Choosing the Correct Belt
Machine operation and performance is affected to a large degree by the following items: selection of belts, counterweights and turning techniques. Flotation is best with wide belts. The penetration (traction) of the grouser is better on narrow belts. (Even with narrow belts, the contact area of a track-type machine is greater than the contact area of comparable wheel type machine.) The balance between slippage and flotation must be considered when you equip a machine with wide belts.
| Types | Available Sizes | Grousers | Guide Blocks | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Depth | Width | |||
| Standard Belts | 406 mm (16 inch) |
72 | 63.5 mm (2.5 inch) |
38 mm (1.5 inch) |
36 |
457 mm (18 inch) |
72 | 63.5 mm (2.5 inch) |
38 mm (1.5 inch) |
36 | |
508 mm (20 inch) (1) |
72 | 63.5 mm (2.5 inch) |
38 mm (1.5 inch) |
36 | |
635 mm (25 inch) (2) |
72 | 63.5 mm (2.5 inch) |
38 mm (1.5 inch) |
36 | |
813 mm (32 inch) (3) |
72 | 63.5 mm (2.5 inch) |
38 mm (1.5 inch) |
36 | |
| Special Application Belts | 457 mm (18 inch) |
96 | 38 mm (1.5 inch) |
63.5 mm (2.50 inch) |
36 |
635 mm (25 inch) (2) |
96 | 38 mm (1.5 inch) |
63.5 mm (2.50 inch) |
36 | |
| Extreme Service Belt | 457 mm (18 inch) |
96 | 57 mm (2.25 inch) |
63.5 mm (2.50 inch) |
36 |
| Side Slope Belt | 635 mm (25 inch) (2) |
72 | 63.5 mm (2.5 inch) |
38 mm (1.5 inch) |
48 |
813 mm (32 inch) (3) |
72 | 63.5 mm (2.5 inch) |
38 mm (1.5 inch) |
48 | |
| ( 1 ) | These belts require a gauge of at least 1575 mm (62 inch). |
| ( 2 ) | These belts require a gauge of at least 1727 mm (68 inch). |
| ( 3 ) | These belts require a gauge of at least 1880 mm (74 inch). |
Standard Belts
The standard belt is the preferred belt for all applications. See Table 1 for the characteristics of the standard belts.
Special Application Belts
Special application belts have shorter grousers than standard belts. Also, the grousers on special application belts are wider than standard belts.
Use the special application belts when the standard belt allows little penetration or no penetration of the grousers. For example, use the special application belts on firm, packed soil and on other hard surfaces. The shorter grousers tend to bend less than the standard grousers when the machine is under high loads. Also, the shorter grousers provide additional protection for the power train due to less penetration from the grousers. If a machine is under severe loads the special application belts may have more slippage between the belts and the ground.
Special application belts can be installed on machines that will be used occasionally for primary tillage or for secondary tillage. However, the maximum drawbar pull for a machine that is equipped with special application belts may be as much as 20 percent less than the maximum drawbar pull for a machine that is equipped with standard belts.
In wet conditions, the special application belts do not have a good self-cleaning feature. Any belt that is packed with material between the grousers will experience reduced traction.
In rowcrop applications, special application belts are generally used when crop damage or soil disturbance is a concern. The special application belts disturb the soil less than standard belts due to the shorter grouser. The reduced traction versus the reduced soil disturbance must be weighed against each other in order to determine whether this is the right belt for the application.
See Table 1 for the features and widths of the special application belts.
Extreme Service Belts
Extreme service belts are designed for high drawbar loads and extremely abrasive conditions. Extreme service belts have additional protection on the inside diameter of the belt. In addition, the belts have 96 grousers instead of 72. The grousers are as wide as the grousers on the special application belts. Also, the grousers are as tall as the grousers on the standard belts. The belt has more total area of grousers than the standard belts. This provides a smoother ride when the machine is used in the same application as the standard belt.
Side Slope Belts
Side slope belts are used for applications that involve a substantial amount of work on inclines, on slants and on downward slopes. Working on inclines can apply more load on the uphill side of the guideblock. As a result, some applications on side slopes can cause the guideblocks to wear faster than the grousers.
In some cases, the wear of the guide block will determine the life of the belt. For these applications, side slope belts with 48 guide blocks are available. All other types of belts have 36 guide blocks. The additional guide blocks give lower individual loading to each guide block when the machine is running on slopes. Side slope belts have standard grousers. The belts have the extra protection on the inside diameter.
Note: The side slope belts must be used with the drive wheels that have the 60 degree chevron pattern. The drive wheels with the 60 degree chevron pattern have an improved profile that distributes the side load more uniformly to the guideblocks.