Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation has announced that one year after its launch, the EverTough by Eaton line of aftermarket clutches is successfully meeting the unique needs of customers with older trucks.
"We've seen a healthy adoption by of our targeted end markets since the introduction of the EverTough by Eaton line," said Catherine Auckland, director of aftermarket for Eaton's Truck business. "We attribute a portion of this achievement to filling a customer want for a genuine Eaton-quality clutch that offers a little less in terms of features, but at a great value."
Auckland noted that shortly after the economic downturn in 2009, Eaton began to look at ways of addressing those customers in the third and fourth replacement of their clutch, who want the quality and know-how that the OEM solution brings, but at a cost that better meets their operational needs.
"We know truck manufacturers and fleets value genuine Eaton clutches from a production – or new truck - perspective," said Auckland. "And many fleets continue to stay with Eaton clutches as they enter their replacement cycles. However, we noticed a point within the truck lifecycle where a segment of the market is willing to sacrifice some of the dampening features and performance of the clutch for a lower price point."
The EverTough by Eaton line of clutches was intended to address this unmet customer need and fill the "better" gap within Eaton's tiered portfolio of offerings by optimizing key areas of the clutch to achieve a balance of price and performance. For example, EverTough by Eaton clutches have standard dual zerk fittings for 25,000-mile lube intervals and are rated for up to 2,050 lb-ft of torque. Key benefits of EverTough by Eaton clutches over competitive offerings in its class include a one-year / unlimited mileage warranty while they are backed by the same Roadranger support as all other Eaton products.
The Advantage Series Solo and Easy Pedal clutches continue to offer customers the "best" level of torsional dampening protection, performance and overall lifecycle value with a two-year / unlimited mileage standard warranty and 50,000-mile lube interval. Eaton Reman and ValueLine clutches are positioned to offer "good" value to customers through economic design and functionality.
