Raptor SD mower deck belt

R

Rumple

Forum Newbie
Hi All,
I've got a relatively new to me Hustler. Raptor SD with a 60" mower deck and i'm still learning the ins and outs of the machine.
I just broke my second mower deck belt of the season, getting about 10-12 hours on a belt. Is this normal? My last mower was a John Deere and I'd typically get 3-4 seasons on a belt. I've got a big rural property so go through about two tanks of fuel for a single cut and don't have the time to cut it until grass gets 4-5 inches high...the machine works hard. That said though so did my JD and I never went through belts as fast as I do on the Hustler.
Further to the above, can anyone recommend a brand of deck belt that gives the best service life?
 

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In order for the folks here to help, supplying your model number and serial number would be great.
There are several reasons for your belt to break.
Bad pulleys or spindles. Grass or twigs getting into the pulleys. Wrong belt. Belt tension not right. A sharp place or gouge in a pulley. ETC.
 
MParr said:
In order for the folks here to help, supplying your model number and serial number would be great.
There are several reasons for your belt to break.
Bad pulleys or spindles. Grass or twigs getting into the pulleys. Wrong belt. Belt tension not right. A sharp place or gouge in a pulley. ETC.
Click to expand...
Good point. The bearings are noisier than I like but there is no detectable slop, I'll probably change them out next year before the season starts.2026-09-2614.57.552765003054750589653.jpg
 
Deck belt : OEM 604711
Deck belt: Rotary 15700
5/8" x 153.9" (153 29/32)
Chinese made Amazon or FleaBay belts are a gamble.
Make sure your pulleys all spin freely without noise.
Make sure your spindles don't have slop up and down and side to side without noise.
Make sure all pulleys are level with one another.
Keep the top of the deck clean.
 
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"The bearings are noisier than I like but there is no detectable slop,..."

You must have great hearing OR your bearings are in such a bad shape the noise is discernible, over that of the engine.

If you have noise, without the engine running, you are turning the blade/spindle by hand, the above still applies - my very old Hustler SZ, 60" deck spindles makes no noise, when turned by hand.

If there is no blade movement & the bearings are noisy, they are probably dry ie no grease

:devilish:
 
Rumple said:
Yep, according to the package. View attachment 74679
Click to expand...
I have a 2004 exmark Lazer Z EFI with 1,040 hrs. that I bought new. I've found that if I make sure to get an authentic OEM belt, I get an incredible amount of time usage on them. Anything else I've tried has been a giant disappointment. I see from your pic that your belt was made in China. With that in mind, would not necessarily believe that it really is kevlar, and even if it is, would not trust the quality. I just step-up and spend the money. With the longevity I get from the OEM belts, it comes out much cheaper than using any other brands I've managed to try. Hope the OEM belts for your machine are as good as the exmark. I would definately try them.
 
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