E130 Mower Belt Tension Adjustment

bobber23 said:

I have a JD Model E130 riding mower 2018 year which has a loose mower belt and the belt sometimes comes off. On other JD models there is an adjustment bracket for the belt tension which comes loose with 2 bolts and it can be moved forward and backward to adjust the belt tension. For some reason the JD E130 has a bracket that is welded to the mower deck and there is no apparent way to adjust the tension of the belt.

Can anyone give me advice on how to adjust the belt tension(and why JD would weld this bracket on this model and not on other models)?

Thanks for any help.

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Will1988 said:

I work at a Deere dealership. We have sold alot of these models and haven't had to adjust the belt tension on any of them. Since it is a manual PTO, the engagement lever tightens the belt when it engages the blades. Even with the deck engaged, the tension isn't super strong. Can you tell me which pulley the belt is coming off and at what height you are mowing? Thanks!

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bobber23 said:

Thanks Will1988, I have noticed the tension is not great even when mower is engaged, which led to the thought of it needed adjusting. Hard to say which pulley the belt came off as I had to put it back on both of the middle pulleys, not the 2 outer ones with the covers on them. The belt was actually outside of what looks like belt guards to keep the belt in place on the pulleys. I was mowing at the highest height(4")and was mowing grass that was 1 to 2 ft high. Once I was able to get the belt back on the pulleys I continued with the mowing and did not have any more issues. I thought that perhaps the high grass had become tangled in the pulleys and caused the belt to slide off of them.

Thanks

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Will1988 said:

You're welcome. That is very possible. I am also suspecting the high grass may have been stalling out the blades which overloaded the belt and caused it to jump off the pulleys as well. Glad you didn't have anymore issues. Once you get the grass under control, the mower should work fine. Have a great day!

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