JDLA115 44 inch snow caster

[leonz]

NOT happy,

JD wants $120.00 and change for a lower snow blower belt on the 44 inch units!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can buy 4 of them from NAPA or Mcmaster Carr for the same money.

Its off to NAPA with the belt in the morning and I have to see if I can get it in Kevlar belt as long as I am there.

I already put up with "We don't remember how the tensioner spring hooks up" soap opera episode with a round trip of 70 miles to their shop. THANK YOU RAD, NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They would have better spent their time making a snow caster with a Briggs V twin 22 horse rear engine mount and a PTO shaft with rotating impeller drum for the ice and salt crap snow that is left in front of your driveway. The extra weight would certainly go along way in making the **** thing move better even with chains loaded rears and two suitcase weights.

I will probably have to add a 60 pound bag of tube sand to the 82 pounds of suit case weights on it already as the snow caster is still hard to move without power up front as I still lose traction.

Would not be so bad but the whole thing, snowplow used once/worthless, 42 inch mower and 44 inch snow blower and tractor are only worth about $200 on trade with 127 hours on it.

At the rate I am going I will probably invest in a BCS with the diesel engine and a 2 stage snow caster, flail mower and a sulky with a wind screen. At least the all gear drive on the BCS will not cost me any belts and extra work.

 

[Richard001]

Leon,

Take a deep breath, relax. Your kinda worked up.

Hope you feel better now that you got that off your chest.

 

[beenthere]

I am guessing a snow "caster" is a snow "blower" here. Don't follow some of the rant.. but hope you get what you need for belts and are back up and blowing snow soon. Aggravating when things don't work, and we all understand that frustration.

 

[leonz]

Yup snow caster/snow clearer is the actually proper term
still pissed as the old vertical engined mules ran better with
a simpler belt drive off the crank DO YOU HEAR THAT MOLINE??????

BETTER YET Moline, you should drop the price of your series one tractors so
people can afford them rather than invest in an X series that would have
the same excuse for a belt drive for the 48 inch snow caster!!!!!!!!!!

Spending 15K PLUS for a NEW 4 wheel drive mule with stamped axles
and no rear remotes is the money you spend on a bloody used car in good condition.

They will be more expensive next year with the Tier four engines with the Particulate
filters in the exhaust. Cripes its better to spend money on an aftermarket catalytic
converter for the *&^ exhaust system.


As Dangermouse's Cohort Pennfold would say: "Criminy" my 7 year old power
curve snow pup with the 2 cycle tecumseh and band belt drive cleared out the
mess the state left on my driveway without breaking a sweat.

I had a single stage 12 hp cub cadet with rear chains and no ballast that nothing
could stop when clearing snow. The IHC did not make junk in 1967-8

 

[beenthere]

Looking at JD site, and don't see snow caster or snow clearer anywhere. Wonder where this "proper term" comes from? Maybe a New Englander term?
Snow blower or snow thrower if two-stage or single stage is what I'm used to here in the midwest.
But just semantics.. Don't think Moline is listening to you tho..
Neighbor is not having any complaints.. and he moves a lot of snow. just sayin...

 

[leonz]

Does your neighbor have to deal with a of salty slush that ruins belts??

Moline is not listening. I ended up with an A115 V belt and its a tad tight but I figure It will last a while.

I cant afford to spend $80.00 or $120.00USD dollars for a JD V belt that I may have to replace twice a season.

I have to check at tractor supply to see if they have a kevlar belt that size.

 

[leonz]

After clearing 3 inches of slushy snow with the new belt yesterday I can happily say the A115 belt even though a bit tight worked well and I lost no torque from slippage.

I figure that I can live with and manage with an A115 belt as a replacement; granted the snubber pulley cannot be used with the A115 belt but my sanity is more important.

I did not reinstall the rear bolts that keep the OEM belt in place on the lower pulley/belt frame after installing the A115 belt but I still have them.

 

[beenthere]

Glad to hear you are off and running now. Apparently a good fix.
Still curious where "caster" comes from.. other than a leonz name.
Started out a snow blower when new...
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/john-deere-lawn-garden/199906-john-deere-44-inch-snow.html

 

[Gator6x4]

After clearing 3 inches of slushy snow with the new belt yesterday I can happily say the A115 belt even though a bit tight worked well and I lost no torque from slippage.

I figure that I can live with and manage with an A115 belt as a replacement; granted the snubber pulley cannot be used with the A115 belt but my sanity is more important.

I did not reinstall the rear bolts that keep the OEM belt in place on the lower pulley/belt frame after installing the A115 belt but I still have them.

Not reinstalling the bolts will give you the opportunity to work on something else in the near future and then tell us about it.

 

[leonz]

With this thing being 6 years old its not worth much anyway and I found A118 belts at
tractor supply so I will run it with the A115 belt for now as it has much much more
torque with out the snubber pulley and it does not plug up and that is fine with me.

You get what you pay for.