Use caution when buying your Cub parts

[Barnyard]

I was browsing through ebay today and found this aftermarket carb. Notice the USA and globe that has the image of an American flag. To me I get the impression this is an American product, but of course I'm always more skeptical.

So curiosity got the best of me (why did I even doubt myself) and I contacted the seller. This was the conversation.

I really believe that if it ain't made here, don't make it look like it could be.

[punchofdeath]

That's some bogus advertising. Sometimes even if it is made in USA the parts used to assemble it are imported.

[jsfarmall]

Some folks had good luck with those but I got one I'll gladly trade for their "no good" original. I didn't buy it, it came on a cub I brought home.

[w30bob]

Barnyard,

Good catch. I thought you were going to tell us the seller used the flag symbols because the carb "fit American tractors"! Now-a-days you can't trust even what they say.....especially on eBay. On the flip side.....lots of crap is made in the US as well. Got to do your research.

Regards,
Bob

[tnestell]

I bought an idler pulley for my Mustang Cobra. Dorman, the label on the box said made in USA. Box was made in USA, pulley was made in China.

[tst]

common practice these days, lots of sleazy business practices out there to sell their junk

[inairam]

I only buy used parts on ebay.

[BigBill]

Nowadays just about everything is farmed out to vendors to what country who knows. The first thing I look for is the hole in the choke lever.

I just received two new cub cadet carbs from huztl.com they look ok so far. Being a car mechanic early on in my life I had customers who wanted factory carbs. I went through three rebuilt carbs. The floats needed to be reset. The grumpy old customer said not to touch the rebuild carb. As the clock is ticking I’m losing my hourly rate. My cousin took the guy out for coffee while I reset the float and it ran perfect. I could of disassembled and tanked the carb and rebuilt it myself. I could of saved him money and me my hourly rate wouldn’t of lost.

At my fulltime dealer mechanics job a guy asks the service manager if he had a good carburetor guy. Being new on this job I said I was weened on carburetors. I rebuilt the mans carb no problem. The man picked up his car then came back a day later with a $5 tip. This was in the mid 70’s.

www.huztl.com and farmtech are cloning everything. Even Husqvarna and Stihl chainsaws.

With the new Husqvarna chainsaws you need to set the saw up with the electronic tool. Even the chainsaws are going high tech now. I been buying up older husky saws that were run hard and put away wet so I can rebuild them to out last my lifetime. Since huztl has the parts.

[IHCFan1950]

False advertising at it's best. Good thing you didn't fall for it and asked the vendor first. That is precisely why I insist on as many NOS part, or re-usable old parts period, as possible when I am doing a restoration. Too much trickery and deception these days. My most recent experience (on ebay, and this has happened more than once) was buying a $20 mechanical pocket watch. So I bought it, and immediately checked out and paid. The next day, I was sent an email confirmation that my order had been shipped, but a quick check of the USPS tracking site said they were awaiting item. So I sat for two weeks waiting for it to move off "awaiting item".

Eventually my patience ran out and I messaged the seller, and they said that it had shipped and just to be patient as USPS is slow. So I waited another week and a half, lost my patience again, and told them to refund my money since they obviously have not shipped the watch. Then, magically, 3 hours later, an update to the USPS tracking page revealed they were now in possession of the item and estimated arrival was in three days. Well, USPS lived up to their end of the bargain, and got it here on time. Marked and avoided seller. It is a shame that dishonesty is the modern day business model. That is precisely why I love being on here. Great, honest folks who genuinely want to help and encourage others. Sorry for the extended rant........

[Mrblanche]

That listing clearly says the item is located in China, doesn't it?

[Barnyard]

That listing clearly says the item is located in Cina, doesn't it?

That is why I questioned him about showing the flag.

[Mrblanche]

Almost no one in the U.S. rebuilds parts. OK, a local guy rebuilt my Cub starter. I could have bought a "new" one for $125, and the rebuild cost $108, almost entirely labor.

If you go to NAPA, O'Reilly, AutoZone, CarQuest, Advance Auto Parts, whoever, and get a rebuilt part, it almost certainly is a product of Cardone. They are, essentially, the only mass parts rebuilder. Starters, alternators, axles, CV joints, etc. I have taken trucks filled with carboys (a big box on a pallet) full of all of those units. I dropped the trailers in Harlingen, and picked up a trailer with the rebuilt items going back. The pallets would be stacked high with boxes marked NAPA, O'Reilly, etc. A couple of times, I delivered to their warehouses, running a route that took me around Texas, and to various warehouses. Same stuff, just different boxes.

Cardone also builds "new" parts in their Mexican factories. I bought a new master cylinder from NAPA, and it was clearly marked as a Cardone part. Leaked from the day I installed it. Took it off, installed a new one from the same source, and it's still on the hot rod. So you never know.

[Cub-Bud]

My "cub sense" tells me to stay away from "cub nonsense".

[IHCFan1950]

Yeah, and whatever you do, do NOT buy parts that are obviously cheap, or made any place other than the U.S. if possible. The fuel bowl I got for my tractor was made in India. Didn't know it until I got it and looked at the box. Leaks like a sieve around the gasket where the bowl fits on. Took that piece of crap off and threw it away, and ran straight fuel hose with an inline filter. No leaks, no problems. The fuel bowl on my 51 Cub is original to the tractor (from what I can determine) and it doesn't even seep. What makes me mad is that these tractors were built so well, and have lasted so long, but the new parts on the market we need to keep them running are so inferior, they last for 5 seconds or don't work at all. If it is cheap and sounds like a killer good deal, stay away from it........at least that is my experience. If you are in need of a carb Barnyard, try to find an old IH carb. They don't make em' like they used to!

[mozer71]

The American Flag could mean there is a quantity of them inside the U.S. The shipping time is two weeks less.