Eatin' belts

[gregz]

I need some help. My 1988 jd855 with 60" deck. Two months, two mower deck belts. All three spindles and bearing presumed good. Two different dealer mechanics said nothing wrong with them and if it was there shop for repairs they would not replace them. After installing new belt everything looks good tensioner , etc. After a few weeks mowing belt slaps' around and under the covers and all over top of deck is all black rubber. Next step I guess is replace all the bearings? One of the dealer replaced the tensioner spring

One thing I do is mow different heights . Do I need to adjust the wheel height each time. I just use the center adjuster on the tractor and drop the height lever . I also mow with the rpm set at correct pto line on rpm gauge
Any help much appreciated

gregz

 

[94BULLITT]

How long have you owned the machine?

Are all the pulleys in good shape?

Is there any slop in the tensioner?

Are all the pulleys on it correctly?

Is the belt being routed correctly?

Are they using the correct belt?

 

[gregz]

6 months
yes
no
yes
yes
yes

 

[Bird]

The only time I've had such problems, I found pulley alignment to be the cause.

 

[Tor Arne]

Have you checked if the pulleys are aligned? Find a level or similar and place on top of the pulleys and see if there are differences in the height

 

[JD755]

The wheels are there only to prevent scalping on unevern terrain. No need to keep adjusting them. On bumps where the wheels could touch the ground the mow height there may be less than you have the height knob set. Only if grass height on those bumps is real important would you have to bother with the wheel height.

 

[alchemysa]

Mowing at too low revs will cause belts to wildly flex and snap because the blades don't have enough momentum to blast through every twig or thick tuft of grass. You should mow at full throttle. I was going through a belt a month til I fixed this issue. I had to tune the engine to get it back to recommended revs. (The most important thing was valve clearance).

 

[Bird]

You should mow at full throttle.

Amen. One thing that surprises me is the number of people who think they are doing their equipment a favor by not running at the higher speeds that the manufacturer built the machine for. And that applies to riding mowers, walk behind mowers, as well as the PTO for tractor implements. You ain't gonna make your machine last longer by running that engine at lower speeds than it was built for.

 

[chevy]

You ain't gonna make your machine last longer by running that engine at lower speeds than it was built for.

Maybe not, but mine mows fine & takes a lot less fuel when running at a lower RPM.

 

[Bird]

Maybe not, but mine mows fine & takes a lot less fuel when running at a lower RPM.

Well, it's your machine, so I don't care how you do it, since I know that I'm not going to be buying one that you've owned before me.:laughing:

 

[burnieman]

Well, it's your machine, so I don't care how you do it, since I know that I'm not going to be buying one that you've owned before me.:laughing:

It almost sounds like you're saying he doesn't know what he's doing. Not very helpful. Here on TBN we like to be cordial and helpful. Now say you're sorry and shake his hand! Go on, say it!

 

[Bird]

Sorry for what. I told him I don't care what he does to, or how he uses, his equipment, and I don't. I did not say he doesn't know what he's doing because I don't know whether he does or not. So, burnieman, you assumed facts not in evidence.:laughing: But I, personally, would not want to buy a used one that he's owned. Simple statement of fact. Maybe he wouldn't want to buy one I've owned, and if so, that would sure be his privilege, and I would have no hard feelings, and I wouldn't think he owed me any apology for his opinion.:laughing:

 

[chevy]

Well, it's your machine, so I don't care how you do it, since I know that I'm not going to be buying one that you've owned before me.:laughing:

Since you are in Texas & I am in Indiana, you would never have the opportunity to buy any of my used machines anyway because dealers always have a waiting list for my used John Deere tractors & equipment.

 

[LD1]

Ditto on pulley alignment and checking pulley wear.

Also, what brand belt are you using?? Some cheap china belt?? Or a good kevlar USA belt??

Might have to (watch out for the safety police) run it with the covers off to see what is going on.

 

[gregz]

Thanks for helpful tips. This weekend I will pull the deck and check level on the pulleys. Low rpm not the problem I keep her wound up most of the time

 

[Bird]

Since you are in Texas & I am in Indiana, you would never have the opportunity to buy any of my used machines anyway because dealers always have a waiting list for my used John Deere tractors & equipment.

And you may know more about the machines than I do, which wouldn't be any big surprise.:laughing:

You might even know more than the manufacturer, but that would be a bit of a surprise, although certainly a possibility.:laughing:

I cut and baled hay with a bigger tractor, but used 2 different small Kubotas with a tiller and rotary cutters; one with a finish mower, and for all those jobs, I used the manufacturer's "PTO speed". I now have a little Toro ZTR and the manual in more than one place says to engage the blades and mow with the throttle in the "Fast" position. So, yep, it might use a bit more gas, but I'll take that chance.

I even service and operate my car and pickup as the manufacturer says to do it.:laughing:

One of the things I was taught in an unrelated occupation, but I think applies to all, was to go by the book until you know more than the book. So maybe you know more than the book, but I don't.:laughing:

 

[buickanddeere]

My dim witted kid smoked the belts of the mower twice and burned some extra fuel while taking a long time to mow the lawns. Turns out the dumb azz kept turning right and kept re-mowing/re-mulching the clippings from the previous passes. Caught him doing the 3rd time and he went wailing to his mother about the boot print on the seat of his pants.

 

[Bird]

kept re-mowing/re-mulching the clippings from the precious passes

So what's wrong with that? I sometimes do it myself to mulch and scatter the clippings instead of leaving a thick windrow.

 

[buickanddeere]

3" of heavy wet mulch 48" wide plus the uncut grass underneath? Not talking about dry fluff

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

To address the original issue, I wonder how the blade spindles turn with belt tension on them, rather than when they are free to turn with no side tension.....

I think there is a back bevel on the top edges of the belt. Could the belt be inside out ? KnowwhatImean.......

I also have an 855 with a 60" deck. The only issue I have had is with the bearing going out of the tension pulley and needing replaced....

Good luck