# 954-04195A auger belt for craftsman 247.883961



## vcpatel1122 (Dec 11, 2018)

My auger belt is shot and I need to replace it. I pushed it last winter because the wrong belt came in from Amazon and I didn’t bother ordering a new one.

Belt 954-04195A says it’s 1/2” x 37”. Does that mean 37” long on the outside or the inside of the belt?

My plan is to go to the local tractor supply and find a belt since it looks like they have a few that might work.

Tractor supply has Kevlar or neoprene belts.
Does material matter which material for the snowblower auger?


----------



## oneboltshort (Dec 16, 2019)

How To Measure V Belts Correctly - Determine My V Belt Size


----------



## vcpatel1122 (Dec 11, 2018)

oneboltshort said:


> How To Measure V Belts Correctly - Determine My V Belt Size


Thanks that’s good info but I’m trying to determine the correct size for the snowblower. The belt on my machine is stretched so I can’t use it to measure


----------



## oneboltshort (Dec 16, 2019)

It is 37", OD, 1/2" wide.
It is a super common MTD belt, Lowes typically has them in stock if you need it quick or I'd get the 37" kevlar one from TS.


----------



## JLawrence08648 (Jan 15, 2017)

How did the old belt work, well?

Belts are measured from the outside because they do not touch the bottom of the pulley, they run on the sides. The wear is on the sides. There is stretch in the belt but not to the extent you'd think. If someone on here posted there is no stretch, I'd believe them, so you can measure the belt on the outside. Best to measure using a tailor's tape and use paper squeeze clamps aka binder clips to hold it.

A few years ago someone posted and made a good point why you should not use Kevlar belt, it had to do with the Kevlar causes slipping on the sides.

My best preferences are D&D Power, Pix, a&i Sports. ORB Off Road Belts have great prices, or Amazon, eBay.


----------



## deezlfan (Nov 8, 2017)

> A few years ago someone posted and made a good point why you should not use Kevlar belt, it had to do with the Kevlar causes slipping on the sides.


That's sort of odd. Almost all Kevlar belts are wrapped and only the reinforcing cords are Kevlar. You would need to completely wear the belt out before the Kevlar would come into play. At that point the belt should be replaced anyway.

Back in the day when cotton and nylon were used as reinforcement, belts did stretch. Almost every belt made today has most of it's cording made of some variation of Aramid or Kevlar. These cords can take an impact and return to their original dimension up to the point where the fiber fails. So with modern belts, either they are very near their original length or they are broken. There isn't an in between.

Belts that appear loose have side wear and drop deeper into the pulley grove making them appear to be stretched.


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

Many of the newer units were made with cogged belts designed in their original build, as also noted in the above chart.


----------



## vcpatel1122 (Dec 11, 2018)

oneboltshort said:


> It is 37", OD, 1/2" wide.
> It is a super common MTD belt, Lowes typically has them in stock if you need it quick or I'd get the 37" kevlar one from TS.
> View attachment 185969





JLawrence08648 said:


> How did the old belt work, well?
> 
> Belts are measured from the outside because they do not touch the bottom of the pulley, they run on the sides. The wear is on the sides. There is stretch in the belt but not to the extent you'd think. If someone on here posted there is no stretch, I'd believe them, so you can measure the belt on the outside. Best to measure using a tailor's tape and use paper squeeze clamps aka binder clips to hold it.
> 
> ...





deezlfan said:


> That's sort of odd. Almost all Kevlar belts are wrapped and only the reinforcing cords are Kevlar. You would need to completely wear the belt out before the Kevlar would come into play. At that point the belt should be replaced anyway.
> 
> Back in the day when cotton and nylon were used as reinforcement, belts did stretch. Almost every belt made today has most of it's cording made of some variation of Aramid or Kevlar. These cords can take an impact and return to their original dimension up to the point where the fiber fails. So with modern belts, either they are very near their original length or they are broken. There isn't an in between.
> 
> Belts that appear loose have side wear and drop deeper into the pulley grove making them appear to be stretched.


Thank you all for the info. The belt must be just worn very badly if they don’t really stretch. I know rocks got stuck in the unit a few times on my uneven gravel driveway and the belt smoked a few times. They was a lot of rubber that came out of the bottom of the unit. I since adjusted feet up and it’s been better. The unit vibrating whenever the auger was engaged and I was worried about a bad bearing or gear. I think the issue was the bottom cover was bent up and the pulley was hitting it. i straightened that out. I also thought maybe the belt was flapping and hitting the sides. It looked pretty loose when looking at it from underneath. I will try to find the belt at lowes or home depot or go with the tractor supply. I’ll report back later today.


----------



## deezlfan (Nov 8, 2017)

Regarding measureing belt length, here is a bunch of gobble-dee-guk from the Gates technical manual.

GatesFacts™ Technical Information Library Gates Compass™ 

Defining V-Belt Lengths

Specifying the length of a belt can be confusing. Although we normally recommend using effective length-outside, inside, pitch and nominal length are used frequently. Each of these terms are explained.

1. Outside Belt Length: The outside length of a belt is usually measured with a tape under no tension. Its validity is questionable since some belts have an arched top whereas others are flat. This would give different readings for the two belts. It can be used only as an approximation.

2. Inside Belt Lengths: The inside length is measured with flat pulleys or a tape measure. As with the outside length, the inside length varies with the manufacturer. This length should not be used.

3. Belt Pitch Length: The pitch length of a belt is the length at the pitch diameter of the sheaves being used. Classical industrial belts are specified in terms of pitch length. The pitch length is obtained by adding the pitch circumference of one sheave to twice the center distance between two equal diameter sheaves at a specified tension. [More recently changed to datum length.] The belt pitch length is normally the length at the belt pitch line. This line is generally located at the neutral axis near the cord line and varies with cross section and construction. The pitch of the belt and sheave is actually a theoretical point that relates to the more accurate, reliable, and useable effective diameter and effective length.

4. Belt Effective Length: The effective length of a belt is the length about the effective outside diameter of a sheave at a specified tension. The effective outside diameter of a sheave is measured where the groove top width is a dimension as specified by RMA, ASAE or SAE standards. The effective length is obtained by adding the effective outside circumference of one sheave to twice the center distance between the two standard measuring sheaves at the standard measuring tension.

5. Nominal Belt Length. The nominal length is used to refer to the length and cross section of a specific belt. For example, an A-38 has a nominal length of 38 inches; a 4L440 has a nominal length of 44 inches; and a 3V300 has a nominal length of 30 inches. The nominal length is used for designation purposes and exists in name only.

With all the terms used, it is easy to see how identifying the proper belt can become rather difficult. The Gates Rubber Company uses effective length for all internal designation when measuring V-belts. In other words, using accepted standard measuring devices and sheaves, we get the true effective length of a belt. Additional details on belt measurements or procedures are available through V-Belt Product Application.


----------



## deezlfan (Nov 8, 2017)

A big worn spot in a belt will cause vibration because each time the worn [narrower] area of the belt comes around and passes the drive pulley, the belt unloads for a moment and then is reloaded when the wider area re-engages the belt. That can cause the machine to shake like a MFer, as they say.


----------



## vcpatel1122 (Dec 11, 2018)

deezlfan said:


> A big worn spot in a belt will cause vibration because each time the worn [narrower] area of the belt comes around and passes the drive pulley, the belt unloads for a moment and then is reloaded when the wider area re-engages the belt. That can cause the machine to shake like a MFer, as they say.


Yeah that could have been the problem.
So I ordered a D&D power belt on Amazon for $7.52 that will be here at some point tonight. I also checked online and nor lowes or Home Depot listed the belt in stock. So i went to tractor supply and got the huskee belt for $14.99. I didn’t want to get stuck if the expected storm gets here before I get a belt. I decided to stop at lowes after the fact and they actually had the Craftsman 04195 belt in stock for $19.99. I bought it and the Craftsman belt is much stiffer than the blue belt from TSC. The Huskee belt is very pliable. I decided to install the craftsman belt and the auger now spins nice and smooth with no vibrations.

I might keep the huskee belt for a backup. Not sure if it would have any downside in operation or life compared to the Craftsman.


----------

