Sears 48"s typically have all 3 blades matching- all that I've seen anyways. Are you saying that the center blade doesn't have the star? The outside blade will do more work as it is handling the cuttings and debris from the other 2 blades- so more wear isn't abnormal. The sand/ dirt the blades pick-up seems to wear the sails down more quickly- so people w/ sandy soil get it bad and soon.Of course, rocks don't actually help. When servicing your deck, I would suggest removing it so it can be cleaned and inspected properly as well. Once you've done it once or twice, you will find it easy. Roll off the belt, lower the deck, remove the front bracket and the other few hanger pins and your done. Just don't curse me the first time you reinstall it....

Where to start? 1997 Yardman snowblower 9 horsepower Tecumseh engine. 2008 Toro Single stage snowblower 2-cycle R-tek. 2007 Sears Craftsman Lawn Tractor 18 horse B&S engine. 6 speed manual. 42 inch deck. Soon to be 1986 John Deere Lawn Tractor. 12.5 horsepower Kawasaki engine. Hydrostatic transmission. 38 inch deck. 1988 Lawn Boy walk behind 4.5 horse 2-cycle engine. The first personal pace model number 8480. 1996 White walk behind mower 3.75 B&S engine. 18 inch cut. A late 1950s Jacobson walk behind. 2.5 horsepoweer 2-cycle engine. Runs like brand new. 2004 Echo GT 2000 gas trimmer. 2000 Echo gas blower. 2008 Troy Bilt walk behind edger. 2 Weed Eater electric blowers.

There was a time when Sear had a reputation for good products and customer service. Unfortunately that time is long past. I purchased 2 sets of T handle Craftsman allen wrenches last November on "Black Friday." When I got home I found that the metric set was the ball end type. Oh well, not worth a 75 mile round trip to return them. So a few weeks ago I finally had need to use one of the metric wrenches. The ball end did not engage the set screw sufficiently, rounded off and also messed up the screw. The next time I happened to travel to Goldsboro, NC I took the set with me and stopped at Sears. I wanted to exchange the ball end set for the standard set (which lists for $5 less). The ball end set was on sale and as I did not have a receipt (who keeps a receipt for Craftsman Guaranteed Forever tools???) they proposed to charge me $1 and change to exchange the more expensive set of the cheaper set! Needless to say I made them give me a new ball end set. I will keep them in the car and next time I am near Sears I will see if the items are at regular price. Just wait till K-Mart-Sears decides to declare Chapter 11 again and nullify the Craftsman guarantee. What a class action law suit that will make :-) Ken

THe Husqvarna Group was spun off of Electrolux and is a public company and separately traded, tho Electrolux may still own some Husqvarna stock. Electrolux and Husqvarna are both Swedish headquartered. Technically Craftsman lawn tractors are now made by the Husqvarna Group, as are tractors called Poulan American Yard Products (AYP) and Electrolux Home Products (EHP) are obsolete terms. It's all the Husqvarna Group now, and tractors sold in the US all come out of a Georgia factory.