band saw belts

anyone tried link belts on their band saw

keep hearing how much better link belts are for other applications but have not seen mention of using link belts on a bandsaw

probaably cost more but they are supposed to perform better than a solid belt

also the holes might help to prevent gunk build up under the belt

Reply to
Electric Comet
Loading thread data ...

yes

Reply to
dadiOH

I have link belts on my 14" Delta band saw, it is both a wood and metal bandsaw with a transmission, it requires two sets of belts.

Price that resarch you could do yourself.

I also have them on my Unisaw.

Yes I did edit your post it is so much more readable!

Mark

Reply to
Markem

No, why would I want one? None of my belts are link belts, and all my tools have been working great for 60 years. If your belts ain't working, your machine sucks, set up sucks, or imagination is wild. How could they improve on "working great"?

Reply to
Jack

yours has 4 belts or more not sure what you mean

the common term that i did not use is tire so are you using link belts instead of tires or just link belts from the motor shaft pulley to the bandsaw wheel

gonna try them on the ts too i think

sort of a year end upgrade

Reply to
Electric Comet

Just a hunch (as I don't own one). They could get rid of any "memory" a typical belt could acquire.

Reply to
Bill

I had a severe vibration problem with the belts on my Delta DP. Switched to link belts and it runs vibration free now.

Reply to
Leon

haha that is funny

are you an optimist or a pessimist

Reply to
Electric Comet

You've been lucky. I recently put link belts on my bandsaw, vibration went way down

Reply to
dadiOH

Amazing. I've never had a belted tool vibrate severely, if at all, from a belt. Must have been one hellofa screwed up belt to begin with, or the worlds lightest duty drill press, or some combination of both. Maybe I've just been lucky over the last 60 years...

Reply to
Jack

My guess is any "memory" would be erased after a few revolutions. Just a hunch, but most of the vibration is in the sales hype of the link belt marketing department.

Reply to
Jack

Vibration is one of the reasons that manufacturers are turning to using serpentine multi-v ribbed belts. IIRC Powermatic was one of the first back in the late 90's

Reply to
Leon

There are multiple quality type v-belts. Automotive tend to be the highest quality. Unfortunately tool manufacturers tend to not use them. I would have replaced my DP v-belts with automotive quality but the link belts were less expensive.

Reply to
Leon

About 10 years ago I bought a 1948 Delta contractors saw that I think still had the original belt :-). At least it had certainly taken a set. Got rid of a lot of vibration by replacing the belt with a link one.

Any of the standard belts will take a set if left under tension without moving for some length of time. The time is dependent on the belt material.

Reply to
Larry Blanchard

I've seen belts that segment inside and start to split into two belts. ONly it is 3-4" long. I think starting under load or held in that position a long time. Once each on two lathes (cold starts ?) and one Drill press. In shops that get really hot the lube/tar tends to break down.

I have link belts on metal, wood lathes and my 85 year old Delta. :-) The on-off switch on the delta is starting to fail, I might look under the cover and see what type of switch it is. Bounds to be hard to find, but I have lots of old versions in sorted cans.

Never needed to put one on my bandsaw (Delta) Open ended pulleys.

Mart> >>> >>>> anyone tried link belts on their band saw

Reply to
Martin Eastburn

Realist!

Reply to
Jack

The last stationary tool I bought was the 15" planer, it came with 3 standard belts. No severe vibration except when the drive pulley came loose. This was less than 10 years ago, so I guess they were not aware of the belt problem, or the solution.

By all means re-belt all your severely vibrating tools with link belts.

Reply to
Jack

Hmmm, didn't know link belts were less expensive. Seems stupid that tool manufacturers would use more expensive, inferior v belts on their expensive tools when they could be using cheap, but superior link belts. Makes the mind boggle...

I can see an advantage if you don't know what size belt you need, as I understand length is adjustable. Lots of moving parts on a link belt, right? I wonder if they are as durable? Most of my belts are 60 years old and still work like new.

If links are cheaper and work better, if I ever replace another belt, I'll look into the linked belt. As it stands, none of my equipment vibrates severely and far as I can tell, the belts are ready for another

60 of years of service.
Reply to
Jack

My DP, TS, jointer, lathe, and Scroll saw are 60 years old. The only belt I recall replacing was the jointer when I built a new cabinet for it and changed the belt length. None of my tools vibrate severely, if at all, and far as I can tell, no set in the belts. Don't know what they made belts out of 60 years ago, but they don't seem to vibrate, take a set or wear out. Or, I'm just "lucky"

Reply to
Jack

No, no, no, Automotive v-belts are not what you get with typical machinery. Typically industrial v-belts are cheap, automotive v-belts are typically 2~3 times more expensive but the quality is immediately visable. Industrial are designed to work on less than desirable applications. I was going to step up to either an automotive style or link belt.

Yes about every inch represents another part. It baffles me how these things work with less vibration. I have read that the vibration is absorbed by each break, at each link. And link belts do no take a set. I will add that my link belts are not necessarily quieter, quite the opposite but they do run much smoother.

Stick with what works. ;~) My old 1983 Craftsman contractors saw had an industrial v-belt on it when I sold it about 16 years later and it ran relatively smoothly.

Or take your old belt to an auto supply and ask for an automotive quality belt. Some automotive belts have notches cut out of the inner surface, perpendicular to the rotation of the belt, this allows the belt to bend around tighter radius pulleys.

Reply to
Leon

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.