Simplicity 1616H mowhawked my yard.

[pbrizz]

During a mow it suddenly quit mowing the middle stripe. The middle blade was spinning but not cutting much. And a noise started. Took the deck off, cleaned it. All the blades spin freely, not loose. The arbor drive belt is intact but loose. Is that normal? The outer blades cut just fine still. Can稚 decide if I need a new belt or one of the pulleys?

The sound is a jumpy skipping type sound, louder when engaged in the grass. Not a squeal.

 

[metalbender]

How is the belt routing around the middle pulley. If the belt is a tad loose, and doesn't have enough purchase around the pulley, it will slip. The outer pulleys usually have enough belt to pulley contact to prevent slippage even with a bit of loss in belt tension.

 

[pbrizz]

It looks to grab the pulley like it should. The spring/tension pulley was a little loose so I tightened it. The belt has a few cracks in it.

 

[countrybumpkin]

Sounds like either the pulley or blade is slipping on the arbor shaft when you put a load on it (as in the blade trying to cut the grass).

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Can you reach the middle blade when the tensioner is engaged? (With the engine OFF of course! ). See if you can move the blade easily, and if the upper pulley is also turning. I'm not sure if the blade would stay in place, but maybe the shaft broke intside the hub / mandrel. Could be just making enough contact to start spinning the blade, but not when it's under load

 

[Alan W.]

Had a rear finish mower do that. Had a washer under the blade bolt that had cracked in two. Without the washer the bolt would bottom in the spindle and allow the blade to slip.