Sewing Machine Belt Sizing

Many times people have a hard time locating the correct belt for their sewing machine, when it’s actually quite easy. Today I’m going to walk you through the steps to locate the correct size and style for your machine. There are 4 main types of belts for all makes and models of sewing machines and sergers:

1. Lug Belts
2. V Belts
3. Round Belts
4. Geared Belts

V Belts This type of belt is almost identical to the lug belt, except there are no ‘teeth’ on the inside of this belt. Lug Belts This type of belt is by far the most common belt used for sewing machines and can be mistaken for a geared belt because most of them have ‘teeth’ on them that resemble a geared belt. The difference between this type of belt and a geared belt, is these ‘teeth’ don’t fit inside indentations on the motor pulley. Round Belts We recommend this belt over a lug belt or V belt because it stretches, so if your measurement was off, it will still work. They grip better and provide better traction with less slipping. Geared Belts If your machine uses a geared belt, you have to use the exact belt made for your specific model. A geared belt has 'teeth' like the lug belt, but these 'teeth' fit inside grooves on the motor pulley. Contact us and we will help you find the correct belt for your sewing machine if it requires a geared belt.

Now that you know all of the different types of belts available, I’ll show you how to find out which one is right for your sewing machine (as long as it does not take a geared belt). Use this guide if you have your old sewing machine belt:

1. Remove the old belt from your machine.
2. Cut the belt in half.
3. Pull the belt to make a straight line, and measure against a ruler or tape measure to see the length of the belt. That's the length that you need!

Use this guide if you don’t have your old sewing machine belt:

1. If your machine’s motor is adjustable, center the bolt right in the middle.
2. Take a shoe string and wrap it around the hand wheel, in the same spot that the belt would go.
3. Tie the shoestring nice and snug around the pulley, exactly how your belt would go on your machine.

1. Cut the excess string off.
2. Now cut the shoestring, so it’ll be 1 long string.
3. Pull the string to make a straight line, and measure against a ruler or tape measure to see the length of the belt. That's the length that you need!

 

* Side note, if you have a treadle sewing machine, use a universal treadle belt that will fit every treadle ever made.