Harry sold.
Bit more space in the garage now..
Monday 14 August 2017
Sunday 13 August 2017
West hedge
The hedge on the west side cut from the bamboo to the deck ~30m, ~2.5h including clearing up. Top cut to ~2.5m. We'd let it grow to block the view of the new house next door, but it's over 4m in places.
I'll need to go back once the blackberries have fruited and finish the last 10m, plus the far side of the top of the hedge.
8/10 4 hours spent cutting the rear portion of the hedge to ~2.5m. 4 trailer loads.
I'll need to go back once the blackberries have fruited and finish the last 10m, plus the far side of the top of the hedge.
8/10 4 hours spent cutting the rear portion of the hedge to ~2.5m. 4 trailer loads.
Loading ramps
To get a ride-on on a trailer, you could lift it (only ~260kg) or get some ramps.
For a few years I've used 2m long, 40mm thick low grade timber, for a lighter mower (170kg)
With the new mower, plus me driving it on (ever tried pushing 260kg up a 20% grade?) you're talking ~340kg. A bag full of grass on the back adds another 50kg or so. The planks worked ok, but did deflect around 40mm. Pretty heavy too at 10kg each
I saw these folding ramps for €52, made by Arebos (China). They are good for 300kg each. 1.8m long/~95cm folded (even came with a CE certificate ;-). Build quality is firmly average, with an hour spent removing sharp edges, plus, more annoyingly, little metal spikes on the grip pattern. The tread/grip is great, and is manufactured by punching upwards with a W shape. Unfortunately if the tool is off a bit, you end up with pointed 2mm spikes at the ends of each tread piece. With good tyre tread, I doubt it would puncture the tyres, but with ride-on tyres costing almost as much as car tyres, I'd prefer them to not have tiny knife cuts. That, and I might use these to load the motorbikes.
These deflect around 10mm with the ride-on rear axle and me at the hinge (~120kg), and the sides bulge a little. 8kg each. They don't appear to be galvanised (not mentioned in advert when I bought them, but others state this) Time will tell.
For a few years I've used 2m long, 40mm thick low grade timber, for a lighter mower (170kg)
With the new mower, plus me driving it on (ever tried pushing 260kg up a 20% grade?) you're talking ~340kg. A bag full of grass on the back adds another 50kg or so. The planks worked ok, but did deflect around 40mm. Pretty heavy too at 10kg each
I saw these folding ramps for €52, made by Arebos (China). They are good for 300kg each. 1.8m long/~95cm folded (even came with a CE certificate ;-). Build quality is firmly average, with an hour spent removing sharp edges, plus, more annoyingly, little metal spikes on the grip pattern. The tread/grip is great, and is manufactured by punching upwards with a W shape. Unfortunately if the tool is off a bit, you end up with pointed 2mm spikes at the ends of each tread piece. With good tyre tread, I doubt it would puncture the tyres, but with ride-on tyres costing almost as much as car tyres, I'd prefer them to not have tiny knife cuts. That, and I might use these to load the motorbikes.
These deflect around 10mm with the ride-on rear axle and me at the hinge (~120kg), and the sides bulge a little. 8kg each. They don't appear to be galvanised (not mentioned in advert when I bought them, but others state this) Time will tell.
Sunday 6 August 2017
Erde 102 Trailer maintenance
Nothing for nothing in this life. You buy a trailer in 2004 and suddenly it needs new bearings. I'd noticed play on the LHS a while back, so decided it might be time to check the sealed bearings. It's a quick job once the nut covers are off (Erde part 2325 0003) one of mine is a new interesting shape, like Kryton's head. It took a massive amount of pummeling, then 24" stiltson (not sure that helped) and more pummeling to get it off. The other one will wait until the new bearings arrive.
Both are metal shielded. I'd have thought rubber sealed more appropriate for road use.
Inner VB C3 6202Z approx 14.85 x 35
Outer HJB 6004ZC3 approx 20x43
The LHS nut was at about 40 lb torque, RHS about 35. This site recommends 21 lb.
https://www.westerntowing.co.uk/acatalog/How-to-Replace-Erde-Trailer-Bearings.html. Loosening and re-tightening to the same point showed about 30lb.
The LHS outer race is about as smooth as tarmac. Inner seems fine. RHS outer was a bit lumpy too.
It's back on for now and will need to be on light duty. The trailer has been <coughs> used at its limit a few times, so it's not surprising.
Update 27/8/17
New bearings fitted. LHS is tight and spins slowly. RHS is fine. Tried swapping them left to right, but it was the same once they were torqued up, so left LHS just nipped
Getting the bearings out is challenging. I started hammering them out, but then realised that the hubs are alloy, so will crack quite easily. I then got some threaded bar and pressed them out. I didnt have a big enough socket, so a bit of square tube did the job.
Erde fitted no name chinese C3 bearings 6202 Z / 6004 Z. The shaft machining seems to be medium tolerancing, needing c3 ie big wiggle fit. Oddly, c3 bearings are more expensive than normal fit. I've replacing with MTK normal bearings, which are 1/2 the price. Ie €9 vs €23 for both sides. So that's why the wheel is not spinning well!
RHS
LHS
Old bearings. Top is RHS. Nice rust patches on both
Both are metal shielded. I'd have thought rubber sealed more appropriate for road use.
Inner VB C3 6202Z approx 14.85 x 35
Outer HJB 6004ZC3 approx 20x43
The LHS nut was at about 40 lb torque, RHS about 35. This site recommends 21 lb.
https://www.westerntowing.co.uk/acatalog/How-to-Replace-Erde-Trailer-Bearings.html. Loosening and re-tightening to the same point showed about 30lb.
The LHS outer race is about as smooth as tarmac. Inner seems fine. RHS outer was a bit lumpy too.
It's back on for now and will need to be on light duty. The trailer has been <coughs> used at its limit a few times, so it's not surprising.
Update 27/8/17
New bearings fitted. LHS is tight and spins slowly. RHS is fine. Tried swapping them left to right, but it was the same once they were torqued up, so left LHS just nipped
Getting the bearings out is challenging. I started hammering them out, but then realised that the hubs are alloy, so will crack quite easily. I then got some threaded bar and pressed them out. I didnt have a big enough socket, so a bit of square tube did the job.
Erde fitted no name chinese C3 bearings 6202 Z / 6004 Z. The shaft machining seems to be medium tolerancing, needing c3 ie big wiggle fit. Oddly, c3 bearings are more expensive than normal fit. I've replacing with MTK normal bearings, which are 1/2 the price. Ie €9 vs €23 for both sides. So that's why the wheel is not spinning well!
RHS
LHS
Old bearings. Top is RHS. Nice rust patches on both
Neptun Trailer maintenance
From new (2015), the left side wheel of the trailer when hitched, sitting in the car, had a bit of play. A friend had a hub fail when towing last November, which pushed me into a rush inspection today.
A castellated nut and 3.6 x 36mm cotter pin fit on a taper bearing. The cover tapped off quite easily and snapped back with a tap. The nut was loose, so for completeness I removed the taper bearing and hub. No marks. Plenty of clean grease. Nut went back on with the original pin at 12 o/c. No play, and the nut wasn't loose enough to turn with fingers before being pinned.
Leaving the wheel on the hub was probably a mistake as it made the assembly heavy when re-assembling. Best to do the job on the ground.
Rear shot of seal on taper bearing. It was tightly in.
Taper bearing and nut removed
A castellated nut and 3.6 x 36mm cotter pin fit on a taper bearing. The cover tapped off quite easily and snapped back with a tap. The nut was loose, so for completeness I removed the taper bearing and hub. No marks. Plenty of clean grease. Nut went back on with the original pin at 12 o/c. No play, and the nut wasn't loose enough to turn with fingers before being pinned.
Leaving the wheel on the hub was probably a mistake as it made the assembly heavy when re-assembling. Best to do the job on the ground.
Taper bearing and washer removed and put back in axle
Rear shot of seal on taper bearing. It was tightly in.
Taper bearing and nut removed
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