Need new belts for the John Deere 400. What's the best quality to buy?

jrsavoie

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Need new belts for the John Deere 400. What's the best quality to buy?

Need new belts for the John Deere 400. Does anybody have any opinions on what belts might be higher quality than others? Or Made in The USA?

Part # AM35380
 

85Hokie

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Re: Need new belts for the John Deere 400. What's the best quality to buy? Need new

Need new belts for the John Deere 400. What's the best quality to buy?

Need new belts for the John Deere 400. Does anybody have any opinions on what belts might be higher quality than others? Or Made in The USA?

Part # AM35380
whatever brand you go with - make sure it does NOT bottom out in the pulley!

I had a MMM drive belt on an old rider - went to NAPA - the lady behind the counter pulled out a belt I could pull an engine out with! THOUGHT to myself ....it is too FAT ----- it works MUCH better - V -belts should never ride into the depth of the pulley.

GO to your local NAPA dealer, see what they have - or if you know someone behind the counter, ask them. The more $$$ belts will last longer!
 
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Tooljunkie

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Re: Need new belts for the John Deere 400. What's the best quality to buy? Need new

Sold thousands of belts. JD has proprietary width and length for mos applications. They are double the money and last three times as long.
True blue belts are decent, a line that stens dealers use.

I think belts inspired the saying"you get what you pay for"

Unless the dealer is a crook,then you are better off with deere belts.
 
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Stubbyie

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Another poster here mentions "proprietary" belts. A topic worthy of attention.

Often equipment manufacturers for a "new" piece of equipment will enter into a contractual agreement with a belt manufacturer to produce a unique size (length, cross-sectional "V"-configuration--regardless of profile 'type') belt that is avilable to the public only under that equipment brand-name. This protects the OEM's parts market for a number of years.

At some point, when the OEM loses interest because later models of the same equipment comes on the market and they can't make enough money on sales of proprietary parts (for the amount of effort expended) for older models, they release the, in this case, belt maker, to then start selling under another brand.

I had fits trying to get an aftermarket belt to work on a big-name regional ZTR. Finally talked with the senior engineer in that company's design group and he explained the facts of life. In short, I had no option but to use their "special" belt.

Every other belt I tried under every brand I could lay hands on was minuscully different in its dimensions and simply would not work: it would throw off the sheave in minutes under load.

I'm stubborn and spent a heck of a lot of money and time trying to get this under control before being exposed to how the industry works.

During the conversation with the corporate guy what he didn't specifically say but only alluded to was interesting too: the number of companies making belts is so relatively small that none of them want to cross the OEM manufacturer. So, even though the OEM may have a contractual agreement with one belt maker, others in the trade tend to informally honor the same agreement and not produce knock-offs until the one off contract terminates. Litigation was also invoked as a means of keeping the belt manufacturers in line, combined with potential loss of future business from the OEM.

Although I don't like being held hostage, it's the way the world seems to work, regardless of OEM brand involved.

Please post back your continuing experiences and comments so we may all learn.
 
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CaveCreekRay

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What a great site! I thought belts were belts!

That pretty much answers the question jrsavoie...

:)
 
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D2Cat

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In 1980 I bought a B6100 new. Dealer delivered it, and demonstrated the tractor and belly mower.

After 4/5 hrs. of yard mowing the belt gave up. I called dealer and he indicated they had a bad bunch of belts (from Goodyear, I think it was) and to come by and get a new one.

This happened 3 times in just a few hours use, and after the third time he told me they were through the entire order so the belts should last much longer. (He never charged for any of the belts.) That belt didn't last any longer!!

I measured the pulleys and they were deep A/B pulleys. I could use an A belt width or a B width, I'd just have to change the lengths to fit the pulley groove depth.

So now it became a matter of finding an A belt to match the Kubota belt. No such luck. This tractor had a shaft coming from the crankshaft with an electric clutch. Down below the clutch, on a bracket where wheel weight might hang were two pulleys about 2" in diameter the belt rode on, the twisted over themselves one time and went to the mower gearbox. (So one pulley had to be a tad larger in dia. then the other.)

I simply made a bracket to adjust and replace one pulley with a slightly larger diameter pulley. Then I found a B120 Goodyear belt fit fine, using the adjustment holes I had made.

Several years later I asked the same dealer why didn't Kubota use a B belt on the mower. He said a B belt was large enough it would overheat and fail!

After the first 4 belts failed, I had used the B belt for several years with no trouble. I sold the tractor 7/8 years ago and still have a new B120 hanging on the wall.

My philosophy is life is: If man made it, man can fix it, and improve it while doing so!
 
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jrsavoie

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2022 LX2610, 1963 JD4010, 1975 Ford backhoe, 1996 Toro 223D, 1999 Toro Groun325D
May 3, 2011
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Clifton, Illinois
Thank you much.

The belts that are on it now are John Deere belts. They have lasted so long that I do not remember how old they are.

I ordered a pair from Napa. I will see how well they hold up.

I should have ordered online someplace. I could have saved a 40 mile round trip drive to pick up the belts. Hopefully I can incorporate another chore or 2 in the mission.

The next time I will just order John Deere belts online.

Does anybody have a good link for that? Or just Google the part number and order from Amazon or Ebay?
 

jrsavoie

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2022 LX2610, 1963 JD4010, 1975 Ford backhoe, 1996 Toro 223D, 1999 Toro Groun325D
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Clifton, Illinois
Sold the JD400 and got a LX2610. Regretting it more everyday.

Never hated a machine so much.

Should have found an old JD955
 

85Hokie

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Sold the JD400 and got a LX2610. Regretting it more everyday.

Never hated a machine so much.

Should have found an old JD955
I'll bite ............ What is wrong with the LX?
 
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jrsavoie

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2022 LX2610, 1963 JD4010, 1975 Ford backhoe, 1996 Toro 223D, 1999 Toro Groun325D
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Clifton, Illinois
I'll bite ............ What is wrong with the LX?
We've "had it' for about 6 weeks and have yet to be able to use it.

I just put up 2 other posts asking about solutions to the things we find distasteful.

The jerkiness of operation is the main complaint. Forward, reverse and loader operation.
The skid loaders I operated that were a little jerky could still be eased into.

I messaged the dealership this morning to ask if that is fixable. I've been operating equipment since the 1970's. It's not my first rodeo. This is by far the jerkiest jumpiest thing I have ever sat on. A couple friends concurred.

The whole poor design of the Mid Mount Mower is extremely annoying.

I heard a lot of talk about how great Kubota's are before purchasing. I certainly am not seeing it with this machine.

It has become obvious to us that we don't really even need it. We've been 6 weeks without a machine and we're still alive.
The time we have wasted jacking around could have been spent on doing something productive.
I've been down for years. I'm still extremely limited.
Our honey-do list is extensive. I don't have any time to waste jacking around. One of the reasons we bought new.
We couldn't find anything used for what we considered a reasonable price. Now I know why.
 
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skeets

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You can get a 5 point harness from Summit Racing
 
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hagrid

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I regard jacking around as time well spent.
 
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85Hokie

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We've "had it' for about 6 weeks and have yet to be able to use it.

I just put up 2 other posts asking about solutions to the things we find distasteful.

The jerkiness of operation is the main complaint. Forward, reverse and loader operation.
The skid loaders I operated that were a little jerky could still be eased into.

I messaged the dealership this morning to ask if that is fixable. I've been operating equipment since the 1970's. It's not my first rodeo. This is by far the jerkiest jumpiest thing I have ever sat on. A couple friends concurred.

The whole poor design of the Mid Mount Mower is extremely annoying.

I heard a lot of talk about how great Kubota's are before purchasing. I certainly am not seeing it with this machine.

It has become obvious to us that we don't really even need it. We've been 6 weeks without a machine and we're still alive.
The time we have wasted jacking around could have been spent on doing something productive.
I've been down for years. I'm still extremely limited.
Our honey-do list is extensive. I don't have any time to waste jacking around. One of the reasons we bought new.
We couldn't find anything used for what we considered a reasonable price. Now I know why.

Sorry to hear about this being a "lemon" - I would "force" the dealer to allow you to sit on another model JUST like this one ........ and see if it is the MACHINE or the model that is "bad"
 
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Henro

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Sorry to hear about this being a "lemon" - I would "force" the dealer to allow you to sit on another model JUST like this one ........ and see if it is the MACHINE or the model that is "bad"
I offered the same/similar suggestion in one of the other threads...it is what I would do.
 
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jrsavoie

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Clifton, Illinois
You can get a 5 point harness from Summit Racing
I have a couple OSHA fall protection. Harnesses. But they are out of date.
The shock absorbing lanyard wouldn't be strung out yet before I hit the ground
 
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85Hokie

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I have a couple OSHA fall protection. Harnesses. But they are out of date.
The shock absorbing lanyard wouldn't be strung out yet before I hit the ground
I hope Skeets was ............. having fun ............ at least I hope so!
 
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jrsavoie

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2022 LX2610, 1963 JD4010, 1975 Ford backhoe, 1996 Toro 223D, 1999 Toro Groun325D
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Clifton, Illinois
Sorry to hear about this being a "lemon" - I would "force" the dealer to allow you to sit on another model JUST like this one ........ and see if it is the MACHINE or the model that is "bad"
That's a good idea. I'll have to see if I can make it happen.

Should have done it before buying. It was what they had, I'd never had this issue with any machine since the 1970's, so it wasn't something I was looking for. And I was exhausted. And just wanted to go home.

I have a friend with the same machine. I will message him.
The last time I talked to him he was. About done disgusted with his LX2610 as well.

Update: I just talked to him and his is jerky as well.

Right now I'm having trouble getting out of a chair. Might not be up to climbing up and down.
 
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