Broken ZTM mowing deck belt.

[Buggs67]

I started mowing yesterday and after about 50-100" the mower belt broke. This mower only has 107 hrs on it and was dealer serviced at 76 hrs last fall. Seems like a short life. It was too late to call the dealer.

When I got the belts for my Land Pride finish mower I got Kevlar reinforced belts but all searches now I'm seeing either OEM (and that last one didn't last; Hecto en Mexico) or no-name. Any brand recommendations?

My manual also has NOTHING about belt changing procedure. I'd assume it's easier if I remove the deck.

 

[tomplum]

You just might get more responses if the make and model of this thing plus what deck it has weren't top secret. Plus with any belt breakage a physical inspection of the deck has to happen for a correct diagnoses. What did you find? Did the belt just snap like a torque snap or shred?

 

[workinonit]

I can tell when my belts stretch enough to start slipping when I engage the PTO and are about to break. I pretty much change them every 2 years at the most to keep from having one break.

 

[mrmikey]

On my Toro I refused to pay a stealers price of $60, I found the length by digging on line using the part number and found a similar Kevlar belt for 1/2 price on Amazon, so far 30+ hours and no sign of wear..........Mike

 

[LD1]

107 hrs isnt bad on a belt but it all depends on circumstances.

Constant starting and stopping of the deck are hard on belts. If you have to engage and disengage the mower 2 dozen times each time you mow it isnt gonna last nearly as long as if you only engage once....mow yard and done.

The new mowers that automatically disengage the deck when in reverse are the worst.

But kevlar belts are a must too. No standard industrial B-series or A-series belts. Those have polyester cords and wont handle the shock loads.

I have had good luck with Napa Bladerunner belts. (made by gates I believe). But they are hard to find and no good way to look up by size...and the belt numbers dont mean squat. I took the time a few years ago to go through the various 500+ blade runner belts and made a spreadsheet of them by size. If I knew the OEM and OEM part number of your belt or even a size I could give you a napa blade runner belt number in short order. And many times there are several belts close enough to work. For example sometimes if you need a given length....there might be 5 belts within +/- 1/2" and most mowers have more than enough tensioner play to make a belt 1/2" shorter or 1/2" longer work just fine with no ill effects

 

[workinonit]

I've used polyester and kevlar belts and really haven't seen much difference in the two. The kevlar actually seem to glaze over worse than the poly.

 

[LD1]

I've used polyester and kevlar belts and really haven't seen much difference in the two. The kevlar actually seem to glaze over worse than the poly.

Its because the kevlar belts are usually wrapped. You can get either belt in wrapped or non. The key difference is in the cord construction. kevlar/aramid vs polyester.

Sure the industrial belts may handle older lower HP machines or garden tractors or 3PH mowers. But the dont work well on modern high HP ZTR's and tend to snap belts.

 

[mrmikey]

....there might be 5 belts within +/- 1/2" and most mowers have more than enough tensioner play to make a belt 1/2" shorter or 1/2" longer work just fine with no ill effects

You are so right, my OE belt is 113-1/2", the replacement was 113" with no problem. wo do manufacturers make it an odd length belt? So people will think they have to go to them. First thing I do when I buy anything is find the aftermarket pn's for common parts........Mike

 

[workinonit]

Its because the kevlar belts are usually wrapped. You can get either belt in wrapped or non. The key difference is in the cord construction. kevlar/aramid vs polyester.

Sure the industrial belts may handle older lower HP machines or garden tractors or 3PH mowers. But the dont work well on modern high HP ZTR's and tend to snap belts.

The belts I use are on my 2 JD ZTRs and my Frontier 20' finishing mower. I suspect all of those fit the high HP description you refer to. The standard belts I use are raw edge but I haven't been able to find Kevlar belts that are raw edge. The ones I have on now are wrapped. I've never replaced the belts on my FM since I got it and I've had it for 8 years or so.

 

[LD1]

The belts I use are on my 2 JD ZTRs and my Frontier 20' finishing mower. I suspect all of those fit the high HP description you refer to. The standard belts I use are raw edge but I haven't been able to find Kevlar belts that are raw edge. The ones I have on now are wrapped. I've never replaced the belts on my FM since I got it and I've had it for 8 years or so.

And you are saying you are using polyester belts on your ZTRs?

 

[workinonit]

I have Kevlar on them now. The last 2 I bought were Kevlar. Prior to that it's always been standard belts which have always held up well.

 

[LD1]

I have Kevlar on them now. The last 2 I bought were Kevlar. Prior to that it's always been standard belts which have always held up well.

So you were just going to napa and getting a B176 or whatever size?

I manage a fleet of a dozen mowers. On a rare occasion when no one has kevlar belt in stock....we run a standard belt. I instruct the operators to idle all the way down, engage, and slowly bring rpms up. We might get a day or two. But I have seen bran new belts snap the first or second time the blades were engaged at WOT.

The ONLY mowers that the standard (polyester) belts hold up on is mowers that don't have an electric clutch. The ones that have a lever and pulley/spring that slowly engage the belt

 

[workinonit]

No. I buy mine OEM. From JD. It's just easier for me to go in and say give me belts and blades. They have my mower info since I bought them new there. I just take what they sell me. When I had my Caroni mower I bought those cheap belts from Agri Supply that wouldn't last a cutting season. The belts I get from JD last a couple of seasons at least. Same experience with their blades. I run mulcher kits on everything so that makes it a bit harder on belts.

 

[LD1]

No. I buy mine OEM. From JD. It's just easier for me to go in and say give me belts and blades. They have my mower info since I bought them new there. I just take what they sell me. When I had my Caroni mower I bought those cheap belts from Agri Supply that wouldn't last a cutting season. The belts I get from JD last a couple of seasons at least. Same experience with their blades. I run mulcher kits on everything so that makes it a bit harder on belts.

I think it's safe to say then you have never ran a polyester belt.

Perhaps the confusion was what I refer to as a "standard" belt.

If you are getting belts from the dealer....they are aramid.

My scag takes 176" B-section (5/8") belt. No where around here stocks them in kevlar. I can get a B-173 (which is a 176" belt)...at Napa which is polyester. They last long enough to engage the deck ONE time. Lesson learned. I always have a kevlar belt on the shelf. When I use it, I order another to put back on the shelf

 

[bmg88201]

I get much better wear from buying JD belts for my mower. I have tried several different brands including Kevlar and the dealer belts last the longest. I think JD has tweeked the size of their belts just enough so folks will get their belts. I even used belts from the plant I work at that were within about 1/4 inch of the OEM size but none have lasted as long as JD belts. And as hard as it is to change the drive belt, no way I’m gonna use an off brand belt for that either.

 

[workinonit]

The most aggravating part of changing a JD belt is those keeper tabs that they use. I can't tell you how many knuckles I have skinned up loosening those things. Puttin the ZTRs on my lift does make working on them easier.

 

[JJT]

My OEM ZTM belt was kevlar, it lasted over 500 hours, the replacement was also kevlar. There should be no reason to remove the deck, I only detached the driveshaft. Your mower might be different.

 

[Buggs67]

107 hrs isnt bad on a belt but it all depends on circumstances.

Constant starting and stopping of the deck are hard on belts. If you have to engage and disengage the mower 2 dozen times each time you mow it isnt gonna last nearly as long as if you only engage once....mow yard and done.

The new mowers that automatically disengage the deck when in reverse are the worst.

But kevlar belts are a must too. No standard industrial B-series or A-series belts. Those have polyester cords and wont handle the shock loads.

I have had good luck with Napa Bladerunner belts. (made by gates I believe). But they are hard to find and no good way to look up by size...and the belt numbers dont mean squat. I took the time a few years ago to go through the various 500+ blade runner belts and made a spreadsheet of them by size. If I knew the OEM and OEM part number of your belt or even a size I could give you a napa blade runner belt number in short order. And many times there are several belts close enough to work. For example sometimes if you need a given length....there might be 5 belts within +/- 1/2" and most mowers have more than enough tensioner play to make a belt 1/2" shorter or 1/2" longer work just fine with no ill effects

Thanks for such a detailed response. My belt should be 143 3/4" long (outside measure) by 5/8" (.625").

It's a Hustler Raptor SDX 54" deck and they've changed the part number and it appears that it's a slightly different length.

I have D&D belts for my Land Pride FM but D&D is hard to search.

 

[Buggs67]

I'd be happy to buy the Hustler belt but they are just a belt of the correct length produced in Mexico.

The dealer is currently servicing my mower for other issues and is going to install the belt he has in stock, which is a new part number and appeared to be kevlar wrapped.

 

[LD1]

6783br or 7057br at napa.