Hi Jeff,
The actual concept of not having the catcher at the front is a good idea for tighter gardens, but throwing cuttings over the drive train isn't one of my favourite concepts either I must say.
If someone remade that drive gear out of metal on a larger scale many of them would still be in use today opposed to heading off to the scrap yard where most have now gone to.
There were a batch of metal gears made some years back and they sold out within weeks to many of the Lawnmower Repair Shops and one place here in Adelaide even bought the remaining stock and sold them to various owners over time just to keep their machines coming back to his workshop for general maintenance work.
Wouldn't take all that much to make them again, but the market just isn't there and oddly most true blue SB owners wouldn't touch them with a barge pole thus they cop a bad wrap when potential owners go to buy one.
I have to say, there's something about seeing a revolving reel and not having one that's hidden and that I feel is it's biggest drawback.
Visual !
Cheers,
BB.
