[john hall]

The quality of belts varies greatly, as is usually reflected by the price to a degree. If you are pushing something to its limits and running it very often, then I'd go with a OEM or name brand belt. If it is occasional light duty use then you can opt for cheaper and usually get by. Another variable is how long it takes to get a replacement. If you can just walk into a local power transmission store or electric motor shop and get a replacement that's one thing. If you have to order it, that's another. Some folks switch over to Kevlar belts, when available. I've bought some with good results thus far. To answer your question, maybe a cheap belt will work, maybe it won't. On mowers the extra twists and turns can really put extra stress on a belt as opposed to one that runs pretty straight between 2 pulleys. A supplier I use often for belts is V-Belt Supply, you can find them on the net. Price is real cheap usually especially on BIG belts. They also have a good cross reference by OEM part #.