Help me select gates belt from walmart.com please  By  florida (Read 1,322 times)

We sell that size belt, but I don't see any 'model number' on the belt other than the size

First - good on ya for looking to Walmart for your belt.  There are TONS of counterfeits out there - good looking ones, with the proper "Powerlink" lettering, etc.  Most do NOT come with a cardboard sleeve - one thing we found to be a tip off to not really gates.  Even from good dealers, and paying high prices, you have a reasonable chance of NOT getting a real Gates belt.  Walmart, most of us believe, has good enough purchasing controls they are most likely the best bet to get a real gates belt.  Plus, their prices are lowest (and you can do free store pickup; no ship charge).

Here is ths gates site for their scooter belts (there are several pages).  You will need to go thru and look at the specs to get the right size, etc.  Suggest you stick with Kevlar - especially from Walmart, as their Kevlar price is not much higher than the standard belt.

www.gatespowerpro.com/Comergent/en/US/adirect/gates;jsessionid=E597BC6C72AD819792E2A60A18067A91?cmd=catNavigate2&punchInID=612188

Your belt is:

length (outside circumference):  729mm, or 28.7 in
width:  17.5mm, or 0.69 in
Angle:  30 degrees

Thank you all very much.

I bought the Aramid belt from scrappydogs website.

I found some interesting advice on the web on removing cvt w/out impact wrench.

This past summer, I replaced my Chinese made, Gates Premium (PL series) belt, with another one just like it....also stamped "Made in China". I had run the belt 6,832 miles, in three years. It is still in useable condition, and even though it has narrowed in width due to miles.... it shows no sign of any fraying, and there isn't a single crack in any of the valleys of it's underside. I'm totally satisfied with the service life of these belts.....as geh3333 stated, "Made in China", doesn't always equal junk.

Then you have companies like Walmart now that only buy a license to but a brand name on their own products made in their own factories further muddying things up. Big difference between a Gates Belt made by Gates in their own Chinese Factory to something made under license by a company like Walmart in their own factory not to mention the absolute fakes out there.

Not to argue, Rocky, but a minor correction.

Walmart and other big box stores don't actually simply buy licenses to use a major manufacturer's name and manufacture in their own plants.  It might seem that way since the part numbers are different than you will find for the brand name product (and unique to the big box store) ... but ... what they are in fact doing is buying from the major manufacturer, but requiring a unique part number for what is sold in their big box store.  You are getting the same part, made in the same factory and under the same quality control, but with a different (and unique) part number used only by - in this case - Walmart.

The mattress retailers invented this practice so that customers would have a difficult time comparison shopping (the p/n from Mattress City is different from the part number in Sleep Train, even though both use the "Serta" brand and both have identical specifications (and are, in fact, the same product).  Now pretty much all big box companies do this:  Costco, Walmart, Sears, etc.

So, when you buy a "Gates" belt in, say, Walmart, you are getting a real Gates belt, made by Gates in their own factory - but with a p/n they agreed to use just for Walmart.

So, like GEH said - with all the counterfeit product streaming out of China - much of it looking exactly like the real McCoy - what's the best was to make sure you are getting a genuine product?

It's not, unfortunately, by buying from a trusted retailer (for scooter parts).  These retailers are small companies and simply do not have the buying strength and clout to buy directly from the manufacturer, but buy from distributors - and the disty's are selling counterfeit stuff along with real stuff.  The small scooter retailer simply can't be sure what they have bought.

best bet is to go with a large retailer with a sophisticated buying organization, and enough volume they can deal directly with the manufacturer.  Of course, most scooter parts can't be bought from a company like Walmart, so we have to deal with smaller retailers and hope for the best.

Belts, luckily, are an exception and CAN be bought from a company that can make sure they know what they are getting (and with enough to lose in reputation they will not scam customers with counterfeit product).

I hope this helps - and, again, just trying to help, not argue.