[tinsley207]

I have a question as a newer Sears user. Are all mule drives created equal? I have a mowing deck and a sickle bar and they each came with their own respective mule drives. The drives look identical, same pulleys, same angle. Are they interchangeable? Is it just convenient to keep things threaded up in the mule so that swapping implements is easier?

Thanks,

Nate

 

[CHEVY&SEARS]

Are you talking about a Suburban?

 

[jjaphipps22]

The pulley on my mule drives are different diameter's for my mowing deck and sickle bar mower.

 

[tinsley207]

Yes I have a suburban, SS14. japhipps22 I guess I'm going to have to look closer. I have not actually measured them. :fing20:

 

[Dieselchessy]

I've seen 2 types. The mower deck ones I've seen have a hole in the bottom of one of the legs (bar that mounts pulleys) for the tension rod that goes to the mower deck. The Sickle bar mower one only has the 1 hole above the pulleys (right side) for the PTO belt tension rod. I don't know about pulley angles, sizes, ect... I didn't look that close. They looked the same to me.
It may also be that there is difference between a scissor lift deck and drag link type deck as far as PTO tension rods go.
Forgive my names of items, I'm new to these things and learning.

In short, I've seen two types so far. A 1 hole for tension rod, and a 2 holes for tension rods.

A 1 hole version:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sears-Suburban-12-Tractor-Mule-Drive-/171041395927

A 2 hole version:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sears-Subur...lley-bracket-assembly-GOODSHAPE-/360619777186


Looks like angles may differ also....

 

[tinsley207]

Ahaaaa.... so the 2nd hole would be for what's referred to as the "snubber" rod. This is the OSHA thing that is supposed to stop the blades on the deck after disengaging the PTO tensioner. I actually don't have the snubber rod on my deck. Not sure if there ever was one, it's a 42". Thanks for the clarification!

 

[jjaphipps22]

I will measure mine when I get home and let you know the difference, try to get some pics as well.

 

[Dieselchessy]

Ahaaaa.... so the 2nd hole would be for what's referred to as the "snubber" rod. This is the OSHA thing that is supposed to stop the blades on the deck after disengaging the PTO tensioner. I actually don't have the snubber rod on my deck. Not sure if there ever was one, it's a 42". Thanks for the clarification!

I think you taught me as much as I taught you. So that second rod is for some type of brake feature on the deck? "Snubber rod".

I don't have a deck, and the manuals I've looked at on the web seem a little vague for trying to figure out stuff when you don't have the items in front of you. I'm assuming that if a guy had the stuff and the manual it would all make since.

Looking at pics, pulley mounting angles look to vary, but hard to say.

Them rods are a bit of a conundrum also. I've seen on E-bay at least 3 variants. A few with different bends, and some straight ones. No idea if there is variation in lengths. Haven't yet found a resource that gives detailed enough specifications for them to know what's what, or if it matters.

Seems to me the PTO rod should be more or less straight. The "snubber rod" might should have a bend to it to clear front end running gear, belt, ect.... But then maybe the PTO rod could use a bend due to the lever being below the frame rail and the mule drive hole being centered in the frame rail.:dunno:

 

[Kbeitz]

I've seen about 4 different Mule drives...

 

[Dieselchessy]

I've seen about 4 different Mule drives...

But who can tell us how to identify each, what tractors they fit, what implements they are for, and what "snubber"/tension rods go with each?

 

[Kbeitz]

Not me... I just find one that slides in the tractor and then find out what belt fits and mark the belt size on the mule drive so I have it for the next time.

 

[edgesr]

There was a post on here within the past year that had pictures of 3 different mule drives with a write up on what tractors they were used on. Tried searching the forum but couldn't find the post. My computer skills and searching the forum are not great. Perhaps some with better knowledge of how to search can find it.
Mike

 

[Tractor-Holic]

I know the mule drive for the snowblower I got from a SS-16 differs a lot from the ones used to power a mower deck--the pulley on the blower one is just a straight one,an idler pulley,with no "angle" to it...I think the mule drives for the generator and chipper-grinder would be similar to the blower one also...