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James, I appreciate that you went to the trouble of putting fingernail polish on your finger for that part where you show proper tab direction. That's dedication. 😀
I too put a HF link belt and steel pulleys on my dinosaur Craftsman when I decided to upgrade to a 220V 3hp motor and it breathed new life into a saw I was really ready to get rid of. So much so I added an Incra fence and built a cabinet for dust collection! Then put a router table in the wing and I’m not looking back! 3 really high quality blades make a great deal of difference also! 😁
It has saved me more than once having a couple of these in my shop of the different sizes of the link belts. When a machine goes down due to a belt it is really nice to grab a link belt, make it the size you need and get back to work in just minutes. Sometimes you can run to the auto parts store and find a belt that works, but that takes time too, and V belts can be expensive as well. And yes, the link belts you find in Harbor Freight are quality belts.
Totally agree, the big thing I like about link belts is that its a universal spare belt. Never noticed much of a difference in the tools with the upgraded belts, though they are heavy metal 🤘which helps dampen vibration.
@@patrickweckermann9121 Yep, it never crossed my mind to replace a good v-belt with one "just because" but for a handy universal replacement, or for when you're making some sort of custom belt driven arrangement they are super. All this reminds me that I am out and need to pick up a couple more myself??
Buy cogged belts. They are very flexible and last a lot longer than standard v-belts. They cost 2x as much but it's worth it. They don't split and chunk out like standard v-belts.
They aren’t a cure all, but my Jet table saw felt like a new piece of equipment when I put a link belt on it. Plus, when my ‘87 f250 broke its alternator belt, I was able to use the link belt from my table saw to drive 40 miles back home. They are a fantastic piece of equipment to have in my opinion.
@@MrStrizver lol, no. My belt broke, and a new one couldn’t be shipped to me for several weeks. I caught a ride with one of my fellow employees and brought the link belt with me, with the intention of trying to use it to get home.
I use cogged v-belts on all my machines that I've done work on. They take less of a set over regular v-belts. One other use case for a link belt is on certain older lathes that you would have to remove the spindle from its bearings to replace a belt. A link belt can be swapped in without taking the machine apart.
THE hardest teacher I ever had, as far as taking notes is concerned, was a guy named Abe Lincoln (no kidding. What were his parents thinking?? TRY to cash a check, I dare you...) The problem with taking notes in Abe's class was that EVERYTHING the man said was valuable. Couldn't listen for 3 minutes & just jot down the gist. Literally, everything he said, I wanted to remember. Your videos are just like that, James. You are a servant to your viewers and, if I could presume to speak for us all, we treasure you.
I knew a guy named John Hancock. His family had a regular, monthly, soft drink delivery. One day, John's folks weren't home. The delivery man said, "Put your John Hancock here kid". So he did. The guy blew a gasket, screamed up and down and left in a huff. He returned later, to gripe at the parents and get a "real" signature. John's mother looked at him and said, "That's his name". I would have Loved to have seen the whipped dog look on his face. 🤣🤣🤣😈😈
About 15 years ago I installed a link belt and turned pulleys on my 40+ Craftsman table saw. The belt has worked fine, shows no wear, and made my saw a better, smoother operating tool!
I recently acquired an old Rockwell/Delta table saw that sat unused i a shop for twenty plus years. The existing belt had a permanent set, took a chance on a link belt. No vibration and quieter, also has better grip on the pulleys so more cutting power, no belt slipping. In my case, a very good solution.
I replaced a 30 year old v belt on a drill press & 40yr old belt on an ancient Walker Turner bandsaw. Old belts had taken a bad set, both machines quieted down & reduced vibration substantially. I used HF on the 1/2" W.T. saw & 3/8 I found online for the drill press. Highly recommend link belts. Good coverage Stumpy! Let's go Stumpy!!!
Thanks James for filling in the missing links concerning Link Belts. Your videos are full of some of the most useful information for the layman and professional alike. Keep them coming and God Bless.
About twenty years ago there was an article in a woodworking magazine that discussed replacing the diecast pulleys and v belt on my Craftsman Table Saw with machined steel pulleys and a link belt. I bought a kit and installed it. It made a tremendous improvement in my saw's performance. How much was the pulleys and how much was the link belt? I dunno. Recently I moved to a new house with a basement shop. The saw had to be dismantled and moved in pieces to get it into the new shop. When I reassembled it, I set it up according to the instructions and really sweated the details. That took the saw to a new level of performance I never had since it was new. Thanks, James.
You forgot to mention the advance of putting on a machine like a lathe. You don’t have the take the spindle out. It’s the best part for me. Thank you for the video. Keep ‘‘em coming
Thanks for the videos. When a machine has a vibration, one item to check check the belt pulleys. A bent or defective pulley can cause a vibration. If the pulleys are bent or defective, replacing the belt will do little to get rid of the vibration. My 1970’s Sears tablesaw came with a defective cast pulley causing a vibration. Both the motor and blade pulleys were replaced with a machined cast iron pulleys and the vibration was gone.
You can link my belt anytime James…🤣 Silliness aside, I really do like these for woodshop equipment. That “really like” turns into a “love“ when a fixed belt breaks in the middle of a project and I can immediately repair it with a linker. It is a hell of a handy bit of kit to have hanging on the shelf in bulk length! Love the no BS presentation and as always Stump thank you! -CY Castor
A big advantage is replacing a belt on a wood lathe. Not having to remove shaft is a great reason for cost of link belt. I have used Harbor Freight belts for many years and support your comment of worthiness.
I needed to install a 130 amp 12vdc alternator on my 6-71 boat engine and a link belt was my only option given the front engine double pulleys were in the housing. the belts are really under a huge load when charging my house battery bank and they really preform and hold up very well.
I inherited my dad’s Shopsmith about 20 years ago and had to replace the v-belt that was on it right away. I put a link belt on it and it is still running on it to this day. Yes, it is definitely creates a higher pitch noise than a regular belt but I have not had any issues otherwise. Great video. Thanks!
Thanks for the video. I picked up an older General (Canadian built) 160 lathe this summer that has a stiff and damaged v belt on the Reeves drive. I think I should now be able to replace it without removing the headstock!
All my machines have link belts. I don’t have to worry anymore about purchasing a belt that is too long or short. Link belts have dramatically reduced annoying vibration on my mill and drill press. I love them.! Thanks for the video.
I have a 30-year old Delta Contractor saw with a full cast-iron top and wings. After tuning it up, It has always run smoothly but I listened to the hub-bub about linked belts and bought one at a woodworking shop. Did not improve vibration and was significantly noisier. I still have it. It looks just like the belt that Stumpy shows in the video. YMMV I hadn't thought of putting it on my 30-year old drill press so thanks for that idea.
Yes - I also had an old Delta like that video clip [which in some ways, after 45 years, is still better than my new one, but that's another subject], now it's my son-in-law's, and a link belt made a significant difference in the vibration.
having bought a cheaper drill press from harbor freight to start out with i have noticed that it starts much easier with a link belt. the motor always seemed to struggle to get going with the old standard belts, especially on those colder days, sometimes requiring me to give the chuck a turn to get it going.
Just installed a 3/8ths link belt on my General table saw and it's AWESOME, dramatic decrease in vibration. The size was about 2 inches shorter than the V belt.
I just picked up 3 link belts today. I use them for sizing belts to install on machines or equipment that I build to make, or upgrade. The belts were free, and were take offs from a local business. It's easier to determine the proper size with a link belt than using an old v belt cut to size for the length.
I have had a link belt on my table saw since the late 70's early 80' (when they 1st came out. For my use they have been lifetime belts. In 2000 I bought an upgraded saw and immediately put on a link belt. For me the extra price is insignificant compared to s lifetime of maintenance Free belts. I have used them in industrial applications also. For the same reason, no down time for broken belts or replacing worn out belts.
For your information link belts came out a lot earlier then the seventies. I have copies of Operating Engineers Magazine back from the early forties and they were using them back then. They were made by the Link Belt Corp. and the magazines also had adds for them. Probably because they were marketed for the industrial users it took awhile to be discovered by the occasional user.
The LB reduced vibes on my contractor style table saw. An advisory I first heard about '73: only tighten a belt enough to stop it squealing. Note that one side of the belt is under tension and the other side "loafs". The non-tension side does not have to be tight, and depending on the sheaves, might be considerably bowed, bouncy, and still work properly. Find a video of an old leather belt system to see just how loose some pulley systems can be. One of the most convenient things about LB: don't have to try to match exact sizes, which at times can run you distracted. DIY.
Right on time James, was just thinking of changing the belt on my table saw. It has formed a memory and makes the sound associated with it that gets on my nerves. Thanks for the great instructions. Fred
I installed them on my big industrial Delta press, band saw and jointer. The greatest impact was on the drill press, huge reduction in noise. Planning to install on the lathe. Saw will require replacement of both pulleys.
Very interesting. (From my experience only) In the UK link belts were always a handy engineering workshop standby in case you didn't have the correct belt in stock, not an "upgrade" for it. Links could also save downtime (as someone else mentioned) when spindles or machine parts had to be withdrawn to fit continuous belts. Some have a subjective feeling that a link belt is a significant improvement over a v-belt but that opinion is too often based on replacement of an old belt which is hardly a reasonable comparison. Simple replacement of a rubbish V-belt (worn or new) with a *decent* replacement item will make a difference to the way the a machine drives - both in sound and ultimate torque - and may be significantly cheaper than a link option. Bear in mind there are some horrible, cheap belts out there so buyer beware. "Notched" or "cogged" belts generally have a better flexibilty and the drive surface of a correctly matched v-belt can be significantly larger than that of a general purpose link belt. I have a feeling that the "improved smoothness" described is simply that resonance of the belt could be reduced as the cross section is not consistent but a well fitted, good quality v-belt will not have a significant problem anyway (hence your switching results may vary). If there is a noise issue with a (good) belt, usually belt tension adjustment or a hint of belt dressing will sort it out ... Link belts certainly have their place but personally I'm not sure it's as an upgrade ...
Good info~! I've been using link belts for years and have never had any issue. As you mentioned, a great benefit is that none of it goes to waste as the extra can be used with extra from others to create an additional belt or replace damaged links. Thanks much~!
Good video, Stumpy. I put one of these on my contractor table saw about 15 or 16 years ago. It still has that same belt on it and runs very smooth and quiet. Hope it keeps going, because yes, they are expensive.
I have a lathe that has a secondary shaft. The shaft is captive at both ends. One of the belts broke and I had to disassemble the lathe to install a new belt. Had I thought about link belts I could have saved a lot of work. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.
My grandfather used 'link belts' on all his home made woodworking machinery he built pre-1950. Table saws, grinders, motor power for a lathe, jointer. I suspect the belts were salvaged from even older machinery in the factory where he worked, the links were fiber cored rubber and used a rounded keyhole slot & metal connectors. The motors were housed in repurposed tin cans so also probably came from old machinery.
Great info. IMHO, they are a definite for my table saw & jointer and I replaced mine. The band saw and drill press, maybe... down the road when their belts fail.
Thanks for sharing! I work off shore a first ran cross them as we broke a engine v-belt our replacement belt was old and dry rotted. The “junk” room on the platform had a box full of segments of extras of link-belts.
I made a stand for my Montgomery ward lathe. I couldn’t find a small enough belt to fit. I installed the link belt and it works great. It was actually cheaper than some V belts.
I have used link belts for years but one thing I did discover is they are hard on cheap aluminum pulleys, having had two fail in a short time. In both cases one flange broke away from the the main body like a big washer. This seams to only be an issue with single groove pulleys. Multi groove pulleys, at least so far as I can tell, do not seem to suffer from this issue. So If you plan on using the link belt which I do think is a good idea, I highly recommend if the single groove pulley on your machine is aluminum, to replace it with a steel pulley.
WOW!!! I have seen link belts countless times, and thought they were for temporary use or for when you have a hard to find size. I had no idea they were actually an "upgrade" this is definitely something to consider. Thank you!!!
Bought a link belt and solid steel pulley kit for my old Craftsman table saw, and 6" Craftsman jointer from inline industries, back when I was first getting started, man what a difference. Moved up to a better saw, but still have the same jointer, still going strong after 12 yrs on the belt, and pulleys . The cast aluminum pulleys that came on the machines hardly ever ran true.
I purchased all my larger power tools second hand and the existing belts were shot or dry rotted with age. I swapping out belts on my: band saw, table saw, drill press and jointer. Went with the HF green ones, buying as needed, so now I’ve got a handful of extra links handy for repair. Yes they reduce vibration, did they change the tools noise? Hard to say for myself as the old belts were shot to start with. One benefit for going link belts, you don’t have to keep up with different size belts for your tools, make the size you need.
Thanks for the tips. I have link belts on the jointer, bandsaw, and drill press, but not on the tablesaw. My Delta Unisaw uses a matched set of three v-belts, and I was concerned that I couldn’t get three link belts exactly the same size. The other reason was the Unisaw was new and not having any issues, but the other tools were used when I got them.
Great information! I used a link belt on a custom air compressor set-up that doesn't have any adjustable tension - I was able to dial the size / tension in with the red link belt. I wanted to use one on my table saw, unfortunately it uses the flat serpentine belts
I am very impressed with your knowledge. You provide excellent oratory. I’ve mentioned this before - me thinks you would have been (are?) sought as an event speaker. You must have taken speech classes. Excellent video. Well demonstrated Well researched You are quite an able fellow.
Yet again, answering questions I had but never remembered to do a deep dive to learn information for myself. Thanks for the consistent and often perfectly timed information!
Never knew they existed. Still do not know if they are available in my part of the world. None the less, I learned something new from you again and like to thank you for it.👍
Great information James! I have often thought about replacing the belt on my old Craftsman TS with a link belt. I will definitely refer to this video when I do so. Thanks again.
Thanks for a very good breakdown of using link belts. I've used them and they sure have a place in the workshop. One other good use is for machines thay have low use which normaly causes significant belt deforming resulting in noticable vibration. Eg. lapidary machines. I sure wish they were a bit cheaper though.
I put one on my Bandsaw and it cut the vibration significantly. But the rest of my tools that use belts are pretty smooth as is and may get the upgrade in time.
I like mine on my table saw, the reason for it was just that I could buy it at harbor freight and have in on machine the same day, vs having to order a correct sized v-belt online. I don't think it makes the saw any more or less accurate, but it does make it more pleasant to use.
Wow, learned more than I would have ever guessed. Have not used a link belt since I got rid of my 70s vintage table saw, but thinking that having one on my drill press is a good idea (and having a universal length replacement v belt is a great idea)
Stumpy I have been watching you for several years now. I recently took your advice on purchasing some tools for my shop. The glue bot, mechanical pencils. I was extremely happy, I have used them for about a week and my next purchase will be a Harvey miter sled. Thank you so much for expertise with these tools. Timothy
I purchased some Ridge Carbide circular saw blades based on his recommendation and couldn't be happier. They are just as good as Everlast. I actually don't have any Forrest blades as I figured they were overpriced.
I wanted to jump straight to the comments and start pounding the keyboard. After watching the video completely I have the following comments: Improperly tensioned belts DO DAMAGE bearings quickly. Grizzly just sent me my replacement 12" planer jointer because of bearing failure of the cutter head. The original unit was less than 1 month old. There was a compounding factor with the unit in that the sheaves were faulty from the factory causing misalignment issues. One must use a belt tensioning tool to properly tension anything. They are less than $30 and will pay for itself with the first set of belts you use it on. I recall from college, that there was a test performed with dozens of Maintenance Technicians with properly tensioning belts on equipment. The techs were asked to tighten by feel and 85% of the techs failed to get the equipment within the proper tension range. Beyond bearing wear, you lose more power than you think with improperly tensioned belts, be it too loose or to tight. So for a hobbyist that probably does not have 3hp + equipment, it would be good to squeeze the most power from your motors by reducing energy lost through friction. Also, proper sheave alignment is crucial. Not just the faces of the sheaves, but the center of each groove should be in the exact same plane as the corresponding sheaves groove. Just aligning the faces of the sheaves may not always work because there may be some variation in the thickness from the face to the grooves....I hope that makes sense. It would be great to see a video on how to properly setup equipment in regards to drive mechanisms. Please take this comment with knowing my true intentions are to help add to our community. Thank you for all the content and instructionals that you have provided over the years. I posted a video of the planer jointer with it failed bearings while running. Thanks again
I installed a link belt on my bandsaw. Makes zero difference in the quality of cut (was not expecting an improvement) but deff reduced the vibration and the noise over the oem belts. Was worth it to me.
I bought a link belt years a ago. At the same time, I bought quality machined pulleys. Being cheap I did not replace the belt figuring that I can just cut it and install the link belt. Well, the pulleys eliminated 80% of the vibration. The belt is still in great shape so I never did replace it.
Hi I use to use link belts years ago , these were fibre links connected with brass pins and were a bugger to make up these look easier to make up , I will have to get some
Probably doesn't matter as much in a woodworking/shop scenario, but one advantage to link belts is that they stir up the air around them for a cooling effect. I like to use cog tooth belts on some of my vintage automobiles for just that reason. With the cogs, they run cooler, and tend to last longer. That is likely why the v-belt has a distinctive sound, too.
Jason Industrial link belts are great. I have them on multiple machines. They did change the number of plies around 12 years ago, which surprised me, but I really like them.
Like the video and fully respect your review and experience of the belt. We do not see these in automobiles but rather have a quality v belt, the ones that take a memory seem to be the lesser quality belts. I did like the mention of the multi-groove belt (serpentine belt). These belts handle power and vibration much better than the v belt, so much so I have converted the v belt drive on my shapers to multi-groove. On the plus side only the link v-belts are adjustable and a direct replacement for the v-belt. No multi-groove equivalent. If you have good experiences with the belt then by all means use it. Nice clean demo on the un-linking and linking of the belt. I might get one to hold as a spare for the table saws. Wonder how they perform in a multi-belt setup like in some of the cabinet saws?
Great info I am going to have to replace my table saw belt and was looking at the link belts. I have heard that they do help vibration which I do have a problem with. I will give them a try if it doesn't stop the vibration I will look into balancing I pulles. Thank you and keep the information coming.
Be sure you install it in the right direction, or you will still have some vibration. BTDT The "clipped corner" tabs should point Away, from the direction of rotation.
i was wondering about if this would be something useful for my mill and lathe, but since they seem to be unidirectional i think its a no. even still great video and its always good to see alternatives to the standard stuff everyone just assumes to buy
i have found several things at harbor freight to be of OK quality especially if you are not going to use it everyday ratchet wrenches are one of the things that i have NOT had to hold up well But the sockets seem fine have some for 10 years in fact just take your time and look things over and check around
I only have 2 belt driven tools [drill press & bandsaw]... have you ever done a vid comparing: belt drive Vs direct drive for tools in general? Some of the pros/cons to both?? Any specific tools you think benefit more from one or the other? (as contemplation for future tool purchases) another conpare/contrast video- if not already done: direct drive VS worm-drive for circular saws
You missed one HUGE advantage of the link belts.....I have both a home wood shop and a metal shop (metall lathe and milling machine). I have a Wilton 14" band saw with pulley and gear box so I can change speeds over a wide range from around 45 to 3200 IPS....the slow speed for cutting metals like steel and the high speed for wood. Unfortunately I live in Michigan so my shop does get down to very cold temperatures in cold months. My stock V belts couldn't handle the cold temperature and would take the eliptical shape making it impossible to run until I warmed the belts up with a heat gun! It would actually trip the breaker due to the load and the belt would hold its oval shape causing bad vibration. The link belts (Harbor Freight) solved the problem and the bandsaw runs smooth as glass now in those cold temperatures. There are V belts designed for cold temperatures (I use those on my metal lathe), but the link belts are a fast solution and easily adjusted to custom lengths.
It is possible that the decrease in vibration with the link belt is due to its lateral flexibility because it is made of links, therefore I think it is convenient to check the tension of the normal belt or the alignment of the pulleys or remove the belt to determine how much vibration generates the electric motor, if everything is fine and the vibration is not acceptable for the finishes, then see how it goes with the link belt. saludos Gerardo
Vibration is going to affect every piece of machinery, even if it has a negligible impact on the work output. It puts stress on the machine itself and adds to wear. The longevity of your tool (particularly more expensive equipment) may also be a consideration when looking at link belts.
Very informative! Thanks for mentioning the HF ones too. They got rid of the always there 20% coupons but they've brought some back from time to time, so I'll feel ok waiting for one.
Even if it's just vibration reduction, that's still less vibration traveling through the machine's bearings, joints, and measuring systems. May not mean much to most, but over enough time, that translates to extra wear.
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James, I appreciate that you went to the trouble of putting fingernail polish on your finger for that part where you show proper tab direction. That's dedication. 😀
The linkbelt worked wonders on my grandfather's 1969 Craftsman 100 table saw.
I bought an old craftsman table saw on Craig’s list and a link belt and trunion alignment turned it into a magic saw.
I too put a HF link belt and steel pulleys on my dinosaur Craftsman when I decided to upgrade to a 220V 3hp motor and it breathed new life into a saw I was really ready to get rid of. So much so I added an Incra fence and built a cabinet for dust collection! Then put a router table in the wing and I’m not looking back! 3 really high quality blades make a great deal of difference also! 😁
@@darrellreed7044 that’s the shiz! I put a router wing on mine too. I’m telling you a good blade perfectly aligned with the fence and slots.
It has saved me more than once having a couple of these in my shop of the different sizes of the link belts. When a machine goes down due to a belt it is really nice to grab a link belt, make it the size you need and get back to work in just minutes. Sometimes you can run to the auto parts store and find a belt that works, but that takes time too, and V belts can be expensive as well. And yes, the link belts you find in Harbor Freight are quality belts.
Totally agree, the big thing I like about link belts is that its a universal spare belt. Never noticed much of a difference in the tools with the upgraded belts, though they are heavy metal 🤘which helps dampen vibration.
@@patrickweckermann9121 Yep, it never crossed my mind to replace a good v-belt with one "just because" but for a handy universal replacement, or for when you're making some sort of custom belt driven arrangement they are super. All this reminds me that I am out and need to pick up a couple more myself??
Buy cogged belts. They are very flexible and last a lot longer than standard v-belts. They cost 2x as much but it's worth it. They don't split and chunk out like standard v-belts.
They aren’t a cure all, but my Jet table saw felt like a new piece of equipment when I put a link belt on it. Plus, when my ‘87 f250 broke its alternator belt, I was able to use the link belt from my table saw to drive 40 miles back home. They are a fantastic piece of equipment to have in my opinion.
wait...you carry your table saw around with you in your pickup? :P
@@MrStrizver lol, no. My belt broke, and a new one couldn’t be shipped to me for several weeks. I caught a ride with one of my fellow employees and brought the link belt with me, with the intention of trying to use it to get home.
I love my link belt on my table saw. That and machined pulleys changed my saw dramatically
I use cogged v-belts on all my machines that I've done work on. They take less of a set over regular v-belts. One other use case for a link belt is on certain older lathes that you would have to remove the spindle from its bearings to replace a belt. A link belt can be swapped in without taking the machine apart.
Same here. A big advantage when you can't just slip the belt into place.
THE hardest teacher I ever had, as far as taking notes is concerned, was a guy named Abe Lincoln (no kidding. What were his parents thinking?? TRY to cash a check, I dare you...) The problem with taking notes in Abe's class was that EVERYTHING the man said was valuable. Couldn't listen for 3 minutes & just
jot down the gist. Literally, everything he said, I wanted to remember.
Your videos are just like that, James.
You are a servant to your viewers and, if I could presume to speak for us all, we treasure you.
I knew a guy named John Hancock. His family had a regular, monthly, soft drink delivery.
One day, John's folks weren't home. The delivery man said, "Put your John Hancock here kid".
So he did. The guy blew a gasket, screamed up and down and left in a huff.
He returned later, to gripe at the parents and get a "real" signature.
John's mother looked at him and said, "That's his name".
I would have Loved to have seen the whipped dog look on his face. 🤣🤣🤣😈😈
About 15 years ago I installed a link belt and turned pulleys on my 40+ Craftsman table saw. The belt has worked fine, shows no wear, and made my saw a better, smoother operating tool!
Single handedly the best upgrade I have made to my contractor table saw!
I recently acquired an old Rockwell/Delta table saw that sat unused i a shop for twenty plus years. The existing belt had a permanent set, took a chance on a link belt. No vibration and quieter, also has better grip on the pulleys so more cutting power, no belt slipping. In my case, a very good solution.
I had the same experience. Worth the investment.
I replaced a 30 year old v belt on a drill press & 40yr old belt on an ancient Walker Turner bandsaw. Old belts had taken a bad set, both machines quieted down & reduced vibration substantially. I used HF on the 1/2" W.T. saw & 3/8 I found online for the drill press. Highly recommend link belts. Good coverage Stumpy! Let's go Stumpy!!!
Thanks James for filling in the missing links concerning Link Belts. Your videos are full of some of the most useful information for the layman and professional alike. Keep them coming and God Bless.
About twenty years ago there was an article in a woodworking magazine that discussed replacing the diecast pulleys and v belt on my Craftsman Table Saw with machined steel pulleys and a link belt. I bought a kit and installed it. It made a tremendous improvement in my saw's performance. How much was the pulleys and how much was the link belt? I dunno.
Recently I moved to a new house with a basement shop. The saw had to be dismantled and moved in pieces to get it into the new shop. When I reassembled it, I set it up according to the instructions and really sweated the details. That took the saw to a new level of performance I never had since it was new.
Thanks, James.
I have the same kit. Works perfectly to this day.
You forgot to mention the advance of putting on a machine like a lathe. You don’t have the take the spindle out. It’s the best part for me. Thank you for the video. Keep ‘‘em coming
Thanks for the videos.
When a machine has a vibration, one item to check check the belt pulleys. A bent or defective pulley can cause a vibration. If the pulleys are bent or defective, replacing the belt will do little to get rid of the vibration. My 1970’s Sears tablesaw came with a defective cast pulley causing a vibration. Both the motor and blade pulleys were replaced with a machined cast iron pulleys and the vibration was gone.
You can link my belt anytime James…🤣
Silliness aside, I really do like these for woodshop equipment. That “really like” turns into a “love“ when a fixed belt breaks in the middle of a project and I can immediately repair it with a linker. It is a hell of a handy bit of kit to have hanging on the shelf in bulk length!
Love the no BS presentation and as always Stump thank you!
-CY Castor
A big advantage is replacing a belt on a wood lathe. Not having to remove shaft is a great reason for cost of link belt. I have used Harbor Freight belts for many years and support your comment of worthiness.
Saved me on a few service calls. Got one on a unit that does my shop been on for 8 months now
I needed to install a 130 amp 12vdc alternator on my 6-71 boat engine and a link belt was my only option given the front engine double pulleys were in the housing. the belts are really under a huge load when charging my house battery bank and they really preform and hold up very well.
I inherited my dad’s Shopsmith about 20 years ago and had to replace the v-belt that was on it right away. I put a link belt on it and it is still running on it to this day. Yes, it is definitely creates a higher pitch noise than a regular belt but I have not had any issues otherwise. Great video. Thanks!
THANKS Stumpy! This is BY FAR the most complete treatise on the subject I've seen. I learned new things!
Thanks for the video. I picked up an older General (Canadian built) 160 lathe this summer that has a stiff and damaged v belt on the Reeves drive. I think I should now be able to replace it without removing the headstock!
All my machines have link belts. I don’t have to worry anymore about purchasing a belt that is too long or short. Link belts have dramatically reduced annoying vibration on my mill and drill press. I love them.! Thanks for the video.
Had one on one of my saws and a band saws for over ten years. They really really help.
I have a 30-year old Delta Contractor saw with a full cast-iron top and wings. After tuning it up, It has always run smoothly but I listened to the hub-bub about linked belts and bought one at a woodworking shop. Did not improve vibration and was significantly noisier. I still have it. It looks just like the belt that Stumpy shows in the video. YMMV I hadn't thought of putting it on my 30-year old drill press so thanks for that idea.
If your table saw vibrates and the belt doesn't help you likely have misaligned or unbalanced pulleys.
Yes - I also had an old Delta like that video clip [which in some ways, after 45 years, is still better than my new one, but that's another subject], now it's my son-in-law's, and a link belt made a significant difference in the vibration.
having bought a cheaper drill press from harbor freight to start out with i have noticed that it starts much easier with a link belt. the motor always seemed to struggle to get going with the old standard belts, especially on those colder days, sometimes requiring me to give the chuck a turn to get it going.
Just installed a 3/8ths link belt on my General table saw and it's AWESOME, dramatic decrease in vibration. The size was about 2 inches shorter than the V belt.
I have used one in my bandsaw and table saw for over 15 years now !
I just picked up 3 link belts today. I use them for sizing belts to install on machines or equipment that I build to make, or upgrade. The belts were free, and were take offs from a local business. It's easier to determine the proper size with a link belt than using an old v belt cut to size for the length.
Why not just install link belts on them and leave it at that?
I have had a link belt on my table saw since the late 70's early 80' (when they 1st came out. For my use they have been lifetime belts. In 2000 I bought an upgraded saw and immediately put on a link belt. For me the extra price is insignificant compared to s lifetime of maintenance Free belts. I have used them in industrial applications also. For the same reason, no down time for broken belts or replacing worn out belts.
For your information link belts came out a lot earlier then the seventies. I have copies of Operating Engineers Magazine back from the early forties and they were using them back then. They were made by the Link Belt Corp. and the magazines also had adds for them. Probably because they were marketed for the industrial users it took awhile to be discovered by the occasional user.
@@Sillyturner thank you. That is when I first heard of then as a teenager
The LB reduced vibes on my contractor style table saw. An advisory I first heard about '73: only tighten a belt enough to stop it squealing. Note that one side of the belt is under tension and the other side "loafs". The non-tension side does not have to be tight, and depending on the sheaves, might be considerably bowed, bouncy, and still work properly. Find a video of an old leather belt system to see just how loose some pulley systems can be. One of the most convenient things about LB: don't have to try to match exact sizes, which at times can run you distracted. DIY.
Theoretically, maybe...that's a classic James. Thanks for another great video.
Right on time James, was just thinking of changing the belt on my table saw. It has formed a memory and makes the sound associated with it that gets on my nerves. Thanks for the great instructions. Fred
I installed them on my big industrial Delta press, band saw and jointer. The greatest impact was on the drill press, huge reduction in noise.
Planning to install on the lathe. Saw will require replacement of both pulleys.
Very interesting. (From my experience only) In the UK link belts were always a handy engineering workshop standby in case you didn't have the correct belt in stock, not an "upgrade" for it. Links could also save downtime (as someone else mentioned) when spindles or machine parts had to be withdrawn to fit continuous belts. Some have a subjective feeling that a link belt is a significant improvement over a v-belt but that opinion is too often based on replacement of an old belt which is hardly a reasonable comparison. Simple replacement of a rubbish V-belt (worn or new) with a *decent* replacement item will make a difference to the way the a machine drives - both in sound and ultimate torque - and may be significantly cheaper than a link option. Bear in mind there are some horrible, cheap belts out there so buyer beware. "Notched" or "cogged" belts generally have a better flexibilty and the drive surface of a correctly matched v-belt can be significantly larger than that of a general purpose link belt. I have a feeling that the "improved smoothness" described is simply that resonance of the belt could be reduced as the cross section is not consistent but a well fitted, good quality v-belt will not have a significant problem anyway (hence your switching results may vary). If there is a noise issue with a (good) belt, usually belt tension adjustment or a hint of belt dressing will sort it out ... Link belts certainly have their place but personally I'm not sure it's as an upgrade ...
Good info~! I've been using link belts for years and have never had any issue. As you mentioned, a great benefit is that none of it goes to waste as the extra can be used with extra from others to create an additional belt or replace damaged links. Thanks much~!
Good video, Stumpy. I put one of these on my contractor table saw about 15 or 16 years ago. It still has that same belt on it and runs very smooth and quiet. Hope it keeps going, because yes, they are expensive.
I have a lathe that has a secondary shaft. The shaft is captive at both ends. One of the belts broke and I had to disassemble the lathe to install a new belt. Had I thought about link belts I could have saved a lot of work. Thank you for sharing. Have a great day and stay safe.
This is exactly why my lathe has a link belt.
My grandfather used 'link belts' on all his home made woodworking machinery he built pre-1950. Table saws, grinders, motor power for a lathe, jointer. I suspect the belts were salvaged from even older machinery in the factory where he worked, the links were fiber cored rubber and used a rounded keyhole slot & metal connectors. The motors were housed in repurposed tin cans so also probably came from old machinery.
I would like to see a comparison of how the two types of belts is transmitting torque.
I replaced a broken fan belt on my old case backhoe 3 years ago with a link belt. Saved hours of removing hydraulic pump just to get a belt on.
You're a great communicator sir thank you for your work
Great info. IMHO, they are a definite for my table saw & jointer and I replaced mine. The band saw and drill press, maybe... down the road when their belts fail.
Once again I'm learning so much from this channel!
Thanks for sharing! I work off shore a first ran cross them as we broke a engine v-belt our replacement belt was old and dry rotted. The “junk” room on the platform had a box full of segments of extras of link-belts.
I made a stand for my Montgomery ward lathe. I couldn’t find a small enough belt to fit. I installed the link belt and it works great. It was actually cheaper than some V belts.
I have used link belts for years but one thing I did discover is they are hard on cheap aluminum pulleys, having had two fail in a short time. In both cases one flange broke away from the the main body like a big washer. This seams to only be an issue with single groove pulleys. Multi groove pulleys, at least so far as I can tell, do not seem to suffer from this issue. So If you plan on using the link belt which I do think is a good idea, I highly recommend if the single groove pulley on your machine is aluminum, to replace it with a steel pulley.
WOW!!! I have seen link belts countless times, and thought they were for temporary use or for when you have a hard to find size. I had no idea they were actually an "upgrade" this is definitely something to consider. Thank you!!!
Bought a link belt and solid steel pulley kit for my old Craftsman table saw, and 6" Craftsman jointer from inline industries, back when I was first getting started, man what a difference. Moved up to a better saw, but still have the same jointer, still going strong after 12 yrs on the belt, and pulleys . The cast aluminum pulleys that came on the machines hardly ever ran true.
I purchased all my larger power tools second hand and the existing belts were shot or dry rotted with age. I swapping out belts on my: band saw, table saw, drill press and jointer. Went with the HF green ones, buying as needed, so now I’ve got a handful of extra links handy for repair. Yes they reduce vibration, did they change the tools noise? Hard to say for myself as the old belts were shot to start with. One benefit for going link belts, you don’t have to keep up with different size belts for your tools, make the size you need.
Thanks for the tips. I have link belts on the jointer, bandsaw, and drill press, but not on the tablesaw. My Delta Unisaw uses a matched set of three v-belts, and I was concerned that I couldn’t get three link belts exactly the same size. The other reason was the Unisaw was new and not having any issues, but the other tools were used when I got them.
Seen them around forever. Glad to learn the in depth traits. Thank you, Professor H!
Great information! I used a link belt on a custom air compressor set-up that doesn't have any adjustable tension - I was able to dial the size / tension in with the red link belt. I wanted to use one on my table saw, unfortunately it uses the flat serpentine belts
I have nothing to say really, but I appreciate your content, and wish to help with the yt-algorithms.
I am very impressed with your knowledge.
You provide excellent oratory.
I’ve mentioned this before - me thinks you would have been (are?) sought as an event speaker. You must have taken speech classes.
Excellent video.
Well demonstrated
Well researched
You are quite an able fellow.
Yet again, answering questions I had but never remembered to do a deep dive to learn information for myself. Thanks for the consistent and often perfectly timed information!
Never knew they existed. Still do not know if they are available in my part of the world. None the less, I learned something new from you again and like to thank you for it.👍
Great information James! I have often thought about replacing the belt on my old Craftsman TS with a link belt. I will definitely refer to this video when I do so. Thanks again.
Very useful information, clearly and concisely explained. Thanks very much.
Thanks for a very good breakdown of using link belts. I've used them and they sure have a place in the workshop. One other good use is for machines thay have low use which normaly causes significant belt deforming resulting in noticable vibration. Eg. lapidary machines. I sure wish they were a bit cheaper though.
Have used the harbor freight belts were made in the eu and worked well on my colchester lathe
I put one on my Bandsaw and it cut the vibration significantly. But the rest of my tools that use belts are pretty smooth as is and may get the upgrade in time.
I like mine on my table saw, the reason for it was just that I could buy it at harbor freight and have in on machine the same day, vs having to order a correct sized v-belt online. I don't think it makes the saw any more or less accurate, but it does make it more pleasant to use.
Wow, learned more than I would have ever guessed. Have not used a link belt since I got rid of my 70s vintage table saw, but thinking that having one on my drill press is a good idea (and having a universal length replacement v belt is a great idea)
Stumpy I have been watching you for several years now. I recently took your advice on purchasing some tools for my shop. The glue bot, mechanical pencils. I was extremely happy, I have used them for about a week and my next purchase will be a Harvey miter sled. Thank you so much for expertise with these tools. Timothy
I purchased some Ridge Carbide circular saw blades based on his recommendation and couldn't be happier. They are just as good as Everlast. I actually don't have any Forrest blades as I figured they were overpriced.
I wanted to jump straight to the comments and start pounding the keyboard. After watching the video completely I have the following comments:
Improperly tensioned belts DO DAMAGE bearings quickly. Grizzly just sent me my replacement 12" planer jointer because of bearing failure of the cutter head. The original unit was less than 1 month old. There was a compounding factor with the unit in that the sheaves were faulty from the factory causing misalignment issues. One must use a belt tensioning tool to properly tension anything. They are less than $30 and will pay for itself with the first set of belts you use it on. I recall from college, that there was a test performed with dozens of Maintenance Technicians with properly tensioning belts on equipment. The techs were asked to tighten by feel and 85% of the techs failed to get the equipment within the proper tension range. Beyond bearing wear, you lose more power than you think with improperly tensioned belts, be it too loose or to tight. So for a hobbyist that probably does not have 3hp + equipment, it would be good to squeeze the most power from your motors by reducing energy lost through friction. Also, proper sheave alignment is crucial. Not just the faces of the sheaves, but the center of each groove should be in the exact same plane as the corresponding sheaves groove. Just aligning the faces of the sheaves may not always work because there may be some variation in the thickness from the face to the grooves....I hope that makes sense.
It would be great to see a video on how to properly setup equipment in regards to drive mechanisms. Please take this comment with knowing my true intentions are to help add to our community. Thank you for all the content and instructionals that you have provided over the years. I posted a video of the planer jointer with it failed bearings while running. Thanks again
My Harbor Freight bandsaw was basically a paint mixer. These really helped with vibration.
I put the green harbor freight ones on my mini lathe, which worked well for me. Great video!
I installed a link belt on my bandsaw. Makes zero difference in the quality of cut (was not expecting an improvement) but deff reduced the vibration and the noise over the oem belts. Was worth it to me.
Link belts made of leather were common on big trucks of the late thirties and forties. They drove the water pump, generator, etc.
I bought a link belt years a ago. At the same time, I bought quality machined pulleys. Being cheap I did not replace the belt figuring that I can just cut it and install the link belt. Well, the pulleys eliminated 80% of the vibration. The belt is still in great shape so I never did replace it.
I have yet put my link belt on my beaver lathe, soon ... Soon. I bought it to improve both vibration and other reasons
Hi I use to use link belts years ago , these were fibre links connected with brass pins and were a bugger to make up these look easier to make up , I will have to get some
Ha! I had a big metal lathe with one of those, it broke and I made a new link out of old boot leather :)
Probably doesn't matter as much in a woodworking/shop scenario, but one advantage to link belts is that they stir up the air around them for a cooling effect. I like to use cog tooth belts on some of my vintage automobiles for just that reason. With the cogs, they run cooler, and tend to last longer. That is likely why the v-belt has a distinctive sound, too.
Ty so much for the detailed info! Loved the information, and I'm now subscribed.
Nice nailpolish @9:17 😂 Great video as always!
Jason Industrial link belts are great. I have them on multiple machines. They did change the number of plies around 12 years ago, which surprised me, but I really like them.
Newer, better materials bring about design changes.
@@zapa1pnt I think they just got a new batch of material that was 3 plies instead of 2. Likely better quality.
Like the video and fully respect your review and experience of the belt. We do not see these in automobiles but rather have a quality v belt, the ones that take a memory seem to be the lesser quality belts. I did like the mention of the multi-groove belt (serpentine belt). These belts handle power and vibration much better than the v belt, so much so I have converted the v belt drive on my shapers to multi-groove. On the plus side only the link v-belts are adjustable and a direct replacement for the v-belt. No multi-groove equivalent. If you have good experiences with the belt then by all means use it. Nice clean demo on the un-linking and linking of the belt. I might get one to hold as a spare for the table saws. Wonder how they perform in a multi-belt setup like in some of the cabinet saws?
Harbor freight only has 1/2 belt, my 80 year old walker turner drill press used a 3/8 belt hopefully good to go another 80 years
Great info I am going to have to replace my table saw belt and was looking at the link belts. I have heard that they do help vibration which I do have a problem with. I will give them a try if it doesn't stop the vibration I will look into balancing I pulles. Thank you and keep the information coming.
I put a link belt & machined pulleys on my 20+ year old Craftsman table saw. Made all the difference in the world on reducing vibration.
Be sure you install it in the right direction, or you will still have some vibration. BTDT
The "clipped corner" tabs should point Away, from the direction of rotation.
i was wondering about if this would be something useful for my mill and lathe, but since they seem to be unidirectional i think its a no. even still great video and its always good to see alternatives to the standard stuff everyone just assumes to buy
I use a link belt on my screwcutting lathe and bridgeport head. You might get the vibration reduction benefits, I can't really tell on my machines.
As long as your motor runs in only one direction, it will work.
@@zapa1pnt the mill doesnt have reverse but the lathe reverses by the motor not from a gearbox
i have found several things at harbor freight to be of OK quality especially if you are not going to use it everyday ratchet wrenches are one of the things that i have NOT had to hold up well But the sockets seem fine have some for 10 years in fact just take your time and look things over and check around
thanks for the info. I didn't know these existed.
I only have 2 belt driven tools [drill press & bandsaw]... have you ever done a vid comparing:
belt drive Vs direct drive for tools in general? Some of the pros/cons to both??
Any specific tools you think benefit more from one or the other? (as contemplation for future tool purchases)
another conpare/contrast video- if not already done: direct drive VS worm-drive for circular saws
Thx for good tips as always! Good know about HF
Thought about these, tks for your insight
My Table saw ( a Ryobi ) has no belt. Most will consider this brand as cheap and janky. It is gear-driven. Smooth as silk. Belt. What belt? I love it.
Which direction do you install the belt ? Forward versus the other direction
I remember finding these many many years ago and thinking they were the best thing since sliced bread, haven't seen one in 30 years.
I’ve been using them in industrial applications for years on fans sometimes they will quite a noisy fan sometimes not
Another excellent and timely video!
All stuff I never knew. Thanks.
You missed one HUGE advantage of the link belts.....I have both a home wood shop and a metal shop (metall lathe and milling machine). I have a Wilton 14" band saw with pulley and gear box so I can change speeds over a wide range from around 45 to 3200 IPS....the slow speed for cutting metals like steel and the high speed for wood. Unfortunately I live in Michigan so my shop does get down to very cold temperatures in cold months. My stock V belts couldn't handle the cold temperature and would take the eliptical shape making it impossible to run until I warmed the belts up with a heat gun! It would actually trip the breaker due to the load and the belt would hold its oval shape causing bad vibration.
The link belts (Harbor Freight) solved the problem and the bandsaw runs smooth as glass now in those cold temperatures. There are V belts designed for cold temperatures (I use those on my metal lathe), but the link belts are a fast solution and easily adjusted to custom lengths.
Nice nail polish, is that red. Lol. Thanks for your time and knowledge.
It is possible that the decrease in vibration with the link belt is due to its lateral flexibility because it is made of links, therefore I think it is convenient to check the tension of the normal belt or the alignment of the pulleys or remove the belt to determine how much vibration generates the electric motor, if everything is fine and the vibration is not acceptable for the finishes, then see how it goes with the link belt.
saludos
Gerardo
Vibration is going to affect every piece of machinery, even if it has a negligible impact on the work output. It puts stress on the machine itself and adds to wear. The longevity of your tool (particularly more expensive equipment) may also be a consideration when looking at link belts.
Very informative! Thanks for mentioning the HF ones too. They got rid of the always there 20% coupons but they've brought some back from time to time, so I'll feel ok waiting for one.
Even if it's just vibration reduction, that's still less vibration traveling through the machine's bearings, joints, and measuring systems. May not mean much to most, but over enough time, that translates to extra wear.