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I looked up the prices of my belts from a Snapper dealer and they are quite expensive. Has anyone taken their belts to an auto parts store and just matched them up? Is there a place to order an aftermarket belt?

I took my deck pulley belt to a cheapo auto parts shop. It was standard V-belt. They put on a 2 pulley gauge and measure it. IIRC, I bought 1/2" shorter cause it had stretched so much. Works fine.

Mr. Shamrock said:

I looked up the prices of my belts from a Snapper dealer and they are quite expensive. Has anyone taken their belts to an auto parts store and just matched them up? Is there a place to order an aftermarket belt?

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Don't do it pay the extra money and get the belts from the dealer. I have ran into more problems with aftermarket belts then any other problem. Not worth the savings. I think that a automobile belt is different then a mower belt for some reason. It just seems the sizes are different and they don't stay on the pulleys for some reason. I find if I get my belts from the mower dealer I never have a problem with them.

I get mine from napa and advance they are not automotive belts they are mower belts. On my MTD the belt is $45 at advance I pay $18 I have used both and I get about 115 yards out of each belt. I do bank owned homes so the grass is over a foot on most. I did try the MTD belt twice just to make sure. I did the test on both drive belts and both deck belts and the cheap belt is the best buy

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Carscw said:

I get mine from napa and advance they are not automotive belts they are mower belts. On my MTD the belt is $45 at advance I pay $18 I have used both and I get about 115 yards out of each belt. I do bank owned homes so the grass is over a foot on most. I did try the MTD belt twice just to make sure. I did the test on both drive belts and both deck belts and the cheap belt is the best buy

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It must just me me or my NAPA dealer because I have nothing but bad luck with NAPA or Advance belts. I buy from both places. I have been stung too many times with aftermarket belts and wouldn't use them anymore. I just pay the price and buy them from the dealer. I know they tell me they are all made by the same company and are the same belt. It hurts when I have to change belts for free the second time. For some reason I have never had problims with the dealer belts.

Mr. Shamrock said:

I looked up the prices of my belts from a Snapper dealer and they are quite expensive. Has anyone taken their belts to an auto parts store and just matched them up? Is there a place to order an aftermarket belt?

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I use the cheap belts but I did try the dealer belts first. So I think for you you should go with the snapper belt and next time try the cheap belt then you will know. I am sure your not as hard on your mower as I am I cut yards with mine that I know my mower should not be able to handle. Let me brag about my MTD garden tractor it is like a ride on bush hog

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Most belt used on a mower are made with side to side and inside to outside flexibliity in mind. some cheap belt only have the inside to outside flexiblility in mind. Also most mower belts are now made with a kalavar wraping on them. it increases the bite the belt has, and reduces the wear on the belt

snapsstorer said:

Most belt used on a mower are made with side to side and inside to outside flexibliity in mind. some cheap belt only have the inside to outside flexiblility in mind. Also most mower belts are now made with a kalavar wraping on them. it increases the bite the belt has, and reduces the wear on the belt

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There has to be a have a reason they are a lot more money other then dealer profit.

The dealer belts cost so much more because they know you will buy it they are not made Any better.

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snapsstorer said:

Most belt used on a mower are made with side to side and inside to outside flexibliity in mind. some cheap belt only have the inside to outside flexiblility in mind. Also most mower belts are now made with a kalavar wraping on them. it increases the bite the belt has, and reduces the wear on the belt

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I think you put it in a nut shell. The automotive belts I looked at were very stiff in the side to side direction as compared to the belts I removed. So I went to a local Snapper dealer that I haven't been to before and bought both belts for just under $100. Very steep for 2 belts, but it seems to be the going rate and I help support a little mom and pop mower shop. One of the belts was 119.25" long so there is alot of material there. Plus I got right at 6 years out of the first set (and they still had a little life left) so it isn't an item that requires frequent changes. I had a squeal when turning the PTO off that looks like it was the bolt on the tensioner. It is a shoulder bolt that the shoulder started wearing so the pulley was sitting at a little bit of an angle. I ended up getting the new shoulder bolt at Lowes for a couple dollars.
Thanks for all the input!

Gates invented the V-belt and continues to be the world's largest manufacturer of power transmission belts offering a broad range of heavy-duty, light-duty and specialty belt drives. and half the price at napa or full price after the snapper name goes on

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Carscw said:

Gates invented the V-belt and continues to be the world's largest manufacturer of power transmission belts offering a broad range of heavy-duty, light-duty and specialty belt drives. and half the price at napa or full price after the snapper name goes on

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I can see we are not going to change each others mine on the belts. You and who ever else go buy your belts from NAPA at haft the price. I only get a dealers discount from NAPA and not even close to half price for me. I find they run close to the same price if not more. You most get a lot better discount then me. Like I said maybe its the NAPA I am buying from. Could they be ripping me off ? Also they never seem to fit and come off the pulleys. As for me I just go to the dealer and get the right belts and am done with it. Now don't get me wrong because I buy a lot of good parts from NAPA and pay by the month. They also deliver right to my door. Now I buy a lot of my seals and bearing off E-bay and now there is the big discount in prices.

I was just saying what works best for me not trying to change your mind. And the only small engine repair shop I will go to is some old timer working out of his back yard that never went to Briggs school. He will know how to fix you up and get you going right then and there he is a small engine mechanic not a small engine tech

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Does Gates make the belts with the covering on them? That was another reason I went the expensive route. The belts at O'reilly's were all just rubber (or whatever material that is) and the ones on the mower have a cover - I am guessing that is the Kevlar that was previously mentioned. Either way it is done, but I still have a slight squeal right before the blades come to a complete stop. I am thinking it might be a PTO clutch adjustment. I need to get one more .017 feeler gauge to set it properly so that is on tomorrow's agenda.

If you have a belt squeal you have a belt alignment problem or a loose belt.

reynoldston said:

If you have a belt squeal you have a belt alignment problem or a loose belt.

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HMMM the belt making the noise is the one for the blades and it is new and seems to be on straight. I could tell the old belt was a little stretched because the spring is stretched more now. Do they need to be run for a little while to "break in"?

Mr. Shamrock said:

HMMM the belt making the noise is the one for the blades and it is new and seems to be on straight. I could tell the old belt was a little stretched because the spring is stretched more now. Do they need to be run for a little while to "break in"?

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Frist of all I find belts don't stretch. Wear out or break. I would like to say yes on the break in, but I find if they squeal it doesn't go away only gets worst. I would make a guess as a pulley or tension problem?? There is a lot of good ideas on this forum and maybe someone has a better answer for you then I.

Maybe "break in" wasn't the right words to use. I meant that after a few cycles of the PTO the belt should naturally find it's "groove" where it is going to ride and possibly the tensioner will take out a little slack. A V-shaped belt installed in a pulley almost has to have a slight bit of settling after tension is applied a few times. I think this may especially be the case in a situation like mine where an extremely long belt wraps around quite a few pulley's. I may be way off here, but it makes sense in my head. Also instead of actually stretching (again maybe the wrong word) I think the beveled edge of the belt slowly gets worn so it sinks into the pulley's further which has the same result as a belt that has stretched. I appreciate the input.

As I see it run it and see what happens, nothing to lose. Hope you the best of luck:wink:

Frist of all I find belts don't stretch. Wear out or break. I would like to say yes on the break in, --------- if they don't wear out break or stretch why would we ever have to replace them. And would the break in be the belt wear into the pulleys

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I believe what he is saying is:
I find belts don't stretch. ...
They DO Wear out or break...
and I agree with that.

For anyone that is looking to this thread for a Good on line site for great replacement belts...
V-Belts; Metric V-Belts, Power Transmission Belts;Synchronous Belts;Timing Belts;Industrial V-Belts;Low Cost;Discount Prices
BUT you need to know How to measure your belts... If you will not take the time to understand the differences in v-belt dimensions & types... that site will Not get you what you want.
And the savings are very significant.. prices are generally 1/4 or less...
:smile:KennyV

Carscw said:

Frist of all I find belts don't stretch. Wear out or break. I would like to say yes on the break in, --------- if they don't wear out break or stretch why would we ever have to replace them. And would the break in be the belt wear into the pulleys

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I will word it a little different. Belts don't stretch, but what they do is wear out and break. I just have to be a little better wording things. I am still learning and I sure hope this isn't a writing test because I will fail big time. Not very good at putting putting my thoughts into words. Boy if it wasn't for spell check I would be real bad. I also type with one finger if you want to know.:frown:

KennyV said:

.

For anyone that is looking to this thread for a Good on line site for great replacement belts...
V-Belts; Metric V-Belts, Power Transmission Belts;Synchronous Belts;Timing Belts;Industrial V-Belts;Low Cost;Discount Prices
BUT you need to know How to measure your belts... If you will not take the time to understand the differences in v-belt dimensions & types... that site will Not get you what you want.
And the savings are very significant.. prices are generally 1/4 or less...
:smile:KennyV

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This is the reason I have belt problims. I don't know what I am doing when I order them and that is why I have better luck with dealer belts. I do know that they have numbers and letters on then and they all have a meanings which I don't understand or am going to take the time to learn. There is a lot more to it then give me a V belt of what ever size when you order one.

I sent Gates an e-mail asking about replacement belts for my mower and here is their reply...

We have those numbers on file however no replacement at this time

So anyone looking for belts just e-mail them your part number and they can try to cross reference it.

What is the email adress that you sent it to??
Thanks

D2hornets58 said:

What is the email adress that you sent it to??
Thanks

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I just used the "contact us" link on their site, but here is the person's e-mail address that responded...

Canady, Chris <CC1666@gates.com>

What was the website.
Thanks

D2hornets58 said:

What was the website.
Thanks

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Contact Us | Gates Corporation

reynoldston said:

This is the reason I have belt problims. I don't know what I am doing when I order them and that is why I have better luck with dealer belts. I do know that they have numbers and letters on then and they all have a meanings which I don't understand or am going to take the time to learn. There is a lot more to it then give me a V belt of what ever size when you order one.

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It used to be you could go to your local Napa or any reputable parts store and tell the guy or gal that you needed a belt for your lawn mower and they would know the correct type of belt to give you once they
determined the size. They knew a belt for a car was made different than a belt for a mower etc. I even
got the belt for my furnace at Napa and it was right every time and and had no problems.

Nowadays you go to a parts store people are much much younger and don't really know these
important differences. Oh you will get a few that think they know it all but they really don't.
So I don't really blame you or anybody else for going to the dealer for the belt or parts. And the way
prices are for everything these days its not that bad either...cubby

I know the thread is old but here is my two cents. Belts that are bought from the original manufacturers are typically really expensive. It is worth taking it to an auto parts store and getting it sized or sizing int yourself, and then finding a Kevlar replacement v-belt from someone online. The great thing that I have found about kevlar v-belts is that they don't stretch. If it made with the standard polyester cords, it will stretch. Kevlar won't. If you don't believe me, buy one of each and see the difference.