Wheel play

[True North]

The free wheel on our timber harvester has some play in it (I noticed when the blade was off that I could wiggle it back and forth a bit. Should it do this, or do I have bad bearings?

[Tom]

Most bandmills have play in the wheels when unloaded.  Usually it is just the idle side.  It is not the bearings but the blade tightening mechanisms that cause the wobble.  When you put a blade on there it tightens up.  If it is the drive side, it might be bearings.   That's just a generic diagnosis.  A timber harvester owner will know for sure.

[Brad_S.]

With good bearings, there will be very little play. Some play as the idler bearings wear is normal but it will grow progressively worse and eventually cause you tracking problems and it will become difficult to cut a straight line.  I've owned 2 TH's, on the first one I had to change the bearings every 500 hours or so, on the second with the larger, stronger blade, I had to change them every 250-300 hours. It's a PITA to get the old bearings off but easy to install the new ones. Never had a problem with the main drive bearings though.