Rikon 10-325 Bandsaw Belt Help

[richard poitras]

The belt broke on my bandsaw and I got a new belt for it, but in reviewing I see there are two different grooves you can use on both pulleys. Does anyone know what ones to place it on? The ones closet to the door or the ones closest to the inside compartment? (front or back)
All I use it for is wood.

Thanks

[Brian Tymchak]

It depends on what speed you want to run the saw at. I can't reember off the top of my head which belt position gives you which speed. On my saw there is a sticker inside the bottom door showing the belt positions. I don't have access to my shop at the moment or I would check for you.

[Wes Grass]

Smaller on the motor will be slower. 1445 and 2950 FPM from what I found. I might be inclined, if I had one, to try it on the slow setting and see how it does. Lower speed equals less heat, equals longer blade life ... usually.

[richard poitras]

Do you know how it came from the factory?

[Curt Harms]

The bigger pulley on the motor equals higher speed. IIRC the smaller motor pulley = around 1400 ft./min blade speed, larger motor pulley = around 3000 ft./min. It seems like 3000 ft./min is recommended for cutting wood so larger driver smaller driven. Lower speed could be used for nonferrous metal perhaps? I guess the lower speed could be used to cut wood but at about half the feed rate of the higher speed.

[Wes Grass]

Half the speed equals twice the torque, which gives twice the 'power' to the blade. Maybe better with an aggressive resaw blade.

[Brian Tymchak]

Do you know how it came from the factory?

Pretty sure it comes set on the slow speed. I moved it to the higher speed when I started ripping more lumber with the BS. Seems to cut more efficiently.

[Frank Pratt]

Mine came from the factory set to high speed. Low speed is for metal work.

[Dan Rude]

I have the C-Man model of this saw, the belt just broke as well. Ordered it on Amazon. The pulley diagram is on the diagram as others have said.