can flat belt be used in place of v-belt

flatscreen · Jan 18, 2017

Hi folks,

I have an old sears tractor for mowing grass with a 44 inch cut radius.
I have a flat belt that is the same dimension in width and length that fits the pulleys.
The belt is 1/2 inch by 92 inch.
Its suppose to be a v-belt on the pulleys.
My question is can the flat belt be used instead of the v-belt and work ?
If not I would be willing to trade even up for a v-belt or sell the flat belt to purchase what I need. The belt is brand new in cardboard jacket and in excellent condition.

Thanks for any replies

enginebill · Jan 18, 2017

No, it won't work. You would have to change the pulleys as well.

L Vanice · Jan 18, 2017

Short answer is no. Better answer requires more info on the "flat belt." Is it leather, rubber, canvas, polyurethane or what? Is it flat on both sides or ribbed on one side? How thick is it? What information is printed on the cardboard jacket?

Larry

moonlight machine · Jan 18, 2017

flatscreen said:
Hi folks,

I have an old sears tractor for mowing grass with a 44 inch cut radius.
I have a flat belt that is the same dimension in width and length that fits the pulleys.
The belt is 1/2 inch by 92 inch.
Its suppose to be a v-belt on the pulleys.
My question is can the flat belt be used instead of the v-belt and work ?
If not I would be willing to trade even up for a v-belt or sell the flat belt to purchase what I need. The belt is brand new in cardboard jacket and in excellent condition.

Thanks for any replies

No chance it will work. V pulleys grip on the side of the belt, flat belt does not have sides. If it's like the sears mower I scrapped the only belts that would work properly were the ones sears sold through their on line parts dept.

Joe in NH · Jan 18, 2017

Gates belting is available at industrial supply stores and is HEAD & SHOULDERS above a good portion of the V belting available at AutoZone or NAPA (although SOME Napa belts are made by Gates.)

I went through several box store belts on my Ariens Single Belt snowblower - a check on the Internet revealed that Gates made the belts for Ariens - and by buying directly from Gates, I saved about half the price of an Ariens mark-up belt.

Even so, the Gates belts are not cheap - but they do last.

Joe in NH

CWB · Jan 18, 2017

Hit up an ag store if you have one nearby, they usually carry belts in 1/2 or 1"
Increments from tiny to huge. Auto parts stores are usually nutty on prices for these IME. JMO but even the generic v-belts today are pretty decent and will last years mowing an hour or three a week. I avoid cheapies on vehicles for noise and breakdown concerns but on a mower that stays in the yard and doesn't NEED to function now they're fine. Disregard if you're mowing commercially.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

flatscreen · Jan 18, 2017

L Vanice said:
Short answer is no. Better answer requires more info on the "flat belt." Is it leather, rubber, canvas, polyurethane or what? Is it flat on both sides or ribbed on one side? How thick is it? What information is printed on the cardboard jacket?

Larry

On the jacket is penciled 32-25676 and std 324920 1/2 inch by 92 inch
On the belt is printed Goodyear 5303281154 Im guessing its rubber. The belt is 1/16 inch thick using a measuring tape. Both sides are flat.
I was mistaken about the jacket. Someone put the belt in the wrong jacket but belt appears new and unused.
Thanks to all who replied back. I did not think it would work, but wishful thinking and all that I was hoping.

moonlight machine · Jan 18, 2017

I suggested getting it from sears parts because I found out the hard way that 2 out of the 3 on my mower were non standard thickness and though gates and everyone else had belts the same length and width they were all too thick and would rub on anything close and kill the belt. getting them from sears was the same price as industrial suppliers and auto parts stores. The only difference is they lasted a lot longer.

Scottl · Jan 18, 2017

I think PM has just hit a new low.

rklopp · Jan 18, 2017

While your proposed swap is likely to fail miserably, you bring an interesting point. I happen to have a side-by-side comparison. My Aciera F4 mill uses a B-section v-belt to transmit power to the gearbox input shaft. My Aciera F5 mill has the same drive motor, but uses a high-tech flat belt to transmit power to the gearbox input shaft. The flat belt is more than twice as wide as a B-section belt. I have yet to run the F5, so don't know whether it is prone to slipping. I do know that flat belts have much more tendency to jump off the sheaves if the drive slips, whereas a v-belt won't do that. I have no idea why Aciera chose a flat belt for that design, which was developed in the 1970s AFAIK. If I was designing the drive today, I'd look hard at a poly-V belt drive (similar to automotive serpentine belt drive).

flatscreen · Jan 19, 2017

moonlight machine said:
No chance it will work. V pulleys grip on the side of the belt, flat belt does not have sides. If it's like the sears mower I scrapped the only belts that would work properly were the ones sears sold through their on line parts dept.

I went to a trailer shop nearby and they had that size belt in Kevlar and very expensive. Its good to know that unless its OEM that the belt is gonna burn up. I have had bad experiences too with using aftermarket parts on Sears equipment. Needless to say I didn't make the purchase. I also had the flat belt measured while I was there and it turns out to be 87 inch.I had a cluster of bad info that was written on the sleeve by someone else. The guy in the shop who's been there forever said he never seen that size flat belt that was manufactured as one piece. I tried to google the Goodyear number and got no where , not even on E bay. Wish I had more information on the flat belt so I can try to sell it to offset the cost of the proper belt I need. If anyone has a 92inch by 1/2 v-belt for sears mower attachment that they wanna let go cheap please PM me.

flatscreen · Jan 19, 2017

Hi folks,
I started to think what uses flat belts and thought about appliances. So I put the number in an appliance parts search on line. And sure enough that number came up as a belt for a dryer. Brand new cost about 7 dollars. It did not have the belt dimensions but it looks very much like the one I have. Argghhh :mad5:

Monarchist · Jan 19, 2017

Scottl said:
I think PM has just hit a new low.

Actually....I HOPE we are just being trolled...

and It could get worse.

Next up, the OP will ask us how to 'recap' his OLD Vee belt with a fossilized bottle of 1950's Pyroil 'liquid rubber' dug out of an 1850's pole-barn-midden.

And if he is in Lewis County? Might even be the same one I lost track of about that era.

Small world and all, y'know..

Warren Hull is "LOK E Pu" when you actually NEED Chinese help?

S'pose pogue bait might work?

Atlas lathe Atlas shaper Atlas power hacksaw Grisely mill-drill

Scottl · Jan 20, 2017

Monarchist said:
S'pose pogue bait might work?

Atlas lathe Atlas shaper Atlas power hacksaw Grisely mill-drill

And don't forget precision 7 x 10s, "Dremel lathes", etc.

flatscreen · Jan 20, 2017

Im not trolling. I came by the tractor honestly and it came with a spare belt for mower attachment. The previous owner had told me that the belt was incorrect for the mower attachment years ago. I thought maybe the previous owner was mistaken. So the mower finally ate the belt and I needed to replace it. Normally I trust that all info written on a part is correct. Why would I think otherwise? So I ran all the information that was written on the cardboard sleeve and it is correct for the belt I needed. I suspect the previous owner bought the belt from eBay and was duped and did not go through the trouble of returning it. Just a guess. It was good to hear that others had problems with non Sears parts. That told me It was not my imagination and that all though aftermarket parts work on Sears they don't last. I could not find that flat part number anywhere until I tried appliance parts. I used to chase stock occasionally but that's been awhile. Kevlar belt for that mower attachment is like $30 plus tax. I don't think anybody else in this forum would consider that a fair price for a belt of any description.

flatscreen · Jan 20, 2017

I forgot to add that the flat part number I referred to above is what was imprinted on the belt and not the penciled in information on the sleeve that it was stored in.

enginebill · Jan 20, 2017

Just look at it this way, for $30 you can have a working lawn mower again.

Scottl · Jan 20, 2017

flatscreen said:
Kevlar belt for that mower attachment is like $30 plus tax. I don't think anybody else in this forum would consider that a fair price for a belt of any description.

In some cases that would be considered a bargain.

Try pricing some machinery belts or even drive belts for a Harley.

Harley-Davidson Drive Belts | J&P Cycles

Try pricing double or triple matched belts for higher powered equipment some time if you think $30 is a lot.

Bottom line is nobody on PM is likely to swap you for the belt you have. The likelihood of someone having the exact belt you need AND needing the exact belt you have is slim to none. Buy the belt you need and try to sell your belt online.

Monarchist · Jan 20, 2017

flatscreen said:
Im not trolling. I came by the tractor honestly

That ain't the issue, Pilgrim. Most 'ere have had their time in the barrel with lawnmowers.

It is the venue you have wandered into. Manufacturing.

Wrong loo.

El Cheapo fossilized lawnmower repair is a ways down the hall.

A verrry looong ways down the hall....

Bill

Peter from Holland · Jan 20, 2017

rklopp said:
While your proposed swap is likely to fail miserably, you bring an interesting point. I happen to have a side-by-side comparison. My Aciera F4 mill uses a B-section v-belt to transmit power to the gearbox input shaft. My Aciera F5 mill has the same drive motor, but uses a high-tech flat belt to transmit power to the gearbox input shaft. The flat belt is more than twice as wide as a B-section belt. I have yet to run the F5, so don't know whether it is prone to slipping. I do know that flat belts have much more tendency to jump off the sheaves if the drive slips, whereas a v-belt won't do that. I have no idea why Aciera chose a flat belt for that design, which was developed in the 1970s AFAIK. If I was designing the drive today, I'd look hard at a poly-V belt drive (similar to automotive serpentine belt drive).

I was told a flat belt is preferred in high accurate applications because V-belt are pulled out of the pully and then pushed in again
That can generate a vibration further up the drive to in the tool
Another alternative Weiler uses a.o is the 3x60dgr V-belt Also less pulling and pushing with these
And probbably also the multi-V belts

Peter

can flat belt be used in place of v-belt

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