Thank you for your contribution to my post here. I agree totally with your comments, as I did with Bob and apologize once again to all. For me personally and I'm sure the forum as a whole take great store in your valued participation in our posts and help in understanding the bigger picture. Just for the record when I started researching EZ clutches (my prior knowledge was with a 1977 shim style), I went to YouTube and well your video was invaluable in my knowledge. I know, thinking about it more since, that it took time and effort on your companies part to make that and share on line. I also know we Case/Ingersoll enthusiasts only have a limited number of dealers now that stock the parts we need too. I am also guilty perhaps on chasing the dollar too, even when that might only be a penny or two! chalk that down to living on a pension!CaseIngersollNE wrote: ↑Fri Dec 22, 2023 9:54 pm Have not been able to come here as often as we have been busy but a few things to touch on. I agree with Bob as the frustration can get real when lots of "good" and "free" advice is given all the time and then when it comes time to support those that helped, often people either conveniently forget or are penny shopping over a little difference in price etc. I say all the time "what was the advice, info given or experiences shared worth?" And at the "time" of your issue or emergency when you were frustrated how much at that time would you have been willing to pay for a answer or solution? I am sure far more than the a little price difference or shipping difference you you find when price shopping, and Auto Zone, Amazon, Mcmaster, EBay etc are not going to answer your questions, give advice, point things out etc. And people always seem to be happy or point out they found something cheaper etc than from a dealer... And When the dealers get frustrated and go away so wont the knowledge as I am sure many will have a bad taste in their mouth. Most of us do this because we have a passion for these tractors and the community and have fun doing it! As truth be told there is not a lot of money in moving parts and the margins are not big at all with these, nothing like auto parts or other businesses. We made a video about who we are and our business model and touches a few times about similar situations about free advice and price shopping and I think can speak for others on this. As we often spend 10 to 15 hours a week on average "fixing other peoples tractors for free" over messenger, emails, texts, phone calls etc. and I do not know anyone who will work 40 plus hours a month for free? So just keep that in mind when you need parts, service etc. That people are spending their time to help. So maybe Amazon is cheaper or someone has better prices, or free shipping or can walk into Napa right away etc, but are they helping you on a forum or group when you post, or answering emails,messages PHONEs at 10 o clock at night and weekends (happens every week/end night...) or can you call Amazon or Mcmaster and get a answer to your tractor question? Bob is a great guy and a great resource and we do a lot together and I am glad to call him a friend above all and most the CI dealers are good people with lots of knowledge to offer. I am glad that us talking about packing new bearings helped you and most do not think about it. We appreciate you watching thank you. In today's world profit comes ahead of all for 99 percent of manufactures. They make bearings and in the business of selling bearings, can we blame them for putting minimum grease in it? Blame no, morally, ethics....another topic. So we at CIT Northeast try to source the best quality for the best price and its a fine line balance to walk and trade off before you pay very little but for junk or or you pay lots, and lots for better quality. We try to source US and or top quality when we can, when available, and when makes financial sense. The market will only support so much as far as what you guys are willing to pay. With most bearings we found no matter where the bearings were made and from what company, very little grease is in them. Also there are garbage over seas parts and there are many good quality ones now a days, so we can no longer lump "made in China" all into the same trash can. Often there are little to no options for some stuff. Our PTO Bearings too are Imported as are the ones Directly from Ingersoll on many items. We found in our opinion better quality bearings than what OEM is now offering and thats what we choose to use and offer for sale in our PTO kits. Sure we all would like top brand and quality. But One, these are garden tractors not race cars so we have to be realistic, second are you guys going to pay $50 or more a per bearing for name brand even when made overseas often, lots to spend for a PTO on a mower? I know the market wont support $150 for 3 PTO bearings for example? When our rebuild kit includes 3 bearings, all new spacers, spring washers and clutch disk for far less than $150.. Ok Lets talk rust. I 100 percent get your point and frustration and feel it too. That said do not blame the dealers. Many, many of the parts that have been coming from Ingersoll and elseware for years now (Bob can better tell you roughly when its changed) now come raw and uncoated un painted, unfinished often and frankly sometimes things with workmanship thats sad... But Thats what we are stuck with and as they say We should be happy we can get anything.. We have thousands and thousands of inventory with surface rust, shelves filled. Now we try to coat and wrap, bag etc what we can and even paint some stuff. But the time and expense to do so and to do more is a lot and at some point is counter productive cost wise for us. The lack of quality control or unfinished products all goes against my old school work ethic and morals and quality control so thats why we often will source some things else-ware even if the cost is a little more as to do best by our customers and pride of our business. But again as dealers we can only do so much on what we receive in. I have probably 20 mower hubs assemblies on the shelf we are talking many thousands of dollars and all covered in surface rust on hubs, spindles and bearings etc....It makes me sick and before we send them out we try to clean them all up once again the best we can or sometimes get paint on them on our own time and expense. Same with tie rods, drag links steering shafts and many other things we have to clean up or coat or paint before shipping out. Its out of our hands and prices for things are high enough so again how much will the market bare and support? Will it support painted and finished items like they use to be? IDK when I see so many play the price shopping and comparison game already. But point is 95 percent of the rust or raw product issues is not on the dealers but manufactures and distributors etc. Ok lets talk PTO quick. SO yes there are different parts used and combination of parts used and sometimes I still shake my head at what I find that should not be there or used when taking them apart. As many are disasters and can not tell you the things we find on PTOs, the things we dont find lol and well sometimes things that look factory and never touched, they worked but according to parts books they are wrong lol. That said what I feel are the biggest differences are the pulleys and what you use for spacers with each style pulley one with a shoulder and one without and I think basically you make up for no shoulder one with spacers etc. The forks are I believe based off the tractor/engine than necessarily anything off the PTO itself. PTO's are over complicatedly simple lol... Once you "get it" they are pretty easy but sometimes we still get aggravated at one from time to time lol. My advice watch our video, and set your PTO up to your pulley style according to parts book and go from there it may work right off the bat. If not then post back lol Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!
Ray
have Ospho. I wish we could get that here. 