Why are your belts breaking? Pulleys & Spindle wear
A very common question most lawnmower owners have every year is "why are my belts breaking"?
You SHOULD NOT have to be replacing your lawnmower belts multiple times throughout the year, instead a common problem as to why your belt breaks is down to your pulleys and spindle wear.
Pulley Wear & Tear
Pulleys can create massive strain on lawnmower belts. It is important to check if the pulleys and bearings are worn out.
A pulley rides on bearings that allows it to spin freely. When a pulley doesn't spin freely, friction is created between the pulley and belt, causing the belt to break.
If you are ever in doubt replace your pulley. Otherwise, you are in danger of breaking yet another belt. Note: Always remember to shut the mower off before attempting any maintenance on your machine.
Spindle Wear
There is more than one way for your belts to break, Another is a worn or broken spindle.
The spindle connects directly to the pulleys, which creates the force that helps your blades spin. When your spindle is worn or bent, this can cause a high chance of a belt malfunction which will ultimately cause the belt to break.
3 signs that your spindle is worn include:
1. Uneven Cuts: When the spindle gets off its axis, then there’s a high chance the blade won’t move evenly. Sure enough, this causes the cuts to be uneven and damage your lawn.
The reason this happens? The spindle bearings loosened up, or the spindle moved out of place. Sometimes, it is not adjusted correctly
2. Squealing: In lawn tractors, the spindle tends to be a little larger than most mowers. This causes it to make loud squealing sounds when it goes bad. There’s a chance the spindle is broken, or the bearings are worn out.
3. Buzzing Vibration: If your lawnmower begins to make loud or buzzing noises as you mow, it probably means you have a bad spindle, additionally you will feel the lawnmower begin to vibrate out of nowhere. This an indication to change your spindle so not to put pressure on your belts
