Lawn tractor repair ASAP

HKB · May 10, 2013

Need to get my lawn tractor repaired ASAP, it is a MTD. The engine is running fine and the blades turn fine but something is going on with the belt to the drive.
The sooner the better, my grass is already too tall

Sgt. Psycho · May 17, 2013

HKB said:
something is going on with the belt to the drive.

Does the belt need to be tightened? There should be a way to adjust the belt tension.

marko12 · May 18, 2013

The best DIY informational channel is You Tube. Just type in your lawn tractor make, model and problem and fifty people will tell you how to fix it. The best thing is that you can watch it over and over and over... till you get it.

cms1528 · May 18, 2013

Let me guess when you start mowing its does ok but as the mower warms up you seem to lose power to the rear wheels. Well its not your drive belt, its your sealed transmission. The one you can't change the fluid in. The same trans found in most entry level riding mowers. It's made by a company called Tuff Torq in TN USA, just Google K46 transmission and read all the complaints/issues. Shoot me a PM with email address and I will provide you with a doc that breaks down the repair procedure. Cost about $175 to repair or you can buy a new one for $500 or so.

MauiWowie · May 18, 2013

I use jacks small engine but that's a hike for you.
Pay someone for one time so you're not in a rush

tsmith1499 · May 18, 2013

cms1528 said:
Let me guess when you start mowing its does ok but as the mower warms up you seem to lose power to the rear wheels. Well its not your drive belt, its your sealed transmission. The one you can't change the fluid in. The same trans found in most entry level riding mowers. It's made by a company called Tuff Torq in TN USA, just Google K46 transmission and read all the complaints/issues. Shoot me a PM with email address and I will provide you with a doc that breaks down the repair procedure. Cost about $175 to repair or you can buy a new one for $500 or so.

Just look up under it and see if the tension spring broke or came off. That is the most common problem. I work in the parts dept. at a John Deere dealership and see this everyday. Start with the simple things first. You can fix or replace the trans. IF thats the problem BUT if you had the problem once, you'll have it again. If it really is the trans.

How much acreage are you mowing???

BTW for what it's worth, there's nothing wrong with the Tuff Torq transmissions. The problem comes into play when someone buys a mower that isn't what they REALLY need. Either it's a cost issue or it's being used for something it's not designed for. We have plenty of customers with L120 tractors that are 8-9 years old with FLAT lawns that don't abuse their tractors that have had 0 issues. We also have customers with 3 year old mowers that are replacing the trans because they chose the wrong piece of eguipment for their needs. Next time you go to buy a tractor, go to a dealer where the people actually know what they are talking about. Instead of some 19 year old kid that knows absolutely NOTHING about lawn equipment or how to suggest what you NEED instead of what you WANT. Just my $.02 and 20+ years experience.

marko12 · May 19, 2013

MauiWowie said:
I use jacks small engine but that's a hike for you.
Pay someone for one time so you're not in a rush

What the Maui Man says. :thumbsup:

drthv8r · May 19, 2013

My neighbor and I just replaced the 2 drive belts on my 1999 MTD Varidrive riding mower last month. It's amazing what replacing those belts did, the lawn tractor has had a night to day transformation all for the better. I purchased both genuine MTD belts off Ebay for $55.00 total including shipping.

byf43 · May 19, 2013

I've got an old '92/'93 model MTD rider from Monkey Warts, and it's quite possible that you need to replace the drive belts (2) and the mower deck blade (1).

Marlboro Mower is where I get my parts. (They are also very reasonable on repairs!)

http://www.exmarkdealers.com/uppermarlboromd/default.asp?ID=143&PageData=152499&P=1

Great people to deal with. :thumbsup:

SouthCo · May 19, 2013

Is it not moving or moving slower? I just replaced the drive belt on my tractor. It was starting to slow down and then the I heard a pop and it wouldn't move. They belt had about 350hours. It was still in one piece but had wore out. It took about 15mins to put a new one on (it was my 1st time changing it) and now she is as good as new.

HKB · May 21, 2013

Thanks for the replies, I have dropped it off at Liberty Equipment for repair. Sometimes it is easier to let the pros handle it, I just did not have the time to do it myself this go around.

Curmudgeon · May 21, 2013

HKB said:
Thanks for the replies, I have dropped it off at Liberty Equipment for repair. Sometimes it is easier to let the pros handle it, I just did not have the time to do it myself this go around.

Not that it matters, now that you've dropped it off, but you never said anything about the make/model?

Here is a link to a site I have found useful quite often, mostly the forums. Check the forum link and try a search for your particular problem/symptom. The search feature works pretty well there.

Link: http://tractorbynet.com/

Straight to forums: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/forum.php

Hope your repairs aren't too costly. The drive belt just broke on my Cub Cadet and I replaced it last Saturday. That was a pain. The unbroken middle of the belt wrapped itself under the pulley and around the shaft. Of course this was the pulley up under the seat and hard to get to. That was fun. About 4 ounces of sprayed WD-40 saved the day, and I'm back to mowing again.

HKB · May 21, 2013

It is a Yard Man made by MTD. The price for the "pros" was not too bad this time.

tsmith1499 · May 21, 2013

Sometimes it's just easier and quicker to let someone else do it. Hope it's just a belt. Good luck.

Boxcab · May 21, 2013

tsmith1499 said:
How much acreage are you mowing???

BTW for what it's worth, there's nothing wrong with the Tuff Torq transmissions. The problem comes into play when someone buys a mower that isn't what they REALLY need. Either it's a cost issue or it's being used for something it's not designed for. We have plenty of customers with L120 tractors that are 8-9 years old with FLAT lawns that don't abuse their tractors that have had 0 issues. We also have customers with 3 year old mowers that are replacing the trans because they chose the wrong piece of eguipment for their needs. Next time you go to buy a tractor, go to a dealer where the people actually know what they are talking about. Instead of some 19 year old kid that knows absolutely NOTHING about lawn equipment or how to suggest what you NEED instead of what you WANT. Just my $.02 and 20+ years experience.

Just for S's and G's... as I may need a new one by the end of the season.

What would you recommend for a 1+ acre lawn with a fair share of hills to climb? Needs to fit between and around trees (48" width max, Maple tree surface roots) and other obstacles, and deal with, and bag, lots of leaves in the fall. Ability to pull aerator, yard trailer and spreader needed. Storage footprint a consideration as well.

Thanks.

HKB · May 21, 2013

Boxcab said:
Just for S's and G's... as I may need a new one by the end of the season.

What would you recommend for a 1+ acre lawn with a fair share of hills to climb? Needs to fit between and around trees (48" width max, Maple tree surface roots) and other obstacles, and deal with, and bag, lots of leaves in the fall. Ability to pull aerator, yard trailer and spreader needed. Storage footprint a consideration as well.

Thanks.

+1

My yard is about the same just smaller(just over a half acre) and pine trees.

7's · May 21, 2013

Still need help? I make house calls!

tsmith1499 · May 21, 2013

Boxcab said:
Just for S's and G's... as I may need a new one by the end of the season.

What would you recommend for a 1+ acre lawn with a fair share of hills to climb? Needs to fit between and around trees (48" width max, Maple tree surface roots) and other obstacles, and deal with, and bag, lots of leaves in the fall. Ability to pull aerator, yard trailer and spreader needed. Storage footprint a consideration as well.

Thanks.

I would say at a MINIMUM an X320. Bigger if you can afford it. Like we all say when buying things for our firearms. "buy once, cry once". The exact same can be said for lawn mowers. The hills are what you have to watch out for. Whatever you do, DO NOT buy a D100 series or you WILL be replacing the tranny in it in a few years of hills and pulling around what you want to pull. I have been there and done the "buy a cheap one" that wore out in a few years. My current garden tractor is going on 11 years old and has had ZERO problems. Other than normal maintenance items. Oh, it still has the original battery and deck wheels.

Lawn tractor repair ASAP

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

Ultimate Member

Ultimate Member

Senior Member

Active Member

I have the SIGness...

Poor C&R Collector

Senior Member

Active Member

SCSC Life/NRA Patron Life

Active Member

Ultimate Member

I H8 stinkbugz

Ultimate Member

Poor C&R Collector

MSI EM

Ultimate Member

Banned

Poor C&R Collector

Users who are viewing this thread

Log in

Forum statistics