Adventures of a noob. Tractor 310-8. 37" mower deck.

[Hampton 95]

Hope you find this amusing.

 

Got the new mower deck belt in yesterday. Thank you, Wheel Horse Parts and More. Excited to get it on and make sure everything worked. I know the spindles were free.

Ran out to the garage and looked at the tractor. HHHmmm. I know it goes around the pulleys in the mule driver, but how does it go on the deck? Back inside on the computer to this forum to look for the deck manual. Search, search, search. There it is. Download and open. HHmm. Front page shows 4 decks. Which one is mine. Ok, that one has 4 pulleys on top, must be mine. So that’s how the belt goes.

 

Back to the garage. Lets get down and see whats what. Slide the belt over the mower pulleys. OK. Now to get the belt over those pulleys on the mule drive. So I push. Nope. Try again. HHmm. Don’t think this is going to work. Starting to question buying this. Maybe if I take the mule drive off.  Ok. How do I take it off. This moves so I’ll push this. Nope. Try again. Nope. Pull out cell phone and google “remove WH mule drive”. Brings me back to this forum. Push rod in and pull lever forward? What lever? Hmmm. Must be this thing. Mule drive falls off missing my foot.

 

Ok. Now maybe I can push the belt over the pulleys from the bottom. Nope. Try again. Nope. Maybe I can roll it in from the side. Seems to be working, but nope. Maybe if I use a screwdriver to push it. Nah, don’t want to damage the belt. Why did I buy this thing?

 

Back to this forum. I have to take it apart!?! Ok. Grab my largest sized wrenches. Crap. Not big enough. Where’s my adjustable wrench hidden on my work bench? Found it. Whoa! That nut is tight! Grab a hammer. OK, there is goes, not so bad.

 

Slide belt over pulleys and put mule back together. Wait. Belt slipped off! Do this 2 – 3 times and belt continues sliding off. Rethinking my purchase, hard.  OK. Lets take to whole belt off and get up on my bench. Ok. Much better. Wait. Something doesn’t look right. Shouldn’t that adjustment screw go through that threaded thing? Yep. Pry bar and good to go. Now let’s get it all back together. One thing. If I ever get a tiller or other belt driven attachment, I’m buying another belt cause I ain’t fighting this everytime!

 

Reattach mule drive. Why won’t the mule driver stay on? Hhmm. Guess I need to push that lever again. OK, back on. Install belt over PTO drive. That wasn’t bad. Let’s fire this thing up, get out in the yard and try it out. It’s dark but I don’t care at this point.

 

Pull into drive way, engage PTO. Nothing. What the crap!?!  Turn everything off and look at mower deck. Belt slipped off 2 outside pulleys. Alright, let’s see if I can pull it back on. Works on one side but other side is too tight to pull it. Once again, strongly questioning my purchase. Back to the garage. Maybe I can pry it back on. Not sure how to do this. Maybe if I drop the mower deck. Not sure how to do that either. Maybe give up and try tomorrow night. Nah. Walk back and forth a bunch. Wait. What if I turn the adjustment knob on the mule drive? Well dang, that did it. Belt now good to go.

 

Back outside. It’s dark but I don’t care. Engage PTO and hear the mower blades whir under me. YAY! Didn’t think about the tractor lights, just dropped the deck and mowed a little in the front yard.

So glad I bought this tractor!! Can’t wait to get it in the garden.

Edited August 25, 2022 by Hampton
Add tractor info

[peter lena 8,589]

@Hampton  suggestion  , next  message , refer to your model/ type/ year  horse , so members with the same set up can give you future hints to this  hook up , many different details , for different decks , size/ type ,  also that mule drive has to be correctly set up , with belt tracking , etc . pete

[ri702bill 8,296]

Savor the small victories ... a good day is a day with some "seat time"  - clean the clippings off under the deck when done - helps prevent rot-out caused by wet grass ....

[ri702bill 8,296]

2 minutes ago, peter lena said:

with belt tracking , etc

AND the proper green grease ...

[Hampton 95]

310-8. Nice little tractor. Will serve me well once I learn what I need to learn.

 

[peter lena 8,589]

@ri702bill ,  bill , was going to go into the full saving mode , but it would be just too much , after what he had been going thru . know you can relate to that . go grease , pete

[Hampton 95]

9 minutes ago, peter lena said:

@Hampton  suggestion  , next  message , refer to your model/ type/ year  horse , so members with the same set up can give you future hints to this  hook up , many different details , for different decks , size/ type ,  also that mule drive has to be correctly set up , with belt tracking , etc . pete

Thanks. Added to title.

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,036]

If your deck uses a six-sided belt this illustration may help with the belt installation

 

[Hampton 95]

43 minutes ago, gwest_ca said:

If your deck uses a six-sided belt this illustration may help with the belt installation

 

It's a v belt.

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,036]

Now that I think about it this would also apply to a V-belt.

Your deck model will be 05-37SC02

 

[Hampton 95]

1 minute ago, gwest_ca said:

Now that I think about it this would also apply to a V-belt.

Your deck model will be 05-37SC02

 

 

Yep. Belt 110265

[Pullstart 62,812]

Congrats!  I keep my belts on the mule drive if possible.  That 37” might be the only one that has a funky pulley system that the PTO belt is the spindle belt too.

[ri702bill 8,296]

1 minute ago, Pullstart said:

funky pulley system that the PTO belt is the spindle belt too.

Definetly gets the Funky what the hey?? award. You can probably count to 20 before the logo cames back around at 140ish inches!! 

[Hampton 95]

36 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

Congrats!  I keep my belts on the mule drive if possible.  That 37” might be the only one that has a funky pulley system that the PTO belt is the spindle belt too.

 

Next major purchase is a tiller and the later ones I think take the same belt. Will certainly get another belt.  lol

[8ntruck 6,993]

As I was reading your story, I halfway expected you to report finding a rock in your yard in the dark with your deck.  Glad you didn't - you had a good enough adventure putting it together.