Troy-bilt lawn tractor

[Alabamalady]

I have a Troy-bilt riding lawn mower. I think it is a 17hp 42" cut. I keep burning up the belt that runs the blades. My stupid blonde fault. My question is, is there an easy way to change these belts? My BF and I dropped the deck and put the last one on, but then could not get the deck hooked back up propoerly. Ended up having to take it into the shop, after a few hours of fussing at it and placing bandaides on different parts of our anatomy. Thanks if you can help. Thanks anyway if you can't.

[CatDaddy]

:Welcome: Alabamalady!

Easy? No real shortcuts to the process. They pretty much only 'thread on' properly one way.

RE: Burning up the belt - Hate to ask what may sound like a stupid question, but are you threading it over the pulleys properly? Is the belt the correct length for that deck and not a half-inch too short? That would put a lot of pressure on the tensioner & could contribute to accelerated wear. How long does the belt last before it needs replacing?

[Alabamalady]

Wish you hadn't asked. I hang it up on things that I shouldn't run over. I have a couple stumps that seem to move from one mow to the next. I hung up on one of those once and before I could get the deck pulled up it started the belt smoking. Within 5 minutes it broke and flew off. The second time was last week. I was using the tractor to pull some small scrub trees that had been cut down in my back yard out into the side yard for burning. I would hook up to them and start pulling. When I came to some grass I would drop the blade. Well I didn't realze it but I had parked on a small limb and when I dropped the blade it hung up and started smoing like a chimney. The belt has not completely broke yet, but if I drop the blades it just smokes. Just so I don't look so stupid, I was a city girl until a year ago and never owned a riding mower before. In fact I never even mowed the yard before. My ex always did it. Now I moved into the country, bought a little over 2 acres and being blonde seem to think my mower can mow down trees. ROF

[Ingersoll444]

Nothing Blonde about it. I have MANY times tryed to cut a LITTLE to big of a tree with mine. Oh and those stumps DO move, and grow. :D

Welcome to MTF. hope you enjoy your stay!!!!!

[bontai Joe]

Be thankfull it is just a belt. I have broken much more expensive parts while trying to "mow" a tree stump. :fing20:
And welcome to the forum! Glad to have you here. And don't be shy about asking questions on other things that you may not know, having lived in town before your recent move to the country. :fing02:

[Greg]

:Welcome: AlabamaLady..

Here's a link to the Troybilt site manual area. If you don't have a manual, download one and you should be able to see how to properly take the deck off and put on. Also look for the correct belt and maybe instructions on how to install it.

http://manuals.mtdproducts.com/mtd/public/list.jsp

Good luck, and let us know how things work out.

Greg

[simple_john]

Hey alabama lady.. welcome

i see you have 2 boxers huh? does one of them have a giant head?? ROF



(FYI alabama lady is a boxer friend)

[Alabamalady]

Hey alabama lady.. welcome

i see you have 2 boxers huh? does one of them have a giant head?? ROF



(FYI alabama lady is a boxer friend)

Friend? Are you sure? Someday you will pay! Oh no is that a threat? And no, neither of them has a large head. At least not anymore. His paws outgrew his head! ROF

[sixchows]

Have you checked the pullies? Are any coming apart? I had a pulley split in two on my craftsman deck. How about the idler pulley, is it free to move in and out?

Does the deck work OK until you hit something? Or is it just a matter of how long you use it before the belt starts smoking? Could be a bearing in a spindle getting hot and sticking?

[neil_nassauequipment]

Welcome Alabama.we need more southerners here..lol....
Besides your stump mowing and other things mentioned already.....we see alot of belt's lives shortned by dull blades trying to mow grass. Thats harder on a belt than many realize.
Oh and use the right part number oem belt...its the correct length and profile.

[Alabamalady]

I had my blades sharpened this spring. I took it in had the oil changed, the blades sharpened and whatever they do for the tune up. I just can't keep it away from no-nos.

I don't think I have anything else pulling apart, just my bad habit of getting too comfortable and my mind wandering off so that I am not looking as closely as I should. I'll learn, I hope. :bonk:

[wvg822]

I have a question. I have a troy bilt 17.5 riding mower (pony) this is the second one I have owned, the first I bought two years ago and I loved it, never any problems. I just bought a new one same model but a newer version. I used it for the second time yesterday. I have a three acre yard and while mowing I hit a mount of dirt ( not very big at all) and it bent the blade, not a big issue I have done it before. when I looked at it though the shaft on the other site of the deck for the other blade had fallen out and the blade was sitting on the ground. the nut that held it up had come off and it stripped the drive pulley so it could not be fixed. Lowes (where I bought it) told me that it was caused by hitting the dirt and there for was not covered under warranty. have any of you had this happen? I was reading above that others have burned up the belts by hitting stumps all I did was cut into the dirt a little on an uneven slope and it destroyed the pulley.
my next question is this .... the drive pulley was the only thing damaged, but troy bilt does not sell it separately, and they want me to buy the whole assembly (which isn't damaged) just to replace the pulley. any suggestions on where I might find a pulley?