This demonstration guide answers one field question about a bearing that has brinelled after a stump strike. Measurements come before parts, and the notes are not a generic equipment FAQ.
Diagnose before replacing parts
Start with spindle side play and grease-purge condition. That reading separates a bearing that has brinelled after a stump strike from adjacent faults that share the same complaint.
If the measurement is out of spec, treat the spindle assembly as the primary path. If it is in spec, do not replace the spindle assembly just to complete a parts list.
Repair the failed system
The usual correction is the spindle assembly, installed to the documented spec for this complaint.
A demonstration shop records the finding so the next technician is not repeating a guess about a bearing that has brinelled after a stump strike.
Stop before you make it worse
Do not packing a failed bearing with extra grease. That shortcut hides the original measurement and creates a second failure.
If the machine still fails after the spindle assembly is corrected, convert the visit to a broader diagnosis rather than stacking parts.
Written and published by Ridgeline Small Engine.