Craftsman Garden Tractors ("THOUGHTS ONLY")

[jinman]

My neighbor has a mid-range Craftsman mower. His biggest reason for owning it is that when he needs service, he calls a number and a guy comes rolling up in a truck to fix/service his mower. For him, having the service contract is a great plus. He can't work on the mower, but it always gets fixed quickly. Of course, Sears has the servicemen under contract, so it depends on your area, YMMV.

 

[LBrown59]

1* Cub Cadet mowers offer a lot of bang for the buck but I think you have to get into the 2000 or 2500 series or higher to get beyond the box store level.
2*Personally I'm not a huge fan of Cub Cadet but that's based on an extremely bad experience with a Cub garden tractor bought new in the mid 1980's so maybe they have improved.

1*The 2500 series are the most bang for the buck Garden Tractors you can buy .
2*Those were some of the best years /times for Cub Cadets.
You just happened to get a lemon .

*I just sold my like new 93 hour 2005 Cub Cadet GT2554.
I bought a new Front Blade and a new Rear Tiller with it .
Never had them on the tractor so they were still new and un used.
Today this out fit would run just over $9000.
The guy who bought it made a steal of a deal at $4000.

 

[chopped]

I have to agree
Sears has gone like Wal Mart. they have lowered their standards and are low rate products now. Sorry to say...

 

[DavidVT]

Our 'new' Husqvarna died today during it's second day of mowing this season. Sounds like the voltage regulator or a short somewhere. Started the day with a strong battery and my wife mowed for hours. After lunch it started right up but an hour later it died. I had to jump it but the headlights were orange. Shortly after it dropped out the electric clutch.. Not charging no more... The hydrostat slips going uphill and runs away going down hill. The wiring harness is a mess.

So I dragged out the 2000 craftsman that I started to get working last summer when the fairly new Husqvarna started to act up. I had added an electric fuel pump which seemed to be the only way to keep the aluminum Kohler running. It still has a starting problem but with the assistance of the alternator on my Cummins, I got the craftsman running. The drive belt is way past it's prime but I managed to slowly finish the lawn without stalling the craftsman. While putting the drive belt back on I noticed the Hydro fan is missing all it's blades. Time for some parts from Sears!!

Why the long story...
1) I have AYP/Huaqvarna products.
2) Unless someone gives me another one, these are my last AYP products.
3) My father's craftsmen from the 80s is still running for a neighbor but that was a cast iron engine
4) Today's Craftsman mowers may still be the best bang for the buck, but these are not our father's craftsman anymore

What do I like: Low cost, great parts availability from Sears, fairly easy to work on, I can afford to have two large unreliable mowers so I know one will usually get the job done...

What don't I like: Durability is far worse than with older craftsman, wiring harness, i don't like having to use the great parts system from Sears, Service contract pricing went nuts. I used to buy the Craftsman because the service contract was worth it's weight in gold.

If you are happy with a 2000+ Craftsman / AYP, great and good luck to you!
If you are unhappy with a 2000+ Craftsmen / AYP, I feel your pain!
If you are shopping for a garden tractor, don't just buy a Craftsmen because your Dad was happy with his. Shop around first and if you go elsewhere, do your homework before buying another brand just to discover it came off the same assembly line.

(We thought we were buying up when we bought the Husqvarna. I really do have a great Husqvarna chain saw!! )

 

[Carl in CT]

1. If you are shopping for a garden tractor, don't just buy a Craftsmen because your Dad was happy with his. Shop around first and if you go elsewhere, do your homework before buying another brand just to discover it came off the same assembly line.

2. (We thought we were buying up when we bought the Husqvarna. I really do have a great Husqvarna chain saw!! )

1. So true, and it goes for all brands. Remember, there is no Craftsman manufacturing plant, somebody makes them for Sears (usually AYP or MTD) and they are not all made by the same manufacturer and they change year to year based on who gives Sears the best price (same with Kenmore applicances, etc).

2. Don't confuse brand product lines either. Husqvarna makes some of the worlds best chainsaws, especially the pro models like the 346xp saw I own. They also sell cheaper ones that might not even be made by Husky (cheaper Huskies might be Poulan, not sure). THE POINT IS YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR RESEARCH!!! You can't just go by brand name, right down to the parts. You have to know the components, which Briggs and Stratton motor are you getting, Vanguard (commercial quality) or a mid grade Briggs (decent motors, cheap parts), Kohler Courage (low end, cheap motor) or Kohler Command (a little better), which transmission, Tuff Torque or some generic light duty tranny, etc.

I have a 18hp Toro/Wheelhorse that is 14 years old and after a few minor repairs it is still running great and is solid (and for sale), cost about $400 a year to buy/maintain. I was given a 20hp Yard Man (MTD) as a 2nd/backup mower that lasted only 2 years doing the same thing the Wheelhorse was doing, cost $800 a year to buy/maintain. You get what you pay for and cheaper now will end up costing more in the long run.

If you really want to buy from Sears, buy this 30hp Craftsman Premium Professional (see link below). It is basically a Simplicity Prestige painted black and sold by Sears. Awesome tractor and a lot cheaper than the Simplicity version. I would bet it's not identical or it would not be so much cheaper but the main parts are probably close. I thought about this tractor myself but I got my Conquest at dealer cost ($5,200) as a 2010 leftover. I wanted the Vanguard motor over the Briggs Pro, the Simplicity dealer support vs Sears and the Simplicity financing (1.9% for 5 years vs Sears 25% revolving credit). I see this Craftsmen pro is now on sale for $6,000 which is still a lot of money but it's a good price for that much tractor.
Sears: Online department store featuring appliances, tools, fitness equipment and more

 

[terrierlady]

My neighbor has a mid-range Craftsman mower. His biggest reason for owning it is that when he needs service, he calls a number and a guy comes rolling up in a truck to fix/service his mower. For him, having the service contract is a great plus. He can't work on the mower, but it always gets fixed quickly. Of course, Sears has the servicemen under contract, so it depends on your area, YMMV.

My mileage sure did vary - my Craftsman GT5000 was purchased with the thought that Sears had fairly reliable service. The thing hasn't started or budged since the Sears serviceman came to do the spring tuneup and reduced a working tractor to a lawn ornament then wanted to charge me $700 to replace the carburator.

The new Kubota arrives Wednesday, my grandson can have the Craftsman to tinker with.

 

[Carl in CT]

terrierlady, don't buy parts from Sears if you can help it. I just bought a new carburetor for my Toro/Wheelhorse tractor for $43 online from Tulsa Engine Warehouse. The Toro dealer wanted over $270. I got lucky to get it for $43 but you routinely see carbs like that new for $130-ish online. Look at Tulsa Engine Warehouse, Pat's Small Engine Plus, Small Engine Warehouse, etc.

I have bought from Tulsa and Pat's and they are great. Pat's helped me find the right carb for my snowblower over the phone, good people. Get the make of your engine (Briggs and Stratton or Kohler probably), the model number and series number (aka spec number). If your grandson likes to tinker, give him this info and tell him to have a blast!

Good luck and congrats on your new Kubota - heck of a nice machine there!

 

[crazyal]

Every brand has it's duds and if it's an engine problem then it's hard to point a finger at Sears (or any other brand) since they do not make the engine.

 

[ultrarunner]

I've been pleased with my Craftsman Honda Powered Mower... several have attempted to buy one and apparently it was only offered in this configuration one season.

I guess I've had it 7 years.

 

[terrierlady]

Every brand has it's duds and if it's an engine problem then it's hard to point a finger at Sears (or any other brand) since they do not make the engine.

The GT5000 wasn't a dud, it was working fine when I got a card in the mail advertising a Sears service special - replace filters and blades and change oil for $175. When the serviceman arrived he started playing with the engine before I could get out of the house and introduce myself, then he said he couldn't perform the service because he couldn't get the machine started. Of course he wasn't sitting on the seat engaging the safety switch either, but by that time he had "adjusted" something and the machine has never started since. He wanted $700 to replace the carb (which Sears sells for $235). When I refused he demanded $100 for the "service call".

I'll spare you the rest of the aggravating details, but the bottom line is that I will never buy from Sears again because they have contracted out their service. Without a decent service dept, they are no different than the big box stores IMHO.