for 275 bucks you would think the japanese would put a plug on the damd thing.
No they aren't. The Mag Drive uses and aluminum adapter bracket. The Walchem Mag Drive uses a polypropylene adapter bracket. Also, more recently, the version with the Fasco motor (domestic) seems to implement silica carbide bearings (no, I'm not talking about the MD/WMD-F). The two motors are still different. The Fasco motors are also larger.both the MD and WMD are built identically now