AVB, I've given up buying belts for my self-propelled mowers. They stretch in no time these days and fly off. Forever re-fitting and replacing them. Easier to just push the mower like we did in the old days.
As for NGK plugs, I do in fact have a box of genuine plugs here that came directly from the company itself, so I know they are genuine. But on using the correct plug in some vintage engines I found them to run a bit rough. So I replaced them with my few remaining vintage Bosch plugs and found they ran much smoother and quieter.
Getting what you pay for isn't always correct either. I paid top dollar for what I considered to be genuine Bosch plugs, and that is the whole point of my comments. They ARE genuine Bosch plugs. The problem is they are being made very cheaply in Brazil and sold for the same price as the former German made stuff. I have never had any problems with Bosch whenever they were Made in Germany. In fact I would call them far superior in every way to other brands. But you just can't get them any more. Sellers (and I do not mean eBay sellers, although they are certainly involved) trick us by using the numbers for older plugs, so you order them. But the second you open up the package you realize they have just sent you a modern day "equivalent".
I have resorted to searching for places selling "vintage" Bosch products and then I send them an email to ask if they are Made in Germany. I found some Bosch plugs for sale in Germany and sent them a translated message asking if they are German made. They never replied, which is probably their way of telling me they are a foreign-made Bosch product. Another company had genuine Bosch plugs for sale on their website and in big letters "Made in Germany". But when I clicked on the thumbnails for a few of the plugs you could clearly see "Brasil" stamped on the side of the shells! I saw a vintage Bosch WS8E advertised on eBay one day but by the time I logged in the item had gone. And "no" it was not cheap! Clearly the old genuine products are becoming much sought after.
