Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Just purchased this mower new from Lowe's. When I engage the transmission I can hear a rubbing sound in the front of the mower underneath the engine. After checking I found that the drive belt is extremely loose. Looked for a tension bar to adjust but cant find one and the instructions donsnt mention it. Is there a tension adjust?

It is for sure the drive belt. It is a twin hydrostatic transmission. The belt is extremely loose. Should the drive belt be tight at all times even on a hydrostatic trans? I took the mowing deck off the mower and examined every pulley for the drive belt. Made sure the belt was put on correctly per diagram. The mower is brand new and since i cant find an apparent tension adjust, i believe they put the wrong belt on the machine. Gonna go get a new belt this afternoon and see.

Look at the belt number on the belt then consult your owners manual for the proper belt number.  That will tell you if they put the wrong belt on.  Also check your owners manual to see if there are any tension adjustments for the belt.  It seems rather foolish for a mfg to make it without some way of adjusting the belt tension.


Carl

ok if its a hydrostat tranny than the belt SHOULD be tight all the time... its either has an auto adjuster with spring tension or one of the pulley will adjust.... but as u said if its extreamly loose then maybe u someone got the wrong belt on it..

Bring it back to Lowes and get a new one. If there's a problem with the belt or a missing tensioner, there are probably other issues as well that you may not find until it's too late. You should not have problems with a brand new machine.

Bring it back to Lowes and get a new one. If there's a problem with the belt or a missing tensioner, there are probably other issues as well that you may not find until it's too late. You should not have problems with a brand new machine.

I was wrong about the drive belt being too long. The parking brake releases the tension on the idlers, thus making me believe the belt was too long. The "real" problem im having is a nasty sound/vibration happening when the drive is engaged. When going uphill it gets really bad. My diognosis is that the engine pulley/idler is fine, the transmission pulley/idler is fine, the belt is on correctly per diagram , all the other idlers in between the engine and trans appear to be fine. But im getting a major vibration from the belt. I just cant figure it out and im bummed. Ill load it up tomorrow and take it back after i give it one more try. The reason im so bummed, is because this is my 3rd attempt at getting this mower from Lowe's. My first attempt i purchased this mower ( with a kohler engine) and they were to assemble one and id pick it up on monday. Monday comes and i pick it up, gas it up, and take it home, and realize they gave me a mower that is identical except it has a briggs and stratton engine. Since i believe kohler is better, and it costs a few hundred more for that model, i called the store and reported my delima. They didnt have one with a Kohler in stock (even though thats what my receipt is for) and said theyd order me one to exchange for and theyd call me back. They never called me back and never ordered one. The next week i gave up and took it back. Another Lowes 20 miles away, i find the same mower and purchase it. Take it home and when im test driving it i notice that when i put it neutral the mower still eases forward, the starter struggles awful hard to crink, and there is 94 hours on the odometer. I go inside and am looking thru the paperwork and find additional paperwork mixed in that shows this mower having been serviced for "continueing to move forward while in neutral". I of course return the mower. And now my 3rd mower, the one im taking back tomorrow. And no other Lowe's in my area has this mower with a Kohler engine. All they have is the one with the briggs and Stratton (that theyre selling at the kohler price even though lists on the website cheaper). They are confused as to what they have and dont have. Ive spared yall a lot of the story of my communing with Lowe's. I assure you it has been a debacle. Theyre nice. But dont follow up with anything. They sell a product, and will process a return. Thats about all ya get. Guess ill be better off buying from a dealer/service center. Thanx for yalls input and help.

"Guess ill be better off buying from a dealer/service center." IMO, unless you're up to doing all the maintenance yourself, that's the way to go. Of course, finding a good dealer is another story. Since you're starting over, look for a Cub dealer and check out the Cub Cadet LTX 1046 KW (with the Kawaski engine). Hell of a mower for $1800.

Bill_H wrote:

I went ahead and purchased from Lowes the husqavarna rider with the briggs and stratton engine. Because of rain itll probably be a few days before im able to test the machine. The engine seems to be a little weaker than the kohler, but still strong enough to operate the mower. We will see. Down the road, i intend to purchase a zero turn to go along with my riding mower to cut the bulk of my yard. I might look into the cub's then. My property is large, about 7 acres, with most of it being at fairly steep incline. I tried a zero turn a few years ago and the transmissions just wouldnt hold up. I believe the mower was too large and bulky. I had a 66" Swisher.