42" Craftsman Belt Question

[hitmanharleyk]

My aunt has a 42" Craftsman mower with the manual deck ingage push lever and it eats belts. Her son has always put standard 1/2 x 88" industrial belts on it and she has asked me to look at it. It looks as if it calls for part number 144200.

With her being on a fairly tight budget I need to keep the price down, will a 37 x 88 belt work?

Most of the Lawnmower shops around here either offer the cheaper industrial belts or the flat out rape you for the OEM stuff! I run a kevlar industrial belt on my ZTR with great luck, they run me about $35 at the local industrial supply house when the mower dealer wants $75 or more for the OEM.

 

[ILENGINE]

It may work. Now let me clarify that. Some OEM belts are cut at a slightly different angle than standard belts, and some times will lead to belt failures. I suspect that the main problem may be somebody is missing one of the belt guides when they put the new belt on. Some of the Craftsman mowers with that engagement system have three fingers on the belt guide for the engagement idler pulley, and it is very easy to miss one of the fingers, which will damage a belt very quickly.

Also check the condition of all the other pulleys, making sure the belt is installed correctly, and not rubbing something.

 

[motoman]

My aunt has a 42" Craftsman mower with the manual deck ingage push lever and it eats belts. Her son has always put standard 1/2 x 88" industrial belts on it and she has asked me to look at it. It looks as if it calls for part number 144200.

With her being on a fairly tight budget I need to keep the price down, will a 37 x 88 belt work?

Most of the Lawnmower shops around here either offer the cheaper industrial belts or the flat out rape you for the OEM stuff! I run a kevlar industrial belt on my ZTR with great luck, they run me about $35 at the local industrial supply house when the mower dealer wants $75 or more for the OEM.

Please give more details on the industrial belt

 

[Carscw]

I buy my belt for my craftsman at advance auto parts they cost $17 and last about 100 mowings.
The only time I have had any trouble is when I have missed a guide. Smokes the belt up real fast.
I would check all your pulleys.
Could be a bad idler pulley make sure they turn easy and don't wobble.

Sent from my iPhone using LMF

 

[Rivets]

I agree with Carscw, check the pulleys. It doesn't have to wobble much on the Craftsman, Husky, or MTD models to cause this problem.

 

[hitmanharleyk]

Well I got a 1/2" x 88" kevlar belt today from tractor supply and I'll be carrying it back tomorrow to get one 95" long :smile:

Everything looks good underneath. I'm starting to wonder if it is "throwing or stretching" the belt when they engage it. I mow her grass when I mow my moms, but they both use this old Craftsman to beat up the leaves during the winter. At their age (70 and 72) they might not be strong enough to do it in one smooth move.