Where to buy drive belts?

[Rusty Eads]

I am restoring an old Walker Turner cabinet saw and need to replace the triple drive belts. The only ones I can find have the smallest outside measurement of 23" and I need some around the 18" size. Any ideas? I have already tried Mcmaster and Grainger. I think they are the AX type and I do know I need them to be cogged.

As a side note, has anybody ever but link belts on a triple belt pulley? I am thinking that you wouldn't get the diameter of the three belts precisely the same like you can with matched belts but I may be overthinking it.

[Carroll Courtney]

How about auto supply----Carroll

[Mike Ashton]

I restored a 40s Unisaw that uses 3 belts, choose was between a matched set or 3 link belts. At work when I service larger air handlers and other belt driven machinery, we get our belts through motor warehouses or Motion Industries. Any time you have a setup requiring more than one belt it's best to order a matched set, which basically means they were all cut from the same rubber stock. This assures even wear as they age. Good year and Gates are 2 brands we have great luck with but browning is pretty common too.

I went with 3 link belts for my restoration and have been happy, vibration is minimal. Any reason you know you need them to be cogged? How big is the motor? Unless it's a really strong motor or the pulleys are tiny and you need the extra flex, I would think you can use standard A belts.

Most HVAC supply stores carry link belts from A to C sizes and can be ordered by the foot.

[Logan William]

Start with your local autoparts store, they should have something that will work. I've never tried link belts on a 3 belt drive, but have had good results with link belts in general at work on equipment. They are a bit spendy but lots of people swear by them to reduce vibration and noise on a tablesaw.

[Dennis Puskar]

Try Belts for anything . com

[Dave Cav]

I have used the green Fenner type link belts on several machines, but never on a multiple belt setup. One thing I have noticed about this type of belt is that they stretch a fair amount as they break in. I have one on a Powermatic 143 bandsaw that gets used nearly continuously several hours a day (school shop). I put a link belt on it a couple of years ago and have had to take two links out of it as it broke in. So, maybe in a three belt setup if one is a little tighter than the others, it would stretch out in short order until all 3 belts are sharing the load. Maybe....

I also seem to recall reading somewhere that the link belts, being "taller" than a regular belt, will hit the underside of the table on a Unisaw, preventing you from raising the blade all the way. I guess someone needs to try it and report back.

[Larry Edgerton]

Just because a belt is round and has a hole in the middle does not mean it is the right part for your application.

Automotive belts are not good enough. They have a bump in them that translates to a vibration in a saw thet translates to a bad cut. If you dont believe me just go let your car idle and watch the belt closely. You want belts made for a machine, and you want a matched set.

I use Optibelt brand belts whenever I can, and I get them at emotorstore.com. They will be able to help you, their prices are very reasonable, and they will provide you with quality belts meant for the machine.

[Peter Quinn]

Mc Master Carr has a pretty complete selection. Mastercarr.com

[Robert Chapman]

Try www.fennerdrives.com (http://www.fennerdrives.com) They carry all kinds of belts.

[Salvatore Buscemi]

I use the green Horror Freight link belts on the triple groove pulley of my Unisaw with no issues, works great for me.

Sal

[Matt Meiser]

Napa stores stock or can get belts intended for use on machinery. I've used them on every machine I've restored and have been happy with them.

I once bought a belt for one machine at the local hardware store to so I didn't have to drive 3 miles out of the way to get to Napa. The dust should have been a giveaway, but it had been on the shelf so long that it had a permanent set that caused bad vibration. Luckily being the local hardware store, they happily took it back and apologized for the trouble.