Pro Series - keeps throwing belts

[donsiebert]

I'm new on this forum - here is my problem.

My Craftsman Pro Series (model 247204420) is only 10 months old - it only has 21 hours on it. It recently threw the belt and broke it evenly at one point. I understand two things from reading forums on the internet: (1) This is a common problem which many people consider to be a poor design. (2) The deck is absolutely identical to the deck which Cub Cadet uses, even the mustard yellow color. (3) Cub Cadet had a recall earlier this year to solve and fix the problem.

(A) Why has Craftsman not had a recall? My service tech has no background information at all.

(B) There is no belt keeper around the drive axle under the electric clutch. Every picture and video I see on the internet has some type of belt guard/belt keeper at this location. Isn't this a logical place to have a belt keeper? I cut my grass high (3 1/2 inches) which means the belt is horizontal to the chassis. People who cut shorter must have even more belt losses because the angle of the belt from motor to mowing deck gets larger the higher you cut. Why is there no belt keeper here? Does Sears have belt keeper they can add onto my machine?

(C) My technician said I must have hit something while mowing. My lawn is checked before I mow every time. I examined the blades right after the incident and there are no nicks or any kind of damage to either of the two blades or the underside of the deck.

My technician is due in a day or two to put on a new belt. I hope and pray this does not happen again after only 21 hours on the meter. Am I worrying too much? After spending almost $3000 on the machine, mulch kit, and an extended warranty for 4 extra years I am really worried that I might have a lemon.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to seeing your comments.

 

[bertsmobile1]

:welcome:

1)Don't know if MTD makes that mower for Craftsman but if it will most likely be the same deck

2) you only need keepers on pulleys where the belt goes slack.
electric clutches have constant tension so no belt keepers needed.
Mowers with a manual PTO ( some sort of lever ) slacken the belt to dissengage the blades so they need keepers, yours does not

3) Belts break clean because a very high chock load gets applied to them , like hitting a rock.
Some decks are very sensative to engine speed for blade engagement so you need to turn on the blades exactly as the manual says.
Mulching tosses up a lot of debris.
A big seed pod getting caught in the pulley can snap the belt.

 

[BlazNT]

sears vendor codes:

001 Stevens
002 Lemont Industries
071 Agri-Fab Corp
093 Ametek
002 Lemont Industries
101 Atlas Press Co.
102 Walker Turner
C102 Gilson
103 Sarlo Power Mower Inc.
103 Roper
106 Whirlpool
108 Covel Mfg. Co.
109 AA Engineering
110 Whirlpool
111 Watson Mfg Co.
112 Parks Tool Co. (Woodworking equipment)
113 Emerson Electric Co.
114 Pioneer Gen-E-Motor
115 Rixon
116 Matsushita
119 Frigidaire
121 Dille & McGuire
122 Blair Mfg.
123 Yard-Man
128 E.T. Rugg
129 Mono Mfg. Co
131 Rally/Roper Lawn (American Yard Prod.)
133 American Yard Products
135 Skil/Bosch
136 Toro Mfg. Co http://www.toro.com/
137 Rexon
139 Chamberlain
143 Tecumseh (Lauson Power Prod. Co.)
144 Trane
145 Country Manufacturing 147 Village Blacksmith (Div. of McGraw Edison)
149 Amt
150 White Consolidated
C151 Berco
153 State Industries
155 Preway
160 Wisconsin Magneto
161 Nakajima
171 Vermont American
174 Caloric
175 Bissell
175 Ryobi
176 Murata
180 Lambert Corp.
187 White Consolidated
190 Pioneer
C 191 Homelite
S193 Makita Trimmer & Hedgers
198 Whirlpool
202 Gannon Mfg. Co.
204 Iona
214 Bissell
216 Phonemate
217 Eska Outboards http://home.earthlink.net/~brixent/
219 MTD http://www.mtdproducts.com/
222 Panasonic Video/Audio
225 Outboard by Chrysler/Force
233 Broan
234 Beard-Poulan (old Trimmers)
235 Ingersoll Rand
S236 Tanaka Tiller
C241 Homelite
241 Fimco
247 MTD-Modern Tool and Die (not MID)
250 J.I. Case
253 Gibson (now Frigidare)
256 Emerson Electric
257 Allegretti & Co. & Paramount (owned by Weed Eater)
264 Emerson Electric
268 Brother International
271 Kioritz Corp. - Echo
274 RCA
278 GE
278 Roper
281 Electro-Aire
283 Thomas Industries
289 Sharp
291 American Lawn Mower
292 Lennox
294 Tunturi
302 IBM
304 Funai
306 Belsaw
312 GTE
315 Ryan
315 Ryobi (not made in USA)
316 Ryobi (made in USA)
317 Makita
319 Hand Tools International
329 Inventa
330 Apple
328 McLane
329 Ametek
334 Commodore
335 Amana
336 Electrolux
340 Necchi
342 York
C459 MTD
351 Colovos Co.
253 White Consolidated
355 Roper Outdoor
358 Beaird - Poulan, Inc. (now part of Poulan Weed Eater) www.poulan.com
359 Bolens Products Div. http://www.troybilt.com/
362 General Electric
363 General Electric
365 US Lawn
366 Koss Eletronics
367 AT&T
372 Zeus Generator Co.
374 Diversified Products
378 Omark (Oregon)
380 Moto-Mower, Inc./Subsidiary of Dura Corp.
385 Jamac
387 White Rodgers
390 King-O-Lawn
401 Bissell
410 John Bean Food Mach. & Chem.
415 Char Broil
417 Stover Engine Works
426 Parker Sweeper
445 Melmer
452 AT&T
457 Code-A-Phone
C459 MTD www.mtdproducts.com/
459 Technics
464 GE
471 Bionaire
472 Dremel
473 Quincy Compressor
474 Sony
476 Coleman
480 Bose
484 Airtemp
486 Agri-Fab http://www.agri-fab.com/
490 Indiana Steel
498 Didier Mfg. Co.
500 Briggs & Stratton Corp. http://www.briggsandstratton.com/
502 Murray Ohio http://www.murrayinc.com
509 Payne
517 Homelite/Jacobsen
521 E Z Rake Co.
523 MGM Technology
534 Clausing Lathe (Former Atlas Press Co.)
536 Western Tool & Stamping (Before AMF Lawn & Garden Div.)
538 AMF and or Murray
549 Midwest Ind
552 Cobra
562 Toshiba
564 Sanyo
565 Sanyo
566 Packard Bell
568 Panasonic
572 Dremel
575 Sharp
576 D & M (now Frigidaire)
580 Generac Corporation http://www.generac.com/
582 Clinton Engine Co.
583 Remington/Desa
586 Panasonic Office Equip.
587 White Consolidated
596 Amana
604 Digital Equipment Co.
610 Ohio Steel Fabrication http://www.ohiosteel.com/
613 Consolidated Technologies
619 Arps Corp.
620 Enviro-Research
621 Bryant
622 Kelvinator
625 Ecodyne
626 Magnavox (Philips)
628 White Consolidated
629 Jenn-Air
636 Echo
639 King-O-Lawn
640 Cerwin Vega
647 Roper
651 O.M.C. Dist. (also Standard Eng.)
654 Mott
663 Air Cap Industries
665 Whirlpool
666 Kitchenaid
668 Echowater
678 Vac Appliances, LTD
680 Generac
683 Philco (Italy)
704 Royal
705 Canon
716 H.H.Scott/Emerson
719 Tappan
721 LG Electronics
723 Yamaha
733 Fairbanks Morse http://www.fairbanksmorse.com/
739 Onan http://www.onan.com/
745 0 & R Engines
747 Litton
757 Brinly-Hardy Co., Inc. http://www.brinly.com/
758 Emerson Electric
761 Whirlpool
767 Marvel
768 Technics (Matsushita)
769 Mercury Clutch Division
773 Marantz
775 Johnson
778 Comet Industries
785 General Power (Magna America Corp.)
789 DefiAnce
790 Frigid Ire
791 Tappan
793 Ford
798 Speed King
809 AMF
815 Daewoo
831 Welso Inc/U.T.S.
832 Xerox
835 Roper
840 Friedrich
842 Haban Mfg.
846 Epson
850 Whirlpool (Chambers?)
854 White Farm Equipment Corp. (formerly Oliver) http://www.mtdproducts.com/
855 ILG
860 Eureka Company
864 Zenith
867 Climette
871 Smith Corona
879 Rheem/Rudd
900 DeWalt
900 Black and Decker http://www.blackanddecker.com/
911 General Electric
911 Roper
917 Roper Corp. (American Yard Prod. which is now part of Poulan Weed Eater) www.poulan.com
919 DeVilbiss
922 Original Tractor Cab Co. http://www.simpletractors.com
923 Hewlett Packard
934 Century Mfg Co.
C935 Black & Decker (Cordless Elect.)
937 Sunbeam (now Air Cap Ind.)
944 Canadian AYP Tractors, Mowers and Tillers (now part of Poulan Weed Eater) www.poulan.com
948 McCulloch
950 Laser (V-TECH)
C950 Noma/Murray
C955 Sunbeam
960 Caloric
973 Ryobi
987 Troy Bilt/Garden Way
988 Kubota
989 McCulloch
990 Ford
991 Lawnboy
2018 Furnas Electric (Reversing Switch)
7075 Prestolite Battery
7287 Emerson Electric
7296 Emerson

 

[donsiebert]

Thanks for the list. I will certainly use it!

 

[donsiebert]

:welcome:

1)Don't know if MTD makes that mower for Craftsman but if it will most likely be the same deck

2) you only need keepers on pulleys where the belt goes slack.
electric clutches have constant tension so no belt keepers needed.
Mowers with a manual PTO ( some sort of lever ) slacken the belt to dissengage the blades so they need keepers, yours does not

3) Belts break clean because a very high chock load gets applied to them , like hitting a rock.
Some decks are very sensative to engine speed for blade engagement so you need to turn on the blades exactly as the manual says.
Mulching tosses up a lot of debris.
A big seed pod getting caught in the pulley can snap the belt.

THANKS FOR THE REPLY

#2 is great info to have. I always start and stop the PTO at full throttle, as per user manual.
#3 I still don't think I hit anything, But I did notice a small branch off of a shrub on the top of the mowing deck. I always clean the top of the deck with a leaf blower when I'm done mowing my 1/2 acre lot. Guess I'll start to do when I am half done, too. I've also read somewhere that a clump of grass can do the same thing. My rule will be to keep it clean, which might be difficult since I am always in mulching mode and the little pieces of grass are flying everywhere underneath my seat.

 

[Catherine]

:welcome:

I'm going to move this thread over to our Craftsman section for you. :smile:

 

[bertsmobile1]

OK,

From the codes it looks like tours is made by MTD in which case it will be the same deck as per your first suspicions and the Cub fix , which from memory was nothing more than a wider idler pulley should also be applicable.
This prevented the belt over running the flange on the pulley and coming off.

 

[donsiebert]

THANKS FOR THE REPLY

#2 is great info to have. I always start and stop the PTO at full throttle, as per user manual.
#3 I still don't think I hit anything, But I did notice a small branch off of a shrub on the top of the mowing deck. I always clean the top of the deck with a leaf blower when I'm done mowing my 1/2 acre lot. Guess I'll start to do when I am half done, too. I've also read somewhere that a clump of grass can do the same thing. My rule will be to keep it clean, which might be difficult since I am always in mulching mode and the little pieces of grass are flying everywhere underneath my seat.

WELL, THE SEARS TECH GUY WAS HERE YESTERDAY (AFTER A 2 WEEK WAIT). HE CHECKED EVERYTHING AND SAID EVERYTHING WAS OK, PUT ON THE NEW BELT, AND TOLD ME TO BREAK A RULE ABOUT STARTING THE PTO. INSTEAD OF BEING AT FULL TROTTLE TO START AND TURN OFF THE PTO, HE SAID TO REDUCE THE ENGINE SPEED FOR BOTH TO ABOUT 1/2 OR 2/3 THROTTLE. HE SAID THAT STARTING AT FULL THROTTLE IS PROBABLY A "SHOCK" TO THE MOWER, ESPECIALLY THE BELT. HE SAID THE MOWER CANNOT BE AT IDLE OR LESS THAN 1/2 THROTTLE FOR THE SYSTEM TO WORK. I WILL DO WHAT HE SAYS BECAUSE I AM STILL UNDER THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY AND HAVE ALREADY BOUGHT AN EXTENDED WARRAN TY FOR 3 MORE YEARS. I HOPE HE IS RIGHT. HE ALSO SAID THE ORIGINAL BELT MIGHT HAVE BEEN FAULTY. TIME WILL TELL.

 

[CraftsmanFlaws]

WELL, THE SEARS TECH GUY WAS HERE YESTERDAY (AFTER A 2 WEEK WAIT). HE CHECKED EVERYTHING AND SAID EVERYTHING WAS OK, PUT ON THE NEW BELT, AND TOLD ME TO BREAK A RULE ABOUT STARTING THE PTO. INSTEAD OF BEING AT FULL TROTTLE TO START AND TURN OFF THE PTO, HE SAID TO REDUCE THE ENGINE SPEED FOR BOTH TO ABOUT 1/2 OR 2/3 THROTTLE. HE SAID THAT STARTING AT FULL THROTTLE IS PROBABLY A "SHOCK" TO THE MOWER, ESPECIALLY THE BELT. HE SAID THE MOWER CANNOT BE AT IDLE OR LESS THAN 1/2 THROTTLE FOR THE SYSTEM TO WORK. I WILL DO WHAT HE SAYS BECAUSE I AM STILL UNDER THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY AND HAVE ALREADY BOUGHT AN EXTENDED WARRAN TY FOR 3 MORE YEARS. I HOPE HE IS RIGHT. HE ALSO SAID THE ORIGINAL BELT MIGHT HAVE BEEN FAULTY. TIME WILL TELL.

The tech is full of it. You are supposed to start ANY of their tractors at full trottle, and never at 1/2 or 2/3. A shock to the belt? That's the first I've heard of that. Someone correct me if they have proof I am wrong. The techs I have had out said to start it on CHOKE, and then immediately turn it to full throttle.

Did you know that Sears is so cheap (as is the probable mfr. of your tractor - Husqvarna), that don't design the decks to allow for any ADJUSTMENT for belts that have notorious problems with stretching out. How simple a fix it would be to have a simple adjustment mechanism where you could compensate for a belt stretching out. But, no, they don't want to spend the dollar it would cost, plus this lines Sears' pockets with frequent belt purchases and technician install fees, if the customer is not capable of changing the belt himself. I've left messages with the appropriate people at Husqvarna about why they design their tractors with flaws such as this one, the horrid mulchers, and the hood designs that shake all over the place, rubbing the paint off the bottom sides of the hood, where it sits in the plastic grills on my 20381, and cuts grooves in the plastic housing behind the steering wheel, where the deck also sits and moves to cause this problem. By the way, Husqvarna never returned any of my calls. That speaks volumes.

 

[CraftsmanFlaws]

:welcome:

1)Don't know if MTD makes that mower for Craftsman but if it will most likely be the same deck

2) you only need keepers on pulleys where the belt goes slack.
electric clutches have constant tension so no belt keepers needed.
Mowers with a manual PTO ( some sort of lever ) slacken the belt to dissengage the blades so they need keepers, yours does not

3) Belts break clean because a very high chock load gets applied to them , like hitting a rock.
Some decks are very sensative to engine speed for blade engagement so you need to turn on the blades exactly as the manual says.
Mulching tosses up a lot of debris.
A big seed pod getting caught in the pulley can snap the belt.

So, are you saying you should reduce the throttle speed before engaging the blades, as that will be gentler and not a shock on the belt? I don't think Sears recommends engaging the blades at lower than full throttle, but maybe they don't know what they are talking about, which would be typical.