Craftsman GT5000 ...been sitting for a while!

[dreemrider]

So I'm new to the site and am looking for the collective wisdom of this group and I have an issue that I'm sure some of you have faced. I bought a house a few days ago and found out, after I'd made the deal, that there was a tractor in the garage that the seller was going to leave. It is a Craftsman GT5000 that I would guess is about 5 years old judging from what the neighbor was telling me. He said the tractor was bought by the owner previous to the seller who used it a year or maybe two. Then the guy that sold the property to me didn't use it very much but mowed this 1-1/2 acre lot with a push mower! So I'm thinking that maybe he could not get it to run and gave upon it for lack of any mechanical skills. After he mowed it pushing for a season, he paid somebody from that point on.

It is a 26hp Briggs and is pretty dirty and covered with clippings but may be ok. So I tried the key and not much happened so I put a battery charger on it for an hour or two. After a little charging I found that the motor would turn over but the battery soon went belly up again. So before I go any further, what would you guys do? I'm thinking, buy a new battery, drain the gas and put in new and change the oil; then pull the plugs and clean or replace. After that, give her another crank and see if it will go. What say all of you??

 

[murky]

You must have a fast charger. Mine would take overnight. But it probably is the original battery and ready for new. The battery probably had a manufacture date on it.

I would probably jump it and see how it works. You may want to drain the fuel if its been sitting that long. Check the air filter, get New spark plugs. They are cheap.

You can find the model number on the tractor and probably locate a free owner's manual with a google search.

 

[tcartwri]

Get it running before you spend any money on it. No one parks a tractor and chooses to use a push mower, 'just because'.

I have the same machine by the way. Same age as well.

 

[radioman]

Did you check the oil level and color and smell? try turning the flywheel at the top to see if there is a "play" back and block and clunks in both direction. If it does - bad. If it feels like its turning the piston in one direction only- it might be fine. if you have a regular battery charger, leave it overnight charging. I would take air filter off and spray a little starting fluid in carb and then try to start it. if it fires but won't run, you will need to clean the carb. I would get on utube and search for a small engine carb for your model and watch a few videos how to clean it with carb cleaner and put back together. Chances are its just the carb.

 

[murky]

In any case, its worth fixing either by the poster or somebody else. If he will keep it then it doesn't matter when he buys the $40 battery, but if he is going to sell it for somebody else to fix then he won't recoup the battery money.

 

[scaredychicken]

Dreemrider,

the information that you provided suggests that the unit that you have is a 2004 Craftsman model with a B & S 26 hp engine, a 2 cyl gas engine.

I did a search, and the other 26 hp lawn tractors that Craftsman built, had different model #s and instead came with the Kohler engines.

Sounds to me like the Craftsman GT5000 is worth a tune up. I agree with the information in the previous posts. As noted, the Craftsman has seen sitting for a few years. I would also check all fluids, the Starter, and possibly replace the bearings, check the mower pulleys.
A few months ago, I did a similar fix on my 1988 JD160 ride on lawn tractor by calling on a mechanic friend to tune up my trusty unit - that got my old 12.5 hp unit running for about $150 (including a new $95 battery), I was pleased.

A 26 hp Craftsman lawn tractor that is several years old, has value and life. Get it fixed and then enjoy it, or sell it. When you get it running, THEN replace the battery if needed. If you are going to sell it, decide if a new battery is a cost that you want to make personally.

check PM from me also

 

[toppop52]

I bought one just like it that sat outside for 2+ years. I jumped it and drove on my trailer on one cylinder. It had a stuck valve as I found out that made the compression release not work. Eventually I replaced the battery worked the valve free with PB Blaster and pliers, replaced the bent pushrod and adjusted the valves. I bought a near new Johnny bucket for It for $400 after I used the 54" deck for a bush hog until I was done, then put the bucket on and I've used like a front end loader and bulldozer for the last year. I run it well past it's design limits all the time and it keeps on cranking, I have a total of less than $600 Johnny bucket and all in it. I love it!

 

[foreman Etexas]

I bought a GT5000 off craigslist 4yrs ago and have used the heck out of it,they are nice mowers. Mine is a 54in.deck and over the years have beat it up alittle bit,and it doesnt go in reverse very good anymore but its worth buying a battery,change the fuel/oil and give it a shot.

 

[Gary Fowler]

My brother in law has a GT 5000 that he mows about 2 acres with. It is 3 or 4 years old and other than a bent spindle when he hit a tree root, he hasnt had to do anything to it. Good mowers. I would change all the fluids and use a jumper and give it a shot. I had a push mower that sat in storage for 5 years and the oil was like cold honey when I got it back. I had to flush it with diesel to get it to come out but after diesel flushing the crankcase and putting in new oil and gas it fired right up. Now it was running when it went into storage so that doesnt guarantee that yours will do the same. I may have blown an engine on the original owner which caused it to be parked or could have been a carb issue after first year and owner just didnt want to fool with it. One can never tell, but FREE is worth a little oil and gas to try it.