Broken bush hog

My bushhog is a Howse, 5 foot. It is leaking oil from the gear box. The gear box bolts are loose which I was able to tighten (and stripped one of the nuts in the process.) I will know tomorrow if the tight bolts fixed the leak. From what I have read from your posts - probably not as the gear box is self=contained. Probably a bad seal that needs to be replaced. Which will require that the stumpjumper come off.

I do think the right answer is to get the stump jumper off and replace the stripped nuts and include heavy duty lock washers and locktite.

How do I get the stump jumper off? I have the crown nut off and have hit, whacked, pulled, etc. and it doesn't move at all.

This is a Howse hog (bought used for $150 - never owned one before so I was clueless). AFter reading the number of comments saying HOwse is junk, I guess I blew it. But, I would like to make it limp along for at least a year. I only cut grass on a 5 acres field monthly so ...

Ideas please?

Chuck

I would'nt worry about the bottom seal leaking. If you put a new seal in the thing will be leaking again in a day or 2 if it even stops leaking at all. Most times even a new Howse won't hold gear oil anyway. Just take the top gear box plug out and pump the box full of grease.

Every time you start to use the hog take the plug out and pump it full of grease again til you get the gearbox filled with grease.

I've got a 6' Howse I bought new that I went thru all the trouble to put new seals in twice before it was a month old and did'nt get the leak stopped. I've used it about 8 years on the pure grease and it does fine and does'nt leak.

The gearbox runs cooler and does'nt do all the Howse whine with grease in it, and with pure grease it will eventually stop leaking