What will cause blades on J.Deere G100 mower to Freely turn by hand without causing Spindles or belt to turn even though Bolts are still tight and when installed Blade turned only if spindle turned

Make sure all of the mounting connections are good and bolts are tight. Make sure the spindles are not at an angle causing the blades to be uneven.

With the mower turned OFF check the blades to see if they aren't bent and if it spins freely. There should be resistance when you hand turn the blades. A bent blade can jam and lock up the drive system. If the blade spins freely and has no resistance check the drive belts from the blade pulley to the gears that run the blades. Hopefully you have just had a drive belt come loose or break, a reasonably cheap and easy fix. If the belts are OK you will need a mower mechanic to look at the gearing for the blades.

Has it been throwing belts<?> meaning coming off and you putting it back on repeatedly?

Check the idler pulleys (sheaves) do not wobble, the belt rides square to the face of the idler pulleys, and the belt tension spring is not loose. Check the spindles (blades) spin freely.

Check to be sure your belt is still intact, have someone else verify whether or not the belt is "spinning" around as it should or if the clutch is spinning and the belt is staying still. This can be a clutch issue, but it can also be as simple as the belt being in a bind or just too tight- make sure your belt tensioner/spring are as they should be and you have some "slack", you don't want that belt super tight because it can cause this! If it's too tight, when you pull the pto to engage the clutch, it'll engage properly and start spinning but if too tight the belt is going to stay still/not spin and will make the noise you mention- usually it's the clutch spinning on a belt that's stuck. Remove the belt & reinstall it paying careful attention to every detail and verify everything is aligned properly so that the belt will spin freely. I had this issue, one of my blade spindles was stuck, keep them greased and with the engine off and key out grab each blade pulley(attached to spindles on top side of deck) and rotate it to verify they spin freely, you can grab the blade from below and twist back and forth to make sure one isn't stuck(most mowers have 2-3). Grease your blade/deck spindles and everything else, verify your belt and tensioner(& tensioner spring) are as they should be. Best of Luck, you'll get it, it's a simple fix! Have a great day!

the spindles are freezing up,make sure your blades turn freely by hand and check for obstructions around the blades

How to adjusted Cutting Deck Belt Tension

You do not say which size cutting deck you have. I will be writing about the 48", 3 blade cutting deck

The belt on this deck is self tensioned. The tension is provided by a spring attached to a moveable pulley on the deck. When the belt is in place you can manually force this pulley forward/backward and it will release the tension.

If the belt is off track, place the belt back around all the pulleys in the correct path, lastly force this spring loaded pulley forward/backward (depending on your deck, the direction is not important, the tension is) to get the belt around the pulley. If the belt is placed correctly, when you release the spring loaded pulley it will properly tension the belt.

Typically, these belts should not be jumping off. If yours is coming off frequently the belt may be worn. When they wear they get quite a bit longer, then the tension pulley cannot apply the correct tension. Rarely does the tension spring have to be replaced.

The other problem that causes belt jumping is worn spindles and stationary pulleys. The spindles are the most likely to need replacement. You can buy excellent replacements for JD spindles on Amazon for very reasonable prices. The following spindles are super replacement spindles for the 48" deck. They may very well be the same for smaller and larger decks; I have not researched that. Just search Amazon for Silver Streak # 285851.

Silver Streak # 285851 Spindle Assembly for JOHN DEERE GY21098, JOHN DEERE GY20962,

Product description:
Spindle Assembly / John Deere GY21098 Pack Size:1 JOHN DEERE GY21098, JOHN DEERE GY20962, JOHN DEERE GY20867, JOHN DEERE GY20454 OREGON 82-359, ROTARY 12910, ROTARY 11964 JOHN DEERE D100, D110, D130, D140,D150,D160, LA100, LA105, LA110, LA115, LA120, LA125, LA130,LA135, LA140, LA145, LA155, LA165, X110, X120, X140 Includes grease Zerk, pulley lock nut, blade lock nut, and washer , Height: 7 ", OD: 5 "

You can also find replacements for the flat pulleys on Amazon. If you cannot find what you need there, go to http://www.greenpartstore.com//

Are you sure it is the correct blade and when it is turning the sharp edge is on the leading side? A spinning blade will cut grass even if the blade is dull. Did you lower the deck to the correct level?

There are a few causes for this and its not just this brand or model. First check that belt is installed correctly, check the part that keeps the belt on the belt rollers the belt should be between the garde and belt wheel, check for shine spots where belt is rubbing, Some times the mower deck is not set even or too low it can put the belt at too much of an angel causing the top of roller to cut it. So check the deck level there are adjustment devices on the mower to adjust, check for shine spots and for correct belt installment, and check roller wheel top for cuts or sharp spots, and check belt tension to see if it is to tight or too lose, also check that rollers spin free and there is not one stuck that could be heating the belt up too much, And last but not least make sure you are using the proper belt that is made for a mower fan belts don't last very long on a mower.

Tony,

Your mower has a mule drive PTO. The belt starts at the clutch goes down to two idler pullys then back to the deck. You said you lubed the spindles, the only other moving parts (idlers) are preminently sealed. You cant lube these even if you wanted to, they do fail. The usually get loose, but sometimes the seize and smoke your belt. There is a tensioner arm on the deck, remove the tension, then (with the tractor off), spin by hand all of the idlers on the deck and the two up front on the tractor (mule drive). They should spin freely and quietly, if they are loose or wobble or make noise, replace them. Also while you are under there, spin the spindles (blades), they should spin freely as well, with no bearing noise or movement. The way to check that is to reach under, find the end of the blade and lift up on then pull down on, it should be tight. If it moves, the blade is either loose or the bearings are failing. These are the things that are the PTO components, All have to be working with freely moving parts, or you could have resitance that will smoke belts, or shred them depending on the failure.

As far as the clutch, it either works or it doesnt. With the tractor off and you sitting on the seat, turn the ignition to the run, not crank position. When you engage the clutch you should hear a "Clunk" when you pull the yellow knob. If so it works fine.

Hope this helps.

If you need further help, I’m available over the phone at https://www.6ya.com/expert/matt_8dbc24bf722649ac

do you mean when you engage the cutters? if so then chances are on of the blade spindles may be seized or stuck, disconnect the belt from engine pulley and try turn the blade spindle pulleys by hand one at a time to see if they are spinning freely