# Sabre Cutting Blade Won't Stay Tight against Sheave Spindle



## mogwan (Feb 26, 2011)

Greetings from the Australian Rainforest,

We've just hit the wet part of Summer and at this time of year, the grass grows 6" every week, so my 1998 2254 Sable gets a real workout cutting approx, 5 acres of rolling terrain surrounded by jungle rainforest. 

I previously never had a problem with any of the three cutting blades working loose and could always tighten/loosen them by removing the deck, chocking each blade with a block of wood against the deck and using a 3/4" drive breaker bar w/correct size socket.

Four weeks ago, I'm cutting and realise one blade is not spinning, so I look under the deck and the right blade is free-spinning due to the cap-head blade retaining bolt being fractionally loose (like maybe .005".

So I pull the deck and figure I'll also sharpen the blades, change the deck belt, and grease the zerks for the mowing season. OK, I chock the right cutting blade to tighten the cap head bolt, but it just turns the pulleys & belt and the blade still free spins. So I put a socket on the flange nut on other end, a huge old Craftsman needle style Torque Wrench & socket on the deck side bolt, and tighten to approx. 120 ft lb. 

This works for about two hours of cutting before the blade is loose and the deck is off again. So now I'm wondering why Deere designed the 'Deflector' cup that covers the bottom sheave bearing to act as a washer too...cause the blade cap bolt and washer tightens the blade surface up against that deflector cup and the bottom of the cup presses against the sheave housing and apparently the deflector cup itself is expected to turn and it's only formed sheet metal.

The funny (more like FU'd) thing is that the sheave's spindle end is keyed-not with a 'star' but with two flat surfaces- one left & one right- BUT the cutting blades are not keyed to match the spindles. These are genuine Deere blades and correct part number. I can't figure out why Deere didn't key the blades and why they put this Deflector Cup in as a cap bolt 'torque bearing' surface.

I finally got fed up and put a spacer washer inside the deflector cup to raise its bottom about 1/16" up from the sheave surface so its round bottom flange lip didn't ride and drag when the blade bolt was tightened. It certainly spun a lot easier now and the cap bolt was making a tighter fit against the spindle end and the blade was now tight.

So- after about three hours of mowing, the spacing washer inside the deflector cup had cut a round hole into the cup and the metal was gone (see photo of enlarged hole).

I tossed away the remaining deflector cup- didn't replace it with an old one I had, re-torqued the blade back on and it's working fine...

So...two questions:
1- Does the deflector cup do anything except keep grass, vines, etc from wrapping around between the deck and the bottom of the cutting blade? Does the cup act as a heat sink to keep the bearing cooler? WHY did Deere come up with such a funky part that sandwiches between the blade's retaining bolt, washer, and sheave bearing?

2- WHY did Deere NOT key the blades when they keyed the spindles? If the blades were keyed, these problems would not happen...

I'm thinking of welding some steel to the left & right sides of the blade holes to act as a key so the blades cannot free spin even if the retaining cap bolt is loose. If the blade should hit a stump or something similar, the fabric covered belt should slip sufficiently to prevent any damage. It's not like the deck is chain or shaft drive so a blade stop- at worst- should maybe either flat spot or break the deck belt.

I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts on this...especially any insight to questions #1 & 2 concerning the 'design' (or lack of it) of the Deflector Cup and the lack of keyed cutting blades.

Thanks for your time,

frustrated in the grass-mog


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## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

John Deere didn't make the Sabre models,themselves.
They were built,I believe,by MTD, so that John Deere had an inexpensive model for the box stores(Walmart,etc).
JD did the same thing in the 70's with their 2-stroke snow blowers. They were built by Jacobsen,until Jacobsen was bought up by Homelite,which was owned by JohnDeere.


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## Rattosh51 (Sep 10, 2008)

mogwan--Welcome to the Forum, nice to have someone from down under here!!
Can't give much insight into the design, but agree on the FU'd part of it. I have a Sabre too, but not a deck for it, so don't know the reason for the cup...:dazed:


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## jhngardner367 (Apr 5, 2011)

Update: The Sabres were made at the Scotts plant(owned by JD),not MTD,as I originally thought.
They were made from 2001,to 2003,and you may be able to get parts for it at: WWW. Searsparts direct.com by matching it to the same year Scotts mower.
They were built as cheaply as possible,to be sold at Home Depot,Lowes,Etc.,and have a dismal record.


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## Rattosh51 (Sep 10, 2008)

...or from JD themselves; just have to enter the model number...(2254)

http://jdpc.deere.com/jdpc/servlet/com.deere.u90490.partscatalog.view.servlets.HomePageServlet_Alt

Under the "Sectional Index" from the JD parts site, in the "Mower Deck and Lift Linkage" section, you'll find #53, which
shows the spindles , etc...


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## mogwan (Feb 26, 2011)

Morning Rattosh,

Yeah, allegedly made by Scotts...it's a 1998 and has worked hard for 16 years. I priced a new 500X from the dealer here and they run between $11k-$13k depending on the prevailing exchange rate...i could buy a nice used car or truck for that kinda money. In the past 11 years since i've owned it- i'm the second owner- i've replaced almost everything except for the frame and B&S motor. Most parts I order from USA although Deere is now discounting 'new-old stock' parts as they realise they won't sell them. a new deck was $1600 four years ago. I got one last year for $680. The starter switches are so bad, mine is wired like an airplane- turn the key to 'power' then press a starter button... all 'kill' switches are bypassed, etc. It only has to last another six-twelve months then I return to USA. I'm moving to Az and will no longer have a lawn to cut!!! Its best feature is that it is a 54" three bladed deck and Deeres here are now maxxed out at 48" cutting width. Also the 22HP B&S twin has been rock solid.


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