Kubota T1880 Won't Drive

[Russell King]

See the information in post #51 from whitetiger. It is the information from the Kubota manual that shows how to remove and install the blades.

@Caden that shows that the black blade is by the discharge and has standard right hand threads. The red blade is opposite the discharge and has left hand threads so is opposite of normal.

BUT this is confusing me because the deck is upside down and rotated differently in some of the pictures so I may be wrong about all of this not being able to see it all at one time on my tiny iPad screen!

 

[Caden]

BUT this is confusing me because the deck is upside down and rotated differently in some of the pictures

Same, I don't want to say anything too confidently because the different viewpoints are throwing me off.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

I assume you have losened the bolt by holding the blade against a wooden block. Once the blade is loose the spindle may start turning. You have to hold the other blade then by hand while taking out the bolt, stopping spindle rotation via the belt.

When tightening the bolts make sure the torque is as per manual. Typically there is also a sticker on the deck showing the required sequence of washers or spring washers.

 

[Pat_USA]

A couple of weeks ago, the repair guy broke one of the bolts holding the cutting blade, and he still hasn’t replaced it. What size is it, and where can I buy one besides the authorized dealers?

 

[Caden]

Evening.

You sure have had a long saga of events with this mower

I found the bolts on a diagram on Messick's .com. The bolts are different on each side because the one is left handed threads.

part 180 is left side.
part 90 is right side.

See below links : M12 x 1.25

Bolt Left side
Spring Plate
Bolt right side

 

[Pat_USA]

Evening.

You sure have had a long saga of events with this mower

I found the bolts on a diagram on Messick's .com. The bolts are different on each side because the one is left handed threads.

part 180 is left side.
part 90 is right side.

See below links : M12 x 1.25

Bolt Left side
Spring Plate
Bolt right side



View attachment 176697

Wow, that’s pretty expensive, so I guess I’ll have to buy directly from the authorized dealer. The “Plate Spring” looks like a washer, doesn’t it? Is it a washer?

 

[Caden]

Is it a washer?

Probably it is cupped a little bit so always applies tension to the bolt/blade to prevent it from loosening. I wasn't sure if you needed it or not, or had access to the old one.

It is kind of expensive but Messick's is a pretty good source to order from I think.

Maybe you can find that metric thread pitch (M12 x 1.25) in a left handed pattern in a hardware store, but it may be difficult.

 

[Pat_USA]

Probably it is cupped a little bit so always applies tension to the bolt/blade to prevent it from loosening. I wasn't sure if you needed it or not, or had access to the old one.

It is kind of expensive but Messick's is a pretty good source to order from I think.

Maybe you can find that metric thread pitch (M12 x 1.25) in a left handed pattern in a hardware store, but it may be difficult.

I'm sure it's easy to find in the right-hand turn, I don't think I would find the left-hand turn at the hardware store.

The repair guy mowed my yard (because I was recovering from surgery), he told me it’s broken. From your picture, I think it’s fallen off.
Thanks for your tips about the difference between R and L screws.

 

[Caden]

he told me it’s broken. From your picture, I think it’s fallen off.
Thanks for your tips about the difference between R and L screws.

You're welcome.

I've never encountered having one of these bolts break or back out while mowing but I guess it's possible, especially if he hit something.

Hopefully if it broke there is still enough bolt sticking out of the spindle to unthread the remainder of the broken portion.

 

[Pat_USA]

I need help again since the guy who was supposed to fix it, along with my other vehicle, never came back. My grass is overgrown, so I mowed the yard with just one blade yesterday. I did a small section in the front, lifted the deck, and disengaged the blade to drive over an area with small rocks. When I lowered the deck and moved the lever to engage the blade, it didn’t work. I noticed the middle belt had come off. This belt was replaced 2–3 years ago and has never given me trouble until now. What could cause it to fall off? Do I need to remove the deck to reinstall this belt or to put the missing blade back? Also, could you show me a diagram of this middle belt?

 

[Russell King]

I need help again since the guy who was supposed to fix it, along with my other vehicle, never came back. My grass is overgrown, so I mowed the yard with just one blade yesterday. I did a small section in the front, lifted the deck, and disengaged the blade to drive over an area with small rocks. When I lowered the deck and moved the lever to engage the blade, it didn’t work. I noticed the middle belt had come off. This belt was replaced 2–3 years ago and has never given me trouble until now. What could cause it to fall off? Do I need to remove the deck to reinstall this belt or to put the missing blade back? Also, could you show me a diagram of this middle belt?

See post #11 for the belt (that attaches the engine output pulley to the mower deck input pulley. It attaches the lower pulley on the engine crankshaft to the upper pulley on the mower deck input shaft (a stack of two pulleys) as I understand it. The deck end of the belt (shown in green below) is under a retaining device (shown in red). There will be some spring tension applied to the drive belt and the blade belt. I ASSUME that is done by the same spring on the mower deck.



To make the least amount of work to get you back to 100% operating conditions I recommend you remove the deck, tilt it up and fix the blade bolt, install the blade correctly using all new hardware for the blade, then install the NEW deck drive belt onto the deck (there is a belt keeper that retains the belt into the groove on the pulley) slide the deck into place and reinstall it.

That is a lot of physical work but I think you can get it done yourself or hire a neighbor to lift and move what you can’t. The most difficult part will be to get the broken bolt out of the deck - that may be above your ability and tool capability.

If you don’t want to do this yourself, then a mower repair shop should be able to pick up the mower, make the repairs and return it to you. They should be able to give you a fairly good estimate for all of that.

 

[Russell King]

@Pat_USA

A more direct answer to you direct question is that the belt was probably still turning when you moved the deck up and down. That may be why it came off.

Since there is a belt retainer at the deck end I assume it is the engine end that came off. You may be able to just put that back onto the lower pulley of the two pulleys that are attached to the engine crankshaft.

I just wouldn’t operate a mower with a missing blade for any length of time myself, but you are in a different situation than I am in.

 

[Pat_USA]

I just realized I posted the same photo earlier. Here’s another picture: the belt came off the lower pulley (in the back), I was able to put it back. The belt tightens when I lower the lever to engage the blade—photo #2 shows the arrow pointing to where the blade engages to tighten the belt. (F = Front of mower)

I don’t see any retainer spring for this belt.

He mowed my yard with one blade over two weeks ago, and when I realized he wouldn’t be coming back, I tried cutting the yard myself with just one blade (yesterday) before buying the parts to fix it (he claimed he ordered the bolt). I guess using only one blade could affect the balance of the rider.

 

[Pat_USA]

I'm here at local Kubota dealer, they don't have a bolt & washer in stock but they have deck belt in stock. They have to order it, I will get it in a few days. They also tell me that the tech guys replace all the belts without removing the decking, deck belt, PTO belt & trans belt.