BT3X00 belts breaking?!?!?!

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  • activa
    Handtools only
    • Aug 2014
    • 3

    BT3X00 belts breaking?!?!?!

    I've had a BT3100 for about 15 years, used it to build a house, etc. Replaced the motor once. After several years' use I've had the belts break after the motor bound up while sawing something really tough (usually the motor stalls and trips the breaker).

    So about two weeks ago I replaced the belts, and since then only sawed a few small pieces of red oak. Yesterday I was ripping some PT 1 x 6's and the blade stalled but the motor kept going, almost instantly ripping up the belts.

    Why did these belts fail so quickly? Could they have been defective? Is there a belt tension adjustment I don't know about? Could the pulleys be out of alignment?

    Can the BT3000 be retrofit with v-belt pulleys to run using standard v-belts (which can be had for $1 each online)? I can't afford the $40 and the hour's worth of time to fix this on a weekly basis.
  • tfischer
    Veteran Member
    • Jul 2003
    • 2343
    • Plymouth (Minneapolis), MN, USA.
    • BT3100

    #2
    If you saw my other thread from last weekend, you saw I just burned up a motor myself. My saw is over 10 years old but doesn't get heavy usage... indeed there were some years I didn't do a single cut on it.

    I have a spare motor coming (used) but it cost me over $100 shipped and I'm afraid it will only buy me some time. It also doesn't come with new belts, so I have to try to transfer those over. How DO you change belts... just force 'em off/on?

    I'm really second-guessing myself for not picking up a used Ridgid for $350... really nice saw.

    Would really be cool if someone could retrofit an induction motor/v-belt system to the BT3 arbor, but I'm not holding my breath.

    Comment

    • capncarl
      Veteran Member
      • Jan 2007
      • 3564
      • Leesburg Georgia USA
      • SawStop CTS

      #3
      Adapting the bt to v belts doesn't look that hard but the pulley sizes wouldn't be that happy in v format. The real problem would be tensioning the v belt in that little box. I suspect the belts are reaching their expected shelf life, both on the machine and on the shelf. Belts are like tires, at a certain time they are considered unusable. If you can find "fresh" belts your problem is solved.

      Comment

      • activa
        Handtools only
        • Aug 2014
        • 3

        #4
        Problem solved: bought new "head" at yard sale

        I just picked up a used BT3000 "head" (just the main box, no rails or anything else) for $25 at a yard sale--the cost of ONE belt, plus it has a metal handwheel (thought the knob on it is wood and squeaks). I just swapped it into my stand and rails, and it seems to be fine.

        I'm trying to decide what to do with the head, try and replace the pulleys over the winter with v-belts, though I might be tempted to part it out if there's a demand. The motor was replaced about five years ago, and the unit hasn't been heavily used since then.

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