Vex Pro vs. Gates HTD Pullies

[Rauhul Varma]

Originally Posted by Travis Schuh

I know that 192 runs 15mm wide and doesn't have an issue.

We run 5mm pitch 15mm wide GT2 belts on 5mm pitch 22T GT2 pulleys with a fixed center to center and, as you said, haven't had any issues with them. We have a couple bases that have been running this same set up for 2 years and haven't needed any belt replacement.

Originally Posted by joelg236

We had some wear on our drivetrain belts

This document is very helpful with diagnosing belt wear.

[BBray_T1296]

I think, almost more important than the belt tension is the number of teeth on your drive/driven pulleys. Smaller pulleys means more torque/tooth, and thus more wear. Larger pulleys distribute the load better and wear much slower.

[BeardyMentor]

You are probably not going to see much of a performance difference between pulley manufacturers provided they are making the tooth profile to spec. (I would guess that any reputable supplier will be) As others have mentioned, larger pulleys are better for higher working loads than smaller pulleys. The biggest factor in belt life is tension, unfortunately this is also the hardest thing to measure.

If you want a particular brand of belt or an odd width, instead of Mc-Master Carr, try looking up a local Gates dealer. I have found that they will generally get you the same or better product in a similar time frame for less. I have a few that I go to, if you are interested, send me a PM and I can send you their info.

[who716]

Chains lol.....
Our team has used chains forever and will never switch imaa chain lover.