Belt Snap...

As it was going to be dry today, with no showers forecast, it was a day to cut the grass... Things were going well and by mid afternoon I had one side cut and had gone four times around the other side when there was a thud and the cutters stopped... Ahhhhhhhhhhhh...

The problem...

a broken cutter belt.

After a quick look at the Husqvarna electronic manual ('Bestgreen' is just a rebadge), the cutting deck was removed.

Fortunately I had bought a full set of belts last year from a garden supplier on ebay at £24 each. I dread to think what Bricomarche charge.

Better check and make sure it is the same length... Nothing wrong with that!

With the relevant page printed out the new belt was threaded

and then the deck refitted. The hard part was getting the belt around the spring loaded pulley tensioner. After several failed attempts and a slightly damaged thumb I succeeded. The easiest way I found was to take the belt off the cutter pulley on the opposite side and then use that as a lever to pull the tensioner... It worked a treat.

After a quick test the belt guards were replaced and the mower was back in operation...

The big question now is how long will this cheap belt last... The original has done three and half seasons!

Servicing the Autoportée

and some advice about the cost of parts...

Yes, it is that time of year again... Our next door neighbour Antony actually cut his grass on Sunday, keen chap that he is!!!

This coming season will be the fourth for our Autoportée (ride on mower) and it does get some abuse as regular readers will know, so this year I decided to do a little more 'servicing'.

First job was the engine oil change. I normally buy my oil filters in the UK and last year I paid £10 from a local garden machinery company. This year I decided to see what I could buy here in France (basically I forgot to get one!)

To cut a long story short - Amazon.fr cost €45; Amazon.co.uk, £8.62 plus £4.60 delivery. I increased the quantity to two and the postage went up by £0.40. So I ordered two, delivered, for £22,24. They came on Saturday.

Next was the cooling system (air) and the engine air filter. For the first time I removed all the engine cowlings in order to give the area a good clean, although in fairness it wasn't too bad.

The air filter was a different matter...really needs replacing after three seasons of dust. Getting a replacement was the same story as the oil filter. Amazon.fr cost €47; Amazon.co.uk, £7.54 plus £4.09 delivery. It is due to be delivered at the weekend!!

Next up was the drive and the cutters. Last season the cutter drive belt jumped the pulleys, for reasons only known to itself, and as a precaution whilst in the UK I ordered a set of belts from a company on Ebay for £58 delivered... I have no idea what they would be from Bricomarche BUT expensive springs to mind.

The cutters have been sharpened for the third time...

They get very blunt after a season cutting

and are showing the signs of the repeated sharpening.

I am not sure at what point they will need replacing but I will for sure be shopping around for the best price...

....Elizabeth likes the sparks!!

Here's to another good season mowing and the arguments as to who wants to drive the mower round!

As a note, I thought I was early with the servicing... when I looked back at the blog it was 18th Feb in 2012 and 10th March in 2013... Blogs do have there uses...

Servicing the Autoportee

Yes; grass cutting will be on us in the blink of an eye.

As I was rained off today cutting back a couple of half dead pampas grasses, one of the inside jobs was to start the annual service on our Autoportee.

First job was clean underneath and check the cutters. This is where the right tool for the job comes in... In my lack of knowledge about such matters I brought over my car ramps from England thinking they would suffice to raise the machine high enough in order to gain access. Wrong... however I tried they got in the way. A specialist lift had to be purchased...

It looks nothing but it certainly does the job...

and gives easy access to the cutters.

Both sets of cutters were removed, cleaned and the cutting edge sharpened... Interestingly, and it must be to do with blade rotation, the nearest one was LH thread and the back one normal RH thread.

Now all that remains to be done is an oil and filter change and for her to have her nipples greased... Good job I didn't throw away my grease gun...

Well, I think that is all. I'd better get the service book out and check!!!