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They did it because it was economical for them to do
so.
The use of metric in these machines is transparent to the
majority of the public. Only enthusiasts and mechanics know that the
machines are metric.
Here are some reasons that these companies may have gone
and others are starting to now;
1.) Pressure from mechanics, enthusiasts, suppliers, etc.
to reduce inventory of parts. FFU fasteners present a redundancy that adds
cost where it need not be.
2.) There may be a safety issue with continued inch
use. It maybe be possible to mix inch and metric fasteners. A 3/8
bolt will fit into an M10 thread. Under stress this may fail and cause
injury or death. Also, Machines that you
mentioned normally use fasteners of high property class (like 8.8 or
greater) and the equivalent in FFU may be increasingly hard to find or becoming
more costly. If the major players are using metric in those classes, then
the minor players will have to pay more for the inch versions.
3.) International demand. The Americans may
reluctantly accept dual usage including the cost of buying and having a second
set of tools, but the world isn't that accepting and will avoid buying products
that have a impediment to servicing at a tolerable cost.
4.) International manufacture. Machines and parts
made outside the US are metric. Can you imagine the cost and confusion if
B&S made a metric version of an engine model in China in metric and an inch
one in the US?
What you see is an example of the voluntary use of
metric. Voluntary only works if everyone agrees to do it. It also
means a long gap between when the first go and the last one follows. In
the meantime everyone suffers.
Euric
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