Do you keep spare mower deck belts on hand or wait until one fails?

[JohnDawson738]

Curious what everyone else does.
I used to replace my deck belt only after it broke, but last time it happened in the middle of mowing and I lost most of the weekend trying to find the right replacement locally.
Since then I've started keeping a spare on the shelf. I found one online because it listed all the OEM cross-reference numbers, which made it much easier to verify compatibility before ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Mower-Belt-405143-Compatible-Husqvarna/dp/B07XJ7BJ2W
Do you keep spare belts in the garage, or just buy one when you actually need it?

 

[Workerbee]

When I need one. Although murphy’s law would seem to suggest that having one on hand might negate the need from ever arising.

 

[Donystoy]

I usually have a spare on hand but with the speed of delivery these days probably not necessary. Some belts will dry out over time which will shorten its life. I frequently store them in a sealer bag. I recently had the original belt come off my zero turn and decided to put on my spare. It lasted about 8 hours before it broke. I purchased it some time ago from a dealer and it was suppose to be as original but obviously not. I paid a kevlar price but apparently was of inferior quality. The dealer I got it from is no longer there. I ended up re-installing the original 600 hour belt which is still working fine. I just received a couple of kevlar belts from Amazon and will see how they hold up. Always buy quality kevlar belts for mower decks.

 

[MOOTS]

I keep a few spare parts for work. This keeps about 54 pieces of ride on equipment running with little downtime.
At home I keep a drive belt and deck belt handy.

 

[Caden]

I try to replace mine before it breaks - if I see cracking or fraying.

I hang on to the old one (useable) just in case one breaks when I'm trying to mow before a rainstorm, etc.

But, it would certainly be smarter just to have a brand new one on hand.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

Spare belts (and all servicing parts) are always on the shelf. Deck belt is replaced when it falls apart.

 

[William1]

Spare belts (and all servicing parts) are always on the shelf. Deck belt is replaced when it falls apart.

Ditto. Basic wear items like belts, filters, oil, grease, always stocked. When a new machine is acquired, so is the 'fast moving' stock servicing parts. When a part is used or supply low, I re-stock. Not a lot worse than half way through a job late on a Saturday and now you have to wait at least until Tuesday to resume, if the weather works.
Very rarely, I have to dispose of something and have much of a investment in spares left, perhaps worse case is $100. I still have my Craftsman garden tractor and a spare drive belt for the mower deck and a spindle belt, a few well worn blades. Engine parts are the same as my recently acquired Kohler genset.

Anyone remember this fan belt,. one size fits all, made of interlocking sections of (I assume it used to be leather?) Seems they still sell it. Though it is some sort of plastic now.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099DS8Y9S?th=1

 

[Speed25]

Once a belt starts getting some age/wear on it, I'll usually buy a new belt and install it, keeping the old one as a spare. The old ones will pretty much always last long enough for me to order another spare.

 

[B2710]

I do keep spare belts and many other service items for all my equipment. One thing on belts, or at least my experience has been OEM belt manufacturers seem to change a lot nowadays, some belts are the same part number but do not work or last as long as the originals, but when I find a good one, I order several...

 

[Sawburner]

Here is a link to a better quality link belt but a lot more expensive. I have used this at work and they last a long time.
McMaster
and a cheaper version.
McMaster

 

[Sawdust&Shavings]

Curious what everyone else does.
I used to replace my deck belt only after it broke, but last time it happened in the middle of mowing and I lost most of the weekend trying to find the right replacement locally.
Since then I've started keeping a spare on the shelf. I found one online because it listed all the OEM cross-reference numbers, which made it much easier to verify compatibility before ordering: https://www.amazon.com/Mower-Belt-405143-Compatible-Husqvarna/dp/B07XJ7BJ2W
Do you keep spare belts in the garage, or just buy one when you actually need it?

I keep a spare Kubota OEM deck belt on hand that I bought at delivery based on experience I had with other tractor makes. The Kubota parts guy said he rarely sells deck belts for a BX1870 with a 48” mmm because they seem to last almost forever. That was 13 years ago and I am glad and sad to say he was right, the belt sits in my heated & air conditioned woodshop. The only good news is that the cost of mowing deck belt 13 years ago was expensive, today it’s outrageously expensive.

 

[GeoHorn]

V-Belts….like many other perishable items…. are shelf-life-limited. If they’re not in-use…they deteriorate anyway. Those are the items which should be placed on a “rotatable” basis…. I.E., PLAN and/or SCHEDULE them for regular replacement….and purchase the replacement item shortly-prior to it’s planned installation.

Here’s an extreme example: Car Battery: We know it will fail around 3-5 years. But it deteriorates if simply sitting on the shelf. SO… don’t buy a “spare” and watch it get old years before you need it…. Instead,. order it at 3 years and replace it shortly thereafter….and you will likely Never find yourself with a dead battery.
Did you perhaps throw-away a little-bit of battery-life…by replacing it slightly early.? Yes. But you throw-away valuable work-period if you’re broken-down and if you had to await for a part to be delivered. (instead of having a Walmart nearby, etc.)

A better example: I know that at 100K miles my front brake pads typically require replacement. So I order and replace them at 90K instead….. thereby taking advantage of an otherwise “slack” or slow-weekend to do it a few miles prior ….to a stressful weekend when they fail while out on a trip somewhere.

V-belts deteriorate even while sitting idle on the shelf. (In fact, that’s one reason to purchase your replacement belts from a Major Brand with frequent turn-over of inventory…. instead of some unknown ”el cheapo” outfit that has unknown or old product sitting and getting old on THEIR shelf…before it gets even older on YOURs.

That’s the way scheduled or “preventive” maintenance is performed.

 

[S-G-R]

I busted the belt on my second pass of the first use of my FDR2584 five years ago. The dealer replaced it and and some adjustments but I picked up a spare just in case. I still have the spare 5 years later.

 

[DaveFromMi]

I keep a spare drive and deck belt handy. Had this Cub Cadet a couple of years and belts are functioning. It has about 130 hrs.

 

[John D 2]

Ive never had a belt break. . . Yet. I will wait until it breaks to replace it.

My b2601 has 172 hrs. MMM belt still looks new.

My previous mower was a JD915B zero turn. Traded it in after 6 years/262 hrs and never replaced a belt.

 

[Speed25]

V-Belts….like many other perishable items…. are shelf-life-limited. If they’re not in-use…they deteriorate anyway. Those are the items which should be placed on a “rotatable” basis…. I.E., PLAN and/or SCHEDULE them for regular replacement….and purchase the replacement item shortly-prior to it’s planned installation.

Here’s an extreme example: Car Battery: We know it will fail around 3-5 years. But it deteriorates if simply sitting on the shelf. SO… don’t buy a “spare” and watch it get old years before you need it…. Instead,. order it at 3 years and replace it shortly thereafter….and you will likely Never find yourself with a dead battery.
Did you perhaps throw-away a little-bit of battery-life…by replacing it slightly early.? Yes. But you throw-away valuable work-period if you’re broken-down and if you had to await for a part to be delivered. (instead of having a Walmart nearby, etc.)

A better example: I know that at 100K miles my front brake pads typically require replacement. So I order and replace them at 90K instead….. thereby taking advantage of an otherwise “slack” or slow-weekend to do it a few miles prior ….to a stressful weekend when they fail while out on a trip somewhere.

V-belts deteriorate even while sitting idle on the shelf. (In fact, that’s one reason to purchase your replacement belts from a Major Brand with frequent turn-over of inventory…. instead of some unknown ”el cheapo” outfit that has unknown or old product sitting and getting old on THEIR shelf…before it gets even older on YOURs.

That’s the way scheduled or “preventive” maintenance is performed.

Exactly the reason I do my belts the way I do them instead of leaving a new spare on the shelf.

 

[johnjk]

Got a rock wedged in my mower belt system a few years back and about the time I heard the mower load down, it was too late. I had a spare on had that was used and put it on. Been running it now for over 3 seasons. I do have a new spare waiting. Outside of that I keep shear bolts, nuts, 3pt washers, clevis pins mower blades and anything else that may vibrate free, get caught by a branch or just fall off on hand.

 

[aemsee]

I have multiple belts, filters, tire tubes for all of my tractors/ mowers. I have limited stores to purchase things from, especially for older equipment so I buy online. This carries over to chainsaw chains, trimmer string in bulk, mower blades.
I also keep spare parts for my boiler system and shop heaters like power vent, gas valve, zone valves. Not having a part would be the only thing to keep me from fixing 99% of anything on my property. I HAVE been told I am a bit OCD. Be prepared.

 

[NCL4701]

I have four lawnmowers (in addition to a bush hog) and only one operator. Three of the mowers are quite reliable. The one that’s older than I am is kind of a crapshoot on whether it feels like running or not. It has some intermittent electrical gremlin I haven’t much felt like chasing.

I don’t keep belts on hand. If my preferred mower, the T2290, is down for some reason, I use one of the others until it’s fixed.