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Thread: V-belts - how much do they stretch over time?

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    Default V-belts - how much do they stretch over time?

    Replacing a V-belt that's been in operation over 5 years of hard service life in a ride on lawn mower (cutting blades drive belt). The manual says the belt should be 250cm long, but I measure this five year old belt at 260cm long on the outside. That's about 4% longer than the specification... is that a reasonable amount for a V-belt to stretch over time?
    Want to make sure I order the correct length replacement. Or I wonder if at the last service, they replaced the belt with something longer because they didn't have the original and let the spring tensioned idler pulleys take up the slack?



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    Check for markings/part number on belt if any ...

    This will determine the actual belt that was fitted, and if it differs from manual spec.

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    I replaced a Couple On my Kubota Diesel before Christmas. They are 2x B section and they go down to a pulley to turn the driveshaft that goes to the cutting deck.
    They are specced at 30.5" which seems to be unusual and expensive. I tried a 30" and that was too short so I got a pair of 31's which seem fine. I also tightened the ajuster far as it would go because the engine is too powerful for the belts anyway. Plenty of tension but when the big deck hits thick grass, the engine just smokes the belts.

    I got the good aramid ones but they seem to have stretched already as well. That said, the first ones I replaced I used the standard rubber ones because that was all they had in stock and the thing spat them in about 5-6 uses. Just ate the things. They are half price but not even 1/10th the quality.

    The drive to the Diff is shaft all the way, They may have been better off making the drive belt and the deck shaft. Then again, made a 3 Point hitch for it and have been ploughing ing with it and ripping tree roots and small shrub stumps so it's got some force on it. Does need new Unis though which Seems to be not easy to get and pricey when you do. Ah well, it's more than worth it.
    Totally different to my JD. That thing is like a toy, this is built like a tractor only downscaled. My Old Honda with the little car engine is shaft to the Diff and a long belt to the deck.

    If You got 5 years I'd be calling that a good run and just buying another belt for the thing. If the thing has longer than 5 years left in it, buy an aramid. If it's a marginal thing, sounds like the regular one if thats what it was will do.

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    Ive had 2 rideons one a cub cadet the other a step up from it cant remember the model , both ate belts in long grass so were only designed for the short stuff and did ok then but my lifestyle isnt like that and i got sick of feeding the bloody thing with belts so tried a b section lasted longer but stuffed the bearings in the direction changing pulleys after 6 years of it eating money i was pretty sick of it and the deck had the dreaded rust problem , was coming home from a job one morning and saw a hustler 60" zeroturn second hand ex orchard sitting in a sales yard so went in had a cuppa tea with the lovely blonde and she said her husband had just traded it in on a tractor type so after perving on her and the mower I bought it on the condition that they replace a perished tyre and deliver it to me they were very happy to do that so i ended up with a hustler super x 60 at a good price and have never looked back except the starter motor had to be replaced , but its as economic as all hell just get on full choke crank over and shes away mows the lawns great and so much fun cant wait to use it again , the neighbors son is always on the phone asking if he can mow my lawns

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    Check the part number on it, its usually the belt length in mm.

    Also when measuring a belt, put a mark on it and put a mark on a table.

    With the belt standing up with the outer flat part on the desk, put the belt mark on the desk mark and roll the belt along the desk till the belt mark touches the desk again, then mark that point.

    Now measure the 2 marks on the desk.

    It very easy to measure wrong using a standard tape measure.

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    When I started out in landscaping many moons ago, we bought a little ride on for school ovals. It had a belt that lasted several months, from then on it was downhill, sometimes I would not even get through an oval. Gave up on mfg originals at (then) $80 a pop and went to dunlops for $15 which lasted two or three times as long. It was still getting expensive and in the end (mower just 12 mths old) I got a nice new Kubota with shaft drive for Chrissie. (Literally! I picked it up on Christmas day! Can't sing the praises of Winellie Mowers enough (in Darwin). That machine suffered use and abuse over the next ten years and was still going strong in "Retirement".
    I'm out of my mind, but feel free to leave a message...

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