Go BottomTightening blades on JD 513 rotary cutter
 | Toddh
Join Date: Posts: 1 
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2001-05-28 28679
My rotary cutter blades have loosened and will rotate from the correct position. The Owner's Manual says to tighten the bolts through a special hole in the top of the mower, but I can't get either bolt to budge one way or the other. Is there some secret to this? Anyone else have a similar experience? And apart from the torque wrench settings in the manual, is there a "feel" to how tight the blades should be?Thanks for the help.
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| Bird Senter
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 962 
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2001-05-28 28681
Toddh, you make me wonder when you say the blades have loosened and will rotate from the correct position, and yet you can't loosen or tighten the bolts. I guess you do know that the bolts on rotary cutters have a "shoulder" on them so that when they are tightened onto the pan, the blades are supposed to be able to swing freely. They aren't supposed to be rigid like a lawnmower blade. And the bolts are usually so tight that you either need a good impact wrench or a long cheater bar to break them loose. I know a couple of guys who've had rotary cutters on which they simply gave up on being able to remove the blades. ....
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| Toddh
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2001-05-28 28683
Bird, I guess I'm just not sure how much play back and forth the blades are supposed to have. The manual recommends 433 lb/ft of torque (assuming you've got a torque wrench that even goes that high, which I don't), which I'm guessing means I don't have to worry about getting the bolts too tight with hand tools. I've just noticed in recent mowing that the blades seem to have more give in them, but it could just be my imagination or the fact that I didn't pay very close attention when the mower was new last spring (2000). I went to look it up in the manual, and it tells me to tighten them every 10 hours of mowing, meaning I was probably about 60 hours overdue and I got worried. After fighting with the bolts this afternoon, I figured I'd ask here (which I probably should have done before deciding they were too loose and needed tightening). Thanks for the help - this web URL should be referenced in tractor and implement owner's manuals! ;-) ....
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| Bird Senter
Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 962
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2001-05-28 28687
Toddh, actually the blades should swing very freely; all the way around until they touch the other blade. Dirt, grass, etc. build up on them sometimes, so I check mine periodically, clean any debris out, etc. so they can swing freely. And of course, you should check to make sure they stay tight, but I'm afraid most of us are a little neglectful in that regard. I recently took mine off to sharpen them and found I could loosen the nuts very easily with one hand and a 15" crescent wrench. I'll bet I remember to check them more often in the future. I don't have a torque wrench for that kind of torque either, but I have a 425 ft./lb. rated impact wrench that's been able to remove any I've tried so far. But if you get about a 3' or 4' piece of pipe for a cheater bar, you won't hurt those bolts. ....
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