Do they still make RELIABLE garden tractors?

[madmax12]

Thats not true at all.

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-professional-premium-30-hp-54-34-garden-tractor/p-07128985000P

Here it is, this is where I read it.

Owners of this sears tractor, believe it is a simplicity prestige copy/modified.

It's in the reviews section.

That doesn't mean it is definitely true, but this is where I had gotten that impression.

 

[Carl Bert]

Well, a moment might have come for me. I have a 30-year-old Sears Craftsman garden tractor, I think 13HP, that seems to have given up the ghost. It has served me well, but I can't get it started (it won't even turn over), and since we live in an isolated rural area 80 miles from the nearest Sears, heaven knows who could possibly fix it. I hate to see it, but this tractor has never, never, NEVER let me down. Never even had the belts changed, and it still works perfectly, but now I turn the key and it's just dead, even with a brand new battery.

I'm thinking of just retiring it and getting a new one. I use my big Mahindra tractor for most of our farm work here, but the little tractor is great for things like towing a 40-gallon boom sprayer, that sort of thing. I do NOT need a big, fancy, expensive one with a zillion horsepower. 15HP should be plenty, unless they're measuring HP differently these days.

Problem is, I'm sure they "don't make'em like they used to," and I'm afraid I'll end up with a piece of junk. Are there any common brands out there, or maybe specific models, that have this kind of old-school reliability?

To get 30 years out of any tractor is asking a lot. I am a big John Deere fan, and understand that buying a new Deere is a big expense, but how about a used one? Deeres can really hold their value, and here's an example.

I purchased a 2 yr old JD GX345 in 2006, with 170 hrs for $3800, plus $500 for delivery. I used it for 6 years, and recently sold it for $3900, how can you beat that? In actuality I made $100 on the sale, but even if you count delivery, it cost me $400 to use the tractor for 6 years. So it cost me about $65 a year. I'll take that. Not to mention that you are driving a heavy duty tractor with abilities that the others can not compare to.

A new big box store, or craftsman tractor will run between $1500 and $2500. What will it be worth after 6 years? IF its still running, at best you will get between $300 and $500, and thats being generous. These tractors are really built to be throw aways. As they say, you get what you pay for. That really holds true with tractors. The numbers don't lie. John Deere has always and will continue to lead the rest. Just my 2 cents, but it's something to think about. Good luck with what ever you decide.

 

[Ruark]

Downslope explained it pretty well. If it cranks when you jump to the starter, the problem is the wiring between the battery, the key and the starter.
If it will crank with a jumper but doesn't try to start, I would try a shot of ether in the intake.

Keep us posted.

Aaron Z

Well, hot diggity dog. I jumped from the battery to the starter, and it started right up. Man, the wonders of the internet... (-; So I can use it now, I just need to figure out exactly where the break is.

I'm ASSUMING the alternator is recharging the battery!

OK, the tractor's running. Now I have some spraying to do. Man, it's good to be alive.... :cool2:

 

[aczlan]

Well, hot diggity dog. I jumped from the battery to the starter, and it started right up. Man, the wonders of the internet... (-; So I can use it now, I just need to figure out exactly where the break is.
I'm ASSUMING the alternator is recharging the battery!
OK, the tractor's running. Now I have some spraying to do. Man, it's good to be alive.... :cool2:

Good to hear, sounds like one of 4 things is causing your problems:
1. A blown fuse
2. A bad keyswitch (bad start position)
3. A bad solenoid
4. A bad connection between the battery, the keyswitch and the solenoid

It is not a bad starter or an engine issue.
I would guess that the parts to fix the problem should run less than a $30.

Aaron Z

 

[joshuabardwell]

I concur with what others have said. If the problem is, "won't turn over," it is probably something relatively simple and cheap in the electrical system. If you don't have time to troubleshoot the tractor yourself, it is probably worth taking to a small engine repair shop or putting an ad up on your local Craigslist to hire a handyman to come look at it for you.

Here are some simple troubleshooting steps:

1. Confirm good battery.
2. Turn motor over by hand and confirm it's not locked up.
3. Jump the battery to the hot terminal of the starter motor. Does it crank?

If #3 works out, then you know the problem is electrical between the battery and the starter. Your starter motor and engine are fine. If #3 doesn't work out, the first thing I would do is try a different battery. Maybe jump it off your car (very briefly, because the car's battery puts out more current than your little garden tractor battery).

If #3 doesn't work out, the problem can still be simple. It may be your starter motor is bad.

If the starter cranks when you jump it to the battery, the next place to look might be the solenoid. Jump the solenoid to the battery and you should hear a loud "click" as it actuates. If you don't, then it might be a bad solenoid.

It could also be a bad ignition switch.

The last possibility is that there is a failure in the wiring somewhere between the battery, the solenoid, the ignition, and the starter motor. But all of that is relatively simple to troubleshoot (with a multimeter) and repair, so I would definitely recommend doing some basic troubleshooting and then getting the mower fixed, especially since you like it so much, and it'll be so hard to find something as tough today.

EDIT: Should have read the latest update to the thread before posting. Seems you already confirmed your starter is working.

 

[Car Doc]

We bought a Craftsman GT3000 about 7-8 years ago and its 23 hp v-twin Kohler industrial engine 50" cut and its been a very very good investment in equipment. I dont know anything about who made it or where or even if you could still get one like it but its 100% satisfactory to us not 1 complaint ever.

 

[MESSMAKER]

I sell them. I would not put them on "the list". You'd also never get me to touch a new Deere. I'd grab a old Deere 420/425 if your into them. Kubota G2160/G2460 are very similar and newer vintage. They are great tractors. Simplicity is very good. You all know my passion for Kubota, but the T's are not a great value for what they are, and while the GR's are outperforming what we'd expect its not a 30 year tractor. A BX1860 w/o valve can almost hit garden tractor pricing and will last forever.(QUOTE)

I would not put Cub on the list either. They are above most, but not top tier. They don't make the 3000 series or even the 2500 series anymore, so you have to go used. My local dealer is a great guy, but he is often put in the place of defending Cub Cadets quality. He also sells Grasshopper. They don't give him very many problems. You guys should cut a dealer a little slack when they support their products. Would you not do the same.

 

[murphy1244]

Premium 30 hp 54" Garden Tractor- Craftsman Professional-Lawn & Garden-Riding Mowers & Tractors-Garden Tractors

Here it is, this is where I read it.

Owners of this sears tractor, believe it is a simplicity prestige copy/modified.

It's in the reviews section.

That doesn't mean it is definitely true, but this is where I had gotten that impression.

By golly thats it minus full rollors that give the Simplicity stripping but the price of 6 grand. might as well buy the real thing.

 

[joshuabardwell]

I'm ASSUMING the alternator is recharging the battery!

You should measure about 12.5 volts between the battery terminals when the motor is off, and about 13.5-14.5 volts when the motor is running and the alternator is charging. You can also put a multimeter on the lead(s) coming out of the alternator, and confirm that you see DC voltage coming off of it. You will need a wiring diagram for your mower, since depending on your alternator, it may have a DC and an AC lead coming off of it. On my mower, the AC lead feeds the headlights, while the DC lead feeds the rest of the electrical system.

When I ran into a similar problem a while back, it turned out to be crud on the battery terminals that was doing it. Put some vaseline or dielectric grease on the terminals after cleaning them to prevent this.

 

[Ruark]

I hate to sound like an idiot, but can anybody give me an idea what the solenoid looks like or how to find it? I don't have a clue.

My hunch is that it's the ignition switch. A few months ago, the key started getting sticky when I started it, like it was gunked up. You turn the key to "start" and when you release it, it just stays there, you have to deliberately turn it back to the "run" position. Later I will get some metal panels off the tractor and just follow the wiring from the key to the starter and see what I can find. There are areas back in little nooks where there's a 30-year buildup of goo.

Looks like I won't be getting another small tractor, at least. This thing just keeps running and working forever. I need to clean and tune it - it's been 15-20 years since I changed the air filter or plugs or oil - I've never adjusted the belts or anything else on it. I've cut everything from grass to 5-foot pasture ragweed with it, and towed a 50-gallon boom sprayer with it for days at a time. And it still runs and works like it did the day it was new. What can I say.

If it's of any interest, the tractor is a "Craftsman II" 13HP. 42 inch cutters. Model number starts with 917 - it was made by "American Yard Products," whoever the heck that is/was. It was made in 1985-86.

The motor is a B&S I/C Gold, model # 28M707.

The tractor looks exactly like this one, found on Google Images.