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D160 Lawn Tractor Snapping Blade Belt

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GrassKiller

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Exactly two weeks ago the deck belt snapped on my D160 lawn tractor. At the time I was mowing very light grass, and the deck just stopped mowing, no noise no nothing. The deck belt had just snapped. I thought it strange, but oh well, things don't last forever. I replaced it with a Gates 6686BR belt that is an exact match to the OEM belt. Well, today, while cutting light grass, but also mulching up some leaves, the belt snaps. This time just as I engaged the electric PTO for the deck. Belt just snaps. No noise, just the blades start to turn, and then they stopped.

The first belt had maybe 90 hours on it, this second one about 6 or 7 hours. When I replaced the belt two weeks ago, I looked the pulley's, checked that the bearings weren't tight, etc. When I replaced the belt I continued mowing that day. And then again a week go, and now today it snaps again. There are no gouges in the belt to indicate it rubbing or catching on anything, so this has me confused.

Is there anything to this model that is a known issue that I'm missing? Certainly not my first lawn tractor, and I'm used to belts lasting for many years.

Thanks
 
Discussion starter · #4 ·
I did't see any issues with the pulleys or alignment when I installed the belt last time. I'll of course look again, but it's just strange that both of them snapped, and zero noise, or gouging of the belt.
 
#5 ·
It looks like there are 2 different belts for that deck depending on the retainer ( UC10101 Retainer )( USE WITH BG20942; Belt) or guide ( GX22634 Guide)( USE WITH AUC11063; Belt ) on the deck. Now beg the question, do you have the correct one for the deck you have?
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
Well, based on the Green Store and my parts manual, the deck belt is a JD # GX21833. I crossed and looked up the belt in the Gates catalog and come up with a 6686BR belt.It measures the same width wise, and appears to have the same angles the old belt did.

Where did you get that information?
 
#7 ·
To answer one of the other original questions, no, these mowers don't have a general reputation for breaking belts. There must be a problem somewhere.

In addition to RussKish's general suggestions above, I'd triple-check that the belt is routed correctly.
 
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#9 ·
Are you engaging the PTO at max rpm or middle rpm ? Engaging at max puts a heck of a strain on the PTO and the belt. Still, the belts should last for a long long time. I used to refurb L100s and many would have 200 to 300 hours and I bet most had the original belt. Of course the manual pto is more progressive than the electric and is easier on the belt at engagement.
 
Discussion starter · #10 ·
I carefully looked over the pulleys, and checked the bearings for free spinning, and for any looseness, everything is tight. Nothing has any damage or looks to be out of alignment when the new belt is in place. The belt is well within the pulleys when the deck is engaged. I looked at three different belt routing before replacing it the first time, and all three agreed with my book. This belt like the first one was simply snapped as if there were a pulley that stopped and caused a lot of stress, but none are like that, they all rotate freely.

I do have a habit of engaging the PTO at full throttle, and maybe I shouldn't be doing that. The first belt broke while mowing, the 2nd time it was when the PTO was engaged. So I guess I'll keep the throttle to about half when I engage the deck and see if that helps. I'm used to belts lasting for about 7 or 8 years, and that's with cutting 2 acres 9 months out of the year. I guess if it snaps again in short time, I'll try an OEM belt, although I don't feel that they can be any better than a Gates belt.
 

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Discussion starter · #13 ·
I tossed the first one, just wasn't suspicious at that point yet. But if memory serves, it looked like this, had an inner cord similar to this one. I used to work in auto parts / tractor parts, etc. (I live in the country, so you handled both) about 35 years ago, so I'm familier with belt types and brands. Gates was always a go to belt for premium applications. And the belt I just bought is the Gates answer to deck use due to the many tight bends. So it should be ok for the application. Guess I'll try to be easier on it and see what happens.
 
#14 ·
I’m sure that it has been said before but I have had only bad luck using non Deere belts. The only aftermarket belt that lasted any time at all was a NAPA lawn and garden belt and it was more expensive than the oem.


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Discussion starter · #15 ·
Well, back to the deck belt snapping..... The last belt I put on was in the fall, 10/15/2017, it has 12 hours on it and snap! This time I have not engaged the belt with the motor at RPM, I drop it to just over idle. I was cutting very light grass when it snapped. I had anticipated this may happen again, and ordered a John Deere GX21833 belt a few weeks ago. So I just put it on, it's routed correctly, the bearings are all smooth, no side to side or up and down play in them. The fixed guides around the idler pulleys are not rubbing anything, the belt has no marks on it, just snapped again. No noise, just mowing very light grass and the blades stop moving. So I guess we'll see how the JD belt does. I'm at a loss here. I'm 59 years old, owned and worked on a few mowers in my life, owned a motorcycle shop and built HD motors and transmissions, still do that. I'm a better than average wrench, so I just don't know what's up with this thing. Belt wasn't really hot when I drove it straight to the garage.

Guess I'll see what the OEM belt does.
 

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Discussion starter · #17 ·
The pic isn't my deck, it just matches the routing in my service manual, so I kept the photo in my phone so I can use it to insure I have the belt on correctly. My very front center spindle has a bale type of guard around that pulley. Here's from my manual, it doesn't show the bail guide around the front center spindle either. But it has one. I guess time will tell if the OEM belt lasts. The original lasted about 90 hours. And it's life may have been short due to my engaging the electric clutch at full throttle. And the subsequent two Gates belts may have broke because they aren't good enough quality.

It amazes me because my previous lawn tractor was a very old MTD, when MTD only made MTD. It was about 28 years old, belts lasted about ten years on it. And that entire mower deck was beat up, and on it's second one. Go figure.

Here is the image from the manual.
 

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#18 ·
if this happens again, immediately check the temp of the deck spindles.
simple hand touch will be sufficient, if one in significantly warmer than
the other two, you may want check those bearings, hope this helps.

Jimmy

ps: I have found simple temp checks like this to be helpful when multiple
items are doing the same work (think trailer hubs, tires etc.)

again, hope this helps
 
Discussion starter · #19 ·
I did that today, took me maybe two minutes to get to the garage and pop the pulley guards maybe three minuets with an air ratchet. They were barely warm, I hadn't mowed maybe 15 minutes.
 
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