Timberwolf 125 bearing problem?

[Duncan.]

Hi,

Bought a new to me but second hand 125 about a year ago and it's just started making horrible screeching and scratching noises like there is metal stuck on the fly wheel but only at low revs. Now my common sense is telling me it's probably the bearings gone but it's only a 2016 machine with 240 hours on the clock ( had 70 hours on it when i bought it a year ago). And I change the blades very regularly before they are blunt when they're only dull I would say. My previous 125 I had from similarly new and put 1000 hours on it with no problems from the bearings.

 

So heres a video of the worst it sounded but after this video we started, chipped and run down with no noise what so ever. It is rather inconsistent.

Any ideas much appreciated

Thanks 

[Khriss]

Check yr drive belts first, sounds like that to me. But any doubt on rotor bearings, change them, they ain't dear and consequent damage would be 10x that cost. K

[Duncan.]

Thanks I checked the belts as I was hopeful that was the issue but they are fine. Think in the video you can't quite hear the worst noises only the screech that sound like belts.

Cheers

[Mick Dempsey]

Simple way to check bearings is remove the belts and spin the flywheel by hand, it should spin smoothly and for a long time, like a perpetual motion machine.

 

Then see if there’s any play in the wheel. 

 

If the bearings are that bad (if the noises are the bearings) they’ll let go (disintegrate)  very quickly.

 

 

[Duncan.]

Thanks Mick I'll do that tomorrow. been using it today and not a squeak out of it but can't believe it would just "fix itself ". Will take the belts off and try that before I use it tomorrow. 

Thanks again

[flashdog]

I had a noise like that on my old entec chipper , it would come and go so i ignored it for a while as i convinced myself it was belts . It was bearings by the time i realised , the bearing was knackerd and had worn the flywheel shaft . That was a 1998 machine and the flywheel and shaft were one piece and not available to buy as now they now come with a two piece , the list of parts i needed was going to cost a fortune but luckily got an engeneer to repair the shaft and its still going strong , for what it costs id get the bearings done for piece of mind