Blades Blades won't turn fast enough at cutting height

fwiw88 · May 6, 2016

Hi
John Deere L110 .. older model.
Last year near the end of the season my blades would not engage at all. I checked the belt and it was loose. I figured I needed to change the belt. I bought a new one (John Deere 42") belt that was specified for this model.
I Changed the belt. It still seems a little loose ... Now if the the higher the mower height the faster the blades turn. They will turn barely at the lowest settings and turn really well at the highest setting but do not turn fast enough at the cutting heights between 2.5 and 3.5

The PTO cable tension setting is already at the max location.

The belt is on as per the diagrams in the operators manual and the new belt instructions.

bertsmobile1 · May 6, 2016

Check the tension spring anchor hole.
It gets cut by the spring pulling on it.
Check the pulleys as they wear the side receede allowing the belt to sit deeper in the pulley thus looser.
Also check that the root of the pulley is not polished which is a sign that the belt is running on the root and the pulley is worn past its limit.
Check the idler pulleys for smooth running and thse also wear again allowing the belt to run slack.
Check the deck engagement lever oner prolonges use it flogs out the hole so you do not get a full pull on the cable.
Check that the blade brake is fully dissengaged

If all these check out OK then go 1 size smaller belt (cheap & nasty fix )
JD sell a deck refurbishment kit for the 42" Edge deck which had all the wear parts and works out about 2/3 the price of individual parts.

fwiw88 · May 7, 2016

bertsmobile1 said:
Check the tension spring anchor hole.
It gets cut by the spring pulling on it.
Check the pulleys as they wear the side receede allowing the belt to sit deeper in the pulley thus looser.
Also check that the root of the pulley is not polished which is a sign that the belt is running on the root and the pulley is worn past its limit.
Check the idler pulleys for smooth running and thse also wear again allowing the belt to run slack.
Check the deck engagement lever oner prolonges use it flogs out the hole so you do not get a full pull on the cable.
Check that the blade brake is fully dissengaged

If all these check out OK then go 1 size smaller belt (cheap & nasty fix )
JD sell a deck refurbishment kit for the 42" Edge deck which had all the wear parts and works out about 2/3 the price of individual parts.

Thank you.

I took the deck off again and worked the pto lever and blade brake levers and lubed them (WD40) so they loosened up a bit and swung freely.
I greased the main pulleys and made sure they turned well.
I used a small lock washer and fed that over the PTO cable, squeezed it closed and slid into the spring so I would have a little more tension on the cable.
Put the deck back on and cut my grass!! Works as expected.

bertsmobile1 · May 7, 2016

Get a can of lithum spray grease and apply liberally evry where you put the WD 40.
Wd 40 is not a good lubricant and the effect will soon wear off.
FWIW I use a full can of gease for every 6 mowers I service

BlazNT · May 8, 2016

WD40 I call it the dirt magnet.

Glyn Robinson · May 8, 2016

i use to use wd-40 until i learned better. i use white lithium grease in a can.

Blades Blades won't turn fast enough at cutting height

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