Broke my B2710

Bird · Jul 4, 2001

I got most of the yard mowed today when the charge light lit up on the instrument panel, and the temperature gauge started climbing at an amazing rate. Of course, I shut it down quickly. The fan belt didn't completely break in two; just badly chewed up and jumped out of the pulleys. Only 298 hours on it, and I think this is the first time I ever had a fan belt let go on a tractor (I've had a few go on other vehicles). I can't find anything seized, damaged, or misaligned, so I don't know whether it was just defective or if it had stretched and gotten loose (been awhile since I checked the tension and it never needed adjusting in the past). Naturally, it'd happen on a holiday when most stores are closed./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Bird

glennmac · Jul 4, 2001

Bird,

For those of us who are not retired, things always break on Sunday morning. Then, not only are the stores closed, but you have to wait till the next weekend to finish the project. So, under the theory of relativity, you can consider yourself fortunate.

By the way, "to break" can be either an active or passive verb. To use it actively, as you did, shows unnecessary guilt. More correctly, you probably should have entitled this thread: "My 2710 Broke".

In case you are wondering why I am sitting here pecking and picking nits, it's because my tractor's at the dealer because I broke my 2910's mower deck.

Bird · Jul 4, 2001

I stand corrected. You're right, glennmac./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

RAllen · Jul 4, 2001

Bird

Man, too bad. Better check with Muhammed, I thought Star Members were except from these type of gremlins. They are reserved for us mortals.

Those gauges and idiot lights came in handy. Bet it kept you from suffering real damage.

When you get your replacement belt, ask your dealer what is typical life expectancy. At 122 hrs., my belt is fine. I know, cause I just checked it thanks to your post.

Rick

Bird · Jul 4, 2001

<font color=blue>Better check with Muhammed, I thought Star Members were except from these type of gremlins</font color=blue>

Don't I wish?/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif Oh well, it ain't all bad. With 94 degrees out there, it was a good excuse to hit the beer box early./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

frank_f15 · Jul 4, 2001

BIRD: sorry about the 2710's boo,boo! but glenmac is right. those of us that aint retierd have to wait to get ours fixed. as glenmac put it, i am sitting here now because it started to pour. but i got that #%^&@*^%$$# rocck out that has been giving me fits for 30 years. the 2400 did fine just took me a bit. hope u get get your toy fixed post haste. happy 4th.

Bird · Jul 4, 2001

Yeah, Frank, I read your other post. A rock that big would really be a job with just a shovel./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

I need a few other things anyway, so guess I'll go to town early in the morning and hope my Kubota dealer has the right fan belt. If not, I'm sure an auto parts store can match the size. Don't guess it matters where I get it since belts aren't covered by Kubota's warranty anyway./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif But it won't take 5 minutes to fix it when I get the belt./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif And I sharpened the mower blades today, so it won't take long to finish mowing.

Bird

Alan L. · Jul 5, 2001

Well I hate to hear about the belt. I guess I need to run out and pick me up a spare. I guess the life is about 298 hours. I just rolled up 220 hours on mine today and its 2 or 3 months older.

Alan L., TX

ronjhall · Jul 5, 2001

Bird
Sorry to hear that your tractor broke a belt. I will have to check mine. I should get a spare belt. But if I do, won’t be able to find it when I need it./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif Think I’ll find out what size I need and mark it in my WSM./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird · Jul 5, 2001

Alan & Ron, having a "spare" belt is probably good insurance. Over the years, I've had several belts break on cars, and I had a belt break on my riding mower. As a result, for years I carried a spare belt in the trunk of the car, and when I replaced the broken belt on the riding mower, I bought two so I'd have a spare. And I've never used one of the "spare" belts. A belt will last a lifetime and never break if you have a spare on hand./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

MReeter · Jul 5, 2001

I know it's something we never think about,but a little Belt Dressing goes a long way to preserve the life of any belt.Helps keep them soft and pliable,and they grip much better.

fishman · Jul 5, 2001

Bird,

Sorry to hear about your belt. Guess you just have to be glad it was a wear item and not something really important. Kind of forced you to take the holiday though, didn't it. Maybe somebody was trying to tell you something. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

DaveM · Jul 5, 2001

Bird- I too am glad it wasn't anything more serious. Thanks for posting your experience and reminding us to check this... and other wear items occasionally. It's also a timely reminder as my dealer is coming by tonight to do my 50 hour service. I'll try to remember to check it while he's there!

Dave

GlueGuy · Jul 5, 2001

Bummer Dude. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Maybe it's some sort of "reward" for attempting to "work" on our nation's birthday?

On a more practical note, I have felt for a long time that "use hours" don't necessarily define the life expectancy of components like fan belts. My wife uses her van as a camper when she does her volunteer work up in Yosemite. She puts maybe 3,000 miles per year on it, and I know that the fan belts get replaced every 3 years or so (I do 'em /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif). So that's only 9,000 miles. So I think there is some sort of combination of use time, calendar time, and "other factors" that determine the expected life of a fan belt.

The GlueGuy

Keoke · Jul 5, 2001

Bird, try to get a "Gates green stripe" belt as a replacement.
These are belts used for heavy duty industrial and automotive applications. The string fabric (kelvar) used in these belts are the same as used in body armour. You may have a problem finding one in your size, but if you do, this is a good way too go.

george

b8200hst4wd · Jul 5, 2001

I still have the same belt on my 85' B8200 but it only has 900 hours on it

Alex (B8200/HST/4WD/FEL/MidM/Tiller

TWINKLE_TOES · Jul 5, 2001

Bird,

When I hit the beer box early, my belt gets way too tight./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif How do you sharpen your mower blades? I have used a bench grinder and a belt sander with 60 grit, neither way was totally satisfactory. The grinder takes a bit of time and with my shakey hands is not very consistent, probably should build some kind of carrier to run by the wheel. The belt sander is quick but tends to round the edge and consumes material real fast. Both ways seem to perform OK.

Any ripe tomatoes in your garden yet?

Al

Bird · Jul 5, 2001

Well guys, with my usual luck, my Kubota dealer didn't have a fan belt, but Pep Boys had no problem matching it with a Dayco heavy duty belt (kinda prefer Gates since I used to sell them in my Dad's auto parts store; don't know whether they're actually still any better). So, I finished mowing the yard, then changed to the brush hog and mowed the pastures.

Alan, I was determined to make the power steering act up if at all possible, so I pushed it to the point of abuse. Have you ever tried mowing a rough pasture in high range, wide open? Nearly beat me to death. But after running it a couple of hours in mid-range with no hint of a problem, I put it in high, pedal to the metal for an hour. Outside temperature was 86 when I started; 94 when I finished. I managed to push the temperature gauge nearly a third of the way up, and when I shut down, I stuck my temperature probe to the bottom of the tank through the dipstick tube and the hydraulic oil peaked at 210 degrees. Instead of mowing laps around the pasture, I went back and forth from one end to the other, so I was spinning the wheel all the way to the locks doing 180s to the right at one end and the left at the other end. I thought once I felt the power steering starting to catch a bit, but then concluded that it was just the front wheels bouncing on that rough ground./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I'd say there must be something different about yours; just don't know what it might be.

Al, I've mowed down all the garden now except tomatoes and okra, both of which are still producing very well. I gave my sister-in-law 8 gallons of tomatoes day before yesterday (didn't pick all of them; just the ripest). My wife's calling a neighbor this afternoon to see if they want to come get some. They usually get 15 or 20 gallons each year to make salsa. My wife's already canned and frozen all we need so now it's just those that we want to eat fresh is all we can use. I think she brought in about a dozen a few minutes ago./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

And as for sharpening blades, I've also been using a bench grinder and occasionally the belt sander. The problem is that I bought the wrong kind of bench grinder; motor's too big in diameter for those 6" wheels to keep a blade lined up right. So just last week, I bought a new 4.5" angle grinder with coarser wheels, and yesterday put the blades in the vise on the work bench and sharpened them with that grinder; much faster. Of course, it's still a little tough to keep on track; I'm not too steady either./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Bird

woodstock · Jul 6, 2001

I have to side with GlueGuy. I am a preventative maintenance Guy myself. You know an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure etc. etc.
I never leave any normally wearing component in service until it fails. This is simple disrespect for the concept of PM and falls under LOM (Lack of Maintenance)
Our lamps (head & Tail) in our vehicles get changed ever year. Our wiper blades twice a year. Oil/filter gets changed every 3,000 kilometers. New battery every 5 years or immediately if the battery gets killed. Tires are replaced at 50% wear. We fill up when the gas tank is half full. Thermostat and fan belt every two years. Tranny and diff fluids annually.
Yes it is expensive if you do it all at once that is why we do it on an ongoing continuous basis.
Guess what our equipment never and I repeat never lets us down in a serious way due to normally wearing component failures. Haven't had a flat in more than 14 years. The wife and I put on 50,000 kilometers every year with daily 35 Kilometer commutes into the city.
The major components take care of themselves if you take care of the small stuff.
There is an additional pay back for all this effort, everyone wants to buy our vehicles when we are finished with them.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

2001 BX2200 All Kubota FEL, Tiller, box blade, blower w/elec shute, 60 mid mt deck, Ag tires.
Grey market B7000 w/Tiller (120 hrs)
1984 JD 316 after 687 hrs.