✅Click here to buy a new belt ➜ amzn.to/2JmuKqo For more videos like this, check out: 👉Clean Under the Mowing Deck on a Riding Lawn Mower ➜ th-cam.com/video/RpURLWPNI1o/w-d-xo.html 👉How To Un-Seize, Clean and Grease a Sealed Bearing ➜ th-cam.com/video/0J8z-n7dIOg/w-d-xo.html 👉Remove The Mowing Deck From a Riding Lawn Mower ➜ th-cam.com/video/eQlGRlIDcC0/w-d-xo.html 👉How To Install A Belt On A Riding Lawn Mower Tractor ➜ th-cam.com/video/UgW4gcPAWIs/w-d-xo.html You can connect with Steve here too: ✅Visit Steve’s WEBSITE ➜ www.stevessmallenginesaloon.com/ ✅Visit Steve’s PARTS & TOOL STORE ➜ www.amazon.com/shop/stevessmallenginesaloon ✅Follow Steve on FACEBOOK ➜ facebook.com/stevessmallenginesaloon ✅Follow Steve on INSTAGRAM ➜ instagram.com/stevessmallenginesaloon/ ✅Follow Steve on TWITTER ➜ twitter.com/SteveSaloon
I have a John Deere 120 and it rides slow. Is there something I can do to speed it up a bit. Its almost like there is a governer on it. Awesome channel buddy!!
I got charged a stupid amount of money the last time I needed the belt replaced, and I said that was it, never again. I've been learning how to do these small things myself, and not only does it save me money, but it's really satisfying knowing I can do it. Your videos have really given me confidence to give these things a try. Thanks!
I understand why the shops charge what they do, but it is often a lot of money that Steve and some others have saved me by showing how to do the simple things.
Those of you who are making the "RUDE" remarks to this man, shame on you. I am very thankful Steve showed me how to check the tension on my Craftsman mower. If you people do not have anything nice to say then don't watch his videos. RUDE people in the world make the rest of us look like geniuses. Thank you again Steve!
I'm from New Zealand, and I have my own lawn and garden business. I really must thank you sooooooooo much you have saved me literally thousands on repairs for machines as well as maintenance.! Instead of taking them in, it has been fantastic and empowering to now do almost everything myself but how everything is simple with you, there's no huge jargon blub about what's wrong, is fantastic. Short and sharp FAQs nice and simple.! Thanks so much again.
I’m in nz too and I only need to mow my own large lawn but sometimes I think about doing it as a business. Are you still doing it and would you recommend it?
Thank you Steve! I'm not mechanically inclined but I have a lot of yard, and my blade stopped working this morning. Watched the video, you explained it all perfectly, then I went out and fixed my own mower! You're the best. Cheers
Perfect. I was one of those guys who didn't know of the adjustment and I've been mowing my yard for over 50 years. It was so easy. I thought I was going to have to replace the belt and this was so much easier. Thank you!
Steve, you're the best. Here's a few tips that might help your viewers: 1) If you run out of adjustment range, you should be able to turn that bracket around. 2) You can make a custom bracket with more range. 3) You MIGHT be able to adjust a welded bracket by inserting washers or a custom spacer. Love your channel! I have learned a lot from you.
very good tips. I lost the owners manual and don't want to pay $20 to be able to download it. There are archived versions of my model mower but they don't say how to adjust a 42" deck, only the 48". So this was great. However, i wanted to point this out as a NOTE. If you adjust the tension too much, the blade will actually engage when you turn on the mower, so be wary of that. I had to readjust about 1/4".
Steve , I am a retired machinist and have worked on mowers for over 30 years and you my friend are one of the best at showing how to work or fix a mower ,,don't change a thing ,,,O me I like COOR'S Lite !!
Thank you much! My belt mysteriously is suddenly too loose & won't engage. You just gave a clear and comprehensive fix with the adjustment to the spring.
Thanks, I'll try this Thursday. I mow my lawn and it's been skipping like it's not cutting it all. I then have to mow again the opposite direction. I've owned the mower for about 10 yrs, John Deere LA100 series. I never once changed the blades or even sharpened them so just assumed I needed new blades this season. I bought them and when I took the mower deck off those old blades looked almost new. NO damage to blade, no nicks, etc. But I replaced them anyway. It still cut the same, missing some even when I mowed in number 2 speed, 3 or 4. It's nice to see it visually to know to adjust the belts. Thank God for youtube. I can learn any subject and take an attempt at fixing it to save money.
Awesome, worked like a charm. I was worried about having to send my mower off for repairs while hiring someone to mow my large lawn, till I found your extremely helpful video which saved me money and time!!!
I really like how this guy Gives out his information on how to do simple repairs. . They're easy to understand and he uses the camera Very well to illustrate all his points. I've watched a lot of these tutorials and I find this guy the best. Keep up the good work, no stupid costumes no fake accents just information. Great.
Steve good show down south in Atlanta I always have at least 30 pack of beer on ice when I need to work on car motorcycle or lawn equipment.thank you for your videos,they are truly helpful.🤓
Thank you Steve for sharing your knowledge again and helping us save money and frustration. You are correct, I did this so quickly. Many times I've reached out to your channel for advice and have never been let down. Cheers from Rhome,Tx.
Steve, you are the man! I learned more about my Deere just watching your video's than owning one for 15 years! The spindle bearing video blew my mind....I can't believe they would run sealed bearings inside a hub assembly with no way for the grease to get into the bearings! Like you said in that video..it may be designed to fail on purpose.
Thanks Steve! I think my riding mower mechanic added slack to my Husky 38 inch and loosened that tensioner. The store that sold it to me new 5 years ago is gone. This old guy down the road opened a shop so I took it there to get new blades last year. Now it keeps throwing the belt off with just a bit of resistance with tall grass. I replaced the belt last year and it's still in good shape. Same as always; a Yankee moved into town and he figures he can keep a new customer coming back if it keeps throwing the belt. Thanks so much for this video! I have a 10mm wrench and that spring will be tightened in 5 minutes.
Steve, thank you so much for the excellent explanation. I had the belt replaced by my neighbor, bless his heart, but after mowing the belt would drop off the minute I disengaged the lever on my JD 102/42". Neighbor came to my rescue and tightened the belt at the 2 nuts you have shown. However, he tightened the belt too much so that I can only engage the lever with brute force! Neighbor is a busy man, goes to work every day and I don't want to bother him again. This is why I found your clear instructions so helpful! I shall now, loosen the nuts a bit and pray that this will solve the problem.
Thanks Steve on the adjustment info. Here's an update on the retrofit to an adjustable cable bracket from the original welded down bracket that's found presently on many new John Deere mowers. As said here previously, this is on a John Deere Model E130 with the 42 inch deck. This same deck is offered on many J Deere models and they have the same problem of no cable adjustment. After mowing a moderately sized yard 4 times, the mower blade drive belt began to slip and the housing began to shudder. To create an adjustable mower engagement cable, instead of buying a new belt, as recommended by the dealer, I installed the adjustable cable bracket like the ones that used to be offered on the older models and on Deere's more expensive, new units. The bracket is J Deere part #20168 and the two metric mounting bolts are J Deere part #22456. These are the same metric bolts that are used by Deere to mount the adjustable brackets. To make things a little easier, two standard Grade #5 or Grade #8, 5/16 inch-24 NF bolts can be substituted for the metric bolts. The correct drill for tapping the 5/16-24 thread is an alphabet size drill, "I". A 17/64 inch drill bit can be substituted, which will be just a touch tight, but if caution is used, you won't break your tap. The reason for using the fine thread is because there isn't a lot of metal for the threads, so every thread counts for strength. If using the J Deere 8mm bolts you will need an 8mm-1.25 tap and you will also need the alphabet size "I" drill bit. A 17/64 inch drill can also be used and it will be just a bit tight when tapping, so use a drop of thin machine oil to lubricate the tap. The Metric John Deere bolts feature a bolt head called a "hex washer head" these come with locking teeth under the washer portion so that they don't back off. You'll want the 5/16 inch bolts to have that kind of head also, but if you can't locate that type of bolt, a couple of 5/16 inch flat washers will do with split ring lock washers between the bolt head and the flat washer. Make sure that the flat washers have substance because you will need to snug down the bolts to keep the cable bracket from slipping. Now to the bracket itself. I marked the position of the original cable bracket where the portion that is raised is located. Use a "Sharpie" to make the mark of its position on the mower deck. You'll need that for reference in placing the new bracket. Then I took one of those thin cutting wheels and cut off the raised portion of the original bracket and left the portion that was absolutely flat and welded down in place. I used that part of the original bracket as a mounting pad so that there would be some metal thickness there for tapping the threads for the two mounting bolts into the mower deck housing. You will want to position the new adjustable cable bracket bolts about 3/4 inch apart, center to center and in a position to where the raised portion of the bracket, where the cable attaches, will be able to slide back 1/2 inch from the marked, original location. The 1/2 inch of adjustment should be adequate travel to allow for quite a bit of belt stretch. Make sure that the two bolts holding the bracket get snugged up after the proper adjustment is made, but not so tight that you strip out the threads. Being able to adjust the mower engagement cable should prevent you from having to buy new belts as often, but eventually the belt is going to wear out and stretch beyond the adjustment's range and replacement will be required.
great for all of those details thank you very much, how has it been going since the retrofit ........... we are about to do similar and just wonder how its been going
@@phoenixrisingharley The mower has not had any issues and shouldn't. The modification is similar to the factory installation and the mower has been active all summer.
I'm new to ride on mowers and trying to help a family member "tune up" his mower. This was a great way to introduce the drive system and a job that was definitely needed! Thank you Steve!
I have a D-125 that just started doing exactly what you are talking about with that delay before blades fully engage, thank you for this video will definitely help!
On my 4th belt on a brand new John Deere in less than 1 year - hoping this adjustment works. Have a brand new belt. My next step will be to contact the manufacturer to see about the warranty or drive the thing off into a river somewhere while shooting it
We have all been there, my friend. 🤣Cutting 3 acres every five days here in the hills above Nashville for 25 years. "Just shoot the darn thing with a 12-gage!"
I bought a new belt,and my blades wouldn't stop.So I adjusted it back loose cause I had tightened it because old belt was stretched. Belt still wouldn't stop. I pulled the brake mechanism and it popped after catching,and that loosened it up. I lubricated it and now works. Just figured all that out an hour ago,then read this. Your videos are great !!
Thanks so much for this video, I have a MTD 14.5 38 inch cut and just replaced the belt as the old one got jammed and was cut off. After putting on the new belt it was very slack and it also got snagged but luckily it didn't snap but now has a small cut in the side. I couldn't figured out how to adjust the belt tension, after watching this video I adjusted the spring mount like Steve did in this video and it worked perfect. tks bud :)
“You need a 10mm wrench”. Assuming you haven’t lost it already. Seriously that’s valuable information. A loose belt will wear so much faster and possibly break. Always when it’s 95 out
@@Tonisuperfly It's amazing how they can fly through the air unaided. I think they can time travel too. I actually lost a socket and I wasn't even using it.
Even being 1 yr old this video is helping me still today. I kept having my deck belt slip on my John Deere over and over, sometimes coming off the pulleys altogether and I could not figure out what the hell was going. Had no idea there was tension adjustment for the belt. Thanks Steve I'll be referring to your vids in the future I'm sure
I have a 3 week old JD S100 series tractor and on mine where the spring attaches the "L" bracket is welded and not movable. We are having trouble with the belt coming off and when engaging there is a loud thump. Disengaging is smooth. Anyone know how I can adjust the tension on this? Thank you and Steve. You are great. I never had a lawn tractor before and now watching you I feel more confident with it.
Thank you Steve I have a Toro LX426 and about I changed the few the belt a few years ago. Just really tightened it up it makes it just like new again. Thank you for saving Unnecessary labor.
Had an issue with the blades not engaging after being stored all winter. I checked connections but nothing seemed out of place. Belt seemed loose thought should see how to adjust the tension. Thank you sir. Immediately after adjusting took it out for a test cut and it's back to business. Appreciate the content.
You just saved me $45 this year! My belt engages the blades some of the time but slips, this is great. I've got beer and a 10mm wrench to get this party rolling. You rock!
Thanks, mate. We've recently acquired a McCulloch ride-on which is the same as this one and the huskies etc. I've been looking for an adjustment video as I've had to replace the belt due to a previous owner (the one who gave it to me) was complaining that it kept throwing belts and breaking them. Turns out he'd been mounting it by somehow jamming the belt between the Orange mandrel brakes and as a result bent and broke some stuff. I've just about finished straightening everything and am waiting on the belt to arrive today. I'm going to look at your belt replacement video too, to see if there's a trick to be leraned. Cheers mate. Subbed.
Thank you so much! I'm left to my own knowledge to get my 19 year old Ariens mower running properly!(it was my Grandpa's and I'm not ready to retire it) Your videos are amazing! Thanks again!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge steve, I enjoy watching your videos as I try to do all my mower work myself, keep on teaching Steve, your the man.
My blades weren't coming on at all and I could see the belt didn't have any tension so I thought I needed to replace it. After watching this video I checked the tension arm and it didn't budge so I greased the bolt and fixed it. The spring will still stretch so you can still pull the lever even if the tension arm is jammed. Cheers to this video!
Thanks for this. I have the Scotts 48 inch 25 horsepower Limited Edition and could not find the right belt for it. I found one just a little shorter but just adjusted the linkage, it was a metal rod with threads and it fixed it completely, now I can engage the blades. Awesome!
Thanks for this video. Thought I needed a new belt. Blades would slow way down in thick grass. Did this fix yesterday and it worked great! I still bought an extra belt just in case my belt breaks in the future.
Hey Steve!! I have a John Deere lt180 and my blade will engage on its own from time to time even when I don’t engage it , thanks in advance for your reply, love your videos brother
Great video Steve!!! I just put a new cable on a few days ago, and it takes a sec for the blades to spin up. On my way out to fix that right now!!!!! I owe ya a beer Steve!! Thanks!!
Sorry Steve. You are way off on this one. Review video, 2 beers. Find lever, 1 beer. Find spring, 1 beer. Locate spring, 1 beer. Find 10 mm wrench, 1 beer. Trip walking to the carry out (I'll pick up a 12 pack this time. ) Find mower.........
Thanks for the video. I did that adjustment today on my 2012 John Deere Sabre. It tightened up a little, but I think I need a new belt. I buy a new belt every year. I won't need it for cutting grass anymore this year, just need too pull my grass catcher behind me for the Fall leaves.
3rd belt in 2 cuts. First time user of an old beat up John Deere. There's so many loose bolts under there, I was assuming that was my issue due to some unalignment issues. I do think I will try this first, thanks for the time saver.
Hey Steve, When I was a kid my old grandpa used to tell me that it is called a " Leever" because kids were supposed to LEAVE HER ALONE , and not touch it ! !
@Steve's Small Engine Saloon I bought John Deere 100 series First time used and noticed 2 issues Steering is not smooth and difficult to maneuver when turn. Second is slow it’s slower than my 15 years old Craftsman mower. I noticed deck belts is so so loose. I can upload the video and send the link to you. I called the local dealer and he said it’s under warranty but $80 for drop off and pick up. Should I tight belt ? Please advise. Thank you
What do you do when you dont have this adjustment on deck belt? Mine is welded in place. How would you go about tightening the belt then? Looking for answers? Can you help me out on this? Dennis
Did you ever find a solution? I have the same problem and the only thing I can think to do is break the weld on the bracket and drill holes to mod the deck to an adjustable configuration.
My neighbor has the same problem. The only thing that I find works, because his belt kept coming off, is to engage blades at a low rpm, then increase throttle. When you disengage the blades, do so very slowly so that belt will stay on the the pulley.
You're the man Steve ! I'm one of those that didn't realize that bracket was adjustable. My John Deere D105 has been suffering from this very thing. Thanks 👍
Yeah but I just took off the old belt and blades on my Craftsman T210 Ride On Mower and put brand new ones on. Now a week later when I go to mow the lawn the belt fell off the pulleys in the middle of mowing and when I looked underneath the deck to see what the problem was the new belt was all shredded up. How does a brand new belt get that shredded from about 15 minutes worth of mowing? Everything was fine up until I put these new blades and belt on. Now I dunno what to do?
It is probably either the belt routing or something on the deck top is off and causing serious friction. The "curved side" of the belt needs to be inside both spindles as the belt rounds through them. Easy to put on backwards, trust me. Was there any burn smell or smoke?
Nice video....just replaced my belt and the cable..and still had a loose belt...thanks this video helped alot.. will adjust that cable right away..thanks
I have a related question: does belt dressing make any difference in how the belt grips the pulleys or tends not to slip off. What is the best belt dressing?
Thank you Steve! I happened to watch this video last night and did everything that you suggested. Worked like a charm! I can hold off on replacing the belt. Love your videos!
Maybe stupid question, Is it possible that tensioner line can get worn out? I am having a problem on my husqvarna where the belt itself is coming off when I disengage the blades. I have purchased a new belt, but still there seems to be a good amount of slack on it when even before engaging the blades. I have also adjusted that tensioner bracket you said to where it is a fair bit tighter, but still the belt falls off when I disengage. Any suggestions are helpful, thanks for the video!
Longmire would be proud of your beer of choice. Excellent video by the way. Surprisingly simple fix and there's a lot of good information in the manual that comes with new mowers that too many people file away and never open. Keep the info coming because you've saved me a lot of money. 👍
✅Click here to buy a new belt ➜ amzn.to/2JmuKqo
For more videos like this, check out:
👉Clean Under the Mowing Deck on a Riding Lawn Mower ➜ th-cam.com/video/RpURLWPNI1o/w-d-xo.html
👉How To Un-Seize, Clean and Grease a Sealed Bearing ➜ th-cam.com/video/0J8z-n7dIOg/w-d-xo.html
👉Remove The Mowing Deck From a Riding Lawn Mower ➜ th-cam.com/video/eQlGRlIDcC0/w-d-xo.html
👉How To Install A Belt On A Riding Lawn Mower Tractor ➜ th-cam.com/video/UgW4gcPAWIs/w-d-xo.html
You can connect with Steve here too:
✅Visit Steve’s WEBSITE ➜ www.stevessmallenginesaloon.com/
✅Visit Steve’s PARTS & TOOL STORE ➜ www.amazon.com/shop/stevessmallenginesaloon
✅Follow Steve on FACEBOOK ➜ facebook.com/stevessmallenginesaloon
✅Follow Steve on INSTAGRAM ➜ instagram.com/stevessmallenginesaloon/
✅Follow Steve on TWITTER ➜ twitter.com/SteveSaloon
I have a John Deere 120 and it rides slow. Is there something I can do to speed it up a bit. Its almost like there is a governer on it. Awesome channel buddy!!
Is it possible that the tractor wont start because this belt is loose
Can you show how to adjust on a E110. That model does not have the adjustment bracket.
@@poofypoopy8838 belt is srteched Ipu zanther ome o it
poofy ernesto aaaa
I was having trouble with this until I added beer. Now things are back in working shape!
I got charged a stupid amount of money the last time I needed the belt replaced, and I said that was it, never again. I've been learning how to do these small things myself, and not only does it save me money, but it's really satisfying knowing I can do it. Your videos have really given me confidence to give these things a try. Thanks!
You're Welcome...
I understand why the shops charge what they do, but it is often a lot of money that Steve and some others have saved me by showing how to do the simple things.
Those of you who are making the "RUDE" remarks to this man, shame on you. I am very thankful Steve showed me how to check the tension on my Craftsman mower. If you people do not have anything nice to say then don't watch his videos. RUDE people in the world make the rest of us look like geniuses. Thank you again Steve!
Thank You...and You're Welcome...
How do you adjust blade belt on 145 automatic
I absolutely agree Sassy. Thanks for making your comment.
They must me Democrats!!😂🤣🇺🇸 🇨🇦
@@christopherfisher123 always
I'm from New Zealand, and I have my own lawn and garden business. I really must thank you sooooooooo much you have saved me literally thousands on repairs for machines as well as maintenance.! Instead of taking them in, it has been fantastic and empowering to now do almost everything myself but how everything is simple with you, there's no huge jargon blub about what's wrong, is fantastic. Short and sharp FAQs nice and simple.! Thanks so much again.
Awesome! You're Welcome...
I’m in nz too and I only need to mow my own large lawn but sometimes I think about doing it as a business. Are you still doing it and would you recommend it?
Thank you Steve! I'm not mechanically inclined but I have a lot of yard, and my blade stopped working this morning. Watched the video, you explained it all perfectly, then I went out and fixed my own mower! You're the best. Cheers
You're Welcome...and Thank You...
@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon I have the john deere 105 and the bracket is welded to the deck , no bolts to loosen to adjust!
Perfect. I was one of those guys who didn't know of the adjustment and I've been mowing my yard for over 50 years. It was so easy. I thought I was going to have to replace the belt and this was so much easier. Thank you!
You're Welcome...
Steve, you're the best.
Here's a few tips that might help your viewers:
1) If you run out of adjustment range, you should be able to turn that bracket around.
2) You can make a custom bracket with more range.
3) You MIGHT be able to adjust a welded bracket by inserting washers or a custom spacer.
Love your channel! I have learned a lot from you.
Thank you, you've given me some ideas to try!
You’re a genius! I’ll never need to replace my belt!
Oh sweeet thanks/ I ran out of adjustment range.
@@puffythecampfireplayer6143 🤣
Thanks for the ideas. My mom in law belt loose and no more adjustment room.
Thank you sir. I am a an American working stiff. Your videos save me hundreds in lawn equipment repairs.
You're Welcome...
Burned up two belts before watching this…Thanks man!!
Great help, just noticed mine pausing for a few seconds, now it engages quickly. You are an ace.
Glad to help Eddie....
very good tips. I lost the owners manual and don't want to pay $20 to be able to download it. There are archived versions of my model mower but they don't say how to adjust a 42" deck, only the 48". So this was great. However, i wanted to point this out as a NOTE. If you adjust the tension too much, the blade will actually engage when you turn on the mower, so be wary of that. I had to readjust about 1/4".
Steve , I am a retired machinist and have worked on mowers for over 30 years and you my friend are one of the best at showing how to work or fix a mower ,,don't change a thing ,,,O me I like COOR'S Lite !!
Cool! My dad is a retired machinist too, and his name is also Barry!
Thank you much! My belt mysteriously is suddenly too loose & won't engage. You just gave a clear and comprehensive fix with the adjustment to the spring.
Great to hear!
The belt keeps coming off of my Snapper. Had no idea I could adjust the tension. It's fixed! Thanks Steve!
You're Welcome...and Thank You...
The only how to video that clearly shows how to tighten vee belt.worked like a charm,thanks Steve.
Great to hear!
Great advice. Will try this tomorrow. Thanks for saving me a service fee.
Any time!
Thanks, I'll try this Thursday. I mow my lawn and it's been skipping like it's not cutting it all. I then have to mow again the opposite direction. I've owned the mower for about 10 yrs, John Deere LA100 series. I never once changed the blades or even sharpened them so just assumed I needed new blades this season. I bought them and when I took the mower deck off those old blades looked almost new. NO damage to blade, no nicks, etc. But I replaced them anyway. It still cut the same, missing some even when I mowed in number 2 speed, 3 or 4. It's nice to see it visually to know to adjust the belts. Thank God for youtube. I can learn any subject and take an attempt at fixing it to save money.
Right on...
Thanks Steve. Moving the tension bracket back was all my John Deere needed!!! Saved me from replacing the switch and belt
Right on
Awesome, worked like a charm. I was worried about having to send my mower off for repairs while hiring someone to mow my large lawn, till I found your extremely helpful video which saved me money and time!!!
Glad I could help
You had me at “beer”.... and I don’t even drink, but I love good comedy.
Right on
I really like how this guy Gives out his information on how to do simple repairs. . They're easy to understand and he uses the camera Very well to illustrate all his points. I've watched a lot of these tutorials and I find this guy the best. Keep up the good work, no stupid costumes no fake accents just information. Great.
Thank You...
Steve good show down south in Atlanta I always have at least 30 pack of beer on ice when I need to work on car motorcycle or lawn equipment.thank you for your videos,they are truly helpful.🤓
Thank you for the tip, I was ready to take my John Deere to shop for loose belt! I fixed mine in five minutes!
Excellent!
Thank you Steve for sharing your knowledge again and helping us save money and frustration. You are correct, I did this so quickly. Many times I've reached out to your channel for advice and have never been let down. Cheers from Rhome,Tx.
Excellent!
Steve, you are the man! I learned more about my Deere just watching your video's than owning one for 15 years! The spindle bearing video blew my mind....I can't believe they would run sealed bearings inside a hub assembly with no way for the grease to get into the bearings! Like you said in that video..it may be designed to fail on purpose.
Thank You...
Thanks Steve! I think my riding mower mechanic added slack to my Husky 38 inch and loosened that tensioner. The store that sold it to me new 5 years ago is gone. This old guy down the road opened a shop so I took it there to get new blades last year. Now it keeps throwing the belt off with just a bit of resistance with tall grass. I replaced the belt last year and it's still in good shape. Same as always; a Yankee moved into town and he figures he can keep a new customer coming back if it keeps throwing the belt. Thanks so much for this video! I have a 10mm wrench and that spring will be tightened in 5 minutes.
Steve, thank you so much for the excellent explanation. I had the belt replaced by my neighbor, bless his heart, but after mowing the belt would drop off the minute I disengaged the lever on my JD 102/42". Neighbor came to my rescue and tightened the belt at the 2 nuts you have shown. However, he tightened the belt too much so that I can only engage the lever with brute force! Neighbor is a busy man, goes to work every day and I don't want to bother him again. This is why I found your clear instructions so helpful! I shall now, loosen the nuts a bit and pray that this will solve the problem.
Right on ...
I love your videos. They have good visuals, are informative and edited. No long periods of Nothing, Thanks from a single gal doing her own yard work.
Wow, thank you!
Thanks Steve on the adjustment info. Here's an update on the retrofit to an adjustable cable bracket from the original welded down bracket that's found presently on many new John Deere mowers. As said here previously, this is on a John Deere Model E130 with the 42 inch deck. This same deck is offered on many J Deere models and they have the same problem of no cable adjustment.
After mowing a moderately sized yard 4 times, the mower blade drive belt began to slip and the housing began to shudder. To create an adjustable mower engagement cable, instead of buying a new belt, as recommended by the dealer, I installed the adjustable cable bracket like the ones that used to be offered on the older models and on Deere's more expensive, new units. The bracket is J Deere part #20168 and the two metric mounting bolts are J Deere part #22456. These are the same metric bolts that are used by Deere to mount the adjustable brackets. To make things a little easier, two standard Grade #5 or Grade #8, 5/16 inch-24 NF bolts can be substituted for the metric bolts. The correct drill for tapping the 5/16-24 thread is an alphabet size drill, "I". A 17/64 inch drill bit can be substituted, which will be just a touch tight, but if caution is used, you won't break your tap. The reason for using the fine thread is because there isn't a lot of metal for the threads, so every thread counts for strength. If using the J Deere 8mm bolts you will need an 8mm-1.25 tap and you will also need the alphabet size "I" drill bit. A 17/64 inch drill can also be used and it will be just a bit tight when tapping, so use a drop of thin machine oil to lubricate the tap. The Metric John Deere bolts feature a bolt head called a "hex washer head" these come with locking teeth under the washer portion so that they don't back off. You'll want the 5/16 inch bolts to have that kind of head also, but if you can't locate that type of bolt, a couple of 5/16 inch flat washers will do with split ring lock washers between the bolt head and the flat washer. Make sure that the flat washers have substance because you will need to snug down the bolts to keep the cable bracket from slipping.
Now to the bracket itself. I marked the position of the original cable bracket where the portion that is raised is located. Use a "Sharpie" to make the mark of its position on the mower deck. You'll need that for reference in placing the new bracket. Then I took one of those thin cutting wheels and cut off the raised portion of the original bracket and left the portion that was absolutely flat and welded down in place. I used that part of the original bracket as a mounting pad so that there would be some metal thickness there for tapping the threads for the two mounting bolts into the mower deck housing. You will want to position the new adjustable cable bracket bolts about 3/4 inch apart, center to center and in a position to where the raised portion of the bracket, where the cable attaches, will be able to slide back 1/2 inch from the marked, original location. The 1/2 inch of adjustment should be adequate travel to allow for quite a bit of belt stretch. Make sure that the two bolts holding the bracket get snugged up after the proper adjustment is made, but not so tight that you strip out the threads.
Being able to adjust the mower engagement cable should prevent you from having to buy new belts as often, but eventually the belt is going to wear out and stretch beyond the adjustment's range and replacement will be required.
Thanks!
great for all of those details thank you very much, how has it been going since the retrofit ........... we are about to do similar and just wonder how its been going
@@phoenixrisingharley The mower has not had any issues and shouldn't. The modification is similar to the factory installation and the mower has been active all summer.
Good info my friend. Mine is welded on with no adjustment options.
I'm new to ride on mowers and trying to help a family member "tune up" his mower. This was a great way to introduce the drive system and a job that was definitely needed! Thank you Steve!
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Thanks, glad i saved my old belts now!
I have a D-125 that just started doing exactly what you are talking about with that delay before blades fully engage, thank you for this video will definitely help!
Right on
On my 4th belt on a brand new John Deere in less than 1 year - hoping this adjustment works. Have a brand new belt. My next step will be to contact the manufacturer to see about the warranty or drive the thing off into a river somewhere while shooting it
We have all been there, my friend. 🤣Cutting 3 acres every five days here in the hills above Nashville for 25 years. "Just shoot the darn thing with a 12-gage!"
I bought a new belt,and my blades wouldn't stop.So I adjusted it back loose cause I had tightened it because old belt was stretched. Belt still wouldn't stop. I pulled the brake mechanism and it popped after catching,and that loosened it up. I lubricated it and now works. Just figured all that out an hour ago,then read this. Your videos are great !!
I accepted your beer challenge but accidentally went through a case of beer and never finished the repair.
Thanks so much for this video, I have a MTD 14.5 38 inch cut and just replaced the belt as the old one got jammed and was cut off. After putting on the new belt it was very slack and it also got snagged but luckily it didn't snap but now has a small cut in the side. I couldn't figured out how to adjust the belt tension, after watching this video I adjusted the spring mount like Steve did in this video and it worked perfect. tks bud :)
Glad it helped
“You need a 10mm wrench”. Assuming you haven’t lost it already.
Seriously that’s valuable information. A loose belt will wear so much faster and possibly break. Always when it’s 95 out
Haha I’m always losing my 10mm wrenches. Needed one last night to work on my mower… eventually found it in the back of the Prius.
@@Tonisuperfly It's amazing how they can fly through the air unaided. I think they can time travel too. I actually lost a socket and I wasn't even using it.
@@jamescaron6465 haha maybe another you in a 3rd dimension used it and is now wondering why they have an extra
@@Tonisuperfly You know what? That is entirely plausible, because I can NEVER find them
Even being 1 yr old this video is helping me still today. I kept having my deck belt slip on my John Deere over and over, sometimes coming off the pulleys altogether and I could not figure out what the hell was going. Had no idea there was tension adjustment for the belt. Thanks Steve I'll be referring to your vids in the future I'm sure
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I have a 3 week old JD S100 series tractor and on mine where the spring attaches the "L" bracket is welded and not movable. We are having trouble with the belt coming off and when engaging there is a loud thump. Disengaging is smooth. Anyone know how I can adjust the tension on this? Thank you and Steve. You are great. I never had a lawn tractor before and now watching you I feel more confident with it.
Same with my 2020 e100.
Sent jd a message and they told me to check the manual and or call a dealer
Is the belt the right size? The internets and lots on amazon are wrongly listed. Even 1/2" matters. Or your tensioner is shot
No.. it was a 3 week old tractor and belt was coming off.
Thank you Steve I have a Toro LX426 and about I changed the few the belt a few years ago. Just really tightened it up it makes it just like new again. Thank you for saving Unnecessary labor.
Good to hear
Thank You Steve for All You teach Us !
My pleasure!
Had an issue with the blades not engaging after being stored all winter. I checked connections but nothing seemed out of place. Belt seemed loose thought should see how to adjust the tension. Thank you sir. Immediately after adjusting took it out for a test cut and it's back to business. Appreciate the content.
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Great video Steve, but would love to see the belt after tightening- just to get a sense of how much to tighten. Love your work
One frustrated belt guy here, I hope it works Steve thanks👍
The coveted 10mm socket.... keep that thing safe brother.
Cleaning out my nans I’ve found 17 of them
@@sidneycoakley1524 Well, it’s been a year. Did you lose all 17 yet? 🤣
@@stariadversesmalum4638 lol I honestly just did a count a few days ago and I'm down to 12. Fuckers are growing legs
You just saved me $45 this year! My belt engages the blades some of the time but slips, this is great. I've got beer and a 10mm wrench to get this party rolling. You rock!
Thank You...
I have a John Deere E100 and where your tightening up is welded together how do you then tighten the spring? My belt keeps.coning off.
You are a true blessing. Cheers to you.
Thank You...
Thanks, mate. We've recently acquired a McCulloch ride-on which is the same as this one and the huskies etc. I've been looking for an adjustment video as I've had to replace the belt due to a previous owner (the one who gave it to me) was complaining that it kept throwing belts and breaking them. Turns out he'd been mounting it by somehow jamming the belt between the Orange mandrel brakes and as a result bent and broke some stuff. I've just about finished straightening everything and am waiting on the belt to arrive today. I'm going to look at your belt replacement video too, to see if there's a trick to be leraned. Cheers mate. Subbed.
Thank you so much! I'm left to my own knowledge to get my 19 year old Ariens mower running properly!(it was my Grandpa's and I'm not ready to retire it) Your videos are amazing! Thanks again!
Fantastic!
Thank you for sharing your knowledge steve, I enjoy watching your videos as I try to do all my mower work myself, keep on teaching Steve, your the man.
Thanks, will do!
Thank you sir .. your a genius
Happy to help
Beer and power equipment, Steve is a genius. Seriously - Thank you!
Thanks for addressing clearly and briefly exactly what I need to know to get my JD E120 belt back in order. Cheers!
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Thumbs up for the videos and the Rainier Beer!
Thank You...
My blades weren't coming on at all and I could see the belt didn't have any tension so I thought I needed to replace it. After watching this video I checked the tension arm and it didn't budge so I greased the bolt and fixed it. The spring will still stretch so you can still pull the lever even if the tension arm is jammed. Cheers to this video!
Right on
You had me at the Rainier Beer! Awesome....
Right on
Thanks, this totally worked! I just changed the belt and it still wasn't engaging. You are amazing!!
Fantastic!
Thought I needed a new belt. Thanks for this simple tip.Well done!
You're Welcome...and Thank You...
Thanks for this. I have the Scotts 48 inch 25 horsepower Limited Edition and could not find the right belt for it. I found one just a little shorter but just adjusted the linkage, it was a metal rod with threads and it fixed it completely, now I can engage the blades. Awesome!
Steve -- great lesson! You just saved me a service call. Really appreciate the content. Cheers!!
Great to hear!
Didn't know really how too Steve - you just keep pouring out the tips - God Bless you for helping us all out .
Thank You...
Steve,you’ve helped me tremendously on numerous different projects,including this one. Thanks a lot for your videos and your time!!
Glad to help
@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon 8:10
Thanks for this video. Thought I needed a new belt. Blades would slow way down in thick grass. Did this fix yesterday and it worked great! I still bought an extra belt just in case my belt breaks in the future.
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All of us grew up bastards and now have to get dad lessons from Steve. Thanks Steve!
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Such a simple fix that I never would have imagined. 👍🏼👍🏼 Great video
Thank You...
Hey Steve!! I have a John Deere lt180 and my blade will engage on its own from time to time even when I don’t engage it , thanks in advance for your reply, love your videos brother
Your belt tension may be to tight, also check for corrosion on the main drive pulley. If there’s corrosion sometimes it will grab your belt.
Johnathan Legg thank you I’ll check into that
Great video. Described my problem exactly. Took 2-3 seconds for blades to engage after engaging lever. Thanks for posting.
Thank You...and You're Welcome...
Thank you buddy that was actually really helpful
Glad to hear it!
I'm going outside right this minute to adjust my belt, thank you for sharing this important information Steve ✌️🇺🇲
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Great video Steve!!! I just put a new cable on a few days ago, and it takes a sec for the blades to spin up. On my way out to fix that right now!!!!! I owe ya a beer Steve!! Thanks!!
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I dont feel right if i dont say thanks Steve, cos u really explain it so detailed & clear my man! Thanks big!
I appreciate that!
Sorry Steve. You are way off on this one. Review video, 2 beers. Find lever, 1 beer. Find spring, 1 beer. Locate spring, 1 beer. Find 10 mm wrench, 1 beer. Trip walking to the carry out (I'll pick up a 12 pack this time. ) Find mower.........
Fair enough!
Thanks for the video. I did that adjustment today on my 2012 John Deere Sabre. It tightened up a little, but I think I need a new belt. I buy a new belt every year. I won't need it for cutting grass anymore this year, just need too pull my grass catcher behind me for the Fall leaves.
Thanks Steve for another awesome tutorial! Saved me some time taking it to the shop
Great to hear!
3rd belt in 2 cuts. First time user of an old beat up John Deere. There's so many loose bolts under there, I was assuming that was my issue due to some unalignment issues. I do think I will try this first, thanks for the time saver.
Hey Steve, When I was a kid my old grandpa used to tell me that it is called a " Leever" because kids were supposed to LEAVE HER ALONE , and not touch it ! !
LOL, My Dad told me the same thing once! Right on.... ;-)
Neil McColman 97:’’
Mine did too! Seriously. Lol
@Steve's Small Engine Saloon
I bought John Deere 100 series
First time used and noticed 2 issues
Steering is not smooth and difficult to maneuver when turn.
Second is slow it’s slower than my 15 years old Craftsman mower. I noticed deck belts is so so loose. I can upload the video and send the link to you.
I called the local dealer and he said it’s under warranty but $80 for drop off and pick up. Should I tight belt ? Please advise. Thank you
@@ssinvllc he just showed you how to check... You probably should check
I didn't even realize that was the tensioner. What a pain in the other side this was. You literally saved me from more frustration 😂😂😂😂
Thank You...
What do you do when you dont have this adjustment on deck belt? Mine is welded in place. How would you go about tightening the belt then? Looking for answers? Can you help me out on this? Dennis
Did you ever find a solution? I have the same problem and the only thing I can think to do is break the weld on the bracket and drill holes to mod the deck to an adjustable configuration.
My neighbor has the same problem. The only thing that I find works, because his belt kept coming off, is to engage blades at a low rpm, then increase throttle. When you disengage the blades, do so very slowly so that belt will stay on the the pulley.
Yep - my last one had it, but I guess they're going cheap-and-nasty.
You're the man Steve ! I'm one of those that didn't realize that bracket was adjustable. My John Deere D105 has been suffering from this very thing. Thanks 👍
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I have an e120 and that adjustable L bracket you adjust is now welded on. Any ideas to tighten the belt in another way?
Same now I need 5 freaking beers !!
@@TheSaltyDawg hey I ended up buying one 3 inches shorter than the one that came on it now I’m mowing again
Yes!!!!! Finding your channel is like finding gold in my pan. Thanks so much .. subscribed.🤠
Awesome! Thank you!
Thanks for your sharing. Much appreciated.
My pleasure!
Thanks Steve, I just found your channel and this just got me hopefully mowing my overgrown pasture before a storm. 😅
Yeah but I just took off the old belt and blades on my Craftsman T210 Ride On Mower and put brand new ones on. Now a week later when I go to mow the lawn the belt fell off the pulleys in the middle of mowing and when I looked underneath the deck to see what the problem was the new belt was all shredded up. How does a brand new belt get that shredded from about 15 minutes worth of mowing? Everything was fine up until I put these new blades and belt on. Now I dunno what to do?
It is probably either the belt routing or something on the deck top is off and causing serious friction. The "curved side" of the belt needs to be inside both spindles as the belt rounds through them. Easy to put on backwards, trust me. Was there any burn smell or smoke?
Nice video....just replaced my belt and the cable..and still had a loose belt...thanks this video helped alot.. will adjust that cable right away..thanks
Good luck!
I have a related question: does belt dressing make any difference in how the belt grips the pulleys or tends not to slip off. What is the best belt dressing?
Don't use belt dressing. Makes dirt/dust stick to your belt shorting belt life.
Thank you Steve! I happened to watch this video last night and did everything that you suggested. Worked like a charm! I can hold off on replacing the belt. Love your videos!
Great job!
Thanks Steve, this fixed the issue I was having this Spring with our mower! Now I won't feel guilty watching the wife push her mower around the yard.
Excellent!
BIG, BIG HELP STEVE!! GRATIAS AMIGO!!! YOUR VIDEOS ARE THE BEST!!
Happy to help!
My adjusters welded on no bolts. What should I do?
Excellent instruction. Thanks.
You are welcome!
Maybe stupid question, Is it possible that tensioner line can get worn out? I am having a problem on my husqvarna where the belt itself is coming off when I disengage the blades. I have purchased a new belt, but still there seems to be a good amount of slack on it when even before engaging the blades. I have also adjusted that tensioner bracket you said to where it is a fair bit tighter, but still the belt falls off when I disengage. Any suggestions are helpful, thanks for the video!
Some models were missing one of the two keepers on the tensioner pulley, the company put out a letter on this.
Thank you Steve 👍
@@terrythoffman9375 which company? I have a troy bilt super bronco..model year 2006
THANK YOU FOR YOURF HELP
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Thanks for your videos great details an learned a lot watching your video steve
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Longmire would be proud of your beer of choice. Excellent video by the way. Surprisingly simple fix and there's a lot of good information in the manual that comes with new mowers that too many people file away and never open. Keep the info coming because you've saved me a lot of money. 👍
Never knew that was able to be done, thank you for the tip! Keep them coming!!
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Thank you man i thought my lawn mower will never be fixed thats a lot for very informative video thank you again
Glad to help
Thanks Steve. Great job. ✌🏻👊
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