Source
r/cassetteculture•
PerceptionShift

Belts! What to use, where to get them?

Any of you know good places to source replacement belts for stereo decks, walkmen, and so on? I've gotten so many tape players over the years with rotten belts. Most of them are nice and definitely worth fixing, but I don't know any place to get reliable replacements. Especially since the original is often missing and I can't find what length to get. Or I need 2-3 different ones for one unit. Any of you use those belt variety grab bags? They are pretty tempting for belts vs price. Thanks in advance

Posted May 16, 2019, 3:44 PM UTC

57
um8r4•

Mix bags are a bit of a gamble. Sometimes the belts are good, but sometimes you may find round belts which are worse than using a rubberband.

If you have a belt that's a bit small, you can stretch it, although it reduces the lifespan.

Ebay is usually the best if you search for "(your device) + belt". They are more expensive, but you know 100% what you're getting and you won't have to replace it in years.

2
vsevolopod•

I've gotten mix bags and can agree. I got lucky and found one that has worked great for the 5 decks I've repaired since, bit I've had bad luck too. I'll try to find the ebay seller I got my good ones from and post it here later, but I can't guarantee your results will be similar to mine. You're probably better off searching for the exact ones you need on one of the sites other people linked to, unless you repair cassette decks regularly and want a stash like I do.

2
cybornost•

My go-to site for belts on decks is www.turntableneedles.com. Despite the URL name, they have parts for all sorts of audio equipment at good prices. Use their "Find My Player" tool to drill down into their catalog. Portables are not always found in the "Find My Player" tool so you'll want to find the original OEM part number if you can and use that to locate here. They've been very reliable for me. And they usually have free shipping too if you are not in a hurry.

2
PerceptionShiftOP•

Nice that's a sweet tool, thanks !

1
westfallian•

Ive had a good experience with http://www.vintage-electronics.net as well. Worse case scenario you will have to manually measure your belts and search for your specific belt size.

2
PerceptionShiftOP•

Yeah this is the kind of place I'm looking for. Haven't heard of it, has a bunch of random parts. Thanks!

1
tape_town•

Usually I just google or look on ebay for the specific model. If it is common enough you can find specific belts. Otherwise you'll need to measure what you have and hope for the best.

Unless you are fixing some really cheap, no-name stuff, you should be able to find what you need pretty easily.

1