Grinder bearing change

[Ty Korrigan]

I run a wee grinder, FSIB20.

Had an hour clock installed since new and now shows 142 hours.

For the last 10 hours or more I've noticed that my hands have suffered painfull aches after about an hour.

Painfull to the point I thought I really couldn't continue using a handlebar machine.

I first put it down to grinding in the cold and wet but now I've come around to the idea that the real cause is the side play in the bearings.

Despite being enthusiastic with the grease gun, grinding is certainly not as smooth these days when I think about it.

 The rubbers in the bars are still good though and I will buy a pair of gel gloves

So I've ordered a set of bearings from my local engineering shop who will extract and refit them for me, as I've a 50 stump marathon coming up.

In terms of bearing wear, what is average for a pedestrian grinder?

We managed 450 with a Carlton 4012 until the side play became too great and the belt shredded, bearings still ran smooth regardless.

   Stuart

Edited February 5, 2022 by Ty Korrigan

[Khriss]

That looks bloody hard work  😳 K

[Stere]

Looks like a recipe for white finger 😐

[Ty Korrigan]

This Euc was back in the Summer and was about 50min grind with 20 min prep and 30min clearup taking barrows of chip out to the truck.

It still ran smoothly then, the vibration issue is really quite recent.

[Ian C]

I wouldn’t be doing that stump with a little machine to start with, need a bigger machine at it.

[rapalaman]

Gotta work with what you’ve got - done stumps that size and bigger with 360sw. Hard going but needs must till funds allow purchase of bigger machine

[Jonny69]

On 05/02/2022 at 18:49, Ty Korrigan said:

I run a wee grinder, FSIB20.

Had an hour clock installed since new and now shows 142 hours.

For the last 10 hours or more I've noticed that my hands have suffered painfull aches after about an hour.

Painfull to the point I thought I really couldn't continue using a handlebar machine.

I first put it down to grinding in the cold and wet but now I've come around to the idea that the real cause is the side play in the bearings.

Despite being enthusiastic with the grease gun, grinding is certainly not as smooth these days when I think about it.

 The rubbers in the bars are still good though and I will buy a pair of gel gloves

So I've ordered a set of bearings from my local engineering shop who will extract and refit them for me, as I've a 50 stump marathon coming up.

In terms of bearing wear, what is average for a pedestrian grinder?

We managed 450 with a Carlton 4012 until the side play became too great and the belt shredded, bearings still ran smooth regardless.

   Stuart

Firstly, doing loads of grinding with that machine is always going to hammer your body. 

 

I get 100-150 hours on a bandit HB20 which I guess will be similar to what that will do. I don't think youll get away with just bearing though. I always have to replace shaft and bearings.

 

When they start to go at tickover the machine will shake unusually, we can't normally tell any difference when its at full revs but it basically wobbles the whole machine at tickover. Which is when you know the bearing and shaft are on borrowed time. 

[Ty Korrigan]

Funds will never really allow for a larger machine.

I recently crunched the figures.

142 hours in 3 years 6 months.

A very profitable 142 hours but insufficient to warrant the investment in a larger machine.

I was very close to buying something this year but we've decided that a house of our own is more important.

Instead, I've found a guy who runs a new Bandit 75 and just does stumps and is keen to fill his books (a rare thing here) so he'll be doing my 50 conifer stumps instead which as just doubled to 100 at the request of the town hall.

Hopefully he'll do all my larger stumps in less sensitive situations (unless I invest in some ground mats.)

A bit like hedge cutting, I feel happy to let stumps go to another in order to concentrate on pruning work and removals.

    Stuart

 

 

[swinny]

Bloody hell Stuart.... Lets set up a go fund me page ey to get this grinder for you

 

Get your hand in your pocket and go big this year! House and a grinder.  

[Ty Korrigan]

16 minutes ago, swinny said:

Bloody hell Stuart.... Lets set up a go fund me page ey to get this grinder for you

 

Get your hand in your pocket and go big this year! House and a grinder.  

Cheers Swinny.

Signing for the house in a few weeks but the final 'act de vente' won't be until May.

Half way between where we live now and Mont St Michel.

It is only just habitable in the Summer months, zero insulation, no plaster, just bare stone and wood.

Ideal as I won't need to strip anything much out.

It did once have spiral stairs but only the curved stonework of the wall remains.

It will be a couple of years before we can move into it.

There is a date on a lintel, 1675 or 1615, hard to tell but the neighbours is of the same age and has a 'garderobe' toilet still present on the back wall.

I found it after working for the neighbour and almost bought it back in the Summer but the sage of our Efi engined chipper meant that funds had to be diverted to buying a new chipper so we let the idea of a house purchase drop.

THEN... I Last month I noticed that it was still for sale at a reduced price and so we made an offer not really believing it would be accepted.

My wife is sick with anxiety, we have zero reserves now except what I can earn and so need that 150P back running in order to sell it so we can pay ourselves back and buy materials and sewage system for this Summers renovation-fest.