# VERMEER SC252 POWER LOSS



## jaystihl (Jan 24, 2015)

Vermeer sc252 27 hp kohler 450 hrs in good condition, seems to be bogging down to easy, new plugs( gapped correctly ) newly replaced fuel line and filter, new synthetic oil and filter, Green teeth are decent . im in florida so we have soft stumps( palms) , and hard stumps( oaks) , it must take you guys forever to grind huge oak stumps up north! Do all of these 252's seem to be weak or am I forgetting something mechanically?


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## marne (Jan 25, 2015)

How long does a 20" take with your 252?
Should be done in a max of 10mins.

And yes, a rockhard 6ft beech may take up to 4 hours, depending on its hight, and desired grinding depth, stones, chasing roots and so on.


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## Brian Holly (Jan 25, 2015)

What series Greenteeth are you running?


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## gorman (Jan 25, 2015)

Check the pick up tube for the gas tank, if it has one. Sometimes they get a piece of chum stuck in there.


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## jaystihl (Jan 25, 2015)

I cant remember the series green teeth , it was whatever they recommended at baileys


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## NCgrinder (Jan 27, 2015)

Are you running the Kohler 25 hp engine? If so,here's one thing to try...check the intake manifold gasket for leakage. Pull the cover ,start engine and squirt carb-cleaner around where the manifold bolts to the head.If the engine speeds up ..bingo!!! It's usually on the r/h cyl head.... On my original engine ,every time I would sense a loss of power,I'd check and find the gasket blown/leaking.. Finally made me some out of "dead-soft" copper sheet...factory gaskets are crap
Just a thought..
Stan


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## jaystihl (Jan 27, 2015)

Im running the 27 hp, but will check that out. Seems like im getting a squealing sound from belts if I have to much bite. Engine slowly bogs and then belts start to squeal, But I am only adjusting the wheel down a little bit each sweep, and slowing down the swing arm if I feel it start to bog down. Dont remember it doing this 50 hrs ago. Not on soft wood stumps especially


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## jaystihl (Jan 27, 2015)

Thinking of trying only 4 teeth method (2 pairs of teeth on opposite sides of the wheel). Anyone tried this? Any problems?


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## marne (Jan 28, 2015)

The belts should never squeal, only very short before the engine stops under heavy load.

Probably when you're in the lower rpm range, when the most torque from the engine is available (2.2k-2.4k rpm) , your belts start slipping, because of the power, this will wear your pulleys fast, expensive noise.

Retensioning belts which already had their break in, is necessary every approx 50hrs. Don't over tighten them

Just another thought


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## jaystihl (Jan 28, 2015)

Thanks marne! What is good rule of thumb on how tight they should be? 1/4 inch of play?


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## CalTreeEquip (Jan 31, 2015)

You need to check the bearings. If the engine is bogging down and the belts are squealing your problem is at the head. Check them for heat while you run it. The should not get too hot to touch and they should heat up rapidly.


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## jaystihl (Jan 31, 2015)

Can anyone recommend other components to change when changing the bearings


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## pro94lt (Jan 31, 2015)

Are you 100% sure it's running on 2 cylinders?


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## jaystihl (Jan 31, 2015)

Positive, engine runs great.


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## jaystihl (Jan 31, 2015)

I think what cal tree said could be the prob. Bearings.


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## jaystihl (Jan 31, 2015)

Makes sense


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## CalTreeEquip (Feb 1, 2015)

Since you have been smoking the belt you might want to replace it as well. Check the other belt too.
Figure which bearings are failing first. If its the jackshaft bearings then they recommend replacing the shaft as well. 
I usually cut the bearing off with a grinder, clean up the shaft and reuse it but if you buy a new one you save a lot of time
and the components go back on quite nicely. 
I think there are some belt pully lock collars that you might want to replace and the 7/16 bolts that tend to break.


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## jaystihl (Feb 2, 2015)

Great thanks caltree!!


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## lone wolf (Feb 2, 2015)

jaystihl said:


> Vermeer sc252 27 hp kohler 450 hrs in good condition, seems to be bogging down to easy, new plugs( gapped correctly ) newly replaced fuel line and filter, new synthetic oil and filter, Green teeth are decent . im in florida so we have soft stumps( palms) , and hard stumps( oaks) , it must take you guys forever to grind huge oak stumps up north! Do all of these 252's seem to be weak or am I forgetting something mechanically?


New problem ? Did you just get the machine?


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## jaystihl (Feb 2, 2015)

I got the machine a couple of months ago. Put about 60 hrs on it so far. I grease bearings every couple of hours. 2 or 3 shots. I ground a stump today, took about 2 hours, 5 ft. Diameter lychee tree. After about 15 minutes I checked the cutter wheel bearings and the two bearings above those ( jack shaft bearings?). The were fine to touch, not to hot. When I was done with the stump they were Hot. Guess its time to change them or is that normal after 2 hours of operation?


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## lone wolf (Feb 2, 2015)

jaystihl said:


> I got the machine a couple of months ago. Put about 60 hrs on it so far. I grease bearings every couple of hours. 2 or 3 shots. I ground a stump today, took about 2 hours, 5 ft. Diameter lychee tree. After about 15 minutes I checked the cutter wheel bearings and the two bearings above those ( jack shaft bearings?). The were fine to touch, not to hot. When I was done with the stump they were Hot. Guess its time to change them or is that normal after 2 hours of operation?


The top ones run a bit more hot than the bottom bearings, shoot a temp gun at them and see what you got. As far as the slow grinding I would say sharpen or put new teeth.


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## Arboristo (Dec 4, 2015)

jaystihl said:


> Thinking of trying only 4 teeth method (2 pairs of teeth on opposite sides of the wheel). Anyone tried this? Any problems?



Can anyone tell me how you setup the 4 teeth system on the sc252? I have no idea how this can be done without getting the machine out of balance. Anyone has done this successfully?


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## OLD MAN GRINDER (Dec 5, 2015)

Nothing is more important on a low hp machine than sharp teeth imo...

I had a sc252 at one time, it was a good machine, but I can't emphasize enough the need for
sharp teeth, or it will bog down, prematurely wear out your belts and bearings, hope this helps..

Bob.....


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