My husband and I recently received a Riccar vacuum as a gift from a family member who has not used it. After we received it, the vacuum cleaner needed a few small adjustments as it hadn't been used for years. One of those items was a new belt. The one he wore had stretched over time and was just old. So we bought these replacement straps. My husband had no problem changing his belt and has been using the vacuum ever since and says it works better than before. And that's a huge compliment, because he was delighted with the vacuum cleaner after using it for the first time! We have 7 animals, 4 cats and 3 dogs so lots of hair, dust stains, dander etc. We had a Dyson and a Shark and neither of them could handle the animals. As long as it stays strong!