I think the current full size Troy-Bilt Horse tillers still compare well to what was built back in the day. I kind of agree on the little tillers, in that the quality and fit and finish seem less than what I would expect, and the tractors with the Troy-Bilt name slapped on them should be an embarrassment to MTD. My first time to see them at a Lowe's was quite a shock for me! Maybe what I saw is not representitive, but those tractors looked like they were assembled by a 4th grade class during recess. Stuff was misalligned, bent, scratched, had paint blobs and runs, crooked decals, etc. Maybe all of that is due to my local Lowe's crack assembly team, but I suspect MTD has a share in the poor quality appearance as well because of the poor paint and crooked decals.