Reducing Steel Content to save money

[HayDR]

We have noticed this fall a reduction in weight for tillers and finish mowers and other implements from some European MFG's. It seems as if the machines have less steel in them but from the pictures they look the same. But when we inspected them in person we just had to say "Where is the beef?" Thinner sheet metal and bracing means these units will not have the frame to last. The European MFG's must do this to compete against the world market. What is funny some of the well known PTO MFG's are using Chinese yokes and cross bearings but stamping on the outside plastic shields made in Italy. It seems as if increasing steel prices and oil prices are putting a squeeze on the products coming from Europe and sold in the USA. Ask for the current machine weight not some old specifications. It is just like the potato chip guys selling more air in the bag. What used to be a good choice has now become a poor choice in selection of implements.

 

[slowrev]

other side effects of this "weight reduction" will be decreased shipping costs and more implements sold since they do not last as long. Of course we the consumer wind up on the short end of the deal as usual.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Mark, just out of curiosity, are the manufacturers:

A) Reducing steel thickness AND raising prices?
B) Reducing steel thickness AND keeping prices the same?

For those manufacturers that are keeping their quality up to their past standards and NOT reducing steel thickness, are they raising prices and pointing out that they did not lower their quality?

Finally, some brands have multiple levels of quality. For example Befco has several different quality levels in their finish mowers. Are there some manufacturers who are lowering the quality of their lower end equipment and mainting the quality of their upper end units and raising the price accordingly.

Can you provide names of some of the companies that manufacture implements and tell us what they did, and what brand names those are sold as?

Can you give us any insight as to what the Chinese implments are doing, how they compare in weight & quality & price and what those brands are?

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( What is funny some of the well known PTO MFG's are using Chinese yokes and cross bearings but stamping on the outside plastic shields made in Italy )</font>

Reminds me of the eurocardan pto shafts at TSC.

The look decent.. but are a bear to disassemble to move the collar back..

I.e.: remove plastic lock ring.. use pliers/ screwdriver to remove a metalic split ring embeded in the plastic shield, slid ethe shiled back ( not easy ).. then to replace.. you have to struggle to get the shield up, and alligned.. then it is just reverse of removal.

Soundguy