Hi Tyler ,Mf ,Speedy and Norm
I don't think the bases crack just because of metal thickness ,I've thrown out over a hundred cracked
bases ,Masport steel / Alloy ,Rover steel / Alloy ,Talon steel ,Victa steel / alloy ,Electrolux Alloy ,etc and it
doesn't make a difference what engine is on the bases ,all have cracked in the same places ,I've noticed the
main thing that cracks the base is when the end of the crank is out of balance ,eg bent crank ,bent blade carrier ,
one broken blade ,I see a lot of mowers that one blade will half break off and the owner will still mow with one
blade ,once the rotating mass is out of balance it will start to crack the engine mounting position on the base as well.
The rear spreader bar should not be bent or loose as this will allow the base to flex and crack, so .in my
opinion most bases crack because of negligent owners who don't maintain the mower correctly as I've had a lot
of old mowers that have been looked after and those bases have not cracked but the same mowers
crack when owners break a small piece of one blade and continue to use the mower.
The design of certain mower handles can help to support the base ,which will add strength to the base.
Cheers
Max.
