Billy Goat Parts Blog

Even through the CR550HC overseeder is a simple machine, there are still steps you need to take to keep it running. Here’s what you need to know about maintaining your machine, as well as common repairs for the rake and drive belt system.

Maintenance Schedule

Always check the engine oil and air filter before you start the engine.
After every 25 hours of use, grease the reel bearings, oil the height adjustment linkage and inspect the belt.
The blade should be checked periodically for wear and chips. Blade wear will vary, depending on the soil in your area. These parts wear faster in areas with sandy or rocky soil.

Inspecting and Replacing Flail and Slicing Blades

1. Disconnect the spark plug. If equipped, close the fuel valve.
2. Lean the overseeder back on its handles, and place a weight over them to keep the machine tilted back.
3. Look over the blades. Replace any blade that is cracked or bent, or is less than three inches long. Billy Goat recommends replacing all flail blades at the same time, while slicing blades can be replaced individually.

Rotating the Reel Blades

The blades on the CR550HC are double-sided. Flipping the reel lets you change which side of the blades cuts the soil.

1. Remove the lock nuts holding on the shaft and belt guards. You need to move the height adjuster to reach some of these bolts. Set the guards aside.
2. Push the drive belt off of the pulleys.
3. Remove the nuts and washers from the bearings. Slide the reel out of the rake.
4. Remove the screw, washer, pulley, key and spacer from the end of the reel. Install these parts in the same order at the other end of the reel.
5. Reinstall the reel by following steps 1-3 in reverse order.

Drive Belt Replacement

Replace the drive belt if it’s cracked, or won’t fully engage the reel drive.

1. Unbolt and remove the belt guard.
2. Walk the old belt off of the pulleys. You may need to spin the reel pulley to get the belt off.
3. Walk the new belt onto the pulleys. Again, you may need to spin the reel pulley to get the belt onto the pulleys.
4. Close the reel engagement bail. The drive pulley spring should stretch 1 to 1.25 inches. Adjust the clutch cable until the spring stretch falls within this range.
5. Install the belt guard.

Do You Need Parts for Your Billy Goat?

Billy Goat Parts has everything you need to fix your equipment, whether you own an auger, a lawn vacuum or an overseeder like the CR550HC. Our search engine can find parts specific to your model and serial number. We also have sections of commonly ordered parts, including everything from wheels to belts. Having trouble identifying a part? We also have factory parts diagrams, so you can see exactly what you’re ordering. Visit us at www.billygoatparts.com. We can ship your order to any address in the U.S. or Canada.

Is it time to rebuild your lawn? A Billy Goat sod cutter makes quick work of removing top soil. Once your lawn is ready to plant, that leaves just one question: which type of grass should you use?

Climate Zones

Grasses can be divided into two main types: warm season and cool season. The U.S. climate can be divided into regions. Here’s where these regions cover, and the type of grass that works best in them.

Warm Season Grasses
Hot Summer Humid: South Carolina to East Texas
Semitropical: The Gulf Coast and Florida
Hot Summer Arid: Southern Arizona, New Mexico and Texas
Cool Season Grasses
Cold Winter Humid: From the East Coast to central Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota
Cold Winter Arid: Everything west of the Cold Winter Humid region, out to the central California, Oregon and Washington state.
Mild Winter Humid: The West Coast

Cool and warm season grasses both grow well in the transition zone, which stretches from North Carolina and Virginia to Southern California. If you plant both types of grass, you can extend the growing season.

Warm Season Grass Varieties

There are 5 main varieties of warm season grasses, each with traits that make it a great choice for a particular region.

Bermudagrass
– Needs sun
– Grows well in arid climates
– Low fertilizer and water requirements

St. Augustine
– Grows well in humid coastal areas
– High shade tolerance
– Grows in most soils
– Dies easily in freezing weather
– Susceptible to St. Augustine Decline (SAD) disease. Some varieties are SAD resistant.

Centipedegrass
– Likes hot, humid weather
– Best drought resistance
– Decent shade tolerance
– Freeze resistant, can stay green year-round in mild climates

Zoysiagrass
– Grows well in hot, humid weather
– Cold resistant
– High wear tolerance
– Good drought tolerance

Buffalograss
– Low maintenance
– Extreme drought resistance
– Poor shade tolerance

Cool Season Grasses

These four varieties make up the bulk of cool season grasses. While warm season sod usually has just one grass variety, most cool season sod uses a combination of grasses for better coverage.

Kentucky Bluegrass
– Needs direct sunlight
– Prevents the spread of weeds
– Slow growing
– Works best mixed with other varieties

Perennial Ryegrass
– Heat, insect and disease resistant
– Grows in poor quality soil
– High wear tolerance

Fine Fescue
– Grows well in sunlight and shade
– Doesn’t compete with other grasses
– Doesn’t need much fertilizer

Turf Type Tall Fescue
– Grows best in cool, humid climates
– Shade and drought tolerant
– New varieties are also heat, insect and disease tolerant

Is Your Equipment Ready for the Planting Season?

If you need to work on your Billy Goat sod cutter, power rake or overseeder, visit Billy Goat Parts. We’re a dealer for Billy Goat and their brand partners, which means we stock OEM accessories and parts to replace everything on your equipment. We have sections for commonly ordered parts, like blades and belts, and our search engine can find other parts specific to your machine. See what we offer at our website, www.billygoatparts.com. We ship across the U.S. and Canada.

It takes a lot of lubricants to keep your equipment moving, including engine oil, transmission fluid and bearing grease. What products should you use on your Billy Goat equipment? Here’s what the company and their manufacturing partners recommend.

Engine Oil

All engines used in Billy Goat equipment require gasoline engine oil. The engine manufacturers recommend oils that meet API gasoline engine oil standards. Honda recommends API category SJ or higher, while Vanguard and Briggs & Stratton recommend API category SF or higher. These categories are backwards compatible. Most oils sold today fall under API category SN, so they meet these manufacturer requirements.
For most uses, 10W-30 oil is fine for all brands of engines. Honda recommends 30 weight oil when working in temperatures above 90°F. Switching to this weight reduces oil burning. Vanguard recommends their 15W-50 synthetic oil for temperatures ranging from 20 to 130°F, and 5W-30 oil for temperatures below 30°F.

Gear Oil

Unlike API engine oil categories, using a higher gear oil category isn’t a good idea. Higher numbers mean better pressure and temperature resistance. However, the additives required to meet these standards may damage some metals used in your gearbox. Likewise, detergents keep components clean, but they can leave a sticky film that will interfere with your transmission. Most Billy Goat equipment requires GL-3 non-detergent oil.

Light Oil

Light oils are used to lubricate cables, axles and chains. Water displacers are not light oils. While you can use these to clean and free up components, always follow their application with a coating of oil. Billy Goat recommends general purpose oil, non-wax chain lube, non-detergent oil, or silicone spray lube on these components.You can also use electric motor oil, which is a type of non-detergent oil.

Hydrostatic Transmission Fluid

The oil in Tuff Torq transmissions is designed to last the life of your equipment. However, if you need to top up the case after fixing a leaking seal, the company recommends using their own hydraulic fluid. This oil has the additives needed to meet the company’s service life requirements. If it isn’t available, use 10W-30 diesel engine oil.

Hydro-Gear recommends 15W-50 synthetic motor oil for the transaxles used in Billy Goat’s Hurricane leaf blowers.

Grease

Billy Goat recommends using NLGI Grade 2 grease in bearings. Multipurpose lithium grease is recommended. Marine and automotive Grade 2 grease is also safe to use on these components.

Need Something for Your Billy Goat?

Billy Goat Parts carries everything you need to maintain your Billy Goat equipment, including factory lubricants. We’re an authorized dealer for the company, as well as their manufacturing partners. That means we carry parts for your engine and transmission, not just the Billy Goat-built parts of your equipment. Visit us at www.billygoatparts.com. Our high demand parts sections list our OEM lubricants, and you can use our search engine to find anything else you need. We ship across the USA and Canada.

How wide of an aerator do you need? With Billy Goat’s AET 48/72” towable aerator, you can put together blocks of tines to make a trailer that maximizes productivity, while still fitting in all the areas you need to reach. How do you use one of these trailers? Here’s everything you need to know, including how to replace tines, get the right cutting depth and make turns.

Setting Tine Height

To set the tine height, you need to adjust the height of both wheels. These wheels must be at the same height, or the added stress on the frame will damage your aerator.
Release the tension on the lift rod by pushing down on the wheel guard or sliding the lift rod into the square slot and pushing it in. Pull the pin out. Move the wheel up or down to the desired height, then insert the lift rod. Repeat this process on the other wheel.
Once the tine height is set, your aerator will return to this height each time you raise the wheels.

Engaging the Tines

Tow the trailer to the area you want to aerate. Lift the wheels by pushing on the wheel guards or pulling out the lift rod pins. This drops the tines into the soil. Both wheels must be lifted, or the added pressure on the lifted side may bend the trailer.
Penetration depends more on the weight on the aerator and the compaction and humidity of the soil than the tine height. For the best results, water the ground the day before aerating. If you still aren’t getting good penetration, add more weight to the trailer by filling the included water canisters, or piling cinder blocks on top of the aerator sections.

Turning

You can leave the tines engaged while making turns. Just take it slow when you line up for the next pass, and avoid making tight turns. Otherwise, the side-to-side movement of the tines may tear up the soil.

Replacing Individual Tines

Have a bent, cracked or worn tine? You can replace it in a couple minutes, even if you’re in the field. Even broken tines are sharp. Always wear gloves when you’re working on this part of your aerator.
1. Raise the tines. Use wheel chocks to keep the trailer from rolling.
2. Loosen the outer nut and carriage bolt holding the tine to the tine wheel, then the inner nut and bolt. Leave these parts in place.
3. Use a pry bar to push the tine plates away from the tine. You should be able to pull out the old tine.
4. Slide the new tine into place, then tighten the inner nut and carriage bolt, followed by the outer bolt and nut.

Need Something for Your Aerator?

Whether you just need some new tines, or a few parts to repair trailer damaged, you can find everything for your Billy Goat at www.billygoatparts.com. Our site has sections for commonly ordered parts, and our search engine can find parts specific to your model. We ship across the U.S. and Canada.

Air filters are some of the most important and overlooked parts on outdoor power equipment. If you let your filters go too long between cleaning or replacement, performance can suffer. It’s also possible for air to leak around clogged filters, drawing in dirt that will quickly wear down your engine. Here’s what you should know about maintaining the filters on your Billy Goat equipment.

Paper Filter Elements

Paper elements have fine pores that trap the smallest dust particles. Most commercial engines use a paper element alone, or in combination with a foam pre-filter. Once the paper is saturated with dirt, it must be replaced.

Paper air filters need to be cleaned occasionally. Over time, surface buildup on the filter media can reduce air flow. Honda says you can use compressed air to clean their filters, as long as the air pressure is limited to 30 PSI. Other manufacturers do not recommend using air for cleaning. Instead, remove the filter from the air box, and strike it against a hard surface a couple times. This dislodges the surface dirt.

Foam Filter Elements

A foam filter traps dirt in its pores. Alone, these filters aren’t very effective. Some foam filters are oiled. The oil on the surface of the foam captures fine dust particles, making them as effective as some paper filters. As long as it’s cared for, you only need to replace a foam filter if it starts to tear.
Do you need to oil your filter? That depends on your engine. As a general rule, if you have a Briggs & Stratton engine that only uses a foam filter element, it should be oiled. If it has both foam and paper elements, it shouldn’t be oiled. Honda filters should be oiled. If you have an older piece of equipment with a Subaru engine, it may or may not need to be oiled. When in doubt, check your owner’s manual.
All foam filters should be cleaned periodically. Wash the filter with a mild soap and water to remove dirt and oil. Let it dry completely before oiling or reinstalling to keep water from getting in the engine.
To oil a clean filter, soak it in clean engine oil, then gently squeeze out any excess. Do not twist the filter. If you want to make this process mess free, put the filter and oil in a plastic bag, and squeeze the outside of the bag. You do not need to use a specialty filter oil for any engine filter used with Billy Goat equipment.

Air Boxes

When you take the filter out of the air box, wipe out any trapped dirt. This helps the air filter seal, and keeps dust from clogging the intake.

Need Parts for Your Engine?

Billy Goat Parts carries everything for your equipment, including engine parts. We’re an authorized dealer for Honda, Kohler, Vanguard and Briggs & Stratton. That means we carry the parts you need to fix your engine. Need an air filter? We have high demand parts sections on our front page for the most common Billy Goat engines. Visit us online at www.billygoatparts.com. We can ship what you need to any address in the United States or Canada.

The AET 36/60” does everything you could ask of a towable aerator. Hate having to lift up the tines in turns? With this aerator, you can leave them down. Need something that covers wide and narrow areas? Thanks to its folding wings, you can adjust the AET 36/60’s size to the job. It’s even set up so you can tow it with a ball or a three point hitch. That just leaves one problem: How do you use all these features? These tips will help you get started with your aerator trailer.

Connecting the Aerator to a Tow Vehicle

To connect the aerator to a three-point tractor hitch, first slide the inner and outer tow bar sections together. Swing the bar up against the aerator. Insert Clevis pins into the holes on the middle and bottom of the bar, then lock these pins in place with cotter pins. From here, you can connect your tractor using the brackets on the bottom corners of the aerator frame and the bracket on the tow bar.
If you want to tow using a single hitch, remove the Clevis pins holding the tow bar against the aerator. Lower the bar, then slide it out until you have the right length to keep the trailer level behind your tow vehicle. You may need to adjust the bar length if you fold the wings or add weights to the trailer. Install Clevis pins and cotter pins in the holes at the back end and middle of the hitch. Make sure the Clevis pins go through both the inner and outer parts of the tow bar.

Locking and Unlocking the Tines

The tines should be locked in place when pulling the aerator. Unlocking the tines lets the tine wheels swivel, so you can make turns without lifting the tines out of the soil.
Remove the lock pins from the tine arms to unlock the tines. Once you’ve made the turn, pull the trailer forward to line up for you next pass. This should straighten the tine arms, making it easy to insert the pins and lock the tines in place.

Using the Wings

The AET 36/60” can be used with both wings down, both wings up or one wing up. With both wings up, the trailer is 36 inches wide. With both wings down, it’s 60 inches wide. With one wing down, it’s 48 inches wide. You can leave either wing folded down, letting you choose the side that works best for the area you’re aerating.
Folding the wings increases the weight on the tines, which helps them penetrate hard soil. If you need more penetration with the wings out, you can place cinder blocks or water jugs on top of the trailer to weigh it down.

Changing Tine Height

If you want better soil penetration, prepare the land by watering the area the day before. Setting tine depth only limits the maximum penetration depth. It won’t compensate for problems caused by dry, compacted soil.
To set the height, turn the crank on the front of the trailer to drop the tines into the soil. The crank on the back of the trailer sets the caster. Turn this crank until the trailer is level.

Need Something for Your Aerator?

Billy Goat Parts carries everything you need to repair or upgrade your Billy Goat lawn care equipment. For quick ordering, we have sections for commonly requested parts, like new tines. Need something more specific? Our search engine can find parts specific to your model. Visit us at www.billygoatparts.com. We can ship your order to any address in the U.S. or Canada.

Temperatures are finally rising, which means it’s time to think about lawn care again. Overseeding does more than fill in bald spots on your lawn. It also fills in the spaces between mature grass growth, turning sparse turf into a thick carpet. Taking these steps will help you prepare your lawn, plant at the right time, and ensure your new grass takes root.

When is the Best Time to Seed?

No matter where you live, or what you’re planting, you need to look for the same weather conditions. All seed varieties germinate when temperatures are between 59-77°F. For the grass to survive, it can’t freeze until the grass has had enough time to take root and grow at least two inches.

Getting the Ground Ready to Plant

To give your new grass the best chance of succeeding, you need to take four steps to prepare your lawn.
Fertilizing: Get a soil test a few weeks before you plan on seeding. This will tell you exactly what your fertilizer needs to add to your soil to give your grass the best chance of surviving. Adding fertilizer with a high phosphorous (P) level encourages growth.
Aerating: This relieves soil compaction, helps new roots penetrate the soil, and provides better air and water access to new seeds. If you don’t need to aerate, you can lay down a light top dress. This loose soil gives grass a place to latch onto during germination.
Dethatching: Keeping thatch under a half inch thick is important for any lawn. However, it’s especially important for seeding, because it helps the grass seeds reach the soil.
Mowing: To get your seeds maximum soil contact, mow your lawn to a height of two inches or less before overseeding.

How Do I Choose the Drop Rate?

If this is your first time overseeding, use the maximum drop rate recommended by the seed manufacturer. Likewise, you should drop the maximum amount over bald spots to cover them with new growth.
If you have overseeded before, add enough seed to compensate for gaps left by mature grass. Use a low drop rate in thick areas, and a medium drop rate in sparse areas. Drop rate settings for your Billy Goat overseeder are printed on a label located on the underside of the seed bin lid.

Getting Your Grass Off to a Good Start

Direct sunlight can harm young grass. If you’re overseeding a bald spot, cover the area with straw or a thin dressing of soil.
Water the soil two to three times per day. Lay down just enough water to keep the surface soil moist. Once the seeds sprout, switch to less frequent, deeper watering. You can return to your regular lawn care routine once the new grass is two inches tall.

Is Your Equipment Ready?

Do you need some parts to get your Billy Goat equipment back to work after spending the winter in storage? Billy Goat Parts is here to help. We carry everything you need, including OEM parts and accessories for your equipment and the engines that power them. Visit us at www.billygoatparts.com. We can ship your order anywhere in the U.S. or Canada.