nylyon-(Admin) 7,121 #1 Posted July 4, 2014 I got 2 of these last year and didn't use either until just recently. On my C-160, the Mule drive had either a broken or home made knob. When getting the tractor ready for the season, I decided to finally put on the new knob. The process was simple, use a hammer and drift pin, removing the old. Install the new one (Glen thoughtfully provides a nail to help align the holes) by tapping the new pin in place. That simple. This knob is extremely well made, and if yours is damaged in ANY way, I would without a doubt get in touch with Glen to get a new one. I am so glad that I did! 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 39,018 #2 Posted July 4, 2014 After install you can use the nail to hang your Red Square Calendar! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jdleach 525 #3 Posted July 6, 2014 I concur with Karl regarding Glen's knobs. The original knobs, at least on the 1985 models, was plastic, and a rather soft plastic at that. The one on my mule drive was seriously scratched and gouged, with little furry plastic scabs abounding. The knobs Glen sells are made from phenolic resin, a very early form of plastic. Phenolic resins go under a variety of trade names, the most well known is Bakelite. Common items made from Bakelite are coffee pot handles and bases, slews of knobs, and in the 1940's, millions of small radio cases. Outside of the electrical industry, and certain applications in the appliance sector, Bakelite is not used much anymore, and has been supplanted by modern plastics. Not that there was anything inherently wrong with the substance, it performs very well. It is just that people in the molding industry exposed to the chemicals that comprise Bakelite began croaking from cancer. Seems one of the main constituents is a nasty little number by the name of formaldehyde, a carcinogen. Great for preserving corpses. That said, have no fear, once the Bakelite has set/cured, the resultant finished product is quite inert, and poses no serious health issues. In machine shops across the nation (including mine), phenolic resins are often machined for special applications. The dust is considered a "nuisance" hazard, and usually only a problem when you have an underlying respiratory condition. The stuff is quite scratch resistant, and withstands heat, moisture, and abrasion well. The one thing it doesn't do well, is withstand shock. In other words, try not to drop it, it can crack, chip, or shatter pretty easily. That said, in the application of mule drive knob, it should last forever, just don't drop it on the concrete. Another thing, as the cross-sectional area of phenolic resins increases, the amount of shock tolerance also increases. In Glen's knobs, they have a quite thick cross section, so should handle some pretty rough usage. My vote: buy them. They are infinitely better than their plastic counterparts. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
