Cheetah II Hydro Pump Drive Belt Failure

ZO6ZOOM

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Hello Everyone. I purchased a new Cheetah II 72" with the Kaw EFI back in June of 2021 for residential use. I mow about 5 acres. In 2022, I had my first drive belt failure at about 30 hours. I put a new belt on and it lasted about 10 hours and failed again. I took it to the dealer for service and they couldn't find anything wrong with it. I finished out the season. In 2023, I had two more drive belt failures and took the mower to a different dealer. They said my pulleys were out of alignment and they replaced tensioner bearings and adjusted tensioner height. The mower was at 89 hours. Now, 2024, first cut of the year, another belt failure at 101 hours. The belts are all wearing down width- wise to about half of a new one and the nubs are worn down on the inside. Sometimes they break or just too lose to work. I took the mower to the dealer who repaired it last and this is where it currently sits. The dealer called me and asked me if I store it in a barn with a dirt floor. I said no, I keep it in a 40 foot shipping container. He said "the pulleys look like it sat at the bottom of the ocean for 20 years and all the drive pulleys need replaced" for $1,300. My warranty is up in June but he said this wasn't covered. He was going to make some calls. I called SCAG and they were also going to make some calls and get pictures. I asked SCAG if the pulleys were plated to prevent corrosion. He told me the coating may have worn off because of the alignment issue. Now I wait. I kept my Kubota diesel zero turn in this container for 6 years without issue. push mowers, snow blower and the 46" Cub Cadet tractor from Home Depot I had to buy as a back up when the SCAG breaks down. I know containers sometimes sweat inside but I don't see corrosion on my other stuff I keep in there. Thanks for reading. I'm just really disgusted.
Bernie
 

Rivets

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I would keep Scag on speed dial. Make sure you document ever time you call them, name time, explanation, etc. Something smells fishy with the dealers you’re working with. I don’t like their explanations.
 

ILENGINE

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Agree Rivets. Could be something as simple as a rough area on a pulley that is filing the belt down. Had a rider years ago that had issues with damaging the belt because of paint that had partially chipped off of the pulley in the groove and was acting like a knife to the belt.
 

Tiger Small Engine

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Agree Rivets. Could be something as simple as a rough area on a pulley that is filing the belt down. Had a rider years ago that had issues with damaging the belt because of paint that had partially chipped off of the pulley in the groove and was acting like a knife to the belt.
I have used a wire wheel on rusty pulleys and spindles more than once to minimize rough areas and therefore keeping the belt from wearing. Belts should literally last for years and many hours of run time. Rust on pulleys and spindles is not considered a manufacturer defect. How could Scag be liable for rust, unless it is an actual alignment issue?
 

ILENGINE

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I have used a wire wheel on rusty pulleys and spindles more than once to minimize rough areas and therefore keeping the belt from wearing. Belts should literally last for years and many hours of run time. Rust on pulleys and spindles is not considered a manufacturer defect. How could Scag be liable for rust, unless it is an actual alignment issue?
Rust not manufacturer issue. But paint in the belt groove can cause all kinds of havoc on belts and should be considered a manufacturing issue, not a defect in quality but in workmanship. But I say the OP either has a belt alignment issue or could be something like welding spatter in a pulley groove that people are not seeing.
 

MParr

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Something isn’t right. An alignment issue? Rusty pulleys?
If there is an alignment issue, the deck could be warped. I wonder if either dealer put a straight edge on the deck surface?
 

StarTech

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Most pulleys I have seen on Scag ZTRs are cast iron so no coatings just highly polished glaze from belt wear. But the Cheetah having a vertical setup the hydro may be just galvanized steel but even develop a highly polish glaze from belt wear.

Let's just make sure we talking motion drive pulleys or deck pulleys or is it both?

Yes high moisture will cause the pulleys to rust when equipment is put away wet or in a high moisture area. Have you the humidity level in the storage container? Or are you near a high salty air area? Salt will attract moisture. Also is this shipping container just sitting on the ground? Might want to install some venting with solar powered fans to keep air moving, lowing the humidity inside the container.

Most warranties only cover defects in workmanship. They are not responsible for storage issues.
 

ZO6ZOOM

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Thank You everyone for your input. The dealer called me Friday and has not heard from SCAG yet. I'm in Northeast Ohio so no saltwater here. I have not checked the humidity on the container but I will do that. The problem is with the motion drive pulleys. The container has factory vents, but I will look into solar fans or other options. I would think the pulleys would have some type of corrosion resistant coating on them or maybe stainless steel.
 

ZO6ZOOM

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I just got a call from the dealer and SCAG will not cover the repair. I'm not surprised. I still don't believe that rust was the reason for the repeated belt failures, but hopefully a new set of pulleys will correct the problem.
 

StarTech

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Rust is an abrasive and it will wear out and otherwise damage belts.

It is just like paper can wear out stainless steel paper guides on printers.
 
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