Blown Drive Belt

[the.fray]

Was halfway through mowing yesterday with my John Deere X300 when I heard a snap and when I removed the cover, sure enough, the drive belt shredded and flapping around like it was trying to escape, this is the OEM belt and I've only got about 120 hours on it, which seems a bit early for a blowout unless I'm missing something. The deck was clear, tension seemed fine, and I wasn't pushing it hard, just regular grass stuff
Already ordered a new belt, but I'm wondering if there's anything I should be checking before I put the new one on, like something else that could've caused the failure?

 

[greenmachineguy761]

Take a moment to check those pulleys and idlers. Give them a wiggle to see if they're wobbling or feeling rough, nothing worse than a stubborn bearing, right? And don't forget about the tensioner, it should glide smoothly, like butter. Also, keep an eye out for any sharp edges or debris lying around. Better to catch them early

 

[Cutterpillow1999]

Had the same thing happen on my X320 around the 100-hour mark and it turned out one of the idler pulleys had a worn bearing that was throwing off alignment just enough to stress the belt. Before you install the new one, check all pulleys for smooth rotation and any wobble, plus make sure the belt path is totally clear.

 

[husbandMaterial]

Check the idler pulleys and tensioner spring, they wear faster than you'd think and a sticky bearing or weak spring will chew a belt quick. Also make sure the guides around the pulleys are still in place and not bent, otherwise the new belt will walk right off again