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Proof of "Craftman"ship


EricD

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Well, like all my New Englander neighbors I was out clearing snow (playing:)) today. I have a modified Crapsman plow attached to my 725:I. During fabrication I had noted that the plow was really cheaply made and only attached to the plow frame by an approximately 10inch by 10inch plate with four bolts, two on top - two on bottom. One tension spring. To beef it up I put a bracing bar across the length of the plow face (on the plow's back side of course) for additional support. The brace was held on by the two factory top mounting bolts (attaching the plow to the frame) and the ends of the brace were tack welded about an inch on each end (directly to the plow). After a while of pushing mounds of snow and breaking through chunks of frozen ice on the driveway, the carriage bolts that hold the plow onto its Sears quality metal torn right through the plow faceB). One of the tack welds broke free as well. Four minutes, two two inch bolts with big washers later, I was back in business. I couldn't help but think two things. First, if I hadn't beefed it up I'd have bigger plowing problems and secondly, I'm getting a real Simplicity or AC plow. Real machines need real plows. The 725 pushed the driveway so easily I thought I'd take her out back to try and clear a path out to our composte pile. I was laughing to myself because I couldn't believe how powerful this thing was as a pusher. I use non-filled ag tires, wheel weights, and the lollipop weight. I was plowing straight ahead through 7 or 8 inches of snow a good 30 feet in my back yard. Two passes got me down to the grass. I am very sure that the Simplicity tractor and not the Crapsman plow was the real factor in deciding that the back path would be cleared. These things are so much fun. I had some kids on a four wheeler and snowmobile stop to watch the old iron in action:D8D
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I have a allis 42 inch blade for my b1 that looks tough.The center is bent in where it mounts. I don't know what it did in life but I know that it was used hard and put away wet.To cold to go out there and take a picture and it is deep in the snow bank.It's cold out there.Bob
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Craftsman products are designed for easy use. Look at the engines they use on their machines. The quality is not as high as many of us think it should be. Mass produced, low price, means they are for the more common people. And people buy them in hoards.
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Have any of you looked at the newest craftsman mowers? Not that im a fan of them or anything like that...:-) Most if not all have cast iron front axels...frame looks stronger than it used to also.... jsut my 2 cents worth 73 jay
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