farendloose drum mower


Our Farendloose drum mower was eating belts at an alarming rate this season. So much so that we parked it and hired the mowing dine this year. Now our season is over and we're licking our wounds, and I'm trying to figure out why it eats belts. Either they snap with a clean break or they come off the pulleys and get frayed and/or cut by the drum. All bearings replaced. New shafts made the past two years for the drums. At an average of $60 a belt we need more than an hour out of a belt. I need suggestions.
 
Sorry, can"t help ypu on your problem... Never heard of farendloose drum mower. Could you post pictures... I"d like to see... Think your mower may be a completely different animal compared to mine.

I have a MINOSagri 190, and the back side of the belts started rubbing the cover over the drive pulley. Had to move the whole shroud assy as far to the right as I could to avoid contact with back of belts.
 
I've never looked too closely at how the belts are set up on those things... but I have a rough idea as a neighbour has one. I'd wager that something is out of line on this one. Either a pulley is too high or too low relative to the other ones. That's where I'd look anyhow. I know my neighbour is at the point of just scrapping the one he's got... The last number of years he's gone back to cutting with a sickle bar because it's a lot less aggravation.

Rod
 

Something is tweaked, neighbor was going through same thing on his drum mower, couldn't keep belts on, broken belts etc.
 
I had a belt drive sickle bar mower a few years back that was eating belts. It turned out to be two (2) problems. First the frame was bent slightly which mis-aligned the pulleys, we put the frame in a big press and realigned it. Next we adjusted the tension to manual specs and then adjusted a NEW idler roller to hold the belt tight on the pulleys. Problem solved.

Bet you have a similar situation. Maybe a bent pulley shaft? Idler lost?
 
The clean break makes me think a sudden shock load may be being applied. Have seen ball bearings with seperators broken, that can stack the balls up, and act like a sprag clutch.
Might be worth checking bearings again.
 
We have a 2500? Reese drum mower. I didn't think the belts were lasting long enough. Costing $350 a year to buy belts. Or costing about a dollar a acre! In the package with the new long belt this year was a paper that said. These mowers were designed for tractors 100 hp or less(they are so heavy need that big just to carry it) Do not mow using over 65 hp continuous. My son got a new Kubota 126 GX this year. It has a readout for everything, including percentage of hp used. I have been keeping the reading at 50% on the level. and down shifting at 75%. We are still on last years belt and it is staying cool enough I can touch it. Generally run the same gear as before, but slowing down where the fescue is down and swirly. Even going faster sometimes, but generally about 6 mph but sometimes down to 3.5. Haven't baled much hay this year, it rains almost every day. Even when it doesn't the overcast sun isn't drying it down enough to bale in 4 days. But would sure rather have to much rain as not enough like last year! :) Vic
 

You are cutting 350 acres a year with an 8 foot drum mower on a 108 PTO HP tractor. You are lucky on the belts once a year, but you've got the right idea...too much power is not your friend on anything belt driven.

To Coronaboy, what size tractor are you using on the mower?
 

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