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....

There you go. Ran a wire from the Rectifier mounting screw to the frame. Been that way for five or six years and have yet to replace a battery, charge a dead battery or replace anything related to the charging system. Say it again. I have repaired many Kohler engine charging system with this simple method and have yet to hear of anyone having any problems after the fix. PS: The blue battery wire from the rectifier used to be Purple until it faded.

FYI ---UPDATE After removing the mower deck I was able to clearly see and feel exposed wires running to the rear of the mower. After replacing all four wires did the mower come back to life. Funny thing though, the seat switch, while depressed, did not allow the mower to run. It wasn't until after I pulled the switch out from beneath the seat did the mower turn on. The seat switch is somehow backwards. The great news is I was able to locate shorts in both the ground and seat switch wires which turned out to be the source of the stalling when releasing the brake/clutch, engaging the mower deck and when turning the steering wheel to the right. My advice is to look for exposed wires and replace them.

Thanks for all the follow up guys. I read all your comments, 3 & 4 times, and then went ahead and ordered the Craftsman anyway. I couldn't overlook the 9 good years I remembered with it and couldn't get past the $2K extra for the Simplicity. Well I ordered the tractor on a Thursday and it couldn't be delivered until the following Monday as Sears was out of stock, On Monday I got a call from them that there was a delay and I couldn't get it until Wednesday. On Wednesday I got a call that it wouldn't be delivered until Friday. As I had taken the afternoon off from work that day to accept the delivery, I had some time to reflect on some of the tractor's past issues like its problem with leaves in the fall. Every year, because of its design, leaves would get caught in the frame and would come into contact with the muffler and catch fire. I started blowing the leaves separately each year to avoid that, but eventually the tractor caught fire at some point anyway. Usually I could just clear it out with a stick, but last year, the fire was so big, I had to run to the house to get a fire extinguisher before the fuel lines ruptured. Strangely enough, although scarred, the damn thing kept running. Then there was the time that a delivery truck pulled into the driveway while I was mowing and surprised me. I shut the engine off too quickly and was rewarded with the loudest backfire I'd ever heard. About 20 minutes later I tried to restart it, but it just turned over without catching. After a couple of hours I tried again and it fired up. From that point on, it would start only when cool, but as soon as it heated up, the engine would die and not restart until it cooled off sufficiently. So I called out the trusty Sears repairman who, after much headscratching, told me I needed a new carburator for only $350. I'm fairly handy and the facts and diagnosis just didn't match up, so I put him off while I thought about it. After much research and a talk with a great guy from a Massachusetts Koehler distributor, I finally determined that it was the ignition module that had gone bad and the backfire was probably unrelated and coincidental. I changed out the module and the tractor was back to normal. Had I allowed the Sears service guy to replace the carburator, I would have been out $350 and still scratching my head along with him. There are other stories, but life is short. By the time Sears called me the next day and rescheduled again for the following Monday, despite not being able to understand a single word the woman on the other end of the phone was saying, I had utterly changed my mind and cancelled the Craftsman. I called up a Simplicity dealer I had spoken to earlier and made a good deal with him and the Conquest 23/50 was delivered two days later, fresh out of the crate, prepped, primed, and ready to go. The delivery guy was also a repairmen and went through the whole tractor with me and even gave me some advise on the leaf blower I was having trouble with, which proved to correct the problem. I mowed the lawn that day with the new Conquest and it sliced through the 5 weeks of growth like a hot knife through butter. It didn't even hesitate and didn't leave one ragged spot on the lawn. It was great. I still don't know if it's worth an additional $2K. I guess only time will tell. But it's shiny and new and works like a charm. I have a great dealer to help me when I need it and I'm a very happy guy. As for the Craftsman, I'm not putting any money into it except to buy a used snow/dozer blade if I can find a cheap one. And since it won't seem to die, I'll plow snow with it until it does. Thanks for all your help. It's been an experience.