How We Make These Pages
Compiled by Bronto, our AI research assistant, from the sources listed below; checked against them and reviewed by our editor before publication. How we make these pages.
Answer: Most MBB research pages are compiled by Bronto, our AI research assistant, from the sources linked on each page, starting with the manufacturer's own documents. An editor checks each piece against those sources and reviews it before publication. Every page shows the date it was published and lists the sources it cites.
This page covers MBB's guides, reference tables and research pages. The publication-wide rules are in our editorial standards and our evidence standard.
Who writes the pages?
Two kinds of byline appear on these pages, and both mean something specific.
The Machine Blue Book, with a process line. Most pages publish under the MBB name with this line under the title: "Compiled by Bronto, our AI research assistant, from the sources listed below; checked against them and reviewed by our editor before publication." It means what it says. Bronto found and read the sources and drafted the page; a person checked it and approved it.
Signed by Michael Davis. Some pages carry the name of Michael Davis, MBB's editor, because he chose to put his name on that analysis. Bronto may have helped with research or drafting on those pages too.
Bronto is software. It is never presented as a person, an expert or a team member, and we do not invent authors, teams or credentials.
How is a page made?
- A question is chosen. Usually one a buyer, seller, rigger or shop owner has to answer before a machine moves.
- Sources are found and read. Manufacturer documents come first: spec sheets, catalogs, installation drawings and the builder's own web pages. Trade press, standards bodies and government sources add context and are credited. The address of each source and the date we read it are recorded.
- Sources are read politely. We read public pages slowly, honour each site's robots.txt, do not get around a block, and do not submit forms with personal data to reach a document.
- Bronto drafts the page from those sources.
- An editor checks the draft against the sources. A figure without a source is cut. A quotation that cannot be found in its source is removed. Any value that could not be read unambiguously is checked against the source document itself; if it still cannot be read, the page says "not published" rather than guess.
- The page is published with its real date and a list of the sources it cites.
How do we handle specifications?
- Values are copied as the manufacturer printed them, in the builder's units and wording. We do not convert units, average options, or fill gaps from dealer listings, forums or memory.
- "Not published" means the manufacturer document we could retrieve does not state the figure. It does not mean the figure does not exist; the builder's installation manual for your exact machine usually has it.
- Specifications describe a base configuration. Options change the numbers, so confirm the exact option list with the builder in writing.
- Changing a manufacturer value needs a second manufacturer source, and the change is noted on the page.
- Machine photos come from the manufacturer, a free license or the machine's owner. We do not use dealer or marketplace listing photos.
How are pages dated?
- The publication date is the day the page went live. We do not backdate pages or change dates to make a page look fresh.
- Pages built on manufacturer documents say when those documents were read, for example "Last verified November 9, 2026."
- When the substance of a page changes, the modified date changes and the change is described.
What do we leave out?
- Figures we could not trace to a source.
- Quotations we could not find in the source they are attributed to.
- Estimates of what a machine would sell for.
- Advice. These pages are information, not engineering, electrical, legal, tax, medical, regulatory or other professional advice. For an installation, ask a licensed professional who has the machine's documentation.
- Paid material. MBB accepts no payment: no sponsorship, affiliate relationships or paid placement.
What about other languages?
Spanish editions of these pages are translated from the English reference edition. If the versions differ, the English version prevails.
How do you report an error?
Email research@themachinebluebook.com. Name the page, the statement and the source that contradicts it. If we were wrong, we change the page and say what changed.
FAQ
Does AI write MBB's research? Bronto, an AI research assistant, compiles and drafts most research pages. A person checks every piece against its sources and reviews it before it is published, and Delta Arc, LLC, which owns MBB, is responsible for what it publishes.
Why does a page say "reviewed by our editor" instead of naming the reviewer? Every piece is reviewed before publication. Most pages carry the MBB name rather than a person's name; pages that carry a person's name are pages that person chose to sign.
Where do the specifications come from? From the manufacturer's own published documents, listed with their dates in the Sources section of each page.
Related pages
Corrections welcome: research@themachinebluebook.com