Review on Craftsman 187292 And 192870 Spindle Assembly With Grease Zerk For Husqvarna Poulan (Set Of Two) by Sheneka Lane

This review pertains to a set of two (2) spindle assemblies for 2016 Craftsman 3-blade riding mower. These are NOT exactly what came on my mower. Apparently, what I have as original equipment is no longer available. This set differs from my original spindles in that the upper bearings are not identical, and don't have the built-in riser to lift the pulley to where it needs to be. Never fear, since in the included plastic bag is a thick washer that does the same job. On the other end of the spindle shaft you will find it also differs from the original shaft. It has a small riser ring on the very end, where the "star" pattern matches the blade pattern. This small riser doesn't allow the original bolt to properly clamp the mower blade tightly, allowing it to wobble. Again, fortunately, included in the hardware bag for each spindle is a new washer that has a recess cut to match the raised ring. Everything is included to make installing these new spindles very easy, even the four (4) bolts that secure the spindles to the mower deck. According to what information I have run across, and it's a bit sketchy, the original design is being superseded by this new style. I now have no problem with that, if that is what is happening, because what's in the box is complete, except for the minor amount of work to do the removal of the old and installation of the new. One thing you NEED to do after bolting the blades back in place, and that is to make sure they are tightly held in place and have no up/down wobble. Any wobble and the blades will produce wear on the "star" pattern of the spindle shafts, possibly rendering the shaft/blade assembly dangerous, and, certainly, that blade won't cut very well. Over the years I have replaced numerous spindles in my Craftsman mowers, and it was usually my fault. I'll probably order another set of these just to have them on hand. They really don't like the impact of a blade hitting a solid object. Also, when one of these breaks, it can cause the belt to jump off. When mine failed, the pulleys and blades cut the belt up very badly. Those long belts can be difficult to find, and expensive if bought from the Mfg. You may want to have a spare belt, as well, as it will cut the down-time of having to order a new one.