link belt on x300 mower deck and pto clutch operation?

[freezmcnally]

anyone tried harbor freight linkbelt on a mower deck vs reg belts? my x300 42" deck keeps chewing belts. I know I probably have a worn pulley but it would also be nice to replace a few links on a belt vs 50-70$ (146") belts every time something glitches. its on the mower right now but I can't tell if its slipping.
also is the pto designed to slip in thick wet grass or should the mower engine just bog down?

 

[jgayman]

I doubt you would have much success. JD belts, while expensive, are very high quality and last a long time. Also, JD in most cases uses a less common bevel angle on their V-belts which makes it more difficult to find substitutes that fit properly. I'd concentrate on finding the worn pulley/bearing on the deck.

The electric PTO typically should not slip under any circumstances. Even when you hit something with the blades it will stall the engine right out with little to no PTO clutch slippage.

 

[beenthere]

Don't see where the JD belts are overly expensive. $33 for 60" link belt at HF, so need 12+ feet, or $99 worth if can't buy by the foot (cheaper if using a coupon). They are just under $60 per JD belt if ordered through Amazon or from the Deere dealer.

Maybe savings for longer life, and the OP apparently is trying if "its on the mower right now". But the slipping may be that the Deere belt is a hair wider than the 0.5" width and/or there is a bad bearing in one of the deck pulley's that is slowing the deck blades and appears as PTO slippage. Any slippage will appear as "smoke" I'd think.

Hope the OP keeps us informed as to the success of the link belt.

 

[Richard001]

I doubt you would have much success. JD belts, while expensive, are very high quality and last a long time.

I am having trouble with this statement as the OP is saying that "my x300 42" deck keeps chewing belts." If they truly last a long time, the OP would not be posting here.

Also, JD in most cases uses a less common bevel angle on their V-belts which makes it more difficult to find substitutes that fit properly.

Why does JD do this, do they have more knowledge of V-belt power transmission than the rest of the industry or do they just want to make sure that you can't buy the belt at your local hardware store?

Richard

 

[Diggin It]

The JD branded belts are junk. Very short life from the one I bought ... ONE. Never again. I switched to the blue Kevlar belts for $20 or so. To be fair, I ate one of those too, but my deck has more hours than most - just over 1,000 now.

 

[Diggin It]

Why does JD do this, do they have more knowledge of V-belt power transmission than the rest of the industry or do they just want to make sure that you can't buy the belt at your local hardware store?

That. A lot of their parts are just a bit off standard that way so that you can't buy exactly the same thing from outside their supply chain.

.

 

[beenthere]

anyone tried harbor freight linkbelt on a mower deck vs reg belts? my x300 42" deck keeps chewing belts. I know I probably have a worn pulley but it would also be nice to replace a few links on a belt vs 50-70$ (146") belts every time something glitches. its on the mower right now but I can't tell if its slipping.
also is the pto designed to slip in thick wet grass or should the mower engine just bog down?

Maybe this video explains the problem.. and as mentioned in a different thread, there is a JD fix.
John Deere x3?? mower belt breaking prematurely - YouTube

Not the belt at all, but the adjustment bolt threads hanging close to the deck belt.
As well, the video may show why a "hardware store" belt won't work well with the number of pulley's and long length of the belt involved.
Such deck designs come with the lower-priced end of mowers, of all brands.

Hope to hear more about the link belts as replacement.

 

[RickB]

C

JD in most cases uses a less common bevel angle on their V-belts which makes it more difficult to find substitutes that fit.

I highly doubt that. Manufacturing every sheave, pulley and electric clutch to a non-industry standard?
Got any documentation of that?

Kevlar replacement belts are available from a wide variety of sources and many have direct cross references to OEM part numbers.

 

[Diggin It]

I highly doubt that. Manufacturing every sheave, pulley and electric clutch to a non-industry standard?
Got any documentation of that?

Basically other boards like this. JD is said to use a steeper angle. Something like 32 degrees instead of 36-40.

 

[beenthere]

"other boards" is not "documentation".. on the net, anything can be "said" or claimed..