My belt still says loose on craftsmen walk behind trimmer

hi, the running belt is a little loose you have to fasten it you have two screws from behind two sides you should use special hex driver key and turn the screw clockwise only one turn for the two screws so the belt will be tight again

No it should not be loose but have moderate tension.

Probably drive belt is frayed and not tight.

i believe you have a cracked primer bulb or cracked fuel line. you should also check and see if the screws are loose that connect the primer bulb to the assembly.

Many egines have a light flywheel and rely on the cutting equipment to act as a flywheel, so if the blade/cutter is loose it will kick back on the starter, failing that it may have part sheared the flywheel key knocking the timing out.

If your belt is sticking there are 2 possible causes. Either the walking belt itself is loose or the drive belt. The way to check is look at the front roller when you step on the walking belt. If the walking belt stops, but the front roller continues to spin, the walking belt is loose and needs tightened. If the front roller stops when you step on the walking belt, then the drive belt needs tightened or replaced. The walking belt can be tightened fairly easily, there are bolts at the rear of the machine that adjust the rear roller. The drive belt is a little more involved and requires removing the motor hood. Check to see what the front roller is doing and I'll help you further.

Your part number for the belt is: MTD 954-04032B

You can get a belt fairly cheap by going to this link: http://www.jackssmallengines.com/searchdb_more_info.cfm?part_num=265252&format=searchdb

Check the drive belt for tension first...most likely the belt has stretched out with use over time.