I may be in need of another deck belt for my B8200 this season. I've read mixed reviews that one should only purchase OEM belts from the dealership where others state brand does not matter. In the case of the Kubota, what are your thoughts? I've had good luck with D&D belts for my riding mower where I've only bought OEM belts for my Hustler.
Deck Belt Brands
- Thread starter cmyoch
- Start date
Belts are like a marriage: you never know what you are going to get until you buy them, and even then, some start off great and decline with use.
I have owned an “off-brand” drill press for a number of years. It’s a “CLarke” model BT1029 according to the china data-plate.
It was purchased at TSC as a gift from my wife about 20 years ago. (I had heavily suggested the gift idea when I saw it on sale for $165.)
Anyway…..The V-belts are degraded to soft rubber and now slip so badly it took me several hours to drill a few 1/2” holes in pipe for gate-hinges.
Typing the make/model into a search on Bezo’s chinese-distribution-site …. some replacement suggestions popped-up….and when they arrived next day…. I was surprised at the quality, especially for such inexpensive belts.
I have had similar results when shopping for drive-belts for my BESTSCO 72” china-made finish mower. Much less expensive than from the distributor… faster arrival…free shipping…. Good quality:
Same result when I replaced the V-belts on my Craftsman riding mower.
It was purchased at TSC as a gift from my wife about 20 years ago. (I had heavily suggested the gift idea when I saw it on sale for $165.)
Anyway…..The V-belts are degraded to soft rubber and now slip so badly it took me several hours to drill a few 1/2” holes in pipe for gate-hinges.
Typing the make/model into a search on Bezo’s chinese-distribution-site …. some replacement suggestions popped-up….and when they arrived next day…. I was surprised at the quality, especially for such inexpensive belts.
I have had similar results when shopping for drive-belts for my BESTSCO 72” china-made finish mower. Much less expensive than from the distributor… faster arrival…free shipping…. Good quality:
D&D DURA-Ultimate 5LK720 or B69K Aramid V-Belt Vbelt: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
D&D DURA-Ultimate 5LK720 or B69K Aramid V-Belt Vbelt: Amazon.com: Industrial & Scientific
www.amazon.com
Same result when I replaced the V-belts on my Craftsman riding mower.
I bite the bullet and buy OEM belts from Kubota.
Verify that your Kubota dealer sells you a genuine Kubota belt with OEM Kubota part label.
Over the years I have used many aftermarket belts with no problems. When the 20 year old belt on my Woods RD7200 finish mower finally died I purchased multiple different belts - all Kevlar and the same cross section as the OEM.belt. they looked identical to ths OEM belt but none lasted more than an hour or two. I bit the bullet and ordered a 4x more expenive OEM belt from Messicks and no more problems.
My conclusion - in most cases a qualty aftermarket belt is fine but there are instances where only the OEM belt works. So unless someone has actually tried alternatives on your specific mower I dont think there's a reliable answer to your question.
Dan
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I don't know how many years your belt has made it. My Poulan belts last a long time, so I just buy the Poulan. My guess is you might as well buy the OEM since the difference is a few dollars a year.
dirtydeed
Well-known member
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Equipment
B2650 BH77, U27-4R2, BX23TLBM, box blade, rear blade, flail mower, Stump Grinder
I'd suggest looking here:
I've used them in the past with great success on quality/price.
V-Belt Guys | Online V-Belt Replacement Supplier & Manufacturer
V-Belt Guys is your trusted online supplier and manufacturer for V-belt replacement. Shop quality belts today and keep your machinery running smoothly.
www.vbeltguys.com
I've used them in the past with great success on quality/price.
Sawdust&Shavings
Active member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
BX1870,LA203A,BX6315,BX2767,RCK48-18BX,GCK60-23BX
For my Kubota I only use OEM Kubota belts. However, in my wood shop I have been extremely pleased with every belt I have purchased from V-belt Guys. Their selection has covered my every need for and the quality of each belt has been second to none.
I've had excellent results with Kevlar belts from vbelts4less.com and a local (REAL) hardware store. Have had LandPride and Caroni decks. Both last for many seasons of mowing. The only belts that have worn out were the original belts on the first Caroni deck bought in 1991 and one of the LandPrides. With those exceptions I only bought new belts when refurbishing decks because it was easy to do while the decks were apart.
I bought an aftermarket belt for my RC-54 deck off eBay. This one:
After 3 seasons of use, I'm still extremely happy with it. It's gone up in price about 20% since then, however.
Funny, when I bought the tractor (used), the belts - yes, there were two separate belts - were shot. I didn't realize that the original belt for this deck was ganged for double pulleys!
-Paul
Belt 19095505 Fits Kubota RC54-71B RC54-B RC54-F19 RC54-FZ21 RC54-G20 RC54-G20R | eBay
Need help with a part you found?. Parts For: Ariens, Briggs & Stratton, Jacobsen, Toro, Troy Built, Sears & More! Featured Categories.
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After 3 seasons of use, I'm still extremely happy with it. It's gone up in price about 20% since then, however.
Funny, when I bought the tractor (used), the belts - yes, there were two separate belts - were shot. I didn't realize that the original belt for this deck was ganged for double pulleys!
-Paul
The belts on decks are bent in both directions. The belt has to be designed for this use, otherwise it will fail fairly quickly.
Belts with insufficient tensile strength fail quickly as well. I went through half a dozen in as many days on a Woods mower. Lifespan was June bug-esque.
Dan
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When it comes to mower decks and combines I have found over the years aftermarket belts just don't last. I only run OEM belts on them with little issues.
I've had good luck with Gates Blade Runner belts powering the snow blower on my Husqvarna.
The 2 stage snow blower is known to eat belts and these last just as long as the OEM ones at a quarter of the price.
They're available on Rockauto too so I usually add 1 or 2 to an order when I'm getting other things.
As with most aftermarket things your mileage may vary and be sure to check the compatibility.
Especially with V-belts where a slight difference in length could make a difference.
The 2 stage snow blower is known to eat belts and these last just as long as the OEM ones at a quarter of the price.
They're available on Rockauto too so I usually add 1 or 2 to an order when I'm getting other things.
As with most aftermarket things your mileage may vary and be sure to check the compatibility.
Especially with V-belts where a slight difference in length could make a difference.