618-0240 Spindle Assembly for MTD 46" Deck Replaces 618-0240B 918-0240 918-0240C 618-0430

I am not a machinist, nor do I work as a small engine/mower repairman. But I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express before. Many of the complaints I think arise from the seller getting the part from different vendors, so there is some quality control issues. I took the gamble this one would be better than others. And it'll do the job fine. I did have the full six point star for attaching the mower blade on mine, and the zerk fitting was there. The pulley spun freely, and the shaft did not have any lateral movement. Do keep your old bolts, get some WD-40 or equivalent to tap the bolt holes. People should quit complaining about these minor things and giving less stars, since that is how it was designed. Do you think you would really get something different if you bought one for three times that cost from MTD/Troybilt/etc.?

This went in super easy, got the self-tapping screws and it was a breeze, much easier than getting the old one out. The parts are all top quality and well finished. Love the zerk fitting, filled it with grease and expect it will last a long time.

Pulley didn't work because an insert was omitted, had to use my old one. Holes didn't align with mower deck originals, had to enlarge to fit. Bolt holes had to be threaded. (noted on the description but really petty.) Doubt if it will last. Don't but this item !!!

Fit perfectly on my MTD Pro 46" but installation was a problem. The attachment bolt holes are not threaded and the self threading bolts stripped out the aluminum during installation. The suggestion I read about using an impact wrench doesn't work. I threaded the holes and used normal bolts to install the spindle without other problems.

Be sure to check & tighten the pulley nut. Not properly torqued from factory. Mine came off on first mow & blade with spindle shaft attached fell/spun out the bottom of the mower deck in operation. Fortunately nobody was around & after recovering all the parts from my yard, I was able to take the deck back off again & reassemble the unit properly. Other than that, which was a pain, fits well & runs smoothly (now). Had that not happened, I would have given it a five star.

Was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this pully and spindle. Did not come with new mounting bolts or a nut for the blade mount. Luckily I saved the old bolts and used the nut from my old pully. Mounting holes are not tapped due to factory using self tapping bolts. I decided to pre tap the holes instead of trying to get the old bolts to do it. Everything lined up perfectly and only took 15 minutes for the whole job. Highly recommend!

First the bolt holes are not supposed to be threaded. The factory uses self tapping bolts, they form the threads themselves and also hold the bolt tight. All mowers use self tapping bolts in cast aluminum, if you cut the threads or use a nut and bolt it will likely vibrate apart over time.Second, the grease fitting is pointless. The bearings are sealed from both sides (inside and out), pumping grease will only fill the cavity between the top and bottom bearing and make a greasy mess over time. The bearings are replaceable by themselves if the housing isn't damaged.

This is not the new design with the longer housing shown in the picture. Nor is it OEM. It is a chinese copy of the old design with a shielding cup over the bottom bearing which directs dirt into the bearing. I wanted the new design with the longer housing.