Slightly ot- Vbelt horsepower ratings

[Josiah Bartlett]

Anybody know the horsepower ratings of various size V-belts? Are there high-horsepower 1/2" belts available?

I know its not a precision woodworking machine per se (it does make chips), but my Troybuilt shredder I inherited from my dad chews through V-belts about 1 per hour of operation. I know the pulleys are aligned and the tension is set correctly. Its a 1/2"x30" industrial power transmission belt with an 8hp engine. I tried a couple of brands and a link belt, but it just still chews them up. It seems to be overcoming the friction and wears the belts thin pretty quick.

[J.R. Rutter]

The Grainger catalog has some information on V-belts, IIRC.

I think that your machine is under engineered. Proper design also takes into consideration the diameter of the sheaves. I would expect to see a double 1/2" belt on an 8 HP shaft. A VX type has better torque than V. Have you tried that?

[Rob Will]

I agree with J.R., that machine should have a double "a" section belt.
The only excuse for the single belt I can think of is that the belt is a safety device for jams and overloads.

Rob