Woods M5-4 Dixie Cutter bush hog shaft oil seal

[nbryan]

This summer my neighbor 'gave me his old 5 ft bush hog, in pretty god shape, as he had bought a smaller tractor and new 4' cutter and had no more need for this one. Nice neighbor, eh?

EXCEPT, after a few hours of cutting with it and parking it, it started dripping gear oil from the bottom around the shaft area. It hadn't lost any oil before this with the good neighbor, and there was no sign of oil leaking after I got it home and parked for a while before using it. I had also checked the gear oil level and it was fine before I used it first time here.


Used it for a bit, love what it can do for me as we're on 116 forested acres, with some open fields that are rapidly trying to become forests, that I need to try and maintain open. A bush hog job, but >$2000 for a rear rotary cutter, new, is not in the cards right now.

So I'm trying to decide about having the seal replaced, and do not have the shop and tools for this particular job.

Anyone here have a Woods M5 mower, and had the gearbox output shaft seal replaced? What parts are needed? Where do you get parts (I'm in Southern MB, Canada) and what did the parts and labor cost?

TIA!!

Neil

 

[BigG]

Do you know what weight the oil is in the gear box? The seal should run you $10 or less but the labor to put it in will be high.

This will tic some off but you could use corn head gear oil in the gear box. It might still leak but it might be slow enough that you could mow with it and keep adding oil.

 

[nbryan]

Do you know what weight the oil is in the gear box? The seal should run you $10 or less but the labor to put it in will be high.

This will tic some off but you could use corn head gear oil in the gear box. It might still leak but it might be slow enough that you could mow with it and keep adding oil.

It's 80W/90 gear oil. Standard stuff.

 

[6feettogo]

I have a Woods M5-4. I have never replaced the shaft seal. I do have the manual for the M5-4 in a pdf form (for serial #'s greater then 9000) that I could email you that at least shows the part #'s.