The Green Industry's Resource Center

Mickhippy · #71 09-08-2006, 07:27 PM

Ive had to tighten the idler more than an inch on the deck belt once. That was the the original from the Hustler factory! What are the Hustler belt? Kevlar or what?

pugs · #72 09-08-2006, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mickhippy

Ive had to tighten the idler more than an inch on the deck belt once. That was the the original from the Hustler factory! What are the Hustler belt? Kevlar or what?

As the belts wear, they will ride deeper in the pulleys thus acting as if they are stretching or getting longer. But as I said before...measure a belt when its brand new and then measure it after you have put alot of hours on it. I am talking about measuring the back/flat side of it. Not sticking it in a belt measuring device...

I would like to hear your results as far as how much stretch you see. I bet not much if any...most of it is wear from the belt getting narrower.

puppypaws · #73 09-08-2006, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mickhippy

Ive had to tighten the idler more than an inch on the deck belt once. That was the the original from the Hustler factory! What are the Hustler belt? Kevlar or what?

Belts in V pulleys pull with the sides of the belt and as the sides of the belt wears it goes deeper into the pulley which will cause the pulley and what it is pulling to turn slower, think about a larger tire causing your vehicle to run faster than your speedometer actually reads. I have 34 50" tunnel fans in my chicken houses that are belt driven and to get the maximum feet per minute of air flow the belt when new will ride exactly flush with the top edges of the pulley, as the belt wears and goes deeper into the pulley it slows the revolutions of the fan blade and causes the efficency of the fan to drop off. This is why you have to tighten up the tension spring on your deck belt because as the sides wear it goes deeper into the pulleys and becomes loose, once it starts doing this you need to change belts for your blade tip speed to be at the maximum it is designed for. WELL PUGS I SEE YOU HAD IT COVERED BEFORE I POSTED.

John Gamba · #74 09-08-2006, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mowtech

Depends on the construction. Kevlar cord belts do not stretch. Polyester cord belts do. So it depends on the type of belt used. Kevlar belts can appear to stretch slightly as over time they can seat deeper into the pulleys.

What about pulley wear??????? the more hours the more wear????? change your pulleys too.

puppypaws · #75 09-08-2006, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Gamba

What about pulley wear??????? the more hours the more wear????? change your pulleys too.

You are exactly right the pulleys on the fans in my chicken houses run 24 hrs. a day for weeks and the pulleys do wear and they use a lot of electricity also my power bill last month was $3200.00.

Pietro · #76 09-08-2006, 09:56 PM

36 hp is overkill. I know a guy with a 30 hp randsom, he needs to fill it everyday in the am. Remember guys HP is not where you make power.......its TORQUE. I own a 60 inch Z master with the 23 HP kubota Diesel motor........the thing flies and has plenty of power. Granted 23 hp isnt much, but its got almost 45 ft lbs of tq, with is way more than a 30 hp gas........oh and I can go about a week and a half on a full tank..........and i do 50 lawns a week. If you can get a lower hp diesel for the same price or less, do it. I paid more for the diesel for 3 reasons..........1 is the torque obviously.......2 is that if u take care of it, it will last 6,000 hours........and 3...........diesel is always cheaper than gas in the summer. Im goin to get an exmark 48 ZTR soon...........and its goin to have a kubota too.

puppypaws · #77 09-08-2006, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pietro

36 hp is overkill. I know a guy with a 30 hp randsom, he needs to fill it everyday in the am. Remember guys HP is not where you make power.......its TORQUE. I own a 60 inch Z master with the 23 HP kubota Diesel motor........the thing flies and has plenty of power. Granted 23 hp isnt much, but its got almost 45 ft lbs of tq, with is way more than a 30 hp gas........oh and I can go about a week and a half on a full tank..........and i do 50 lawns a week. If you can get a lower hp diesel for the same price or less, do it. I paid more for the diesel for 3 reasons..........1 is the torque obviously.......2 is that if u take care of it, it will last 6,000 hours........and 3...........diesel is always cheaper than gas in the summer. Im goin to get an exmark 48 ZTR soon...........and its goin to have a kubota too.

A 36 hp efi would be an excellent engine to have on the Super Z because of the size of the hydraulic system, and the fuel economy would be better. Kohler has already said they didn't look for it to be to much longer before everything would be electronic fuel injected because of the EPA and emission standards.

Pietro · #78 09-08-2006, 10:24 PM

true, but diesel will outdo anything as far as fuel effiency goes......its been proven that there is more energy in diesel fuel than gas..........higher compresson means it burns longer and lasts longer.

puppypaws · #79 09-08-2006, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pietro

true, but diesel will outdo anything as far as fuel effiency goes......its been proven that there is more energy in diesel fuel than gas..........higher compresson means it burns longer and lasts longer.

I have been running John Deere tractors from 50 to 250 hp for 40+ years and they were all diesels but I have never thought I needed to spend the money for a diesel powered mower because I don't keep them long enough to warrant the difference.

Mickhippy · #80 09-08-2006, 11:40 PM

If what you all are saying about the belts, and I dont doubt you now, I stand corrected! What your all saying makes sence for sure!
That said, I would still perfer a shaft to the long belt! If its good enough for out fronts and large commercial ztrs, it should be good enough for the standard sized ztrs.