Pottinger Novacat 305 ED shredding conditioner belts.

[Tomo23]

Soon be coming to that time of year so could do with looking at sorting a problem on the above mower.

Last year quite soon into first cut, said mower shredded a set of conditioner belts. Grass wasn't overly heavy or wet.
Put a new set on and a couple of acres later it did the same again. The only way we could carry on was to drop forward speed right down and we carried on the rest of the season like that, never really finding time to sort it.

Mower has a 'wholecrop' kit that was last used the previous year. Allowing the conditioner off and just replaced with a hood and the rubber discs to create the swath. All this is none adjustable through so can't see as anything would of changed.

No obvious signs of damage or anything out of line.

Anyone any ideas or experience of such a problem?

 

[davidroberts30]

Pulley alignment?

 

[v8willy]

Ours shredded a set in the first season, the pulley had moved on the shaft & has been fine ever since.

 

[Tomo23]

Nothing out of line by eye but I reckon it wouldn't take much running at that speed to ruin a belt. We'll put a straight edge across and check. The mower is probably 11/12 year old and never missed a beat.

 

[kill]

Belts on conditioners need to be murder tight and no half measure's and check/ retighten after first half hour or so.

Are bearings running hot and transfering heat? Especially idler bearings.

Anything rubbing like a guard?

Tractor vastly bigger than 10hp per foot of mower? ( More like 20hp per foot)

Also are you buying cheaper belts? There are actually a wider spread of quality v belts around. Think local dealer offers Redbacks as their higher quality stuff? But a while ago since purchased belts via them.

 

[Tomo23]

Can't say as we've ever checked the tension just that it takes some to knock it off. I assume theres a setting for idler somewhere in the manual.

Nothing is especially hot to touch, all paint still present so nothing rubbing.

Its run off a Case maxxum 115 which was dyno'd at 126hp.

All the replacement belts have come off Pottinger dealer which i'd assume would be right.

Like I say we ran rest of the season with a lower forward speed and thinking about it we ran the conditioner with just 2 belts on instead of the 3. Seemed only thing that would work.

 

[davidroberts30]

Is there a hood to intensify conditioner??too tight?

 

[Tomo23]

There is a hood. Could be a little tight. Boss likes to give it some.

 

[jd6820]

Check pulley alignment, also check the condition of the tensioner pulley (white plastic one). The spec for spring length is given in the manual this should give you the correct adjustment. The pulleys have taper locks that rely on grub screws to keep them tight, worth checking these. The only other possibility is a bearing collapsed or failing causing slipping or belt alignment issues.

 

[davidroberts30]

Check pulley alignment, also check the condition of the tensioner pulley (white plastic one). The spec for spring length is given in the manual this should give you the correct adjustment. The pulleys have taper locks that rely on grub screws to keep them tight, worth checking these. The only other possibility is a bearing collapsed or failing causing slipping or belt alignment issues.

I recon its screwed up too tight

 

[jd6820]

I'm fast thinking they have plates attached at the base of the spring to guide you on spring length? But it's been a year or two since I last spannered on or assembled one for that matter.

 

[Muddy Boots]

I have a nine foot pottinger. Was chucking a belt off the conditioner pulley every now and again. Dealer said that the idler arm could be bent. Sure enough idler wasn’t centred over the belts. Straightened it. No more problems.
Just some thing to check.