Husqvarna mower deck pulley. How to adjust belt tension on a Husqvarna riding…

How to adjust belt tension on a Husqvarna riding lawnmower, step by step

One of the core components of a Husqvarna riding lawnmower is the drive belt. The mower blades are driven by a drive belt that connects them with the engine crankshaft pulley. This belt is also called a blade belt. If the belt malfunctions, the lawnmower won’t move. If the belt is worn out, the lawnmower moves slowly because the belt slips on the pulley. If the belt is loose, it will keep your blades from rotating. All these issues require knowing how to adjust the belt. This article will help to adjust the belt tension with a step-by-step approach.

How to adjust belt tension on a Husqvarna lawnmower, step by step:

• Step 1. Park your lawnmower in a flat location
• Step 2. Disconnect the spark plug
• Step 3. Turn the log lever
• Step 4. Inspection of blade belt
• Step 5. Adjustment of the drive belt
• Step 6. Check the blades

How would you know that your belt needs adjustment or not? There’s a long belt that goes from your blading engagement by your steering wheel down to your mowing deck. That belt stretches over time. This causes the belt to slip. If you feel this, then the belt needs adjustment. If you have a Husqvarna riding mower and don’t know how to tighten the drive belt, don’t panic. This blog explains how to adjust the belt tension on a Husqvarna riding lawnmower. IT will give you an insight into the tools you need, the technicalities you should know, and the precautions you should take.

Step-by-step Guide:

Adjusting the belt tension itself is a relatively simple process. However, opening the mower base and exposing the system can be technical and somewhat complex for newbies. Here the easy-to-follow steps will help you with performing the job at home.

Step 1: Park your mower in a flat location

Place the lawnmower on an even, smooth, and plane location. This helps to get easy access to the underside of your mower. Please do not tilt the Husqvarna lawnmower on its side, as oil can run from the reservoir to the engine’s wrong parts. Use the parking brake to keep it from moving. If you have a lawnmower lift, you can use it to raise the mower so that approaching the base becomes easier.

Tip: Let your Husqvarna mower run in a well-ventilated area for a few minutes before starting. This will warm up the engine and oil. If the belt and pulleys run for a while, they will become easier to move by hand. This will make the task somewhat easier.

Step 2: Disconnect the spark plug

As a safety step, it is good to disconnect the spark plug. That will ensure that the engine does not unintentionally start. You will find the spark plug on one side of the combustion chamber; unplug it. Some people ask if there’s a need to remove the Husqvarna mower’s cutting deck while adjusting your mower or blade belt. It both has advantages and disadvantages. In some types, removing it will make your approach to the belt components easier. For other types, just lowering the mower deck to its lowest position will give you enough room.

Step 3: Turn the log lever.

The log lever serves a single purpose of engaging or disengaging the Husqvarna mower blades. Locate the log lever that is extending from the top of the control panel nearby the steering wheel. It turns at a 90-degree angle as it comes out of the control panel and extends to the right. On the end of the lever, there is a paddle handle. Rotate the log lever by holding the paddle handle away from forward away from you to engage the blades. While operating, if you notice a 2-3 seconds delay instead of a 0.5 seconds delay, the belt is loose. Now, pull the lever back to engage the blades.

Step 4: Inspection of blade belt.

Next, you need to locate the Husqvarna blade belt. You can find it across the belt and pulley system underneath the deck. You can approach it from the mower’s base along with the blades, so you must have your mower on a raised platform. Before adjusting, you must look at your belt and make sure that there are no cracks. Suppose you see some cracks and chunks at this time. It would become critical to replace the belt. Next, you must inspect that your spring arm is working correctly. Make sure that it moves back and forth correctly.

Underneath the deck, check by hand that the spring attached to that spring arm is a bit slack, and the belt is easily stretched by hand. Also, check the sag of the belt as it passes over pulleys. If it is sagging below, it needs tightening. If it feels too tight, you need to loosen it. This will give you a complete analysis that which components must be tightened. over, there is a cable that originates from the blade engagement level all the way down to the mower deck connecting the spring arm. It gets extended over time, so the belt gets loose.

Step 5: Adjustment of mower or blade belt.

Now we can start with the adjustment. At the point where the cables come down and attach to the pulleys, there’s a small bracket from where the cable is adjusted. This is the same point where the cable from the blade engagement lever is connected to the spring arm. As the deck and blades are disengaged, everything beneath the deck is in a slack position. The same screws you need to tighten are the screws over the spring arms. Now take an adjustable wrench and unbolt the screws and washers, push the bracket away from the spring, put the bolts back in position, and tighten them up by wrench. You need to set a proper distance between the bracket and spring to tighten or loosen it.

In the case of Husqvarna, you need a 10 mm wrench for the bracket bolting and unbolting. When you are done with adjusting the belt, push the log lever away from the steering wheel to engage the mower deck and blades and check whether the spring is further stretched by hand or not. In an ideal position, it should be tight without any stretching caused by the hand. The belt has been adjusted. Also, you can always grease the belt while operating. Run it by hand to give it a few cycles. This will help lubricate the pulleys too. In the end, tighten any loose connections the pulley might have. Check all springs if they are free to move.

Step 6: Double-check the Blades.

You need to check if the belt and pulley system is working. Use a pair of heavy safety gloves, twist the mower blades and check if the belt moves over pulleys without lagging or sagging. Reconnect the spark plug, and start the Husqvarna engine. Now you can see if the belt and pulleys are driven correctly. If they are, your blades should be continually moving and instantly startup without any delay.

Note: If you want to loosen the drive belt, you need to push the log lever away from the steering wheel, and you have to pull in the spring arms. You’ll be doing the opposite of what you did for tightening the belt.

Additional safety concerns:

We all are aware that blades can be very unsafe to operate without taking preventive measures. Also, when you are adjusting your drive belt, there are some safety tips that you should take into account.

Always Check the Manual

Always read the Husqvarna manual! Ensure that you know every detail about the drive belt. The manual will give you all the basic details you need. Ensure that the belt you use is specifically made for your model. over, match the numbers on the blade belt with the mower manual. Even a slightly higher or lower number can cause the belt to be too tight or loose. This also reduces the mower’s life.

Double Check the Blades

You should always double-check the blades to see if they’re moving correctly without whirring when you move the lever. This is to make sure that the blades will not start cutting up everything. So, when you move the lever, check the blades’ movement. Also, check them when closing the compartments. If the blades are suck, your belt will immediately break up as you try to start up the mower.

Frequently asked questions:

Why does my belt keep slipping off my lawnmower?

The drive belt may come over a riding mower pulley if it is too loose. This is the reason for its slipping too. As the belt is made from fairly flexible rubber to add heat resistance and flexibility. Over time, the belt gets worn out that elongates the belt. Also, the pulleys are supposed to be adjusted at a fixed distance. Over long-term operation, the distance between them may reduce due to the belt stretch and bolts’ loosening. Both these are the causes of a loose belt.

When should I replace my mower belt?

At first, there is no definite amount of time that a mower belt is supposed to last, but most of the mowers have short intervals, after which a belt requires adjustment. Typically, you should adjust the belt once in a while and replace it every two seasons. If you do hectic mowing in one season, you should replace it. This will help protect other critical internal components.

Does a lawnmower drive belt stretch?

Yes, a Lawnmower belt will stretch because of wear and tear after longer use. The mower blades rotate with high RPMs, so the belt itself rotates very quickly as well. Unlike the drive belt of cars, mower drive belts are less sturdy. It means that over time the belt gets loosened over repeated cycles of heating, cooling, and fast turning.

Final remarks:

A loose drive belt can be the reason for your Husqvarna lawnmower to slow down unexpectedly. Over time the belt will stretch. This will reduce the belt tension and can cause several problems. To keep your Husqvarna lawnmower operating properly, the belt adjustment is something you will come across from time to time. This article gives you an easy to follow guideline to adjust the drive belt on your Husqvarna lawnmower.

Husqvarna mower deck pulley

Lawnmower Parts Online is an Irish owned company who’s goal is to provide a one-stop shop for parts and service kits for all your garden machinery. We provide these parts at great factory-direct prices.

Get in touch

Include MAKE, MODEL YEAR of machine and Parts required

Please submit your product inquiry to the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible!

Include MAKE, MODEL YEAR of machine and Parts required

Thanks for your inquiry! We will get back to you shortly!

Privacy Preference Center

When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. The information does not usually directly identify you, but it can give you a more personalized web experience. Because we respect your right to privacy, you can choose not to allow some types of cookies. Click on the different category headings to find out more and change our default settings. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer.

Manage Consent Preferences

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.

These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.

These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookie Policy

The Best Zero-Turn Mowers of 2023

These achieve the rare feat of making lawn mowing fun.

By Roy Berendsohn Published: Mar 1, 2023

When it comes to yard work, zero turn mowers do the impossible. They make lawn mowing fun. They accomplish this by putting unprecedented speed, control and maneuverability at the disposal of the person mowing the lawn. The so-called “zero turn” feature of these mowers converts a grass cutting machine into something akin to an amusement park ride. You steer the machine with two levers—the left lever controls the left wheel, the right lever the right wheel. With that steering setup, you can zoom over the landscape cutting straight lines, curves, or pivot the mower into and out of a corner. What’s not to like?

Read on to understand how these agile grass cutters work, how we go about testing them, and see some candidates that we’ve recently tested as well as some that we haven’t but that we think look particularly promising.

How Zero-Turn Mowers Work

A zero-turn riding mower consists of an operator platform, a frame and wheels, an engine (or battery bank), transmissions (or motors), and a pair of control levers commonly known as lap bars. In gas mowers, the engine powers a pulley system. One group of pulleys drives the blades, another group powers a pair of transmissions–one at each rear wheel. When you move the lap bar forward or back, you are directing the transmission to go faster, slower, or even turn the opposite way. When one drive wheel turns clockwise and the other counter clockwise, the mower pivots. When the wheels rotate at different rates, the mower turns in an arc-shaped path. When the lap bars are in the neutral position, the mower stops. Aside from a parking brake, there’s no other braking mechanism. Battery-powered zero-turn mowers work the same way, but have separate motors to drive the rear wheels and one for each blade inside the mower deck.

When it comes to transmission, most mowers have a Hydrogear EZT—a well-known and cost-effective residential-grade transaxle with a reputation for durability.

Some mowers use a deck stamped from one piece of steel, others use a deck fabricated from multiple pieces and welded together. A fabricated deck can be built from thicker steel at a lower cost than it would be able to be built otherwise. Once you’re talking about stamping metal as thick as 10 gauge (about 1⁄8 inch thick), the cost of stamping such a deck would push up the mower’s price beyond what most people are willing to pay. The decks in the mowers below range from 42 to 52 inches, a typical size in this class of product. When powered by these engines and the Hydrogear, these mowers will deliver a decent cut quality at their rated top speed of 7 mph. Note, however, that cut quality declines steeply if you maintain that speed in very thick grass or on uneven terrain.

As to the electric mowers, they represent the leading edge of the technology in this category. These are remarkable and expensive mowers powered by large-voltage lithium-ion batteries. If you’re interested in reducing mowing noise and simplifying your maintenance routine by eliminating gas and oil, they’re worth a look.

Selecting a Zero-Turn Mower

Everyone would like to select the biggest possible zero-turn mower with the hope of whittling a big grass cutting job down to size as quickly as possible. Reality usually intercedes because these machines are expensive and the wide range of options available today quickly drive up the cost. Roughly speaking, you start somewhere in the range of a mower with a 42-inch deck costing in the vicinity of 3200 to 3500 and move up in increments of 1000 to 1500 until you reach entry-level commercial-grade equipment that costs 7000 to 8000.

Again, speaking in terms of approximation, a mower with a 42-inch deck will cut a two-acre lot (that takes into account that the house, driveway, outbuildings and various landscape features are taking up some of that space). Use a mower with a larger deck to cut anything over two acres. But here’s the caveat. That entry-level ZTR mower (3200, say) with a 42-inch deck will wear out faster and need more maintenance than a mower with a 50-inch deck, a heavier frame, larger engine and higher quality transmissions, and thicker deck with more robust blade spindles, costing 4500.

In the simplest possible terms, you can cut a smaller area with a larger mower and expect more longevity out of the machine (not to mention a nicer mowing experience) or you can cut a larger area with a smaller machine and encounter more maintenance and a mowing experience that will be, we might say, a bit more rugged.

But there are still other factors to consider, in selecting a mower other than deck size and your budget. Larger mowers take more space in a garage or outbuilding. And a mower with a 50-inch or even 60-inch deck, as useful as it might be in getting the job done more quickly, may not fit through a fence’s gate, and it might be more difficult to maneuver in tight spots without creating scalp marks on the lawn from a lot of close-quarter pivoting.

Carefully consider all these factors when shopping for a mower: your budget, maintenance and whether you will perform that work yourself, mowing speed and time, maneuverability and trimming in tight areas, the importance that you place on your comfort while mowing, cut quality, longevity, storage, and access to the landscape.

How We Select and Test

There’s only one way to test a mower, and that’s to cut grass with it. But we also do more than mow.

We raise and lower the deck and adjust the seat. We look at service point access (the air filter, the spark plug, and the oil filter) and how easy it is to remove the deck. We mow approximately an acre with each mower, considering cut and mulching quality while running uphill, downhill, across washboard, and along sidehills. (On sidehills, we’ll mow surfaces pitched up to approximately 20 degrees; manufacturers generally recommend not going steeper than 10 degrees, but we like to be thorough.) We evaluate power and speed relative to cut quality—we investigate whether the mower delivers a decent cut mowing at full speed. When mowing in damp conditions, we look at whether the mower’s tires accumulate grass and how effectively it discharges moist clippings. Finally, we test maneuverability (these machines are, generally, very nimble) and how readily they come to a stop when you back off the lap bar control levers.