Mower Deck Belt Problems

[BradW]

I have an A-C B-10 early and the blade deck keeps burning the belts that connect the mower deck to the center p.t.o. I have checked things over but every other week it burns a belt. Any help would be appreciated.

[tej]

Brad, I would check two things, 1. is the belt tight enough. If it's slipping that would shorten it's life. 2. Is the deck turning freely. If the deck is binding due to bearing problems or such this could put stress on the belt. Take the belt that drives the blade arbors off and make sure each arbor spins freely. Have you cleaned and adjusted the deck? One more thing on belts, I purchased a PTO to deck belt from my Simplicity dealer about two years ago. We looked up my AC B-12 with 42" deck and got the belt number. When I got the belt home it was a couple of inches longer than the one I was replacing. I took it back along with the Simplicity number off the old belt and got what I consider the right belt. I believe it was a Simplicity 174364. Tim

[tej]

This is a perfect time to retell the 26-year belt story and I almost missed it, don't you wish I had. When I got my B-12 it had a regular automotive v-belt on as the drive belt. This belt would burn up every time I used the tractor. I finally drove 90 miles to the nearest AC dealer and bought the correct drive belt. That belt stayed on the tractor for 26 years, mowing, dozing, snow blowing, pulling a cart, etc. I have put a new drive belt on the tractor but the old belt is not retired, it now is used to drive the rear mount tiller. Point being is are you using an OEM Simplicity belt to drive your mower. Tim