Gates 91107 Krikit V-Belt Tension Gauge, Black

This tool is short and sweet. It just works like it is advertised. It takes a moment to get the hang of it, but once you do it is the simplest thing in the world to use. You just stick your finger on the tool and press on the belt until it "clicks" (thus, the name cricket!). It gives you a fairly accurate reading of what your belt tension is. It's invaluable for both new and used belt installations.Improper belt tension not only risks damaging or throwing a belt, shortening its lifespan and possible stranding you out in the middle of nowhere -but an over-tightened belt can significantly lower the lifespan of belt-driven accessories on your car or truck. Over-tensioning a belt for fear of loosing it or it slipping prematurely can cost you hundreds or more if you ruin the bearings in an expensive alternator or A/C compressor. Even if the bearing you ruin is an idler pulley it still means a possible breakdown or an annoying squealing item that needs to be replaced thousands of miles or years before it is due to be serviced again. It's REALLY embarrassing if it a vehicle you are working on for someone else.For a few bucks, this thing tells you almost exactly the tension you are putting on your belts as you install and tension them for the first time. Some mechanics do this by "feel" but how do you learn this feel? -by making mistakes. Use this tool for a while and maybe you won't need to eventually -but at least you are learning something and aren't feeling around in the dark for what the proper tension should feel like. For as cheap as it is, it should be in every shadetree mechanics toolbox.

Used this to adjust belt tension on my 2000 Toyota 4Runner. It worked perfectly , I would suggest buying this before eyeballing tension on your belts. My belts were all either too tight or too loose just trying to eyeball it based on methods I had read. Everything runs way smoother now after checking and adjusting tension.

Appears to be well made and simple to use1 finger, press and it will click when you reach the tension, final drive to back wheel. 5/16 to 3/8 tolerance. Thanks I like it. Saw one on a episode of theToymakerz show. Vanquish v8 episode.

Solid one-job type of tool. If I were really picky I'd say it could benefit from being a tiny bit smaller (but I'm also blaming Nissan on this because apparently clearance wasn't a thing for them in the early 2000s) and I would also say that it's a shame that it doesn't go above 150lbs (but then again, most cars don't need that much tension on their belts so it's okay)Other than that I really like this product and for that price it offers a great value

I tried a few phone apps that purport to measure belt tension by recording the sound when rlthe belt is "plucked" and results from one pluck to the next were inconsistent. This Gates Kriket gives consistent results and is small enough to carry on the bike, if the bike ride is long enough to warrant it.

This product is cheap, misrepresented, and defective. I would not recommend using this when adjusting tension on any belt.It states that it is for V-belts, not serpentine, as others have stated. Well I did not use this on a serpentine belt rather a power steering and a.c. compressor/alternator belt (Honda Accord). The service manual states that if you are to adjust according to deflection, which this product more or less tries to do, I would need 22lbs of pressure for proper testing. Well, I depressed the button on this tool with 1 gallon of fluid (8.3 lbs) to test if it was close to the required 22lbs. With the jug on top of the button, it depressed immediately. This means that the tool's "click" comes with a pressure of less than 8.3 lbs--much less than what can be generated by using a thumb or fore finger.Now of course I still had to test this to see what readings I would get from it. The power steering belt requires around 88-120 lbs (used belt) and this tool consistently read 70 lbs. I thought: "Ok, fair enough. Maybe it is a little loose", however there is no squealing.Then I tried the A.C compressor/alternator belt that is best set between 110-130 lbs (used belt). This little gadget measured the latter at a resounding 50 lbs! Multiple times, mind you. This "50 lbs" coming with a deflection of .30 inches (using moderate pressure from my finger). 50 lbs? Yea right! And if that was not enough, the button broke on the last measurement.Does this cheap and inconsistent tensioner sound like the type of tool to trust your belts to? Hmm..no, I did not think so. If you are considering this product, please move elsewhere.

Helps tension the belts

I believe this tool to be in the ballpark of what is safe and proper for belt adjustment. Its small for the toolbox yet easy to use. I am a DYI mechanic for some jobs such as replacement of belts. Seems like a tool grampa would have,maybe the Egyptians used this tool