[AT] "older men" and change

[Steve W.]

Stephen Offiler wrote:
> Haven't looked at the links yet but I plan to do so.  This is reminding me
> of ridiculous advertised HP ratings on shop vacs and circular saws.  I want
> to say I recall a 6.5HP shop vac, and it might very well have been Sears.
> This was years ago, but still...
> 
> Also, I was helping a friend repower a log splitter recently, and using the
> Northern site, I quickly realized they're now using displacement and torque
> rather than HP.  At the time I made a mental note to dig into that, and
> well, that note must have been sucked into the black hole that used to be
> my memory.  So I'm happy this comes up here, as it reminds me, I'm curious
> about the story.
> 
> Final comment is that once you choose any particular engine on the Northern
> site, with a few more clicks you can generally find out the HP.   For
> example this Honda GX390:
> 
> http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_376_376
> 
> Scroll to Specs and observe it is 11.7 HP at 3600 rpm.  Better yet... hit
> the "Dimensions" link and get an actual chart of HP and T.
> 
> 
> SO
> 

That was another item they were sued over. With the electrics they would 
  take the amp readings of the motor with the rotor locked! Then 
calculate the HP based on that number instead of using the actual 
amperage at the rated RPM. So you get compressor motors listed as 5-6 HP 
on a motor that might make 3HP on a good day...

On gas engines the SAE changed the way they calculated the HP and then 
allowed the companies to add up to 15% to the number they came up with 
in the "test".
If you remember how auto makers used to rate their engines based on 
gross flywheel HP instead of net HP with all the accessories and trans 
in place, and that was stopped because the numbers were not real world. 
SAE allowed the small engine crowd to go the other way and rate their 
engines using the gross HP number that the engine could theoretically 
produce with no losses from cooling fans, mufflers or intake filtering 
AND running them at "maximum design RPM".

What tripped them up was that they were selling the same engines in two 
different areas with different ratings, but CARB regulations required 
them to submit the actual dyno tested numbers to get the engines 
approved in California. So if you could get your hands on that data you 
could discover that an engine sold in the other states was badged at 15 
or 18 HP and in the CARB test data it showed that same engine rated at 
12HP in an actual dyno test!
That was part of what came out during the trial. Along with how ALL the 
various makers conspired to hide that information.

I remember it because I filed for some of the money. Seems like it ended 
up being a check for 38 dollars or so based on 5 different engine 
powered items.

-- 
Steve W.