Husqvarna Lawn Mowers Gearbox Grease

11th August 2020

How to lubricate a lawn mowers gearbox
How to lubricate a lawn mower gearbox? How often do you change the grease? What kind of gear lubricant is needed? Detailed answers on petrol trimmer maintenance.

Time and procedure for preventive maintenance of the reducer

I recommend that you carry out preventive maintenance of a new gasoline trimmer immediately after purchase, with the addition of lubricant to the gearbox. With all the high cost of garden equipment, some manufacturers save money and put in only a minimum of lubricant, during the running-in period.

Lubricant for the gasoline trimmer gearbox.

Range of lubricants for garden equipment

According to the instructions, use a special transmission fluid grease to lubricate the bevel gear. As a rule, manufacturers of garden equipment produce and recommend the chemistry of their brand as the most adapted to their devices.

At the same time, in order to reduce the cost of operating garden equipment and increase the attractiveness of the auto chemistry brand, the lubricant for garden equipment is usually made multifunctional. It is designed not only to lubricate the gearboxes of gasoline trimmers, but also to treat hoses, gears and gearboxes of any garden equipment and mechanical devices operating under high loads.

Even if the specialized gear lubricant is almost completely depleted during operation, the additives still create an effective lubricating protective film on the surface of the gears.

It should be noted that many owners of lawn mowers in the vastness of the former CIS use ordinary Litol-24 or lithium-based grease for CV joints to lubricate the gearbox. It is convenient to refuel the reducer using a 5-cc medical syringe. Many motorists, instead of a side screw, pick up the thread and screw the grease gun from the old crosspieces of cars. This modification allows the addition of Lithol without disassembling the assembly using a grease gun.

The undoubted plus of using Litol and lithium-based grease for filling the transmission of lawn mowers is a reduction in the cost of operation. But there are nuances due to which spears break on the forums of gardeners of the Internet space. My thoughts on what can be lubricated with lithium-based lubricants and what not can be found in the article “ Litol as lubricant for lawn mowers gearbox “.

How often to lubricate the lawn mowers’ gearbox.

Often, a routine inspection of a lubricated transmission is carried out once a year at the beginning or end of the season. If the gasoline trimmer is not used by you in professional volumes, this is enough.

For large mowing volumes, it is necessary to lubricate the lawn mowers‘ gearbox every 20-50 hours of operation. If the operating conditions of the garden equipment are difficult, for example, a large field is mowed at the same time, and the lawn mower simply does not have time to cool down, or cheap lubricants are used, then the lubricant must be checked and added every 20 hours of operation.

An indirect indication that it is necessary to lubricate the gearbox may be overheating or increased noise of the unit. In these cases, if, upon inspection, it is found that there is enough lubricant in the unit in terms of volume, then I recommend replacing it entirely, while it is advisable to choose another manufacturer of auto chemical goods. Also, a complete replacement of the lubricant, with disassembly and flushing of the unit, I recommend when buying a used gasoline trimmer.

Lawn mower gearbox. How to properly lubricate

The gearbox is the second, after the engine, of the most important elements of the factory device for a utility trimmer. The ability of the structure to transfer the force from the motor to the shaft and the working bodies of the lawn mowers directly depends on the serviceability of this mechanism. The trimmer gearbox does not need frequent maintenance. All the gardener needs is to lubricate and rinse it in time. Otherwise, the unit will start to wedge and fail rather quickly.

How often should the gearbox of the lawn mowers be lubricated?

In most cases, the application of the required portion of oil or its complete replacement is carried out once a year. Before the start of the season or at the end of it. This is sufficient if the household trimmer is used for cutting grass about 3-4 days a month.

If the lawn mower is regularly used for mowing young grass in large areas, then lubricate the gearbox at least once every 30–45 operating hours. And if a trimmer is needed for daily mowing not only of young grass, but also of old tall, stiff weeds, then it is required to change the lubricant in its gearbox at least once every 20 hours.

The fact that the lawn mowers’ gearbox needs lubrication will be prompted by factors such as increased noise and overheating. In this case, it is necessary to remove the mechanism, disassemble it and check the internal parts. If during the inspection it was found that there is enough lubricant in the assembly, then it must be replaced entirely. If there is too little oil, the operator will need to add the missing amount of lubricant.

Types of reducers for lawn mowers

The design of the gearbox for the utility trimmer consists of a certain number of built-in gears, which, during the operation of the mechanism, rotate at a speed set by the device. Gear drives are designed to decrease or increase the initial speed of a running input shaft. Thus, when the operator pushes on the accelerator, the mowing reels or cutting blade rotates faster, and when the lever is released, it rotates more slowly.

Gearboxes used by manufacturers of garden equipment are divided into the following types:

Cylindrical;
Wave;
Worm;
Planetary type;
Conical;
Spiroid;
Mechanisms of the combined type.

The spur gearbox for a lawn mower consists of several toothed cylinders. They are rarely installed on trimmers, since most lawn mowers are equipped with worm gearboxes.

Planetary gearboxes deserve special attention. Their built-in shafts are located coaxially in the mechanism. At the same time, the shafts of the bevel gearboxes are in a cross position.

Another type of gearboxes is a reduction gear. Mechanisms of this type are not included in the standard equipment of lawn mowers, but they are almost always used to make homemade products based on garden trimmers.

Lubricant for trimmer gear. How and how to lubricate?

Occasionally, in the midst of an intense mowing operation, your trimmer will make an unpleasant grinding noise. This complains about the lack of lubrication, the gearbox is the most heavily loaded unit of the device. And soon these “warnings” may be followed by a jammed drive.

What kind of lubricant should I use for the trimmer gear?

In the process of operation, the mechanical part of the trimmer is loaded by contact forces on the teeth, resistance reactions from adhering grass (sometimes with dirt), dynamic, shock loads due to constantly changing torque. Lubrication for the trimmer gearbox must fully take into account these features, so the selection of the brand must be strictly individual.

The following factors are taken into account:

Manufacturer’s brand. Each brand reasonably focuses on its own lubricants (you can talk about cheap Chinese products later). This applies to manufacturers such as Husqvarna, Stihl, Huter, Makita, and others. The only exceptions are domestic-made trimmers: for example, the Caliber in the user manual does not indicate the brand of lubricant at all.
The viscosity of the lubricant. As you know, all lubricants are divided into three groups. High-viscosity (colloidal systems containing various additives), universal plastic compounds and solid lubricants that soften during operation.
Good adhesion to the surface of the gearbox parts, as a result of which the grease is not squeezed out into the gaps or out of the unit.
The rate of grease consumption by the gearbox. Here you have to rely on your own experience and the recommendations of specialists, since some trimmer manufacturers, relying on their own service centers, do not give clear recommendations at all regarding the period of operation of the gearbox between two lubrications.

Lubricant consumption also depends on the temperature at which it retains its lubricity. When the gearbox is heated to 40 ° C, it is considered that its operating conditions are satisfactory, and there is sufficient lubrication.

It is believed that there is no universal lubricant for the trimmer gearbox, but this is not entirely true. In fact, a suitable lubricant will be one that contains the following components:

Lead-free antiwear additives;
Solid lubricants with the presence of graphite or molybdenum disulfide (the latter is preferable, since in this case the lubricity is fully retained for a wide range of shaft revolutions);
Only mineral (inorganic!) Oils, highly refined.

These requirements are fully met by Gear Grease OREGON or Champion EP-0 lithium greases, domestic compositions Oleo-Mas, Litol.24, or Azmol 158, as well as those recommended by the manufacturer of a particular trimmer model.

How to lubricate the trimmer gearbox?

In the upper part of the body, where the gear unit is installed, there is a technological hole, which is plugged with a screw during trimmer operation. This screw is unscrewed, and 1.5. 2 ml of lubricant is injected into the hole using the spout on the tube. If the lubricant was purchased in a different package, then an ordinary disposable medical syringe is also suitable for this operation.

After that, the screw is installed in its original place. This procedure, regardless of the user’s recommendations, should be performed every 10. 15 hours of operation of the trimmer in working mode. Other reasons for updating or replacing the gearbox lubricant are the independent performance of minor routine maintenance (for example, cleaning and flushing the gears of the gearbox before the start of the summer season), repairing the unit, preserving the trimmer for the winter, etc.

If the gear unit is disassembled, it is recommended to completely remove the remnants of the old grease from the surface of the parts, even if it does not show any signs of oxidation and contamination. And only then apply new lubricant. After applying the lubricant, it is recommended to rotate the shaft several times by hand, and make sure that the lubricant is evenly distributed over all parts of the gearbox.

When lubricating, pay particular attention to the following elements:

Flywheel: as a rule, grass remnants stick to its surface intensively, and thickening grass juice creates additional resistance.
Pawl of the starter coil, which in the process of turning on the drive constantly contacts the grooves on the flywheel. In this case, not only mechanical wear occurs, but also mechanochemical corrosion of the “flywheel-dog” connection, since the materials of this pair are different (the flywheel is aluminum, and the dog is steel).
Bearings, if their seals are worn out, and through them, the remaining grease is squeezed out. In this case, the unit begins to vibrate intensively when loaded. This happens with Chinese-made trimmers, so in the long run it is worth thinking about replacing the bearing assembly with a better one, for example, from the Swedish company SKF.

Petrol trimmer grease

Correctly selected lawn mower care guarantees the durability and quality of the equipment. Manufacturers try to take into account all the nuances and prescribe what materials to use for maintenance. Usually, a specific type of lubricant is not specified, it is simply given generally known standards that lubricants must comply with.

The lubricant must be selected in such a way as to take into account temperature conditions, rotational speed, load dynamics and vibration. The main requirement is that this mixture remains in the zone of maximum friction.

Based on the above information, it should be noted that lawn mowers manufacturers are developing universal additional tools for their equipment. It can be served with general industrial compounds. The main condition is compliance with the operating conditions, namely, the presence of an anti-rust and lime agent in the composition, as well as a filler, which consists of a solid lubricant. Grease is poured into the gearbox through a special hole, the unit is not dismantled.

Replacement is done quickly enough.

First, turn off the device from the network. Devices using gasoline must be drained of gasoline.
If the lubricant changes completely, then be sure to flush the gearbox. To do this, first fill in the cleaner, then rinse the gearbox well, then drain. It is important to clean the entire case.
Use the special tool that comes with the trimmer to unscrew the gearbox plug.
Apply new grease: insert a syringe with a tube into the hole and squeeze out the grease (2-5 ml).
We turn the shaft manually, turn on the scythe at low speed without load. This is necessary in order for the lubricant to be efficiently distributed in places subject to maximum friction.

Lower and upper gear lubrication

There are tips that recommend lubrication at the end of the season. However, most people find it best to do this at the beginning of each season. When we repair a unit, as well as carry out any disassembly, it is necessary to use lubricants. The gearbox must be additionally lubricated when the old trimmer is inserted.

Modern trimmers are equipped with a gearbox that measures the angle of transmission of mechanical energy between two components: the shaft and the head. Bevel gears are considered common, they can easily withstand high speeds, are equipped with smooth engagement, as well as an increased level of bearing capacity. The housing includes a shaft, a gear wheel, which is pressed onto the driven shaft. In order to reduce friction, bearings are installed on the bearing points of the shaft.

How and how to lubricate the lawn mowers gearbox?

Responsible maintenance is the key to long tool life. One of the requirements in the operation of a lawn mower is timely lubrication of the gearbox, as well as cleaning the filters. Every user of such a unit knows what composition to lubricate the gearbox with. First, it is cleaned in several stages, then the element is removed from the casing. It is cleaned with gasoline and dried. The place for the filter is prepared carefully, cleaning it from dust and old oil. The main signal for lubricating the lawn mowers gearbox is extraneous noise and rapid heating of the equipment. This means that it is necessary to lubricate the spare part as soon as possible. For lubrication intervals, refer to the instruction manual for your lawn mower. The experts say that gearbox maintenance should be done every 15 hours.

When to change the lubricant in your angle grinder

The timing of the next grease change depends on the load and the intensity of use of the angle grinder. It is usually equal to 12 months. With everyday use, an angle grinder with frequent overheating, the frequency of change is significantly reduced, at least to six months.

To make sure it is necessary to add a new amount of grease, the gearbox must be disassembled by unscrewing the screws on its cover. Inside is a pair of helical gears. The small one is placed on the anchor and is used to drive the large one located on the secondary shaft. A grinding or cutting disc is attached to this shaft.

In the process of operation, the lubricant, when the gearbox moves, scatters along the walls of the housing, drying out over time and forming large lumps. The material used for a long time overheats, becomes liquid and flows out of the housing. Therefore, its volume in the gearbox decreases. If there is only a thin layer of lubricant on the gears, add lubricant.

Old grease removal phase

Removing used grease is the first step in gearbox maintenance. It is necessary to remove the old layer for several reasons:

The spent lubricant is not able to perform its functions;
It contains small particles formed during the wear of the rubbing elements;
The old grease will mix with the new one, because of this, the unit will not work properly, replacement will not bring any results.

Removal of waste is carried out using disposable paper towels, rags or a piece of tissue at hand. The removed parts of the gearbox should be thoroughly washed in solvent or gasoline, and dried before installation. Residues from cleaning materials can also mix with the new grease and change its consistency, resulting in poor performance.

Gearbox lubrication stage

The gearbox must be filled with such a volume of grease that it completely covers the gears.

The sufficiency of lubrication for the angle grinder gearbox is checked by switching on the angle grinder for a short time. If, within 3-5 minutes of operation, the node temperature has increased and lubricant is leaking out, part of its volume must be removed. To do this, the gearbox is disassembled again, the excess is removed with a rag or rag.

When checking, the opposite situation can be observed, when a noise appears when the angle grinder is turned on. This means that there is not enough lubricant and must be added.

When using an angle grinder, it is necessary to periodically check the adequacy of lubrication of the gearbox elements, the quality of the available lubricant.

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