Tall Brush 1 Simplicity Arbor Drive Belt 0

[simple_john]

Well i thought id cut into the brush a little and slowly sprawl the side lawn...


i should not have been wearing headsets... i tried cutting and did not hear anything.. but the deck smoked up something fierce and that was it... melted the belt right in half...


its been 3 seasons of cutting so im not even sure how long they last for? any idea?

next time i decide to cut the brush ill lower the volume on my speakers... ROF

[jodyand]

I'm on my 3rd year on my belt and it still going strong. But I'm not cutting brush with it to. :00000060:

[Archdean]

Well i thought id cut into the brush a little and slowly sprawl the side lawn...


i should not have been wearing headsets... i tried cutting and did not hear anything.. but the deck smoked up something fierce and that was it... melted the belt right in half...


its been 3 seasons of cutting so im not even sure how long they last for? any idea?

next time i decide to cut the brush ill lower the volume on my speakers... ROF

SJ,
You just make this stuff up!! (UJMTSU) Right? :hide:

[simple_john]

SJ,
You just make this stuff up!! (UJMTSU) Right? :hide:

no of course not.. it was not really brush and trees and stuff.. mostly tall 8-10" grass like growth... but i did go slow and only took a small chunk at a time...
well till the belt melted...
:fing20:

[chipmaker]

Simple John..I guess your like me, except you have bad luck with mechanical items, I have it with my body parts.........

Its hard to say how long a belt will last. I have torn them u in a day or two and have had them go for years. Typically you should get quite a few seasons with "normal" cutting.

I have replace the belt on my JD GX335 two times already.....and I have not been cutting heavy growth either. IMNSHO, the so called deck JD makes 54C The Edge" just plain sucks..yes it cuts good, but its design leaves a lot to be desired iin as much as cleanability of debri that accumulates in and under the pulleys. I removed the belt guards and do not use them, but small twigs get in and around places very easy where no guard would ave been anyhow and rubs on the belt, and the necxt thing the belt is scored up pretty bad.......There just is not much in the line of clearance for any debri on the deck to lay without getting caught up in the belts. PI$$ POOR DESIGN if there ever was any.........

Anyhow don't beat yourself up over a belt, it happens even with no headphones on. Usually mowing is done at WOT and things can happen pretty darn quick until you realize something is not kosher, its already toast.

Even with light cutting a belt is still going to stretch, and springs do loose tension over time and till you add up a little play here a little play there 3 years is not all that bad when you consider it and only toasting a belt.

[jdkubotamurray]

SJ, sounds like the belt was probably streched/rather loose to start with as what you did I do all of the time against my pastures.

[Ingersoll444]

Three years isnt bad. I have had them last a year, and seen them last decades. I get about two-three out of mine, and I do my share of brushcutting with them. BTW as a tip, when your cutting the brushy stuff have your hand on the PTO lever/button. That way you can shut it off fast if it starts to slip.

[Tall Dog]

SJ, no idea what the average belt life is, but 3 years sounds reasonable to me. Probably would have lasted a lot longer if we babied our Simplicities like the Cub and JD guys do...just kidding.

[simple_john]

i figured better safe than sorry.. i ordered an extra belt from Jacks, also got the mower belt - i figure ill have them on hand in case of any future brush battles..

and while i was there.. i decided to get the front roller wheels for my deck... (50") the roller wheels are not totally needed but should make it easier pulling the deck.. and i never liked the way the front sc***** when the deck was removed... - now it will roll

[dirtybernie]

SJ are you going to try this job yourself? after the heater core deal im not sure you should. ROF :trink39:

[simple_john]

SJ are you going to try this job yourself? after the heater core deal im not sure you should.

ok wise arse.. im changing your 'aviator' back

i think i can handle screwing in the 4 screws to mount the wheels to the deck...
id better see if i can have my mechanic on call just in caseROF




PS: did i ever tell you about my attempted brake job last year?? - oh never mind.. :banghead3

[Archdean]

SJ, You really have to make this stuff up!! I'm convinced!!:fing20:

[jodyand]

KEEP TRYING SJ :fing32: YOU CAN DO IT ROF

[chipmaker]

I wanna hear about the brake job!

[simple_john]

I wanna hear about the brake job!

nothing too bad.. i felt empowered and decided to do the front brakes of my firebird.. did the front drivers side fine.. (1st time doing brakes) then the passenger side... snapped one caliper bolt. then broke the other... then decided id do my trucks brakes.. snapped one caliper bolt on the truck brake....
called my mechanic.... i have his # on speed dial ROF

[jodyand]

SJ just remember righty tighty lefty loosey :bannana:

[Archdean]

SJ...............................
Hide the Crescent Wrench, Stay inside next to the Phone (speed dial) Better yet tell G/F to do It!!:fing20:

[Michael]

Dean your right on hiding the tools. Now back to the belt, On my Jd L120 John Deere recommend changiong the belt every 100 hours on the mower deck. My take on it is I will change it when it breaks. So I am mowing my yard last year at 103 hours and the noise from the deck sundenly stops and I look down on the right side and guess what I see. The shredded remains of the mower deck belt. So I am guessing that you are probably at the interval that Simp. recommends to change anyway. But hide the tools ROF ROF ROF

[Ingersoll444]

Hey John, just remember eaven us guys that seem to have a lot of skill in wrence turning have broken a TON of stuff!!!!! trail and error. Keep it us, soner or later it will come to you

[chipmaker]

The big thing is don't post followups to posts that go south! Simply say yep i got it fixed, when asked........if folks keep pushing to find out how you did it, or who did it, stay offline for awhile and claim your hard drive crashed, and eventually the original post will go away!

[chipmaker]

I had a Staff Sgt that worked for me while in the USAF. He had many many years in the military, but had little to no walking around sense, but was qualified just the same to work on aircraft. Safety lock wire is a major item on aircraft, and it has to be installed and done a certain way. In a multiple fastener retain, or even on single fasteners lockwire had a certain direction at certain points it had to be twisted. CW or CCW. This dude would set on the stool, under an airplane, and look at his watch's second hand or the wall clock in the hanger, and use his finger moving it in a circular pattern to mimic the direction of the second hand, and continue moving his finger like that until he got back to the fastener he was working on continually rotating his finger, so he had a "visible guide" to make sure he was rotating it in the proper direction..............

[bontai Joe]

I was told once, "When all else fails, use a BIG hammer. If it works great! If it breaks...... well you needed a new one anyway." I know I have broken my share of stuff in attempting to fix things. Took me a long time to learn that brute force is not ALWAYS the best answer to repair things. Although there are few things more satisfying in this world than taking a 10 pound sledge hammer to something that refuses to submit to being fixed. :00000060: :bonk: :14_6_5: :comp26: :beatdeadh