On Mon, 13 Feb 2017 15:35:19 -0800, Larry Jaques
wrote:

On Mon, 13 Feb 2017 17:11:09 -0500, wrote:


I blew the belt on my 6HP YammerHammer blower, meaning I had to
push/pull the darn thing home into the garage.
It has (previously) eaten 2 goodsized chunks of newspaper/ads burried
in the snow - but it wasn't the auger belt that let go - it was the
drive belt to the Hydro unit. (But I will replace them both while itr
is apart!!!)

Whuffo you do dat, clare? Ouch!
The paper thrower threw the paper either just before the snow fell, or
in the middle of the dump. It was totally invisible and unexpected in
both cases.


After a LOT of searching/calling I found a current part number and
ordered the OEM belts. It was a bit of a scare, as the first prices
that came up were $112 and $55, but after they got through the
supercession list the current parts are only $51.73 and $24.57 (in
Canadian dollars)

Eek.


Also found the measurements and they are a A29 for the Hydro and a B36
for the auger.( or 4L310 and 5L390)
What would be the best aftermarket belt to use on this unit in the
future that is generally available and will handle the abuse a
track-Drive snow blower can dish out?? Having backside idlers makes
some less advisable. Is a cog belt an advantage or disadvantahe here?

Cogged belts give you longer life when used on small diameter pulleys
because they build up less heat.


I used a cog belt on my old friction drive blower and it worked well
in the snow-filled semi-open drive area - limitting the slippage to
the rubber friction drive wheel.

Looking at the Timken (Carlisle) NON cogged listing there is the Super
II and the Aramax. The super II is their "problem solver" HD belt and
is a "raw edge" belt, while the ARAMAX is a kevlar wrapped belt
designed for lawn equipment.

Any belt experts out there who can ring in on this??

Thankfully, I have absolutely no knowledge of snowblower belts.

I paid just $6 more for the kevlar-wrapped belt on my Murray mower.
They last 5 years compared to less than a year for the raw edge style
regular belt. I also learned how quickly mowing wet lawns eats belts,
but I'm fairly sure the wrapped belt is much less prone to wear from
it. So, for lawn equipment, it makes sense to spend the extra bucks.

Still torque, temps, and actual running conditions are unknown to me
wet white stuff. Your best bet is to ask a reputable repairman
for snowblowers. Drive by one of the shops and ask the guy with the
wrench in his hand. (You and I know how that goes, right? Screw the
managers; you need to ask the -mechanics- for the proper info.)
They all want to sell the OEM belt - which MAY be the best belt for
the job, or just the best at a price point. Seeing it only lasted 4 or
5 seasons - I'm leaning towards the latter.