Link belt

[bill ward]

For those of you having trouble with a vibrating table faw, I've gone through every adjustment with precision instruments and adjusted everything to o.001" on my Delta contractors table saw with little affect on vibration. As many of you have suggested I finally decided to replace the standard drive belt with a linked belt. I must admit I was very skeptical. I was absolutely amazed when I flipped the switch... no vibration. Highly recommend!

[Lee Schierer]

Changing to the link belt helps. Machined pulleys help as well.

[Frederick Skelly]

Yup. Happened that way on my delta contractor saw too. Didnt even change the pulleys and a nickel will stand vertically through start up, running then shut down.

[Nick Decker]

Just curious, how is it that a link belt runs smoother?

[Frederick Skelly]

Just curious, how is it that a link belt runs smoother?

Hi Nick,
What I've read is that many V-belts take a "set" (sort or a permanent bend shaped like the pulley) over time. As the belt turns under power, it causes a vibration - rather like having a flat spot on a tire. The link belts - and supposedly some very high quality V-belts - don't take a set, or take less of one. The problem seems to be more prevalent on contractor saws, supposedly because the belt is tensioned by the motor hanging off the back.

Problem for me was I couldn't get the high quality V-belt locally, but I found a link belt. And while I didn't change out the pulleys, it still made a significant difference on my saw.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Fred

[Mike Cutler]

Just curious, how is it that a link belt runs smoother?

Conventional rubber belts will take a "set" when made. Link belts are as flexible as each interlocking segment, so they don't take a set.
If the belt is able to be tensioned, the set is removed, but in a contractor saw it is only the weight of the motor that tensions the belt, and that isn't enough. Actually the full weight of the motor is never on the belt because it pivots on a hinge.
As the belt turns the motor, the positions where the belt has taken it's set, lifts up the motor twice in it's rotation.
I have had a link belt on my Jet contractor saw for many years.They're not cheap, but they work.

[Nick Decker]

Thanks to both of you, and that makes perfect sense. My saw is a SawStop jobsite and I haven't noticed any excessive vibration in it so far, but I'll keep this in mind.

[Thomas L Carpenter]

Do link belts come in different widths? My General table saw belt is 3/8" and if memory serves, link belts are 1/2". Do I need to change the pulleys?

[David Kumm]

There are at least two sizes in link belts. They are handy but are rated as fractional HP belts so not really appropriate for many machines. They mask but don't correct balance problems. Belts today can be made so well and transmit power so efficiently that a good VX Gates, Goodyear, or Optibelt is a better but not easier choice. Dave

[Nick Decker]

Looks like my SawStop jobsite wouldn't be a link belt candidate.

[Morey St. Denis]

Nick, that looks to be a cogged flat belt, similar to an automotive timing belt, but with the cogged side outboard! I am aware that SawStop, like many other tool brands, typically uses flat belt drives, but cogged and on backwards? Makes little sense at all; are you confident that is original equipment? Do you suppose those cogs might function as some sort of sawdust conveyer or to increase turbulence?..

[Lee Schierer]

Nick, that looks to be a cogged flat belt, similar to an automotive timing belt, but with the cogged side outboard! I am aware that SawStop, like many other tool brands, typically uses flat belt drives, but cogged and on backwards? Makes little sense at all; are you confident that is original equipment? Do you suppose those cogs might function as some sort of sawdust conveyer or to increase turbulence?..

It is what is called a poly ribbed v belt. It is not on backwards. There are small v ribs on the pulley side that fit into v grooves in the pulley. Look at the 3 minute section of this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUUogBS3aEk).

[Curt Harms]

I have link belts in 2 applications. One is one a G1023 3 belt drive and the other on a Delta Radial Arm Drill Press. I did the G1023 conversion before I read that I wasn't supposed to do that:) It works and I'm not about to change them. On the drill press there's still more vibration that I care for, link belt or not. The drill press is a candidate for a Dealers Electric motor/VFD conversion, 500RPM minimum speed isn't really slow enough for some applications.

[Morey St. Denis]

Lee, I am well familiar with the poly ribbed V belt. I've earned a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering and am a licensed Professional Engineer. The Poly ribbed belt has multiple V grooves running longitudinally. There is a brief moment in the promotional video where a belt with transverse cogs is seen around 1:25, so you have confirmed that this design appears original to the SawStop. At 3:00 the multi ribbed pulley and belt is seen clearly, but without those transverse cogs on the outer belt, having a conventional smooth outer surface (unless it might be shown running)... I am otherwise not especially familiar with any particular power transmission aspect of the SawStop. Can someone tell me what function those transverse, or lateral, outer ribs might serve for SawStop? To my eyes it would only increases air turbulence with slightly increased mass and power loss.

[Nick Decker]

Lee is correct, the belt on mine looks just like the one in the video - the ribs on the inside of the belt run longitudinally, in grooves in the pulley. Don't know what the crosswise grooves on the outside are for, but I trust the thing was designed by someone smarter than me.

Edit: Looks like Morey and I were cross-posting.

[Lee Schierer]

Can someone tell me what function those transverse, or lateral, outer ribs might serve for SawStop? To my eyes it would only increases air turbulence with slightly increased mass and power loss.

Some of the molded poly ribbed v belts have the transverse ribs. I think it makes them slightly more flexible. We used to use them in our assembly machines where I used to work. Sears also used them in some later model Craftsman saws for drive belts. Gates also has one called the gator back that has diagonal notches in the v-ribs.
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[Perry Holbrook]

Link belts come in many sizes. I saw their booth at an industrial trade show. I'm pretty sure I saw them up to at least 1".

[John Gustafson]

The cogs on the poly v belts are to keep them flat across the width of pulley surface. IThe cogging gives you the flexibility to get around relatively small pulley diameters.