Outer blades aren't spinning

[greemero]

I couldn't figure out why my Z-Force 50 wasn't cutting very well. Seems like the tall grass just wouldn't go away. Well, when I finally realized that something wasn't right, I noticed that neither of the outer blades were spinning. The middle blade is working. I noticed that the belt that drives the outer blades is not spinning.

The blade is pretty slack. Should this blade be tight all the time? If so, is it likely that the belt has stretched, or that the spring tensioner has gone south? I guess I'll also need to check the pulleys to make sure they turn freely.

Thanks for your help.

 

[rcbe]

you prolly have a deck that features using 2 belts: one from the engine and the other to drive the 2 outboard spindles. Yes, the belt driving the 2 outboard spindles should be under tension all the time. Most likely, the tensioning idler pulley bracket spring has failed or has been lost - or one of the pulleys does not turn freely, causing belt to stretch.
Information on how those belts are to be positioned/adjusted should be in your owner's manual..

 

[OldMachinist]

Likely the spring loaded idler arm is gummed up and not tensioning the belt. There's a grease fitting on the arm that need to be greased regularly to prevent this. Since the belt has been slipping it likely now has some areas that are worn and will need to be replaced or it will fail soon.