Cub Cadet Tank

tennmogger · Jul 16, 2011

I have a Tank 60" ZTR with fabricated deck, 2 yrs, 200 hours. Just had the first failure, the electric clutch. Is this a common failure? It's an expensive failure that's going to cost $500 just for the clutch, with tax.

The construction of these clutches is really flimsy with power transmitted through some thin metal spring links to rivets (which broke). The rivets came out and the thin v-pulley center tore loose.

I bought it used with only 100 hours and looking like new, but I don't know the mower's earlier history. No doubt there's no help from original warranty. Other than this failure my luck with the Tank has been good. I do enjoy driving the Tank and it cuts well.

Bob

MrHiggins · Jul 17, 2011

I have a White zero-turn that I bought used, it looked like new and had about 200 hours on it when the electric clutch went out. I also had one just like it I had bought new and used commercially that had 2,000 or more hours on it. The motor locked up on it and it was pretty beat up. So I took the clutch off it and put it on the used one. It is still going strong (knock on wood). Try a web site M&D in Ohio, they probably have what you need at a reaonable price.
MrHiggins

tennmogger · Aug 6, 2011

MrHiggins, Thanks for that source reference. They did not have the clutch needed. I located several on-line sources but none were better prices than the local dealer, a good guy to whom I wanted to give my business. Then he gave me a price break too, undoubtedly cutting into his profit. While the new clutch was coming in I rebuilt the old clutch using stainless screws for rivets and welding the v-pulley back together. The rebuilt clutch (still on the mower, 3 or 4 hours later) seems as good as the new one but I'm keeping the new one for insurance. If I sent the new one back the old one would fail, if Murphy is still his old self.

A few hours after getting the Tank going again it died suddenly. Some part of the safety circuit opened up. After checking all the switches and wiggling the engine harness it started right back up again. Has anyone put in an 'emergency' bypass to allow finishing a job, just in case?

The dealer could not find a wiring schematic in any of his dealer docs. Maybe one does not exist?