What causes a mower deck belt to get really Hot?

[KX500]

Too hot to touch - and you can turn the deck blade pulley (the one the belt attaches too) by hand & it spins easily. So my first thought of it being a blade shaft bearing doesn't make sense.

I never have any belt problems just mowing the yard. But mowing a couple acres of tall grass a couple times a year pretty much kills a belt each time out. I don't even attempt it any more without a spare belt.

I put a new belt on yesterday, mowed an overgrown food plot (tall weeds, etc) of not even 1/2 acre and you could smell the belt basically burning up.

Go to mow the yard today and after the 3rd time of the belt coming off, gave up. I didn't mow for 10 minutes total. Belt was too hot to pick up but didn't look all that bad.

Anyway, mower is a Dixie Chopper, 5' deck (3 blades) with less than 200 hours. Kawasaki 25 hp that runs very well.

I've lost track of the # of belts I've gone through this summer mowing tall grass 3x.

Am I just asking to much of this thing or is there something that can be fixed? And today, I didn't ask all that much of it, but still the belt got really hot?

Not sure what to fix - other than paying somebody to mow the tall grass for me!

[jdg13]

It's a lawnmower, not a shredder. I've killed more than a few belts just cutting tall grass. They get hot, stretch, and then break. They simply ain't made for heavy duty work, even most of the high dollar zero turns. If you want to cut tall thick stuff regularly, you need a bush hog. I used to run a JD and a Gravely at a grounds keeping job I had. If we mowed once or twice a week, no issues. Let it get tall, and them suckers would burn up.

[Hogmauler]

Maybe a pulley is starting to freeze up or the above mentioned items.

[MontanaMountain]

A pulley or sheave could be worn causing slippage or if there’s an adjustment for belt tension that should be considered.

If there’s no bearing noise or feel or slop when spun by hand indicating rolling resistance then that sounds like problem may be elsewhere. Check the drive pulley coming off the engine.

[oktx]

Spindles bad?

[SaltwaterSlick]

Ain't but 2 major reasons belts do that... either a shaft starting to seize up (bad bearing or similar) or misalignment. Alignment is especially important for direct drive belts that change direction such as horizontal to vertical shift or have spring loaded tensioners that work on the back side of the belt. Idler pulley could have a bad bearing and that would cause enough drag to burn up a belt too.

[MontanaMountain]

Are you trying to mow tall, thick grass at lowest setting and are mowing too fast? That can also contribute to belt heating up and slipping.

In tall grass you’re supposed to cut in increments and make multiple passes while lowering the height on subsequent passes depending on what’s being cut.

[DedDuk]

It's a lawnmower, not a shredder. I've killed more than a few belts just cutting tall grass. They get hot, stretch, and then break. They simply ain't made for heavy duty work, even most of the high dollar zero turns. If you want to cut tall thick stuff regularly, you need a bush hog. I used to run a JD and a Gravely at a grounds keeping job I had. If we mowed once or twice a week, no issues. Let it get tall, and them suckers would burn up.

Dont tell my mower that. When my blades get dull, its time to finish them on youpon, sticks, and anything else that I want cut down.

[PeePaw on Fork]

Pulleys lose the V and belt slips inside the pulley. Will smoke a belt

[Lungbustr]

A pulley or sheave could be worn causing slippage or if there’s an adjustment for belt tension that should be considered.

If there’s no bearing noise or feel or slop when spun by hand indicating rolling resistance then that sounds like problem may be elsewhere. Check the drive pulley coming off the engine.

Yep. Belt is slipping.

Also note his post below his first one. You overload its gonna slip. Your basically abusing and dogging on the mower.

As a sidebote sharpen your blades also, that well help lower the resistance.

[S-3 Ranch]

I am having same problems burning up belts on tall pasture grass, only thing I can think is it’s just to much for the mower and a shredder is needed

[KX500]

I am cutting with the deck about as high as it will go - I move the deck up quite a bit when I cut the tall stuff.

If the answer is - just not made for that - then so be it.

But, prior to buying the DC, my son's buddy cut the same tall grass with his Dixie Chopper a couple times & he never had any belt issues. His is a little older - maybe they don't make them like the used too?

If I just bought the wrong one, that'd be interesting to know too.

[PYBUCK]

Get a new belt and check the pullies to make sure they are not worn out. Lawnmowers usually have spring tensioners so check the spring too.

[DirtyDave]

Too much load in the tall stuff. Belt is slipping and getting hot.

Raise the deck all the way up, keep blades sharp, and slow down. See if that helps

[lovemylegacy]

Idler pulley freezing up.