Cub Cadet review: Mower drive belt keeps throwing off 33

Maybe Cub Cadet management would like to hear about your troubles. Try contacting bill.jaquays@mtdproducts.com regarding these problems.

Got my mower at the same time 2008 threw the belt the second year called a couple of shops that said they would not even work on it because of a belt problem or pulley problem the thing that gets me is Home depot doe's not sell parts like belts if I have to keep replacing them maybe it would be a good idea for the place where I bought it would stock the parts for the junk mower I bought there! Steve Herm Louisvile Ky

We have a 2006 Cub Cadet “Tank” Commercial Zero-turn model number m48kw.
We are in the middle of our 4th. season and have replaced 15 belts (at about $35 a piece) that power the blades. We found out about a supposed fix called a Deck Drive Idler Kit from Service Advisory #CC-559. It cost us $180.00 labor and the mower was less than a year old.
When the belt jumps off it wraps it’s self around the Idler arm pulley bracket.
Some times if we catch it before it burns the belt up we can just reinstall it.
The pulleys are not all in line with each other, it came this way from the factory.
Any help would be appreciated

I also have a Cub Cadet LT1045 that throws the deck belt quite often and has been doing it since 2007. This is a Manufacturing design defect. The PTO pulley plane to the deck pulley plane is drastically off. Cannot mow on lowest setting ever. There should either be something that assures all pulleys align in the same plane or there should be "keeper" shoulder bolts around each pulley (including the PTO pulley) to prevent the belt from jumping off. I will NEVER, NEVER, NEVER buy another Cub Cadet product. I have a 1989 Bolens GT2000 that runs like a swiss watch and have had a low end MTD 17HP hydro tractor that never threw a belt!

I am having same issues with my ltx 1050. The mower has 22 hours on it and constantly throws belt off! What a piece of crap! I just got it back from shop where I purchased mower and it threw belt off again. Took it back same day and they said they spoke to a cub cadet tech and they know what is going on. My question is if they know this is a common issue why has there not been a recall? My guess is there is a design flaw and they will keep putting new belts on and just give mowers back to people saying they fixed it. This is why 99% of all new products don't last like older models because manufacturers are more worried about cost savings then making a good quality product. It's a damn same!

I have a 2006 Cub 1046 and it has started throwing the belt that drive the mower blades. Everything looks good but it still tosses them off.

I've got a LT1045 I bought in 2008. Belts, belts and more belts. I can't remember a time that I've made it all the way through cutting my 3/4 ac. yard without having to stop and put the belt back on. It's been 100's and 100's of time. I've replaced the 46" deck belt no less than 16 times since it was bought new. For a mower that "has a deck designed by a aerospace engineer" I dog-gone sure wouldn't stand next to their rocket. The Kohler engine has been dependable but not without some repairs. the top crank case cover came loose and slung motor oil everywhere. The steering it pitful and wore out way before it should have. The front wheels are toed out real bad. All in all the thing works me to death. I despise this mower and probably won't buy a cub cadet again.

I have a 2 years old LTX 1050 and also the same problem with the belt popping off all the time. At $40+ belt retail price, It would be better to have a contractor doing the job for me. This is not acceptable!

Wish I would have researched this waste of money before thinking I was getting a quality lawn mower... Bought the 1045lx this spring from Home Depot, and threw the drive belt after 6 hours of light use... Of course, they are of no help, except for putting local hardware stores out of business. And I guess I'm supposed to load this worthless purchase up and take it to a Cub Cadet dealer, which there are none within an hour from me, and be without a mower in peak cutting season. I just can't believe that a product like this could be produced and not recalled with so many issues... Very disappointed with Cub on this one!

I have a LTX 1050 that the belt keeps coming off now the transmission belt came off too. This mower was not cheap and Had I found this site sooner I would of bought another
John Deere. Company can't even give a suggestion on why it keeps happening. I will never buy another Cub Cadet they are a peace of ###.

Home Depot /Cub cadet should be Sued for this piece of junk they call a lawn mower. I bought one of these LT 1045 mowers in 2008 and the second time I pulled the PTO the belt came off. It was down hill from there. I could not make it through a cutting without having to put the belt back on numerous times. I got so frustrated I took it back to Home depot and talked so much ### to the store manager that she told me to pick another one off the floor and I did, The second time I pulled the PTO the dam belt came off and I have been dealing with it every since and it is now 2013, I'm done with this trouble I'm getting ready to buy something else, anything except a Cub cadet. Cub cadet had a reputable name before Home depot started selling the junk mowers. I paid $1800 for that piece of crap and no one even wants to work on it . Why don't they take this junk off the market rather than keep selling it knowing that it is no good.

I purchased a LGT 1054 model. At 10 hours, the front tire rod came off. At 14 hours, the front wheel went flat and needed air with every use. At 28 hours, the belt came off and would not stay on. I contacted Cub Cadet customer service and made it to the third level. They agreed to send me a belt. After much research, I found that this was a common problem and contacted customer service again. They denied any such problem, pointing out that they would have been advised by their engineers. I advised "level III" to look on the internet, as it was screaming with the same complaint. I called three Cub Cadet authorized service repair technicians in three different states and all stated that the belt issue was a common problem, that Cub Cadet knows about it, and that putting on a new belt would not fix the problem. The issue is a design problem with the pulley system. I called customer service again and they again denied any problem, but authorized a "repair" by one of their technicians. I contacted every senior officer of MTD and got a letter which stated they apologize for the circumstances that caused me to write and would also authorize a repair. The rep repaired the mower using a "Low Cut Idle Kit Part Number [protected] from cub cadet designed for this issue, which they deny is a problem. He also fixed the wheel/tire issue stating that it is common for the bead to break and go flat on this machine. He did say, the Idle Kit would not fix the problem permanently. MTD and Cub Cadet have yet to acknowledge that there is a problem and offer the consumer anything. When my mower was delivered, there were 8 hours on it. I purchased it from Tractor Supply. The Cub Cadet service reps also advised me often these mowers would throw their belts after one or two hours and Tractor Supply would take them back and resell them as new, knowing there was a problem. I would warn anyone against purchasing a Cub Cadet Mower or dealing with Tractor Supply.

At exactly 50 hours my deck belt came off. The warranty paid the fix. 6 months later and exactly 5 or 6 times after the fix the belt came off again. Cub Cadet will not pay the bill this time. Seems like a design problem not an operator or maintenance problem. The warranty rep has lied on the repair ticket that this was because of a failure to perform maintenance on the product. It had just made it 50 hour oil change!

I have another brand riding mover that has been running for 8 years and never did it have such a problem.

No more cub cadets!

I have a Cub Cadet Commercial Zero-turn 48 inch deck that's 2 years old I cut at number 7 on deck height and my belt comes off at least 3 times on my 3 1/2 acres and wraps it’s self around the Idler pulley bracket. I looked under the mower and the PTO pulley doesn't line up with the mower deck idler pulley that what is causing the belt to jump you mean to tell me that Cub Cadet can't see this I replaced my belt 2 times costing $43 a piece. This is a Factory Problem.

Update: The belt continues to come off even with their so called fix.

I have a LT1045 bought in 07. It has thrown belts from the first time I mowed. Sent back under warranty and the problem never changed. I am ready to give up ! Never will I recommend or buy another Cub Cadet ! I have had it 7 years...to long !

I bought a used LT1045 from a friend and mow just a normal-sized residential yard. My belt comes off almost always when I put the mower in reverse without shutting off the blades first, but it can happen at other times too, but I can usually prevent this from happening by just never shutting off the blades and never going into reverse.

Bought my Cub Cadet from Tractor Supply in 2005. Less that 5 hours it threw the belt. Could not re-install it. Saw that parts were missing from mower deck ( I work maintenance on production equipment) and took the whole thing back to tractor supply. They gave me a new one no questions asked. 2nd one had all the parts on the deck, but the motor smoked a lot. Took it to factory authorized service in area and was told they wouldn't get paid for the work by manufacturer and that they welded part of the cylinder. That fix lasted 4 months maybe. So oil drips on the exhaust manifold and muffler . . . you'd think I'd kill all the mosquitos in the county, but not that luck either. Now it won't start and backfires like crazy. Not sure if I want to get it fixed or go buy a cheaper lawn tractor. I have hated this piece of crap since I got it. Never again will there be a Cub Cadet on my property . . .

For you LT1045 owners. The mower deck belt throwing problem is readily fixed. Root cause is right-most idler pulley is mis-aligned about 3/8" too high. Fix is to remove its bracket and have a shop cut it and lower bracket height by 3/8". Did this to my LT1045 back in 2008 and have had no problems. Other thing is to *assure* that no oil or grease or debris interferes with free swiveling of both idler pulley brackets. Always keep contact area between pulley brackets and deck clean (use carb cleaner or whatever). No oil or grease (will attract dirt and bind). Frequently check for freedom of movement prior to mowing, ENGINE OFF, by grabbing both idler pulleys and moving them back and forth. If they don't freely move fix it or you will throw a belt. Yes, I know that the original design is less than adequate but if you do the above I expect you will minimize problems. It did for me.

Glad you found a solution!

I am pretty sure there are two decks offered on the 1045, a one-pulley and a two-pulley deck. Mine is the two idler model, and I've wondered for years about the LEFT pulley that seems too low and at an angle. I have been using the shorter belt because it is more readily available (and bypassing the left idler). This makes no difference: I need a new belt every year anyway.

How do I "lower" the center (right) idler pulley 3/8th of an inch? Pull it, actually CUT the idler arm and re-weld it?

Could I instead I pull it off and bend it twice: once to lower the pulley, and then realign the pulley in the correct plane by bending the idler arm back into horizontal right up by the pulley? (Sorry, that's the best I could explain it.)

Here's a photo of the fix I used. Just remove the outer idler pulley bracket, take it to a shop and have them cut it where shown and re-weld so the outer pulley is 3/8" lower. You can see in the photo how the belt is better aligned. My LT1045 has never thrown a belt.

i am aswell having the same issue and am working on the deck constantly ... Dough22 your pic did not upload ?

I've also found YouTube videos that suggest fixes, none of them simple.

Here is a good video on how to fix this issue. I followed his placement of the pulley arms but relocated my springs where they were pulling more directly against the belt tension. All you really need for this is some 3/8 bolts, nuts and washers and a drill. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd4nYovcnvY
Where you mount the bolts to hold the springs make sure they have plenty of tension once the belt is on the mower.

And I did the same, added much more tension to the idler arm by moving the spring attachment so that it adds tension and pulls more directly on the idler arm. No bolts, no drilling, I just attached it to a brace on the deck. If it seems to be a fix, I'll post a photo next time I drop the mower deck.

In 2007 purchased, from Home Depot in Denham Springs, LA, a Cub Cadet i52 Zero Turn Radius Mower, which had a steering wheel - which was a "Lemon" and only made one year. I purchased an extended warranty from Home Depot.. I think the total price with the extended warranty was almost $5000... I had nothing but trouble with the mower from the first time I mowed my 1.5 acres..., the transmission would lockup sometimes and the mower would not move, when I made a turn around a tree on an incline the mower would not move. A few days after purchasing the mower, I bought the mower back to Home Depot in Denham Springs, LA, They said they would have to charge me $100 for the mower to be picked up for repair... Or I could deliver the mower myself to "Roy's Fixit Shop" in Prairieville, LA - which was 30 miles from my house. I drove to "Roy's Fixit Shop" - which was a "Dump" with about 200 "dead mowers" on his property, his shop's roof was damaged from hurricane damage and not usable. He was very over weight and had to use a walker to walk... I had to get the Model and Serial Number of the mower, because he could not bend down. I was told he would have to order two transmissions for the mower and would call me when they came in... I didn't ever take the mower off my trailer. About 4 weeks later I had to call him and was told the transmissions were in and he was hiring a mechanic to work on the mowers, next week and I could bring the mower to his shop... which I did... About a month later I hadn't heard from him, so I called him and he told me the mechanic would not be able to start working for another month... I told him I needed the mower now and drove back to his "shop" and picked up the mower... I had several conversations with him over the next few months and he always had the excuse about waiting to hire a mechanic... I finally gave up on "Roy's Fixit Shop" and went back to Home Depot... they had me contact another Shop "Alquip" in Hammond, LA... I called them and they picked up the mower and a year old power generator which I also bought from home depot in Denham Springs, LA, which I also had purchased an extended warranty from Home Depot for the generator. When Alquip picked up the Mower and Generator... I gave them a list of problems... the lawn mower transmission issues and my electric starter would not work at times and I had the drive belt jump off and was able to put it back on, but it looks like the pulley is damaged... A month later I got a call from Alquip and was told they would have to charge me $200 for a new starter on the mower, because it had water damage - and the generator had a corrosive carburetor from using gas that had water in it and would cost me $250 to replace the carburetor and clean my fuel tank... I disputed this with calls and emails to Home Depot and Alquip main office... the starter issue was resolved but I still had to pay for the generator... I told everyone that I use the same gas in all my equipment and never had a problem with water in my gas on the mower, two weed blowers, a gas trimmer, a gas edger, a gas vacuum trailer for the mower and a gas chainsaw... When I got the mower back and used it the transmission was still locking up as before.., I asked about the drive belt and pulley and was told it was okay... I called Alquip back and was told there was not problem with the transmission... I called Home Depot and Alquip main office and Alquip told me that they would have to charge me $400 if they could not find a problem wit the transmission and drive belt... I told them to go S***W themselves... I put up with the transmission issues and the drive belt and the blade belt coming off about ever time I used the mower until May 2013. I had back surgery in Apr 2013 and could not work on the mower or put it on my trailer. I called thelocal mower shop in Watson La - Watson Lawn and Care and had to pay $50 for them to pickup and deliver the mower. The would "repair" the mower; drive belt coming off and replaced the mower 3 blades, belt, springs and Pulleys and was charge over a period of time of the picking up the mower for repairs about 6 times... $1500... The owner of Watson Lawn and Care finally told me the Mower was a "Lemon" and the can not repair it... He suggested I write a letter to Cub Cadet and send them all the information... I finally received a call from Cub Cadet Customer service and was told the had made a deal with Watson Lawn and Care and they were going to give me a RZT - L42... BUT it would not have a warranty since I had the "Lemon" Cub Cadet I52 for several years... I argued that they should warranty the mower since I had purchased an Extended Warranty from Home Depot at the cost of $1200 and the mower was never repaired and had paid Watson Lawn and Care over $1500, to "repair" the mower, even though the Home Depot Extended Warranty was still covered on the mower but Alquip could not repair the mower also... In the END... I was REFUSED a Warranty for the Cub Cadet RZT - L42, from Cub Cadet and Watson Lawn and Care... which by the way had 10 Hours on the mower when I received it "NEW" from Watson Lawn and Care... The mower DID Not come with the accessories I needed that the Cub Cadet i52 had... Mulching Kit, Headlights, 12V "Electrical Outlet", towing hitch, and is only 42" wide and 2 cutting Blades, where the i52 was 52" wide with 3 cutting blades... I contacted Cub Cadet and was told I would have to purchase ALL the Accessories and they could not upgrade the mower to a wider 3 blade 52" - I also told the Rep that when both bars were pushed forward at full speed, the mover drifted to the right... I paid about $150 for; mulching kit and trailer hitch.I could not find any headlights and was told by the Cub Cadet Rep, that she would have to research to find out about the headlights and the 12V accessory plug ... I was NEVER contacted again from Cub Cadet, but I found a 12V alligator clip plug at Auto Zone... In Dec of 2014, while cutting my yard, the mower drive belt coming off and I tried to get to the belt and slip it back on the pulley, but I could not... I delivered the mower to Watson Lawn and Care... and a few days later was called and told the mower was repaired... they had to replace the drive belt and the right front tire, which had a tear... I was told either a branch or acorn got hung up in the mower drive belt and damaged the belt and caused it to come off the pulley... Watson Lawn and Care... charged me $150... In March, 2015 the "FIRST TIME the MOVER WAS USED" after being repaired in Dec of 2014... after about 10 minutes of cutting my yard, the mower drive belt coming off AGAIN... NOTE: My wife and I spent 6 hours picking up tree limbs, stems and raking leaves and acorns... BEFORE CUTTING the Yard... I AGAIN delivered the mower to Watson Lawn and Care... and a few days later was called and told the mower was repaired... they had to replace the drive belt... I was told AGAIN that either a branch or acorn got hung up in the mower drive belt and damaged the belt and caused it to come off the pulley... I TOLD THEM that My wife and I spent 6 hours picking up tree limbs, stems and raking leaves and acorns... BEFORE CUTTING the Yard...I was told that did not matter... Watson Lawn and Care... charged me ANOTHER $150... I told Watson Lawn and Care... that the Cub Cadet RZT - L42 was ANOTHER Lemon, LIKE THE Cub Cadet i52 Zero WAS. The man at Watson Lawn and Care told me; NO IT IS NOT A LEMON... this happens to ALL Riding Lawn Mowers, No matter what Brand... I told him I COULD NOT AFFORD TO PAY Watson Lawn and Care... $150 to replace the RZT - L42 Cub Cadet mower drive belt, if it gets damaged by a twig or acorn EVERY TIME I USE THE MOWER AND the belt GETS DAMAGED and CAUSES THE BELT to come off the pulley... IT WOULD BE CHEEPER AND A LOT LESS WORK TO HIRE A YARD KEEPER!... THAT TO PAY Watson Lawn and Care $150 EACH TIME I NEED TO CUT MY YARD...! I told them I was going to write Cub Cadet AGAIN and COMPLAIN about the LEMON... Cub Cadet RZT - L42... and he SMIRKED and said go AHEAD.. BUT YOU WILL BE TALKING TO DEAFT EARS... SINCE THE DID YOU A FAVOR AND REPLACE YOUR OLD LEMON i52 ZERO WITH A NEW Cub Cadet RZT - L42... AND I TOLD HIM... I PAID HOME DEPOT $5000 FOR THE NEW Cub Cadet i52 ZERO, SEVERAL TRIPS TO "Roy's Fixit Shop" in Prairieville, LA - which was 30 miles from my house, had Aquip work on it and tried to screw me on a new started and Never fixed the Transmission, Drive Belt and Blade Belt issues... PLUS I HAVE PAID Watson Lawn and Care ABOUT $1500, to "repair" the Cub Cadet i52 ZERO mower, even though the Home Depot Extended Warranty was still covered on the mower but Alquip could not repair the mower also... The NEW Cub Cadet RZT - L42, which had 10 hours on it when I received it... Probably had been used and returned by a disgruntled customer... And the Cub Cadet RZT - L42 mower DID Not come with the accessories I needed that the Cub Cadet i52 had... Mulching Kit, Headlights, 12V "Electrical Outlet", towing hitch, and is only 42" wide and 2 cutting Blades, where the i52 was 52" wide with 3 cutting blades...That I HAD to contact Cub Cadet and was told I would have to purchase ALL the Accessories and they could not upgrade the mower to a wider 3 blade 52"... I paid about $150 for; mulching kit and trailer hitch. I could not find any headlights and was told by the Cub Cadet Rep, that she would have to research to find out about the headlights and the 12V accessory plug ... I was NEVER contacted again from Cub Cadet, but I found a 12V alligator clip plug at Auto Zone...AND Watson Lawn and Care OR CUB CADET WOULD NOT GIVE ME A WARRANTY, WHICH ACCORDING TO THE CUB CADET WEB SITE, Cub Cadet RZT - L42 HAS A 3 YEAR WARRANTY... SO THE "FREE" Cub Cadet RZT - L42 IS NOT A GREAT DEAL... SO FAR IT HAS COST ME ALMOST $500 IN TRYING TO GET ALL THE ACCESSORIES MY OLD CUB CADET i52 HAD AND REPAIRS TO THE "NEW" Cub Cadet RZT - L42 MOWER...NOT CONSIDER HAVING TO DELIVER, PICKUP THE MOWER AND ALL THE STRESS OF THE "NEW" Cub Cadet RZT - L42 MOWER BREAKING DOWN ALL THE TIME...

I am having problems similar to all of those described above. I purchased a Cub Cadet LTX1054 from Tractor Supply four years ago. The first summer, the deck belt kept coming off. After three belts the first summer, the deck belt held up through the next summer. Last summer, 3rd year, drive belt tore up at the beginning of summer. I replaced it and it lasted the summer. First use this summer, the drive belt ripped up. I replaced it once with the specified drive belt purchased from Cub Cadet. I drove it about 500 feet and it tore up. I replaced that belt with a Husky Kevlar Belt. That belt just tore up, after two turns around a 1 acre site.

Bought my LTX two years ago. Throttle was defective and replaced second month. Used to mow 2 1/2 acres weekly with no problems other than front tire losing air weekly. However, this year, the throttle problem reoccurred but Cub Cadet sent me one free and I installed it. My drive belt shredded and smoked so I installed a new one. Mowed about 600 feet and another drive belt shredded and smoked. Give up-and after reading these posts, have decided to purchase a different brand. Not enough time and too much yard to put up with all this noise. Will fix, if possible, and sell. No more!

I thought that maybe I was alone with this problem. I have an LT1040 I bought in 2007. I'm lucky if I can get 4 hours before I bust the belt.

I have two Cub Cadet 6032 diesel zero turn mowers. I like the mowers except for one problem. Both of the mowers have had the pump drive belts 4 times in less than 140 hours run time. I took the mowers to the local dealer and showed them what was causing the problem. They fixed the belts but didn't address the cause. They keep giving me the answer that Cub Cadet factory is aware of my problem but I haven't received an answer as to the fix. The problem is the brackets that hold the drive pumps are welder on crooked from the factory which causes the belt to run crooked on the drive from the diesel engine, this causes the belt to heat then expand and flip off. It is a pain to repair and the dealer wanted to charge me the last time this happened only after an hour run time from picking the mower from the dealer, which said that they had fixed the problem. The only way to fix the problem is to cut the pump brackets off and weld them back on straight or replace the entire frame. I guess this is too expensive for the factory to address and just maybe this is why they quit manufacturing this diesel unit. I don't use these mowers commercially although they are designed to do commercial mowing. The factory technical department was very rude and disrespectful to my complaint. I was just wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I would like to hear from you if you have. I want the factory to address this issue as these mowers cost a small fortune to purchase. I have two diesel and two M60 tanks. I have bought my last product from the local dealer and Cub Cadet if they cannot fix the problem and quit kicking the problem down the road.

My cub cadet ltx1040 constantly the bell comes off the pulley when cutting grass. Very hard to get it on but it comes off very easy. Help I hate this mower. Would not recommend to anyone