What's the best rider mower belt to buy?OEM or NAPA or?

[KSWR]

I need a mower belt for an Ariens 1232, should I spend the money for an OEM or go to Farm/Fleet,NAPA?It's easy to change if that matters.

 

[Time's Standing Stihl]

More than likely either way you are going to be buying a gates. If you got the old one, I'm betting it will be cheaper to get it through NAPA, then through the dealership

 

[Magnumitis]

Get a PIX brand Kevlar belt. I just replaced the deck belt and hydro pump belt on a commercial zero turn with these. Pricey, but they last

 

[USMC615]

Yep, agree on it being a Gates belt. And the NAPA route as well.

 

[Magnumitis]

He asked what's the best though

 

[AVB]

If I looked up the right deck belt; it is 1/2 x 62.375. This means you would to pickup an OEM spec belt and the Gates are usually only in even inch sizes. My vendor has that size in Kevlar for 24.25 ea.

 

[Magnumitis]

You can pull and measure it on a bench top by marking the belt and bench with a pen, then roll it till the mark on the belt meets the bench again, mark the bench at that point then measure the distance between you two marks on the bench. O.D.

That's not too bad for a Kevlar belt

 

[Fish]

It is best to get the correct belt, the oem, or the aftermarket version to the oem specs. Some brands just use standard fractional sizes and shapes, but most do not. The angle of the bevel, width, and length is ususally slightly different, enough so, to affect the belt's longevity.

 

[Nitehawk55]

Anything without made in CHINA on it !!

 

[Wagnerwerks]

I have had very bad luck with gates. Out of the last 10 or so I've used, 5 have blown off within a few times mowing and one literally made it ten feet. That particular belt had the worst joining defects I've ever seen. The belt was almost a full 3/32 smaller for an inch of it.

1 was on a Polaris ATV, admittedly it is ported with 55hp, but it caused a lot of damage and sucked majorly.

3 failures were on VW's and I was attributing that to the standard vs metric sizing. I now just think they were junk and no longer use gates Chinese trash.

All of these were bought locally and out of nessesity because I didn't have time to order them.

 

[KSWR]

If I looked up the right deck belt; it is 1/2 x 62.375. This means you would to pickup an OEM spec belt and the Gates are usually only in even inch sizes. My vendor has that size in Kevlar for 24.25 ea.

The ariens dealer I went to did not have the OEM belt (and I don't know if it had the mower clutch update so he gave me a Stens belt,) well I'm on my second one (the other two were too long even though he measured the old one) if I can get some info on the update I'll order the OEM belt but if it does have the update it call for a different belt, other than pulley size is there any thing else different? pulley od is 4-1/2 inches. I assume the routing is correct,back of belt rides on idler. and yes this has the electric mower clutch. the belt I have now is 1/2 x 62 inch.Stens 248-062, when the mower is running it almost stops in tall grass, it worked fine before the original belt broke.

 

[Fish]

http://www.partstree.com/parts/ariens/parts/07242200/

 

[RCBS]

I sold a ton of belts for mowers when I worked at our company's front counter. Aramid/Kevlar wrap is critical on a mower deck for longevity. Also help keep stretch down. We stock Continental (Goodyear) #84620/#20034404 Kevlar in a 62" for $18.00.

Does the deck have a tension pulley? Did you check the spindles for free movement when you had the belt off? Honestly, the .375 in the OEM length should be irrelevant.

The simple way to measure a belt is to mark it with chalk or something...straight line across back of belt. Then, just use a standard tape measure and walk it around the belt. It's not ultra precise, but I didn't have many comebacks on the couple thousand that I sold.

As far as the "best" belt out there...unsure....the one that fits is a good start though.

 

[KSWR]

I sold a ton of belts for mowers when I worked at our company's front counter. Aramid/Kevlar wrap is critical on a mower deck for longevity. Also help keep stretch down. We stock Continental (Goodyear) #84620/#20034404 Kevlar in a 62" for $18.00.

Does the deck have a tension pulley? Did you check the spindles for free movement when you had the belt off? Honestly, the .375 in the OEM length should be irrelevant.

The simple way to measure a belt is to mark it with chalk or something...straight line across back of belt. Then, just use a standard tape measure and walk it around the belt. It's not ultra precise, but I didn't have many comebacks on the couple thousand that I sold.

As far as the "best" belt out there...unsure....the one that fits is a good start though.

there is no tension pulley on the deck, it has an electro magnet clutch on the deck,, spindles are ok, old belt came apart in pieces, cannot measure off that.

 

[Cracker Boy]

there is no tension pulley on the deck, it has an electro magnet clutch on the deck,, spindles are ok, old belt came apart in pieces, cannot measure off that.

Sounds like a deere m.

 

[exp500]

My favorite belts were MAGAM. Made somewhere in asia. Local fleet store sold them for $6.00 for 1/2 and smaller, $8,00 for 5/8. Not bad for price, but best part they were the toughest belts I've ever found.Used them on everything, Air compressors, 6foot pto mower, 6foot belly mower, Old pickups, tractors, flail mower,rototiller, etc. Sometimes the rider belts lasted 3 years on the farms! Heres a link to similar.https://www.vbelts4less.

 

[backhoelover]

I use blue Kevlar from d and d on all my commercial guys mowers. Seen them wear grooves in metal pulleys and belt still be good

 

[backhoelover]

Need to remove belt and spin all pulley and spindles you will hear a bad bearing