Opted for the cheaper belt tensioner, zero regrets so far

Had a dryer squealing last Tuesday and had to pick between the $28 OEM part and the $14 generic one. Went with the generic since the homeowner was on a budget, and it's been quiet through 6 loads now. Anyone else gamble on the off-brand parts or do you always stick with factory stuff?

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leor8611m ago

That line about zero regrets so far is exactly how I felt after trying a cheap tensioner on my own dryer last year. Mine was making this awful chirping sound and I grabbed a no-name one off the shelf for like 12 bucks because the name brand was almost 30. It ran quiet for about 4 months and then started squeaking again, so I swapped it out while I was already in there. The cheap one did its job long enough that I wasn't mad about it. I still keep a couple of the off-brand ones on the truck now since most folks don't want to pay for factory parts on an old machine. Sometimes you get lucky with the cheap stuff and sometimes you don't, but for 14 bucks it's worth the gamble.

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