Craftsman DYT4000 3.80 star(s) (5)

DYT 1000 At 10 Year Mark
Model Year: 2005

I got this 1000 Model when I came to Maine. It did well for 3 years, then the engine went nuts, and nuts is polite, as the engine block wall blew out and took the piston with it and hasn't been found yet. Sears didn't care, so I went to Northern Tool and got a new engine. I called them at their Richmond Virginia store (it's the closest one), told them what happened and asked if they had a solution. Apparently I am not the only one to have this happen, and Northern Tool was ready. They had an upgraded engine, a better B&S, crated and on the way in under an hour via UPS (a mistake no one should have to go through !). It got it here and to my guy stripped the frame, repainted it with Ben Moore DTM Black, let the paint set up and dry, and put it in - all in under 90 minutes. That was the smartest move I ever made, and the best money I ever spent. I have 2 acres, all yard, and it grows, but I have yet to go through more than 10 gallons a season (April to very late October) no matter how fast or high the grass grows, or how frequently I cut. This new B&S is frugal with gas. Maintenance wise, I'm on my second set of spindles, Maine and rocks being what they are, and on my 4th set of blades. However, the deck, at 42 ", just keeps on going. The only real pain is the tires, which are the cheapest Sears could get away with. Spend the money and get real tires, not the cheap ones Sears sells, and get them mounted, or better yet, replace the whole tire / wheel combo, and be done with it. The frame is indestructible, and with the right synthetic oil, the B&S engine is too. For me, the 1000 was a Sears 'late bloomer' that they needed to do more work on, and invest in, to make it a winner. That they didn't shows why Sears is getting clobbered by the competition. If they had looked at their customers more, and less at their balance sheet, they wouldn't be in the mess they are in, and getting worse by the day.

Pros: Just keeps on going with proper maintenance
Cons: Lousy engine and useless tires

Valve Adjustment
Model Year: 2004

I have had this lawnmower for 12 years. Every two years I have to take it in to have the valves adjusted or it will not turn over to start. I have been through 3 starters.I finally wised up and bought a John Deere.

Pros: I can not think of one, it mowes grass when it is running
Cons: It is a piece of crap, I have over $600 in maintenance

It Mows And Tows
Model Year: 2001

I got the mower from my father-in-law. Everything worked well on it for the most part. It had about 200 hours on the meter when the Peerless 2000 transmission started to bog down. There is a YouTube video showing a backdoor method to service the transmission, but the guy is long winded and uses some foul talk. However, it's worth viewing to restore the transmission back to great condition. Around the 300 hour mark, the single cylinder Briggs & Stratton 18.5 horsepower engine just blew up. Rather than pay a few thousand for a new mower, I found a Kohler 18 horsepower (M18) V-Twin to swap easily. This mower behaves better than my neighbor's GT5000 in tackling any tall grass. I really mean tall, like over 18 inches! By the way, the deck adjustment arm broke shortly after getting the mower. I just use the deck wheels to adjust the height.

Pros: It mows
Cons: Service the transmisison with Cub Cadet fluid as soon as possible to keep it moving, the deck adjustment is a poor design, Briggs and Stratton engine can't take thick grass

Transaxle Problems
Model Year: 2002

We have been having transaxle problems as the transaxle will go into a neutral type situation when in a steady pull. I am upset that Craftsman has not had a free recall on their mowers and traitors to fix this problem as nearly all of them have this same problem around 50 hrs. on the meter. I hope that everyone with this same problem reports it to consumer guide.

Pros: Cuts great.
Cons: Bad transaxle gear.

Craftsman 4000 Lawn Tractor 42-Inch
Model Year: 0

Has worked fine. My only concerns are: 1) The Briggs and Stratton 24 hp V-2 engine has a lot of blow-by and oil vapor gets onto the air filter. It does not use oil. and 2) The mower deck does not mow evenly. One blade is not parallel to the other. It always leaves a line down the center of the cut. There is about 1/4 inch difference. I plan on shimming the shaft hub where it bolts to the deck to see if I can improve the smoothness of the cut. It is fun to drive and can turn very sharply.

Pros: Sharp turning radius and fun to drive.
Cons: Uneven cut.