The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

I removed my belt pulley because it gets in the way and I never use it. Does anyone use theirs? If so, what for? If I could find a use for mine, I'd be glad to put it back on.

Best

Adrian

Sawbench, Grain Grister Sheep Dip, Water Pump, Air Compressor , Welder , Post Borer, Generater, Thats some to start with. Did know a person who drove his lathe from his tractor belt pulley.

You could always go contracting!

Thanks for the ideas, guys.

The thing is, the Major sits astride a technological change - the move from flat belt drive to PTO drive. It's great to have the option of both, but I guess my question was why would you choose the flat belt drive option over the PTO? Obviously with an older piece of kit, such as the threshing machine, you don't have any choice. But with say a saw bench or a generator, there are advantages in using PTO power (you get to pick up and move the attachment, for one).

So is there a use today for the flat belt pulley, not including old machinery designed solely to use it, that wouldn't be better served by the PTO? I have tried to think of one and haven't come up with any ideas.

Best

Adrian

AdrianNPMajor wrote:Thanks for the ideas, guys.

The thing is, the Major sits astride a technological change - the move from flat belt drive to PTO drive. It's great to have the option of both, but I guess my question was why would you choose the flat belt drive option over the PTO? Obviously with an older piece of kit, such as the threshing machine, you don't have any choice. But with say a saw bench or a generator, there are advantages in using PTO power (you get to pick up and move the attachment, for one).

So is there a use today for the flat belt pulley, not including old machinery designed solely to use it, that wouldn't be better served by the PTO? I have tried to think of one and haven't come up with any ideas.

Best

Adrian

Agreed. If there was still a demand for belt pulleys, they would still be on every modern tractor built. It is just old tech giving away to new tech. Belt drives have a tendency to slip where a splined PTO has a positive and direct drive. If you over load a flat-belt driven piece of machinery, the belt will move to oneside and come off. If you overload something with a PTO, you will either stall the tractor, or break something. Good thing a lot of PTO Machinery has a slip clutch, or a shear pin. Dandy Dave!

A chap near me uses the belt pulley on his major to start some of his old (pre 1930's) tractors with onto their flywheels since many dont have a starter motor and its easier than using a starting handle. Seems to work quite well!

On a stationary saw bench I 'd still prefer a flat belt drive.

Also, you will see (or smell) a belt slipping long before anything breaks, as with a PTO. I know shear pin on a PTO is supposed to break before anything else gives, but in my experience, Murphy's Law is always close by. Usually at the worst possible time.

curtsat15 wrote:Also, you will see (or smell) a belt slipping long before anything breaks, as with a PTO. I know shear pin on a PTO is supposed to break before anything else gives, but in my experience, Murphy's Law is always close by. Usually at the worst possible time.

Murphy and his laws. I wonder if one of the Bar stool legs gave way as he was taking a sip of fine Irish wiskey leading to his infamous laws??? I can picture him now licking up the wiskey from the floor so as not to waste any. Dandy Dave!

Belt slipping is a great safety device. Nice and progressive too - no need for anything to go snap. My saw bench is PTO driven but the lower flywheel pulley and the upper blade shaft pulley are connected by two V belts. The pulleys can take four belts but by only using two I get just the right amount of slippage if I manage to nip the blade like a disc brake caliper with an almost sawn-through piece of wood (if that makes sense!)

Best

Adrian

i use an old beet chopper with the flat belt pulley through the winter far easier than attaching the handle

i've had several pto saws but still prefer the flat belt if the blades sharp it cuts just as well

Any chance of a photo, Chris? Would love to see your bench in action with the flat belt.

Best

Adrian

yes i;ve found one but having trouble getting it on here

sorry got no idea how to get photo on here i'l have to see if one of my daughter's can doe it

Lovely set up, Chris . How do you tension the belt - just by gently reversing, I imagine. Does the belt slip as a safety device if you nip the blade with a piece of wood? I love your bench - the cast iron construction means a steady and solid base, which I'm sure you'd agree is very important.

Best

Adrian

chriss wrote:

sorry got no idea how to get a photo on here i'l have to see if one of my daughter's can do it

Nice photos of a nice looking Major in a postcard setting.
How do you keep the snow out of the shed?, you don't appear to have any doors on your shed!
Did you take notes from your daughter for posting more photos?
Kiwi Kev

Here's my not quite so elegant bench!

hj all thanks for your comments, and yes i think the cast iron bench is nice and stable and the belt is easy to set up though would help if "rusty's" handbrake worked the belt is on a fast and loose pulley so its just a matter of shifting a lever sideways as for the shed i built it with the prevailing wind in mind ialso managed to get the pics on here by reading a previous post by brian i think though each time i do it there's about 300 the same