Debate: Did I waste $150 on that 'lifetime' serpentine belt or save money in the long run?

I spent $150 on a fancy Kevlar-reinforced belt for my 2008 Ford Focus, but then snapped it trying to install it with a cheater bar - should I have just bought the $25 standard one and replaced it every 3 years instead? Anyone else torn between going cheap or overkill on parts after a botched fix?

2 comments

2 Comments

samward10d ago

Oh man, that hurts to read. I feel your pain, nothing worse than snapping a premium part you talked yourself into buying.

henderson.mason10d ago

Man, tell me about it. I did the same thing last spring with a ratchet set I'd been eyeballing for months. Talked myself into it because "you get what you pay for" and all that. First time I really put some torque on it, the stupid thing snapped clean in half. Made me sick to my stomach, honestly. Now I just stick with the cheap stuff and figure if it breaks, at least it didn't cost me an arm and a leg.