My deck belt broke and I am unable to measure it to buy a new one. How many inches is the deck belt for a craftsman 1000?

Sorry we do not sell belts, measure what you need and see an auto parts store like Napa.

most probably as most drive belts are above the deck belt owing to the fact that the deck height can be shifted

Please provide model #.

Look under the mower to see if the drive belt has come off or broke. It is the belt that runs from the bottom of the engine to the rear axle.

Measures 21/32 inch x 97-2/5 inches. item number 174883 from sears

for a deck no.. Most everything on the deck is done by springs.. what i would do is look at the deck make sure nothing is rubbing the belt making it rip apart.. or make it to not engage.. i would with the engine off engage the blade and disengage the blade make sure all the brakes are pulling away from the pulleys and making sure all the arms are moving to tighten the belt.. if nothing is moving then i double check the cable or however engages the deck (all mowers are different) and if need the part. If the cable is not broken and is still on deck make sure all springs are lubed. If you have any questions please dont hesitate to ask

I've had to do this at least 5 times. If you look under the body, there are two supports that carry the mower deck and lift and lower it. Each of these has a nut that holds up the deck and the nut is on a stud that goes up and down when you raise or lower the lever. Put the deck in the middle of it's range, around #3, make sure the key is off, move your blades so they are on the right and left edge of the deck.
Get yourself a device to measure blade to ground height, I have a block of wood that is 3 inches long. Make sure your floor or ground is level and tires are properly pumped up. Then raise or lower the adjustment nuts until both sides are equal height.

Gary

Go to Sears and take a look at how the belt is routed. After you get it figured out take a sharpie and mark your deck so you don't have the same problem again. When you buy a new mower mark it before you have to replace the belt.

look on deck or under foot pedal there is usually a diagram in those places

Without the model number, I couldn't tell you what belt goes on the ground drive. That 174883 is a 5/8 x 97" and is your deck drive belt. Your ground drive belt may just need replacing. They will wear thin and loosen up between the pulleys and cause the problems you're having. The old belt may still have the numbers on it.