap bearings and replace them every 3 to four years I am guessing at that time you may need more than bearings. The thickness of metal on the deck means it will fatigue and crack .... eventually it will need welding or replacement. Even the pulley you rebuilt was distorted due to thin metal. You only get so many hours out of that entry level mower.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

@@jimw6991 I bought this new over a dozen years ago, and it still mows like brand new... just oil changes and these bearing replaced once in that time. Not too bad if you ask me. I agree the deck metal is probably a future failure point, but so far I can't complain. Thanks for watching!

[@robertgoffinett5852]

Could you not have just pressed the bearing out or do you not have an arbor press?

[@halfmoontechlabs]

I do have an arbor press, but if you look at the bearing, it's captive inside the sheave with a preformed shelf that negates pressing out the bearing (on each side)... hence having to drill out the rivets to separate the two sides to extract the bearing. Simply pressing it out is not feasible on this JD design unfortunately. Thanks for the comment, and for watching!

[@JohnSmith-yv6eq]

Wouldn't that have been so simple for JD to design a bearing retention system allowing the bearing to be easily replaced????? Something like a screw on ring like on the end of a hydraulic ram... unscrew, take out bearing, place the new bearing, screw ring tight and go....

[@halfmoontechlabs]

@@JohnSmith-yv6eq I agree, this could have been designed for ease of service, but IMO they went the "ease of manufacturing" route with an alternate revenue stream bonus, vs. ease of maintenance for the end user.

[@GettingNervous]

@@JohnSmith-yv6eq It would be very easy as you can see on older machines. There is a c-clip on both sides, but the JD design seems to be much cheaper (for JD, not for the customer).

[@tlm3574]

Just knock out the bearing from the back. Replace them and mow. Seems you lowered the river instead of raising the drawbridge.

[@halfmoontechlabs]

As I pointed out to another viewer, if you watch the video, you will notice that the bearing is intentionally "captured" under the stamped metal lip on each half of the sheave. It cannot be simply pressed out with an arbor press or otherwise. Thanks for watching!

[@tlm3574]

@@halfmoontechlabs problem with skillful videos is you make it look easy. I should have realized the research you invested. Thanks for video and detailed explanations!

[@davidmoran4471]

Had he just knocked out the bearing, he would have been buying new idlers. They have to come out from the center.