What Oil To Pour In A Trimmer

14th February 2020

Grease for trimmer gear. How and how to lubricate?

Sometimes, in the midst of intense mowing of grass, your trimmer begins to make unpleasant, grinding sounds. This complains about the lack of lubrication of the gearbox. The most intensively loaded unit of the device. And soon, these “warnings” may be followed by jamming of the drive.

What grease should be used for the trimmer gearbox?

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

The following factors are taken into account:

Brand of the manufacturer. Each brand is not unreasonably oriented on lubricants of its own manufacture (you can talk about cheap Chinese products later). This applies to manufacturers such as Husqvarna, Stihl, Huter, Makita, etc. The exception is domestic trimmers: for example, Caliber in the user manual does not indicate the brand of lubricant at all.
The viscosity of the lubricant. As you know, all lubricating compounds are divided into three groups. Highly viscous (colloidal systems containing various additives), plastic compounds of universal use and solid lubricants that soften during operation.
Good adhesion to the surface of the gearbox parts, as a result of which the lubricant is not squeezed out into the gaps or out of the assembly.
Gearbox lubricant consumption rate. Here you have to rely on your own experience and the recommendations of specialists, since some trimmer manufacturers, relying on the availability of their own service centers, generally do not give clear recommendations regarding the period of operation of the gearbox between the two lubricants.

The 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 enough lubrication.

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

Anti-wear additives containing no toxic lead;
Solid lubricants with the presence of graphite or molybdenum disulfide (the latter is preferable, since the lubricity is fully preserved for a wide range of shaft revolutions);
Only mineral (inorganic!) Oils, with a high degree of purification.

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

How to lubricate the trimmer gearbox?

In the upper part of the housing, where the gear block is installed, there is a technological hole, which, when the trimmer is operated, is plugged with a screw. This screw is unscrewed, and 1.5. 2 ml of grease is introduced into the hole using the nozzle on the tube. If the lubricant was purchased in a different packaging, then for this operation a regular disposable medical syringe is also suitable.

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 operating mode. Other reasons for updating or replacing the gearbox lubricant are the independent performance of minor routine maintenance (for example, cleaning and washing the gearbox gear before the start of the summer season), repair of the unit, preserving the trimmer for the winter period, etc.

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

When lubricating, special attention is paid to the following elements:

Flywheel: on its surface, as a rule, the remnants of grass adhere intensively, and thickened grass juice creates additional resistance.
The starter coil dog, which is constantly in contact with the grooves on the flywheel when the drive is turned on. In this case, not only mechanical wear occurs, but also mechanochemical corrosion of the flywheel-dog joint, since the materials for this pair are different (the flywheel is aluminum and the dog is steel).
Bearings, if their seals are worn, and through them the grease is squeezed out. In this case, the unit begins to vibrate intensively when loaded. This happens with Chinese-made trimmers, so it’s worthwhile in the future to think about replacing the bearing assembly with a better one, for example, from the Swedish company SKF.

Grease for trimmer gear. How and how to lubricate?

What grease should be used for the trimmer gearbox?

The following factors are taken into account:

Brand of the manufacturer. Each brand is not unreasonably oriented on lubricants of its own manufacture (you can talk about cheap Chinese products later). This applies to manufacturers such as Husqvarna, Stihl, Huter, Makita, etc. The exception is domestic trimmers: for example, Caliber in the user manual does not indicate the brand of lubricant at all.

The viscosity of the lubricant. As you know, all lubricating compounds are divided into three groups. Highly viscous (colloidal systems containing various additives), plastic compounds of universal use and solid lubricants that soften during operation.

Good adhesion to the surface of the gearbox parts, as a result of which the lubricant is not squeezed out into the gaps or out of the assembly.

Gearbox lubricant consumption rate. Here you have to rely on your own experience and the recommendations of specialists, since some trimmer manufacturers, relying on the availability of their own service centers, generally do not give clear recommendations regarding the period of operation of the gearbox between the two lubricants.

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

Anti-wear additives containing no toxic lead;
Solid lubricants with the presence of graphite or molybdenum disulfide (the latter is preferable, since the lubricity is fully preserved for a wide range of shaft revolutions);
Only mineral (inorganic!) Oils, with a high degree of purification.

How to lubricate the trimmer gearbox?

When lubricating, special attention is paid to the following elements:

Flywheel: on its surface, as a rule, the remnants of grass adhere intensively, and thickened grass juice creates additional resistance.

The starter coil dog, which is constantly in contact with the grooves on the flywheel when the drive is turned on. In this case, not only mechanical wear occurs, but also mechanochemical corrosion of the flywheel-dog joint, since the materials for this pair are different (the flywheel is aluminum and the dog is steel).

Bearings, if their seals are worn, and through them the grease is squeezed out. In this case, the unit begins to vibrate intensively when loaded. This happens with Chinese-made trimmers, so it’s worthwhile in the future to think about replacing the bearing assembly with a better one, for example, from the Swedish company SKF.

Grease for the trimmer gear: features of the choice and application of the composition

Sometimes, with intensive mowing of grass, the trimmer begins to gnash and make unpleasant sounds, which indicate the absence of lubrication of the gearbox. This unit is considered the most loaded, and therefore wears out faster. If it is not lubricated in a timely manner, then the drive may soon jam!

Grease selection

During grass mowing, the mechanical component of the trimmer is loaded with shock loads due to constantly changing torque, contact forces on the teeth, dynamic loads, as well as resistance reactions of adhering dirt and grass. A new grease for the trimmer gearbox must necessarily take into account all of the above points, and therefore, in each case, the composition is individually selected.

When choosing a lubricant, consider:

Gearbox lubricant consumption rate. Many trimmer manufacturers, relying on their service centers, generally do not provide any information regarding the gearbox life in the interval between lubrications. Therefore, the choice often has to be made based on the recommendations of a specialist and their own experience.
The viscosity of the lubricant. Modern lubricating compounds are divided into 3 types: solid, softening during operation, plastic compounds of universal use and highly viscous mixtures with various additives.

Brand of the manufacturer. Each manufacturer, whether it be Makita, Husqvarna, Huter or Stihl, without fail focuses on the compositions of its own production. An exception is domestic trimmers, in the instructions of which there is not a word about the type of lubricant for work.
Adhesion of the composition to the surface of the gearbox. It is important that the lubricant is not squeezed out of the assembly or into the gaps during operation.

The lubricant consumption is also affected by the temperature at which the mixture retains its lubricity. So the surface of the gearbox, heated to 40 degrees, is considered optimal for lubrication, the amount of which is considered sufficient.

It is believed that the grease for the gearbox may not be universal, but this is not entirely correct. In fact, the optimal lubrication option is considered to be one that contains at the same time:

Inorganic mineral oils with good purification;
Solid lubricants with molybdenum disulfide or granite. Over, the first option is preferable, since with it the lubricating ability remains as long as possible with a large number of shaft revolutions;
Toxic Lead Free Wear Supplements.

The listed requirements can boast of lubricants recommended by the manufacturer of a particular trimmer model, domestic Azmol 158, Lithop-24 and Oleo-Mas compounds, as well as lithium Champion EP-0 and GearGrease OREGON compounds.

How to lubricate the trimmer gearbox?

At the top of the housing, where the gear block is located, there is a technological hole, which is covered with a screw during the operation of the trimmer. This screw is unscrewed, and 1.5-2 milliliters of lubricant is introduced from the tube nose into the hole. If the purchased composition has a different packaging, then a regular syringe will work for entering the mixture into the hole. After the screw is placed in its rightful place.

This operation, regardless of the user’s recommendations, should be repeated after every 10-15 hours of operation of the trimmer. In other cases, the replacement and updating of the gear lubricant is carried out when preserving the device before winter, repairing the unit, flushing and cleaning the gears at the beginning of summer, etc.

Being disassembled, before applying a new lubricant, it is worth initially completely removing the remnants of the old mixture, even if they are not contaminated and not oxidized.

After applying new grease, rotate the shaft manually a couple of times to make sure that the composition is equally distributed over all surfaces of the gearbox.

When applying grease, it is important to pay particular attention to the following trimmer components:

Bearings having a worn seal through which residual grease during operation of the unit could exit. With a lack of lubrication in this case, the device starts to vibrate noticeably. This often happens with Chinese models, when choosing which one should think in advance about replacing the bearing assembly with the most high-quality analogue, for example, the Swedish SKF.
The starter coil dog, since it often touches the grooves on the flywheel when the drive is turned on. In addition to mechanical wear, in this case, there is also mechanochemical corrosion between the joints of the dog and the flywheel, since these components are made of different materials. The dog is made of steel, the flywheel is made of aluminum.
A flywheel, on the surface of which the remains of grass usually accumulate, and as you know, thickened grass juice exerts excessive resistance.

The grease for the trimmer gear is selected based on many parameters described above. Carefully consider all of them, and then the device will serve you properly for a long time, always delighting with a trimmed lawn and a well-cleaned area.

How to lubricate a lawn mowing gear. Gearbox grease.

Buying any kind of equipment is a kind of lottery, but much also depends on the gardener. In caring hands, and Chinese samples serve for a long time and do not fail their masters at the wrong time. And if you forget to lubricate the lawn mowing gear on time, do not clean the filters, use cheap low-quality gasoline, then gardening equipment from the most famous brands will become a headache.

Lubrication of the lawn mowing gearbox is one of the most important elements of the maintenance of the gas trimmer, which the user must carry out directly.

Time and procedure for the prevention of the gearbox.

I recommend that you necessarily carry out the prophylaxis of a new gas trimmer immediately after purchase, with the addition of lubricant to the gearbox. Despite the high cost of gardening equipment, some manufacturers save and put grease only at a minimum, at the time of break-in.

How often to lubricate the lawn mowing gear.

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

For large mowing volumes, it is necessary to lubricate the lawn mowing 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 a time, and the lawn mower does not have time to cool down, or cheap lubricants are used, then the grease must be checked and added every 20 hours of operation.

Indirect evidence that it is necessary to lubricate the gearbox may be overheating or increased noise level of the unit. In these cases, if during the inspection it is found that there is enough lubricant in the assembly by volume, then I recommend that it be replaced as a whole, while it is advisable to choose a different manufacturer of auto chemical goods. Also, a complete lubricant change, with disassembly and washing of the unit, I recommend when buying a used gas trimmer.

Grease for gas trimmer gearbox.

Assortment of lubricants for garden equipment

According to the instructions, a special transmission fluid grease should be used to lubricate the bevel gear. As a rule, gardening equipment manufacturers 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 the operation of garden equipment and increase the attractiveness of the auto chemical brand, grease for garden equipment is usually produced multifunctional. It is intended not only for the lubrication of gearboxes of gasoline trimmers, but also for the processing of hoses, gears and gearboxes of any garden equipment and mechanical devices operating under high loads.

Even if the specialized lubricant for the gearbox was almost completely developed 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 former CIS expanses use ordinary Litol-24 or lithium-based grease for lubricating the gearbox. It is convenient to refuel the gearbox with a 5-cc medical syringe. Many motorists, instead of the side screw, pick up the threads and screw the grease fitting from cars that have served their crosspieces. This refinement allows the addition of Litol without disassembling the assembly using a grease gun.

An undoubted advantage of using Litol and lithium-based grease for refueling the lawn mowing gear is the reduction in cost of operation. But there are nuances due to which spears break on forums of gardeners of Internet space. My thoughts are on what can be lubricated with lithium-based greases and what is not, read in the article “Litol as a grease for a lawn-mowing gearbox”.

How to lubricate the lawn mowing gear reducer, gas trimmer.

17 side bolt on the gas trimmer gearbox

For safety reasons, in order to avoid accidental start-up, all preventive work on the lawn mower must be carried out with the electric cap / plug removed from the candle. Do not turn the trimmer over to avoid a gas leak.

We unscrew the side screw on the lawn mowing gear. Depending on the manufacturer of the garden tool, a turn-key bolt may be used instead of a hexagon screw, usually by 17. The thread is normal, turn off counterclockwise. Do not lose the sealing washer.

Add specialized grease

If no grease is visible on the inner end of the screw, add 3-4 grams. Turn the gear by hand, changing the direction of rotation so that the grease is distributed over the gears. Repeat the operation several times. On average, about 5. 10 g are included in the gearbox. The assembly must be completely filled with grease, taking into account the installation of the screw. Then reinstall the screw by tightening it firmly.

As you can see, it will not take a lot of time or special skills to lubricate the gearbox on the lawn mower. Usually we’re going to take longer than we do the full amount of preventive work. Reliable to you garden equipment. Share your experience with petrol trimmers in the comments.

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