Buy...Craftsman 20408 54" 24 HP V-Twin Briggs & Stratton Hydrostatic Garden Tractor?

[tillers]

Buy...Craftsman 20408 54" 24 HP V-Twin Briggs & Stratton Hydrostatic Garden Tractor?

Buy...Craftsman 20408 54" 24 HP V-Twin Briggs & Stratton Hydrostatic Garden Tractor?

Sears is going out of business locally.

This Garden Tractor is going for about half price or $2000, so i am trying to decide if worth buying knowing that service/parts could be an issue.

My neighbor also has a Sears GT6000 that he will sell me, probably $1000. He takes good care of it and is a mechanic, but the same issues i suppose.

Locally, we have John Deere, Simplicity, Kubota, Cub Cadet and Toro. Of course a decent mower going to cost a lot more going that route.

any suggestions? i will mow about 2 acres.

thanks.

 

[dannoGT]

Re: Buy...Craftsman 20408 54" 24 HP V-Twin Briggs & Stratton Hydrostatic Garden Tract

Who builds that tractor for Sears? Is it a husqvarna? What parts are unique to the Sears and will you be able to find those parts once sears is gone? I own an orphan tractor now and finding parts is a problem so I also have access to a backup. Something to keep in mind!

 

[mcfarmall]

Re: Buy...Craftsman 20408 54" 24 HP V-Twin Briggs & Stratton Hydrostatic Garden Tract

You can get Sears/Craftsman parts on-line. I can still buy parts for my DLT2000 that was built in 1994 or somewhere in the late 1900's. I've been pretty happy with the tractor overall with the exception of 2 things: The cheap plastic hood that shattered, and the POS 2 piece plastic gas tank that leaked at the seam and caught on fire.

Solution: Run the tractor with no hood and I purchased a very nice 2.5 gallon one piece blow molded fuel tank from U.S. Plastics in Ohio to replace the leaker. Rides a little rougher on my bumpy yard than my JD 260 but the hydro tranny is nice.

I mow 2 acres with mine too with the 48" deck.

 

[John_Mc]

Re: Buy...Craftsman 20408 54" 24 HP V-Twin Briggs & Stratton Hydrostatic Garden Tract

I have a GT5000 with a 54" deck. Bought it used, a year or two old from a guy in a neighboring town. I am not a fan of the 54" deck. The area I mow is rough, and I can't get much ground clearance (even when raised all the way up). The deck also fills up with grass clippings stuck to the underside quite a bit. I'm not one who goes for the manicured lawn look, so I let it grow longer than some people between mowings - not sure if that has anything to do with the grass sticking so much or not.

 

[tomplum]

Re: Buy...Craftsman 20408 54" 24 HP V-Twin Briggs & Stratton Hydrostatic Garden Tract

Yes, that is a Husqvarna built rider. the 54" is a well made deck. I'd have to agree with John_Mc that 54" (actually ALL 3 blade HOP decks) tend to not carry the grass out as efficiently as some. The 54 is the best of them though. Parts are available and likely always will be through HOP distributors. A side note on dealing with low height of cut on these, once you've raised your deck rear adjusters, be sure to set the pitch.