Trying to get an idea on the shape of the undercarriage on my Deere 225, i've attached a few pictures, the sprocket seems to be fairly worn but everything else seems to be ok to me? Only problem i've noticed is a few bottom rollers are leaking, as the one pictures shows. Is there an easy way to replace the oil to extend their life?
This link may well help https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VmqfB-MgtQ Kind regards Uffex
A roller information link https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3CHoxRUD5qAbVBSQWVXT3lHWnc/view
What you have there is someone replaced a set of chains without replacing the rollers and sprockets. Now days a set of rollers can last through two sets of chains unless the seals start leaking like in your photos. The rollers will need now seals if you can get the end caps off and the shafts and bushings are OK. Generally though most people don't notice the leaking roller until it turns into a shaker. You might get away with replacing the sprockets if the bushings are not worn too bad to get more run time out of them. You didn't say how many hours were on this machine.
The machine has 12,400 hours on it. Oddly when I bought it not a single roller was leaking, now I think 3 are and i've put about 70 hours on it and avoid walking it as much as possible, they've been leaking maybe 30 hours, going to address them before next job hoping they will be ok. I figured something like that, the chain looks good to me, but the sprocket especially seems quite worn, is the sprocket something that needs to be replaced right away or does it have some life left? I thought maybe a piece of concrete on a job hit the rollers as it seemed odd to just start leaking. Also I believe I have 2 bent shoes, both bent outwards, are they something that needs to be addressed asap to avoid causing more problems? Machine will maybe see 300 hours this summer tops, I don't want to avoid doing anything to cause more problems but just cost me $10k for my yearly inspection on my tractor trailer and don't have any extra money to put into the machine that isn't absolutely necessary.
Try to avoid digger over the finals (spockets)
I would recommend replacing the sprocket right away. What is in the photo is more wheel than sprocket. The rollers might be worth trying to put new seals in and refilling. Get a cost for new or used ones if you can in order to make an informed decision.
For a short term can pull the lube fill plugs on the rollers(if equipped) and shoot them with gun grease, will wear as not the same as a oil based lube but could keep it working a short time. To figure wear on any rail chain pick five pins in a row, measure from a lead or trail edge of #1 pin to the same edge of #5, divide by four and have the average for chain dimension of one link. In a shop manual will be limits as to pi/bushing wear to use as a chart for life left. Then there is a rail height from shoe to wear edge and bushing diameter. Will all be in service manual for the machine that you need to have.
Called Brandt about pricing, going to send someone out for free to inspect undercarriage. Obviously know i'm going to get a sales pitch but figure why not? At least it gives me an idea and I can see exactly what to look for and how to measure stuff. Curious if people find it better sourcing parts elsewhere or if dealer prices are reasonable? Deere rollers were $547 each, but they carry aftermarket for $223. Only have Deere sprocket at $997 each which seems like a lot to me? Going to replace sprocket right away, if rollers are quite new I will replace the leaking ones, if they are worn think i'll see if I can get some grease into them to tie me off, or replace the seals, even to make it 50-100 hours then replace them all.
I always avoid it, as well as tracking in reserve when I do it's always slow, or in general walking the machine, know how expensive the undercarriage is, want to keep wear as low as I can.
I would not replace the sprockets until it has been determaned how much wear is in the chains. Worn chains will chop out a new sprocket in no time flat then you will have to buy more when you replace the chains. If the sprockets are not slipping in the chains and the chains are worn, run it to absolute destruction inclueding the rollers then replace all the bad bits. Just my 2 cents worth.
I agree, if everything measures just about wore then I'd run it until the sprockets pop or it wants to shuck a track. Assuming you work where that consequence isn't a total cluster. Some jobs you can do that, level ground, not working a burn pile etc. If you really were careful and didn't have to track much you might squeeze another 300 out of it. I agree with DMiller on the grease, I've run quite a few rollers far longer than I expected doing that. At this point it won't hurt a darn thing. I just changed a set of sprockets for my old boss that make those look new! How it tracked at all I'll never know. It sat in a borrow pit for a long time so it didn't move much. You know what you can or can't live with budget and failure wise.
Thanks for the advice guys. That was my plan, let them have a look and give me advice. I just bought it last fall, but i'm guessing at most it will see 200-300 hours a year. I do residential demolition and basements, obviously not ideal to drop a track at a job but if it means getting quite a bit more life out of parts, why not? I mean if everything is good but the sprockets, I may just do them but different story if it's getting close to like $5-6k in parts then i'll run it till it fails.