hotajax 284 #1 Posted yesterday at 04:38 PM I use the #1594 belt on my 48" deck. How long can I expect it to go? Do you guys change belts just because they've been on for X number of years, or just wait til they snap? Thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ri702bill 12,860 #2 Posted yesterday at 05:39 PM (edited) Neither. Belts tend to fatigue when left under tension on the diameter of the pulley(s). That is why I release the spring loaded idler on my Ariens walkbehind SnoThro in the off season AND after every storm it is used. The belt tends to "Chunk" if left in that tight radius shape for a long time and suddenly relaxed. The deck belt unfortunately does not have an easy way to do that. I inspect the deck and PTO belt at the start of the cutting season & replace one or both if they are questionable. The old one(s) go back into the cardboard sleeve that is marked for the tractor & application. That way, there is a "spare" and a part number hanging on the wall... In the event of a duplicate, keep the better of th two & toss the other... Edited yesterday at 06:16 PM by ri702bill 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peter lena 10,020 #3 Posted 7 hours ago @hotajax why do belts fail? more often than not , LUBRICATION FAILURE IN RELATED BEARING ! incremental bearing freeze up , literally stops belt , starting reaction WAVE , VIBRATION , sound familiar ? bet there are a few bearings that are rough , /noisy . regular replacement maint , pete Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tunahead72 2,657 #4 Posted 6 hours ago 19 hours ago, ri702bill said: ... I inspect the deck and PTO belt at the start of the cutting season & replace one or both if they are questionable. The old one(s) go back into the cardboard sleeve that is marked for the tractor & application. That way, there is a "spare" and a part number hanging on the wall... In the event of a duplicate, keep the better of th two & toss the other... That's pretty much exactly what I do, maybe with a couple extra inspections during the mowing season. "Questionable" to me means numerous noticeable splits or other nasty-looking flaws on the underside of the belt. Those two belts have typically lasted several years on my Wheel Horses. I can only think of 2-3 times one of them has actually snapped while mowing, the timing is never good when that happens, and it can be a real pain if you don't have spares. Releasing the tension on the PTO belt as @ri702bill suggests sounds like a really good idea, and easy to do. I think I'll start doing that soon, at least at the end of the season. And keep those deck spindles lubricated. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
peter lena 10,020 #5 Posted 4 hours ago @tunahead72 @ri702bill did this many years ago , every related , bearing , including , mule drive and pto cone , needle bearing , has been wiped /. flushed out , carb cleaner , LUCAS X TRA HD , GREEN CHASSIS GREASE ? 550 deg flash point , also polyurea rated . anti sling , walmart , $8 , no bearing whine , or failure's , another related failure area ? pto drive clutch plate , NEVER BEEN REPLACED ? WHY ? because all related , rotational movement areas , move with quiet ease , 3 horses with the same upgrade , no failures or noise , also sun bake my mower decks , with oil , like this , no failures / rust , pete Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
