Craftsman Lawn Tractor Mower Belt Problem

[Pavel314]

I have a two year old Sears Craftsman lawn tractor with the 42" mowing deck. It works well with one annoying exception. Almost every time I want to mow, the drive belt has slipped off of the power take off pulley and is hanging slightly below it. I have to get off the tractor and reach underneath to fit the belt back on the pulley. The belt is properly set in that little J-hook guide thing hanging down on the right side of the PTO pulley. Sometimes it takes two or three attempts because the belt falls off when I start the tractor.

Once it engages, it's fine. No slippage, cuts the grass without problems. I can stop the tractor, disengage the mower drive, and restart with no more problems. I've replaced the belt with the size recommended in the user manual but the same thing happens.

Any ideas of why this would be happening?

Paul

[Dimitrios Paskoudniakis]

Is it possible that the belt tension rod is not in its locked position? If it is locked, there may be some adjustments to the spring arm or idler arm under the pulleys to pull them just slightly further apart to increase the belt tension just slightly enough to stop it from slipping.

[Blattus Slafaly]

Just take up the idler a little to keep it from falling off or get a new belt. They do stretch while still working.

[Chris]

I had the same model for 5 years now and the belt never slipped off unless it was caught in a twig. Something is bent or out of alignment, IMO. If you have a way of lifting the mower it should be easy to see what's wrong. Take precautions, that thing is too heavy to be careless

[lambo]

Looking under you will see a idler pulley with a spring attached to the idler arm this spring can loose tenhsion, thus not keeping the correct amount of tractor pulling ability on the drive pulley on the rear end. This spring can be replaced or as I did add another very stiff spring.