Grease

[Mr Mower Man]

What kind of grease do you all like to use on general mower service? I'm about out, and I've always used the Briggs & Stratton hi-temp grease for all grease fittings. But I've heard that hi-temp grease isn't necessarily what I want in all applications? What would you recommend? I'm about ready to buy some more.

[bgsengine]

Pretty much any NLGI No.2 Grease would be fine - Check around your area for a local oil company (supplies hardware stores, etc) and you can usually find far better pricing - We happen to use Wolf's Head Red grease as we have a local area oil company (propane, oil, etc) we also get much of our motor oil and lubrication-related product from them, as well as propane for shop heating

- Main purpose for grease in many spindles nowadays is just to aid in heat transfer from the spindle shaft and bearings to the spindle housing for cooling - as you have probably noticed by now there are many sealed bearings in use - no point to greasing those for lubrication really unless you tear them apart and pop out the seals - Most any regular wheel bearing grease you can get locally would do nicely HI Temp grease really is not much more than typical automotive wheelbearing grease anyway.

Read the specs (MSDS) on one of your grease tubes and you can usually find something very comparable locally (and supports your local economy!)

[KE4AVB]

For myself I use a hi temp Moly lube except those machines like ATVs that will see hi water then I go a hi temp water resistant grease.

One note here if you buy sealed bearings especially aftermarket ones is to repack them as they have low quality grease in them; especially those "Made in China" ones. I just pull the seals, clean, repack with moly, and put the seals back in place. Just be careful not to damage the seals as you remove them. Or you could probably one of the wheel bearing packers like I use on taper bearings.

[Arkie]

I use the EP2 red high temp grease for most all bearings. You have to keep a heads up on grease prices, just like everything else now days. I buy it in the cartridges for fast re-filling of the grease guns and also keep a tube handy for re-packing with a bearing packer for tapered bearings.

I re-pack NEW aftermarket bearings (China type bearings sometimes do not have any grease inside or a poor quality of grease especially spindle bearings for mower decks) due to some not even having any grease by popping off the seal or I also have a vaccination type grease gun needle and I can install the needle onto the gun and not have to remove the bearing seal on some bearings that the seal is not readily removable and the bearing still on the eq..

I can also extend the life of bearing on mowers by repacking used bearings before they get dry or worn and save a lot
future bearing replacement problems.

[wristpin]

Good advice re adding grease to sealed Bearings but don’t overdo it. Rule of thumb was always not more than 2/3 of the space. It was said that overpacking could lead to the balls skidding round rather than rolling round.