Mowing Frontier mower woes

[Jack Squat]

I'll have to admit - it is my own fault... I was mowing too tall of grass with it (for being a finish mower). I was only cutting into it about a foot, but it was obviously too much (more on that later). Anyway I blew an idler pulley. What blows my mind is 69.00 for it. REALLY NOW. That is ridiculus. I see some general replacement ones that are close in the 10 to 20 dollar range. I understand Woods makes this for John Deere Frontier line. I found out that a Woods idler that is exact, except the bearing ID is about 1/8 smaller, and it is 44.00. What do you guys think? Is there any other option here - and don't you think JD is getting overboard with this kind of mark up? I would really like to fix this for less $...

Now for the later - I have a sometimes pond. Sometimes it is there, sometimes it is not. SO when it is there, I can't mow too close to it. But when it goes dry, I would like to clean it up closer with my mower. I just can't justify getting a bush hog for this. But now I realize that I can't mow that taller stuff without risking damage to the RFM..... suggestions?????

Honestly, it makes me sick - wish I had gotten a Woods initially.

 

[JDeerekid]

If it is just grass and is not much you should still be able to mow it with your mower. Just mow it high then lower the mower and mow it again and repeat until it is the height you want. The key is go slower and take your time.

Also can you get the part from a different store such as graingers??? Even tractor supply carries alot of pulleys.

 

[Jack Squat]

Yep - was going slow - and a finish mower does not really adjust up much. I have it about 1/4 to 1/2 inch down from the highest setting. I find the angle gets too much if I try to use the 3 pt raise on it. The grass gets almost 2 to 3 ft high at times, and of course kind of thick. I was in 1st low gear as the ground is very irregular and a little slopped.

I looked at Tractor Supply, Co-op and Northern tool - they are all too small by a good 1 to 2 inches - do not believe I have that much belt adjust to allow for that small of a pulley.

Thanks for tryin though..........

 

[mjncad]

Take a look at McMaster-Carr for pulleys. www.mcmaster.com

Unlike snotty Grainger, McMaster-Carr is more than willing to sell to lowly homeowners.

 

[jd110]

Can you post dimensions for the pulley? Bearing inside diameter and pulley outside diameter? I looked up part number 5BP0008561. Is that correct? It looks like the bolt that goes through the bearing is 20 mm, so I assume that is bearing size, but I dont see pulley O.D. listed.

 

[Jack Squat]

The pulley OD is 6 1/4 inches, and yes, the nut is identified as 20 mm - which has to be the ID. The thickness of the pulley is 1 1/2 inches. I started to look at the site mjncad referred to, but did not have enough time to dig around in it and find a good match yet. Thanks for your efforts everyone.

Would one imagine that the tall thick grass is what blew this pulley (even though I only cut into it about a foot)? This is the second mowing season for it, since I got it new. Tractor is just short of 110 hours - have to guess that the mower is probably at about 75 hours or so.