I guess you are right,I am a bit of a squirrel.
Even a little crazy, perhaps, for longing for the days when a man's handshake was as good as a written contract and his word was his bond.
When you could go to sleep at night with your doors unlocked.
When, to get a degree in engineering, you had to be a real engineer,not a quota filler?
When companies prided themselves on the quality and durability of their products, and there was honesty in advertising instead of hype.
With all of the modern tools, like CAD/CAM, manufacturing things should be easier and better than ever, but it is impossible to put common sense into a computer program.There are many farm tractors from the 1940's '50, and '60's still doing productive work every day.I wonder why? Could it be that squirrels made better products?
All of the old squirrels at Kohler must have retired,or gone to that great nest in the sky,because the nuts on the ground have taken over.
The prime focus now seems to be "Get it out the door, we will fix defects when the occur in the field!"
And that is not just Kohler, look at microsoft,for instance: how many updates and versions will it take to get it right?
As many as it takes to keep the money rolling in.
I realize a company has to be profitable to exist,but to put profit above all else is wrong,and will eventually lead to it's demise.
Of course, I am still applying yesterday's yardstick to today's measurements, and with the new throw away society, short product lifetimes have become the norm, and they do not know any better.
The small engine manufacturers were recently taken to court to justify their exaggerated HP claims and the result was they would start listing TORQUE only,instead of HP.
Even then, they have found ways to cheat:The motors are tested with no mufflers,no air cleaners, and at RPM's that are far above normal usage.
Even a half rate mechanical engineer knows that the most effective power is where the HP and Torque lines cross.
How about a good HONEST HP RATING AT 3600 RPM? Is that so hard to do?It was done for generations before,why not now?
And how much benefit has been gained with all of the solid state ignition systems?I would put the old B&S,with points and condenser against any of the new engines that are rated at twice the HP.
Anyone up to the challenge?
Put up or shut up is what they used to say when I was growing up,a century ago.
Sure, I am on a rant, but it is just wasteful to have to buy 2 coils at over $100 when a 4$ set of points and condenser would achieve the same thing:FIRE THE SPARK PLUGS!
This old squirrel will get off his soap box and go back into his nest.As soon as I get it fixed, I am selling that piece of crap mower, with it's piece of crap engine,and I will fire up ole Bessy with the single cylinder 16 Honest HP B&S and will seek out a used mower of similar age for my grandson to use to help me mow 10 acres.
I realize my words may be provocative to some, but my grandpa always said:"If you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, the one that gets hit will be the one that hollers!"
I will leave the truth of my words to ring in the ears of those other poor victims of modern "Engineering", and the nuts that are everywhere on the ground.
Goodbye.
Even a little crazy, perhaps, for longing for the days when a man's handshake was as good as a written contract and his word was his bond.
When you could go to sleep at night with your doors unlocked.
When, to get a degree in engineering, you had to be a real engineer,not a quota filler?
When companies prided themselves on the quality and durability of their products, and there was honesty in advertising instead of hype.
With all of the modern tools, like CAD/CAM, manufacturing things should be easier and better than ever, but it is impossible to put common sense into a computer program.There are many farm tractors from the 1940's '50, and '60's still doing productive work every day.I wonder why? Could it be that squirrels made better products?
All of the old squirrels at Kohler must have retired,or gone to that great nest in the sky,because the nuts on the ground have taken over.
The prime focus now seems to be "Get it out the door, we will fix defects when the occur in the field!"
And that is not just Kohler, look at microsoft,for instance: how many updates and versions will it take to get it right?
As many as it takes to keep the money rolling in.
I realize a company has to be profitable to exist,but to put profit above all else is wrong,and will eventually lead to it's demise.
Of course, I am still applying yesterday's yardstick to today's measurements, and with the new throw away society, short product lifetimes have become the norm, and they do not know any better.
The small engine manufacturers were recently taken to court to justify their exaggerated HP claims and the result was they would start listing TORQUE only,instead of HP.
Even then, they have found ways to cheat:The motors are tested with no mufflers,no air cleaners, and at RPM's that are far above normal usage.
Even a half rate mechanical engineer knows that the most effective power is where the HP and Torque lines cross.
How about a good HONEST HP RATING AT 3600 RPM? Is that so hard to do?It was done for generations before,why not now?
And how much benefit has been gained with all of the solid state ignition systems?I would put the old B&S,with points and condenser against any of the new engines that are rated at twice the HP.
Anyone up to the challenge?
Put up or shut up is what they used to say when I was growing up,a century ago.
Sure, I am on a rant, but it is just wasteful to have to buy 2 coils at over $100 when a 4$ set of points and condenser would achieve the same thing:FIRE THE SPARK PLUGS!
This old squirrel will get off his soap box and go back into his nest.As soon as I get it fixed, I am selling that piece of crap mower, with it's piece of crap engine,and I will fire up ole Bessy with the single cylinder 16 Honest HP B&S and will seek out a used mower of similar age for my grandson to use to help me mow 10 acres.
I realize my words may be provocative to some, but my grandpa always said:"If you throw a rock into a pack of dogs, the one that gets hit will be the one that hollers!"
I will leave the truth of my words to ring in the ears of those other poor victims of modern "Engineering", and the nuts that are everywhere on the ground.
Goodbye.