Pro Series - keeps throwing belts

[Carscw]

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.

I have always engaged the blades at full throttle. On every mower I have ever owned.

 

[BlazNT]

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.[/QUOTE]

Ok so let go over this one point at a time.

First point. Sears makes absolutely nothing. All they do is sell it.

Second point. Almost all engine manufactures tell you to start engines at 1/2 or 3/4 throttle. My Kohler says 3/4 throttle. PTO is suposed to be started at 3/4 throttle as well.

Third point. Belts do not stretch they wear on the angle sides of the belt till they are so thin they bottom out on the pulley

Forth point. If you sent me an email with stuff like this in an email I would not respond either. I would not even know where to start. You are so angry about stuff that you have not educated yourself on I could not imagine that anyone would want to correct you in fear they would get a worse name for them selves because you did not understand them.

Fifth point. It makes them smart to not take you on as I don't think you would care if they explained it the way I have.

I also expect you to get really mad at me for posting this. But I truly don't give a flying _____ what you think.

Very last thing. I will not offer any type of proof in my statements because a simple google search will give you all the proof you need and probably don't want.

 

[bertsmobile1]

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.

Belts do not stretch, they shrink.
They get loose because they wear thin an sit deeper in the pulley.
When they sit so deep that they become too slack they have past their service life.
Adjusting the belt tighter will have it running on smaller effective pulley diameters so things like blade speeds with be wrong for the design of the deck.
However most owners are TOO CHEAP to replace a belt till it is either broken or so thin the blade stop turning in long grass.
If you are only willing to pay for trash you will end up with trash.

AYP make what people want to buy.
They make garbage for those who will only pay for garbage
They make good mowers for the few who will pay a fair & reasonable price for a good quality mower.

Sears went broke selling reasonable quality goods on a slim margin with excellent after sales service to a fickle greedy public who abandoned them in droves to buy trash from Walmart because Walmat trash was cheaper.
For some idiot unexplainable reason Joe Public seems to think every thing they want HAS to get cheaper every year yet they HAVE to be paid more every year for making the same amount of things they made last year that some one else thinks has be sold for less.
The two do not add up.
So YOU get sacked and the product gets imported from China so HE can buy it cheaper.
And you can vent your spleen as much as you like but nothing will change unless large volumes of people do the right thing by their families, co-workers and country and start purchasing on quality not cheapest price because the ultimate end is a country in a condition that will make the great deperession look like a pic nic in the park.

And before all you gun toting flag waving hand on your heart patriots start telling me what a great country the USA is and abusing me for being an outsider, it applies doubly to idiot Australians because we actually elect governments that have anti manufacturing policys and encourage the population to "get a good job and leverage yourself into real estate ".

 

[CraftsmanFlaws]

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.[/QUOTE]

Ok so let go over this one point at a time.

First point. Sears makes absolutely nothing. All they do is sell it.

Second point. Almost all engine manufactures tell you to start engines at 1/2 or 3/4 throttle. My Kohler says 3/4 throttle. PTO is suposed to be started at 3/4 throttle as well.

Third point. Belts do not stretch they wear on the angle sides of the belt till they are so thin they bottom out on the pulley

Forth point. If you sent me an email with stuff like this in an email I would not respond either. I would not even know where to start. You are so angry about stuff that you have not educated yourself on I could not imagine that anyone would want to correct you in fear they would get a worse name for them selves because you did not understand them.

Fifth point. It makes them smart to not take you on as I don't think you would care if they explained it the way I have.

I also expect you to get really mad at me for posting this. But I truly don't give a flying _____ what you think.

Very last thing. I will not offer any type of proof in my statements because a simple google search will give you all the proof you need and probably don't want.

_____________________________________________________________________________


Did you get a PhD in how to be nasty, degrading, arrogant & abusive? In quoting you, "But I truly don't give a flying ____ what you think," I return it as a statement right back to YOU.

(1) As a new member, to receive a post as nasty, critical and confrontative as yours, is beyond what I would expect from an adult with any sense of decorum or decent behavior - You have NONE.
I don't need your insulting, disgusting and condescending replies - so, DON'T RESPOND anymore.

However to show the nonsense of what you posted, I give the following answers:

"Almost all engine manufactures tell you to start engines at 1/2 or 3/4 throttle. My Kohler says 3/4 throttle."

I did a search on Kohler engines, and extensively looked at Kohler's site. NO WHERE do they address starting their engines at 1/2 to 3/4 throttle. You must enjoy spouting off fabrications you made up. I'll be calling Kohler next business day.

And, in my Model 20381 Craftsman tractor's manual, it instructs you to start it in CHOKE position, which is full speed, the same as full throttle. That is for a B&S 19hp engine.

WRONG. I did a search on "should small engines be started at less than full throttle," and nothing comes up about starting throttle speed. However, most results definitely recommend running them at full throttle for LONG ENGINE HEALTH.

www.practicalmachinist.com - Quotes:

Jaledu - Years ago when I worked as a mechanic in a small engine shop we would always instruct the customers to run their equipment at full throttle when mowing. Some engines would simply overheat when put under load at lower RPMs. They need that flywheel spinning faster to cool down the engine block.

kenh - These engines are most efficient at full throttle.
Also cooling is a factor.

John in MA - Don't forget splash lubrication--lower speed=less splash. The blades also give the best cut at speed. Better lift, etc. They'd run blades even faster than currently done if it wasn't for safety regulations. When small engines are running at top speed without a load they're actually not using much fuel or generating much heat at all. The thrtottle plate is almost closed. It's only when you load them that they start opening up. Lower speeds frequently aren't even governed, so you can't get much done.

I'm not bothering quoting more; this is more than sufficient.

Doing a Google search on, "Do tractor drive belts stretch over time?" Shows almost every response if that they DO indeed stretch. So much for your claim, "Belts do not stretch they wear on the angle sides of the belt till they are so thin they bottom out on the pulley." NONSENSE. I & thousands of other Craftsman owners have had their drive belts STRETCH, not thin. I can attest the belts on my Craftsman tractor did not wear or thin, as you claim; they were perfectly square and not worn on the sides - simply stretched enough to cause them to fall off on the front pulley.

In response to Husqvarna not answering me, take your fictitious & insulting answer and stuff it:

"If you sent me an email with stuff like this in an email I would not respond either. I would not even know where to start. You are so angry about stuff that you have not educated yourself on I could not imagine that anyone would want to correct you in fear they would get a worse name for them selves because you did not understand them...... It makes them smart to not take you on as I don't think you would care if they explained it the way I have."

Explained it the way you did? What, your erroneous and shoddy 'explanations'. Give me a break.

"I will not offer any type of proof in my statements because a simple google search will give you all the proof you need and probably don't want."

I just PROVED what a Google search will find, which is to DISPROVE your statements, Self-proclaimed expert who never was.

NO MORE COMMUNICATIONS FROM YOU. Go insult and degrade someone else. I'm sure if I searched your posts on this site, I'd find I'm not your first victim.

 

[RDA.Lawns]

Wow smh a read a lot of stored up anger lmao.(I'd never buy craftsman.)

 

[bertsmobile1]

Well I replace around 200 belts a year and none of them would ever be more that 1/4" longer than original.
In place of reading what other people who have no idea what they are talking abut I suggest you talk to the people who make the belts than do not stretch.

The problem with the web is it allows 3,000,000 people who are illinformed about what they are looking at to come up with a totally wrong set of assumptions then by virtue of numbers the falicy become fact.
As I seem to remember a pair of prop makers became multi millionairs by showing the general public all the "truths" that hundreds of thousands of clots on the web had repeated were in fact 100% wrong.
Suggest you get the full set of Mythbusters DVD's then watch and learn.

Mower belts are Kevlar, Kevlar has a higher tensile strength than steel, it does not stretch.
The rubber compound used on mower belts shrinks when it gets to operating temperature
And belts wear thin on the contact faces.
I have cut hundreds of them in 1/2 to show to customers just how much they have worn when comparred to new belt of the same size.
The back of the belt will still be almost the original width but the inside will be a lot thinner.

I have wrapped the customers old belt around a spare pulley then a new one to show them just how much deeper a worn belt sits and in a few cases even weighed a new belt against an old belt to show then just how much their belt has worn.

Furthermore you have displayed your ignorance about what you are talking about by citing a source that has nothing to do with the type of belts you are complaining about.
Machine belts are plain unwrapped belts made from a different rubber compound and usually with either cotton or pollyester cords.
Their compound is very similar to what your tyres are made from and gets quite sticky when hot.
Mower belts do not get sticky because most of them have to be able to slip on the pulleys when you clutch/brake or turn off the blades on a moewer with a manual PTO.
The exception to this are the mowers with cone or cork clutches where standard belts can be used.

 

[Carscw]

Belts do not stretch. I think we all know this to be a fact.

 

[CraftsmanFlaws]

Belts do not stretch, they shrink.
They get loose because they wear thin an sit deeper in the pulley.
When they sit so deep that they become too slack they have past their service life.
Adjusting the belt tighter will have it running on smaller effective pulley diameters so things like blade speeds with be wrong for the design of the deck.
However most owners are TOO CHEAP to replace a belt till it is either broken or so thin the blade stop turning in long grass.
If you are only willing to pay for trash you will end up with trash.

AYP make what people want to buy.
They make garbage for those who will only pay for garbage
They make good mowers for the few who will pay a fair & reasonable price for a good quality mower.

Sears went broke selling reasonable quality goods on a slim margin with excellent after sales service to a fickle greedy public who abandoned them in droves to buy trash from Walmart because Walmat trash was cheaper.
For some idiot unexplainable reason Joe Public seems to think every thing they want HAS to get cheaper every year yet they HAVE to be paid more every year for making the same amount of things they made last year that some one else thinks has be sold for less.
The two do not add up.
So YOU get sacked and the product gets imported from China so HE can buy it cheaper.
And you can vent your spleen as much as you like but nothing will change unless large volumes of people do the right thing by their families, co-workers and country and start purchasing on quality not cheapest price because the ultimate end is a country in a condition that will make the great deperession look like a pic nic in the park.

And before all you gun toting flag waving hand on your heart patriots start telling me what a great country the USA is and abusing me for being an outsider, it applies doubly to idiot Australians because we actually elect governments that have anti manufacturing policys and encourage the population to "get a good job and leverage yourself into real estate ".

Yes, belts do stretch. A Google search will bring up tons of tractor and manufacturer forum sites that state this. My belt was almost NEW. Put on last mid-November, maybe several leaf mulching "cuts" after that, then in the garage for the winter. By mid-July, cutting one acre only every 2 weeks, and the belt was said to be stretched by Sears' tech and replaced. I examined the belt, and the only wear on it was from it falling off the pulley & the guides that hold it, so it ran over the guides when I attempted to engage the blades. All this was pretty clear.

I don't know why you are ranting on and on about Wal-Mart, and defending Sears. I wouldn't buy a tractor at Wal-Mart for sure. But Sears shouldn't be defended. They screw their customers, and have their whole system rigged to achieve it. Sears are the ones at fault, as they have morphed more and more into a company that is greedy, and has carefully crafted a system set up to deny the customer coverage by carefully worded warranties and Extended warranties, where they deny coverage on items and situations that should be covered. For example, if a tech does what one did to me, i.e., scrap the whole bottom of the deck to bare, raw metal, my Protection Agreement denied coverage, based on this being "cosmetic defects". That is a pile of sh**. That is DAMAGE done by Sears. Would you buy an auto from a dealer, bring it in for mechanical service, and then the dealer scrapes the side, ruining the paint, and tell you that it's only cosmetic and not covered? Of course not.

You can read thousands of their customers' horror stories about what Sears did to them, right on Sears Community Forums, yet alone the tens of thousands of complaints on the internet. Look them up on the BBB, and you'll be horrified at how many complaints are submitted about Sears.

Sears markets cheap, inferior designed tractors, made to only function at a very basic level, as opposed to the tractors (& other products as well) they used to make 10 years ago. Many who own old Craftsman mowers talk about how they have lasted for 20-30 years and are still running, and that they wouldn't ever buy a new Sears mower, as they consider them junk. Their mowers are made by Husqvarna and by MTD, both companies do not have a good track record. Husqvarna owners have tons of complaints about how terrible their mowers are and the many problems they have with them.

 

[RDA.Lawns]

Your right sears markets cheaper line of mowers. No one twisted your arm to buy one. So why the rant on a public forum. A belt is a wearable item , buy a good quality belt and move on.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Yes, belts do stretch. A Google search will bring up tons of tractor and manufacturer forum sites that state this. My belt was almost NEW. Put on last mid-November, maybe several leaf mulching "cuts" after that, then in the garage for the winter. By mid-July, cutting one acre only every 2 weeks, and the belt was said to be stretched by Sears' tech and replaced. I examined the belt, and the only wear on it was from it falling off the pulley & the guides that hold it, so it ran over the guides when I attempted to engage the blades. All this was pretty clear.

I don't know why you are ranting on and on about Wal-Mart, and defending Sears. I wouldn't buy a tractor at Wal-Mart for sure. But Sears shouldn't be defended. They screw their customers, and have their whole system rigged to achieve it. Sears are the ones at fault, as they have morphed more and more into a company that is greedy, and has carefully crafted a system set up to deny the customer coverage by carefully worded warranties and Extended warranties, where they deny coverage on items and situations that should be covered. For example, if a tech does what one did to me, i.e., scrap the whole bottom of the deck to bare, raw metal, my Protection Agreement denied coverage, based on this being "cosmetic defects". That is a pile of sh**. That is DAMAGE done by Sears. Would you buy an auto from a dealer, bring it in for mechanical service, and then the dealer scrapes the side, ruining the paint, and tell you that it's only cosmetic and not covered? Of course not.

You can read thousands of their customers' horror stories about what Sears did to them, right on Sears Community Forums, yet alone the tens of thousands of complaints on the internet. Look them up on the BBB, and you'll be horrified at how many complaints are submitted about Sears.

Sears markets cheap, inferior designed tractors, made to only function at a very basic level, as opposed to the tractors (& other products as well) they used to make 10 years ago. Many who own old Craftsman mowers talk about how they have lasted for 20-30 years and are still running, and that they wouldn't ever buy a new Sears mower, as they consider them junk. Their mowers are made by Husqvarna and by MTD, both companies do not have a good track record. Husqvarna owners have tons of complaints about how terrible their mowers are and the many problems they have with them.

In place of ranting and raving perhaps you might like to actually read what I said.
No arguement that some of the products Sears sells now days are rubbish.
They sell rubbish because people like you will only pay for rubbish.
Thy also sell substantially better quality mowers for people who are willing to pay a reasonable amount of money for a reasonable quality mower.
Now days the public has such a peverse sence of value that any retailer has either to supply top shelf goods and slowly go broke or garbage and stay in business.
You and people like you are the problem not Sears they are doing what they have to in order to stay in business.
If you have done your due dilligence and properly researched your mower purchase then you are a blithering idiot for buying a mower that thousands have posted is not worth the money.

No one here is interested in clots ranting and raving because they made a bad choice and bought a bad mower.
We are here to help people get the best from what they have, to help them repair and maintain their equipment and where there is a fix overcome a design problem as they become apparent.
No one gives a tinkers curse about your hurt feelings or petty grievences
There are plenty of web sites for the disgruntled to vent their spleens to others who get their rocks off by venting theirs and reading other doing the same.

We are here to provide physical help
If you don't want help then go and annoy some one else.

Oh and you may have noticed 3 people who make a living repairing mowers have told you
KEVLAR LAWN MOWER BELTS DO NOT STRETCH.
There I have shouted at you really loud so it must be true.
Go to Gates or Dunlop or any other manufacturer of Lawn & garden belts and read facts
That is of course provided you can handle the truth which I doubt you can.