New for 2024, we've upgraded the spindles on all RZ-Pro models and up, significantly improving mower performance and reliability.
After months of testing, our engineering team released a product recommendation to increase the robustness of the spindles on Spartan's heavy-duty decks, making them that much stronger. In fact, the final test consisted of inserting a steel rod into the path of the blades running wide open at 18,500 FPM. This test—performed not once but three times—resulted in bent blades with no damage to the spindles or the deck.* The blades and bolts were also easily removed due to decreased torque upon impact.
That's not to say that you can run over anything with your mower and not mess it up, but these new spindles greatly reduce the chances of significant damage from an occasional hard impact.
Spartan's Upgraded Spindles
Bigger Bolt Pattern—A bigger bolt pattern of six bolts rather than four spreads the load more evenly across the spindle and deck.This reduces the likelihood of the spindles breaking or deck bending due to an impact. The spindle bolts are also pre-assembled into the housings to streamline the assembly process at the factory as well as improve serviceability in the field.
- Larger Housing—A much larger die-cast aluminum housing utilizes six mounting fasteners to vastly improve impact resistance and increase spindle life.
Blade Locking Plate—A proprietary blade fastener locking mechanism prevents our blade bolts from gaining torque and overtightening during a hard impact.
Sealed Bearings—Two sealed bearings with a top shield substantially reduce moisture and help prevent contaminate intrusion. If moisture does get past the cap and sealed bearings, there is an added groove cut on the inside as an added measure.
All 2024 models from the RZ-Pro and up feature this new spindle design, which increases the overall diameter of the the bolt pattern and includes six bolts instead of four. Unfortunately, this means that the spindles are not compatible on older models because the larger spindle and two extra bolts will not fit in the existing spindle holes. However, deck replacement kits for the RZ-Pro, RZ-HD, RT, SRT, and KGZ models will be produced with the upgraded spindles going forward.
For more information on deck replacement kits or to test drive a new unit, contact your local Spartan dealer.
*Hazardous testing is performed by certified technicians in a controlled environment. Do not attempt to replicate.