Thanks for that Joe. In that case, the most likely cause of the belt screeching full-time may be that the deck movement is compromised: the deck may not be lowering all the way, so the belt does not tighten properly. A second possibility is that the belt is worn out and bottoming in the pulley grooves, causing it to slip.
My original explanation - seized cutting disk spindle - is only the third most likely cause of the problem. However it is by far the easiest to check, so it should be done first. If the blade plate rotates freely, you can eliminate this one and focus on other causes of belt problems. Note that if the belt is at fault, not the bearings, you would not expect to have continuous squealing unless you were mowing at the time.
Last edited by grumpy; 15/03/12 11:36 AM. Reason: Add detail
