Still think OEM dryer belts are overpriced? I changed my mind after 3 replacements in 6 months

I used to be all about saving money with those $8 generic dryer belts on Amazon. Figured a belt is a belt, right? Well after replacing the same Whirlpool dryer belt three times in six months (the last one snapped mid-cycle with the customer standing there), I finally caved and spent $22 on the OEM part. It's been a year now and not a single issue. The generic ones just seemed to stretch out faster and lose tension, especially with heavy loads. Has anyone else had better luck with knockoffs or am I just unlucky?

3 comments

3 Comments

carter.gavin15d ago

Oh man, you're singing my song right now. I did the exact same thing with my Maytag dryer, bought those no-name belts off eBay thinking I was being smart with my money. First one lasted maybe four months, second one got all stretched out and squeaky after two months, and the third one literally just gave up during a load of towels. Finally bought the OEM belt and it's been running smooth for over a year now with zero issues. The cheap ones just can't handle the heat or the tension long term, it's like they're made of rubber bands instead of actual belt material.

johnson.faith15d ago

Read somewhere the rubber compound is different, like they're using recycled sneakers or something.

jordan_webb15d ago

Respectfully gotta disagree here. I've been running a $9 Amazon special on my old Kenmore for almost two years now without a single issue. It's the same spec as OEM, just made with slightly thinner rubber. The trick is making sure your tension pulley isn't worn out and that the drum rollers spin freely. If those are dragging, even a $50 OEM belt won't last. I replaced my idler pulley at the same time as the cheap belt and that combo has been solid. Sometimes the problem isn't the part, it's the other parts wearing it down faster.