flat belt setup

[Dave H (MI)]

I was wondering if someone familiar with the process could give me info or direct me to info about setting up a flat belt drive between a tractor and an implement? The tractor is a Farmall B and the implement is a free standing buzz saw rig. Before I hurt myself I thought I would ask how to set up properly. Seems like the belt would like to walk off these pulleys even though they are quite wide (6-8"). Any help/suggestions/warnings appreciated. Searching for a manual for the saw on ebay as we speak.

 

[ricky green]

My Dad always put a twist in his ?? dont know why maybe to make buzzsaw turn if he had the saw pointed in the other direction , only thing about it was I wasnt allowed near it under any circumsance!!!

 

[keh]

I think the Farmall B has the belt pulley in the back and it may be necessary to twist the belt to change rotation as the other post said. Or maybe the rotation has been set up the right way inside the tractor, don't know, a little experimentation will tell.

Tractor must be lined up so the tractor pulley and pulley on the saw are parallel. If they are not parallel, the belt will indeed walk. May have to try several times. Belt must be tight but there is so much belt surface it dosen't have to be real tight. Belt dressing may be used if there is slippage. Don't have to pull the saw back legs off the ground to get it tight enough. Sawing fairly large logs 6-8 inches up will pull the B engine down so you have to feed it slow.

When I was a small boy Daddy pulled the saw with a Fordson F and later used a Case S. Rear tire too close to the pulley on the S and the belt would rub on the tire if the tractor was not lined up right. We would put a thin board between the tire and pulley to protect the tire. You won't have that problem on the B, but when the tractor is under a lot of load the belt will walk worse.

Have fun. Wear ear protection. Be REAL carefull and keep the ground clean so there is nothing to trip over.

KEH

 

[mark2009]

I always heard a twist (Inside turned out on one end, not top to bottom) was done to increase traction somehow, and also helped with equal wear on the belt surfaces. A top to bottom flip would reverse the direction of rotation.

 

[LenND]

They used to put a twist in the belts of threshing machines to keep the belt from flopping up and down. The wind would catch them and throw the belt off when run straight. Some shorter belts were twisted to change direction of the belt.

 

[Leroy]

Running a belt on the wrong side will ruin it. They are if an endless belt they will be marked for the corect way to run them. And you will need to use one twist to get the correct direction and stake the saw down good and tight otherwise it will move as you try to tighten the belt and running the saw.

 

[John Harmon]

I had a B Farmall and I seem to remember the belt pully ran clockwise. A buzz saw runs clockwise also so no twist is needed to power the saw with a b. Other small size tractors have the belt pully on the rear of the tractor also.Any other tractor with the belt pully ahead of the rear tires must be facing the saw and so the clockwise rotation of its belt pully is the opposite needed to power the saw ,so a twist is needed in this for instance.The belt is fed off the top of the facing tractors belt pully to the bottom of the buzz saws belt pully so a twist is needed. A steam engine can and will run in both rotations as does the machines it will be belted too. So when a belt is run to the machine, to keep the belt from flopping from wind and other factors,the operators will match the best rotation of the machine to the best rotation of the flywheel of the engine utilizing a twist in the belt.An engine or a thresher does not care how or what rotation it is started or run in but the constant is that the belt does not cause a problem with its flopping and loss of traction.Old time threshers were an amazing bunch of machinists and inovators, I admire them greatly. Most are gone and we are less the greatist group of inventors the human race will ever see. No slide rules or windows programs or college doctor ships for these old men and women of the past.They indeed are admired and respected in this old farmer/carpenters opinion.JH

 

[Anonymous-0]

You got some great info from people who know their stuff. It was my job as a kid to be on the tractor lining it up and starting up the belt. To answer your question I believe that dad was pretty smart keeping me up on the tractor and out of harms way during the start up. I could tell right away as I rolled the belt if it was going to track on the pulleys as you wonder. Good line up and it tracked, if not it ran off as I rolled the belt and it was time to reset the tractor. If youve got a good line up it will run all day, I believe momentum must be what keeps it on the pulleys.

 

[Dave H (MI)]

Want to take a minute to thank you all for posting. I'll keep at it using your advice and see how it goes.

 

[Oldmax]

The Middle of the pulley is larger than the edges. the belt will allways go to the highest part of the pulley. If you get them lined up right they will run all day .

 

[Wesley Stephens]

Does anyone know of a good source for flat belt? the one I have is shot and the local farm supply only has hay baler belts in 4" and 10". I'm replacing a 6" belt used on a Meadows 15" hammermill.

 

[2x4]

I bought 6" flatbelts for my sawmill at the local hardware store. You might try a sawmill supply business.

 

[George G]

I took a free standing buzzsaw, and mounted it on the front of the 44-6. Works good!