How do you measure a belt for a lawn tractor or lawn mower?

In our tables you can find the transmission belt you need based on the make and model of the mower / lawn mower, the type of use (engine / gearbox - motor / self-propelled - engine / hydrostatic - plate - blade movement - etc.) and the original reference of the belt. If the serial is still legible on the old belt, compare it with those you find on our tables.

Why do I need to measure the belt?

It is always a good idea to check the measurements shown and compare them with the old belt as in some cases there may be differences between different versions / year of the same model of tractor or lawn mower. The belts for lawn tractors are identified by the section and by the development.

How many types of belts are there for lawn tractors and lawn mowers?

First of all it is necessary to identify the type of belt (section), for lawn tractors and lawnmowers there are 6 types of sections:

	Belt type Z - 3/8 "- 3L This belt, with Kevlar reinforcements, is mainly used for the traction of lawnmowers, has a trapezoidal section with a base greater than 9,5 mm and a height of 6 mm The external development is the same as the internal one plus 1 inch (25,4 mm)
	Belt type A - 1/2 "- 4L This belt, with Kevlar reinforcements, is mainly used on lawn tractors, has a trapezoidal section with a base greater than 13 mm and a height of 8 mm   The external development is the same as the internal one plus 2 inches (50,8 mm)
	Belt type B - 5/8 "- 5L This belt, with Kevlar reinforcements, is mainly used on lawn tractors, has a trapezoidal section with a base greater than 16 mm and a height of 9,5 mm   The external development is the same as the internal one plus 3 inches (76,2 mm)
	Belt type AA - 1/2 "- 4L This belt, with Kevlar reinforcements, is mainly used on lawn tractors for the movement of the blades, has a hexagonal section with a width of 13 mm and a height of 10 mm   The external development is the same as the internal one plus 2 inches (50,8 mm)
	Simple toothed belt This belt, mainly used on lawn tractors for the movement of the blades, is flat with toothing on one side only and has a width of 20 mm   The external development is almost the same as the internal one
	Double toothed belt This belt, mainly used on lawn tractors for the movement of the blades, is flat with toothing on both sides and has a width of 20 mm or 25 mm   The external development is almost the same as the internal one

Once we have identified the section of the belt we can proceed to its measurement: at a professional level there are tools to measure the belts but it is possible to measure your own drive belt at home in a very simple way.

What do I need to measure the belt on my ride on or lawn mower?

You only need 3 things: a sufficiently long string, tape and a measuring tape (alternatively you can also use a flexible tailor's measuring tape)

How do I measure the drive belt?

The easiest way to measure a drive belt is this:

- Tape the beginning of the twine to the outside of the belt with tape

- I make the twine match the entire outer circumference of the belt, helping myself from time to time with pieces of tape to make the twine adhere well to the surface of the belt

- I cut the string where it matches the beginning again, I unwind it and measure it with the tape measure

What do I do with the measurement I got?

The measurement in mm you measured is the outer development of the belt, up www.ricambix.com you can find the measurements of the belts expressed in inches and mm. You can convert millimeters to inches by dividing them by 25,4, or you can get the measurement in mm from an inch by multiplying it by 25,4.

The measurements of the belts are indicated with a letter and a number that represent the internal length in inches, the relationship between internal and external length is as follows:

V-belts type Z -> outer length = inner length + 1 inch (25,4 mm) -> Example: Z belt 30 (= 765 mm) = 3/8 "x 31" (= 762 + 25 = 787 mm) -> If mine belt is of type Z and I measured an external development of 787 mm I divide this measurement by 25,4 mm obtaining the external development in inches 787 / 25,4 = 31 inches -> my belt will have Z (31 - 1) = Z 30

V-belts type A -> external length = internal length + 2 inches (50,8 mm) -> Example: belt A 80 (= 2032 mm) = 1/2 "x 82" (= 2032 + 50 = 2082 mm) -> If my belt is type A and I measured an external development of 2082 mm I divide this measurement by 25,4 mm obtaining the external development in inches 2082 / 25,4 = 82 inches -> my belt will have A (82 - 2) = At 80

V-belts type B -> external length = internal length + 3 inches (76,2 mm) -> Example: belt B 50 (= 1270 mm) = 5/8 "x 53" (= 1270 + 76 = 1346 mm) -> If my belt is type B and I measured an external development of 1346 mm I divide this measurement by 25,4 mm obtaining the external development in inches 1346 / 25,4 = 53 inches -> my belt will have B (53 - 3) = B 50

AA type hex belts -> outer length = inner length + 2 inches (50,8mm) -> Example: belt AA 85 (= 2159mm) = 1/2 "x 87" (= 2159 + 50 = 2209mm) -> If my belt is of type AA and I measured an external development of 2209 mm I divide this measurement by 25,4 mm obtaining the external development in inches 2209 / 25,4 = 87 inches -> my belt will have AA (87 - 2) = AA 85

simple toothed belts -> external length = internal length -> Example: belt 20 x 1200 mm -> in this case it is sufficient to measure the width and length

double toothed belts -> external length = internal length -> Example: belt 20 x 1600 mm -> in this case it is sufficient to measure the width and length

Now you can compare the measurements of the belt in your possession with those shown on the tables for your lawn tractor or directly enter the code of the belt you need in the search box at the top.

For any further information you can contact us by email: Ricambix@gmail.com or phone / whatsapp 0432980548

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