Generic bucket edge tamers

[JTKub]

I ordered a set of these for the little bucket on my TYM T224. I'd like to use it for snow removal and much of my driveway is asphalt that I don't want to damage. One day I may get a 3-pt rear PTO driven snowblower for it to replace or at least add to my collection of struggle behind snowblowers that get me through every Buffalo NY winter.

These edge tamers look and feel pretty good for Chinese specials. They are cast iron and they came with plastic slippers that mount on with anodized aluminum brackets and cap screws. They are 3" wide. The only color available was green, so my tractor is feeling kind of fancy right now. I don't have them snugged to the bucket yet. Just test fitting them on there for now. These were just under $100 for the pair.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

I got a pair like that, less than $100 from Vevor. Chinese made, no fancy slippers, work great, but have to keep tightening the bolts. I have compacted staymat product for driveway. I only use until driveway freezes solid. I also leave an inch or two of snow to compact over. Flat driveway...

 

[kennyd]

Exactly why US manufacturing is struggling.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

Exactly why US manufacturing is struggling.

Yep, even though I was a customer of yours, let's blame the guy who has a budget. In some cases, it's buy foreign or do without.

 

[JTKub]

Exactly why US manufacturing is struggling.

I hear you. At the end of the day my whole machine is a Korean import. In terms of the edge tamers, I can't buy them off the shelf anywhere. I be happy with spending $40-50 more on a pair made here, but 100% more? Not for something like this.

 

[CalG]

I have two pair of edge tamers. The real deal. (Buy American!)
Welded steel.

Cast iron on the wear surface sounds great. Cast iron at the clamp... not so much.

Now if they were Meehanite Ductile iron, GOLDEN!

 

[Cycledude]

I’ve had the official USA made Edge Tamers for 3-4 years and like them a lot, they work very nice, very easy to install or remove, I would buy them again if needed.

 

[kennyd]

I hear you. At the end of the day my whole machine is a Korean import. In terms of the edge tamers, I can't buy them off the shelf anywhere. I be happy with spending $40-50 more on a pair made here, but 100% more? Not for something like this.

Your machine may be an import, but it's sold at a local dealer who employs people in the community. This is why I don't really mind Harbor Freight anymore, at least they contribute to local economies with all the stores they have these days.

Your profile says you are from West Falls NY?
R2 in in Alden, what's that about 30 minutes away from you? So yes you could have 'bought of the shelf' if you had contacted them.

I'm not trying to pick on you, it's just frustrating as a US manufacturer to see something so obviously ripped off. Full disclosure: The R2 Guys are friends of mine.

 

[kennyd]

Yep, even though I was a customer of yours, let's blame the guy who has a budget. In some cases, it's buy foreign or do without.

Blame? Hardly. Just stating a fact that I know very well. Am I allowed to have an opinion on this forum too-even if I'm a paying advertiser? I sure hope so.



Here is what one of the R2 guys told me when I let him know of these copies. How can anyone defend what they did? Or Amazon for supporting it?

Yup, they are literal duplicates of ours, as in they made their cast form from one of ours, which they then modified from. The common dimensions are exact. The most obvious way you can see the copy is that the front clip for the Poly has a section curved out. For ours it has a purpose, to make room for the gusset. They have it for no explicable reason, except that they copied ours.


Pretty frustrating that they take a product with the word patented literally stamped on it and just make a copy, but it is what it is.

They disappeared from Amazon for a while, I'll have to check, apparently they are back.

Yeah, so that's where we are. And clearly the tariffs have not done anything, this was about the same price last year.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

Blame? Hardly. Just stating a fact that I know very well. Am I allowed to have an opinion on this forum too-even if I'm a paying advertiser? I sure hope so.



Here is what one of the R2 guys told me when I let him know of these copies. Can can anyone defend what they did? Or Amazon for supporting it?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I grow tired of hearing from some, implying that, if you don't buy all American, somehow you are not American. I try my best, but unless you have a fat wallet, it is IMPOSSIBLE to buy only American.
As far as your example, a direct copy, as it seems it was, is wrong. We have so many laws in this country, you'd think there was someway to protect manufacturers like yourself, who spend the time and resources to develop an idea, only to have a knockoff steal from you. Had I had the knowledge before my purchase, I can say I would have done without, and possible fashioned a DIY alternative.
Again, sorry about the raw deal you received. It's not the way the country should be run. I understand the frustration etc. you feel on the subject.