I had the Freedom mulching deck on a LX series for 5 years and never replaced the timing belt. Of course I stayed away from tree roots and bricks :). Following the suggestions for mulching (the 1/3 rule) gave me very good results. Mow when its dry and take your time. Let us know how it works out.

A Freedom 42 is the best mulching deck ever made. Period. The "freedom" part was that it would mulch if it was wet (I've actually mowed while it was raining once) and you could cut off more than 1/3 of the grass without leaving clippings. The later Freedom 42's like on your LT160 have a more robust timing setup versus the early LT155/LT166 versions. They will not jump time. But, if you hit a large object the belt may break, which it's designed to do versus damaging the deck. You will probably enjoy this combination, but it wasn't for everyone. Especially if you like to "bush hog" the back 40.

Tips: #1 - If you can mow in straight lines it works best. #2 - Adjusting your cut height even a little can help a lot with how the deck works, and that may vary a little through the mowing season as the internal grass moisture changes. Enjoy!

It sounds as if at least some of you really liked the Freedom deck. I'm glad to hear that the timing belt I have is the new improved version too. Thanks for the feedback.

Yep, the deck is absolutely fantastic -- except for the cost of replacement blades is $50 (see separate post on this). As mentioned above, it doesn't mow quite as well around corners but that's a minor drawback.

I broke my timing belt...pretty simple to replace and you should get into the deck every year for preventive maintenence anway.

I have lots of leaves, too and it mulches them just fine -- I wouldn't waste my money on another deck/bagger system.

The above comments are very interesting! I purchased a LT180 3 years ago. Being a new user but aware of the checks appropriate prior to use I still managed to snap the belt. I have spent hours & lots of expense making sure the garden is free of any debris or stones that would harm the deck. But every year with out fail I have broken it. Just recently I caught it on a very small stump under growth & thought the gardener had fully removed. So it is costing me a small fortune! Plus the labour involved of replacement. Anyone know of someone in the US who would forward me this part? Its part no is M150717 The price in France is 170 us dollars. tried ebay but he wont ship to France. would appreciate some help here!