The Gates Truflex auger belt in this listing is a 4LXP700, stock number 302040077. That part number is not a catalogue code, it is a specification, and once you can read it you can order belts for any machine without guessing. What you are looking at is a gates truflex auger belt. The detail that follows applies to this one and not to the category.
On this page
- Choosing a gates truflex auger belt for a Canadian driveway
- Specifications
- Why the X in a Gates Truflex auger belt matters
- What a Gates Truflex auger belt survives in a Canadian winter
- When a Gates Truflex auger belt is finished
- Ordering the right Gates Truflex auger belt
- Parts to order with it
- Common questions
Choosing a gates truflex auger belt for a Canadian driveway
Split 4LXP700 into its parts and every character tells you something.
| Code | Means | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| 4L | Section | Fractional horsepower V belt, 1/2 inch top width, 5/16 inch deep |
| X | Cogged | Notched inner face so the belt can wrap a small pulley without cracking |
| P | Truflex Power | Gates designation for the reinforced construction |
| 700 | Length | Outside length in tenths of an inch, so 70.0 inches |
So a Gates Truflex auger belt marked 4LXP700 is a half inch wide cogged V belt, seventy inches long on the outside. Any belt matching that description will physically fit. Whether it survives a Canadian winter is a separate question, covered below.
Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Stock number | 302040077 |
| Belt code | 4LXP700 |
| Section | 4L, 1/2 inch top width |
| Construction | Cogged, reinforced |
| Outside length | 70.0 inches |
| Application | Auger drive |
Why the X in a Gates Truflex auger belt matters
The X in the middle of the code means the belt has notches moulded into its inner face, and on a snow blower that is not a minor detail.
A plain V belt is a solid rubber wedge, and a Gates Truflex auger belt is not. Bending it around a small pulley compresses the inner face and stretches the outer, and the tighter the pulley the worse that stress gets. Snow blowers use small pulleys because they need a large speed reduction in a small housing. A cogged belt has the inner face relieved, so it bends without that compression and runs cooler.
Cooler matters because heat is what glazes belts. A cogged Gates Truflex auger belt on a tight pulley will outlast a plain belt several times over, which is why fitting a cheaper plain equivalent is usually false economy.
What a Gates Truflex auger belt survives in a Canadian winter
Rubber stiffens as it gets colder. A belt that is supple at 20 degrees is noticeably harder at minus 20, and a hard belt does two things: it grips less on the first engagement, and it resists bending around the pulleys, which generates heat exactly where the belt is already working hardest.
That is the argument for a proper snow blower belt rather than a general purpose one of the same dimensions. The compounds are chosen to stay flexible at low temperature. A garden centre belt with the same 4LXP700 code may measure identically and still crack in its first hard winter.
It also explains a habit worth adopting: let the machine idle for thirty seconds before engaging the auger on a very cold morning. Local temperature norms are on Environment and Climate Change Canada climate data if you want to know what your own address actually demands.
When a Gates Truflex auger belt is finished
Belts rarely snap. They stop gripping, and the machine tells you long before that becomes a breakdown.
The first sign is a brief squeal as the auger engages, which means the belt is slipping during take up. Next comes a drop in throw distance in wet snow only, because dense snow loads the drive far harder than powder does. After that the auger slows under load, then smells hot, then stops.
Inspect for two things specifically. Glazing shows as a shiny, polished side face where a healthy belt is matt and slightly rough, and a glazed Gates Truflex auger belt cannot grip however sound it otherwise looks. Cracking on the inner face, visible when you flex the belt backwards, means the rubber has hardened with age rather than wear, which is what happens to machines that sit for years between hard seasons.
Then check how deep it rides. A serviceable belt sits with its top face level with or just above the pulley rim. One that has sunk into the groove has either worn or is in a worn pulley, and the second case will destroy a replacement quickly.
Ordering the right Gates Truflex auger belt
Order the Gates Truflex auger belt on its stock number where you can. If you are matching from an old belt, read the code moulded into its outer face: it is almost always there, though on a well used belt you may need to clean the face to see it.
If the code is unreadable, measure. Wrap a tape around the outside of the belt, on the outer face, and record the length. Then measure the top width. A belt measuring 70 inches outside with a half inch top is a 4L700, and the Gates Truflex auger belt is the cogged reinforced version of that size.
Do not measure a broken belt laid flat and double it, which is a common shortcut that produces a length several inches out. Our snow blower repair guide covers measuring properly.
Parts to order with it
Two related parts worth having in front of you before ordering.
Auger Belt (Gates Truflex G 4LXP880-885): same construction, different length, so check your code before ordering.
Small Belt Pulley: a worn groove glazes a new belt quickly, so inspect it while the cover is off.
Common questions
What does 4LXP700 mean?
4L is the section, a half inch top width fractional horsepower V belt. X means cogged. P is the Gates Truflex Power construction. 700 is the outside length in tenths of an inch, so 70 inches.
Is a cogged belt better than a plain one?
On a snow blower, yes. Snow blowers use small pulleys, and the notched inner face lets the belt bend around them without the compression that generates heat and glazing.
Can I use any 4L700 belt?
It will physically fit, but a general purpose belt often uses a compound that stiffens and cracks at low temperature. A proper snow blower belt is formulated to stay flexible in the cold.
How do I measure a belt to identify it?
Wrap a tape around the outer face of the intact belt and record that length, then measure the top width. Do not lay a broken belt flat and double it, which reads several inches short.
Where is the code written on my old belt?
Moulded into the outer face. On a well used belt you may have to wipe the face clean to read it, but it is almost always still there.
Does the Gates Truflex auger belt fit my machine?
It fits any machine that calls for a 4LXP700. Match on the code or on the stock number rather than on the machine model name, which is not a reliable guide.
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