Will no longer buy Craftsman/Sears Products!!

[creekbend]

It seems apparent by reviewing these posts, that Sears has lowered their standards.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I have a Swisher with about 50 hours is OK and bought one about 5 years old with over 300 hours for parts but its chassis is worse for wear but engine sounds good and they sold new for about $4500 and are ZTM.

300 hours will take out most non commercial mowers period sold in the past several years. As noted that is about 10 years of yard care for the typical home owner which is cheap mowing.

 

[Midniteoyl]

2010 Gt 5000 Garden Tractor with 314 hours. Only used for mowing grass. Front tires out of toe. Bought new spindles and drag links....still out of toe. I did some research and have read where people are having trouble with bent frames. Called Sears and was going to set up an appointment to have a Sears Repairman come out to take a look, and hopefully replace the frame. Yes the frame is under warranty. But, it costs $96 just for the guy to come out, then I would owe all labor if the frame does need replaced. So It would still cost me around $400 just to have the frame replaced under warranty!!!! Done!!! You get what you pay for! I should have never bought the thing. Back to a Deere for me. I will pay a little more to have a much better product!! Anyone interested in this tractor?? Live near Pittsburgh Pa.

Its a MTD product...

 

[Gale Hawkins]

It seems apparent by reviewing these posts, that Sears has lowered their standards.

Sears was on the ropes when K-mart people took them over as I understand it.

 

[RandyT]

The average homeowner uses a rider 38 hours per year and is replaced every 4.5 years. That is from the manufacturers own surveys conducted on there products.

 

[jgrinn]

Bought a new (new to me) house, and needed a bigger deck then the 42" John Deere that I had. Money was a little tight so I bought the 54" GT 5000. Biggest regret of my life!! I preach it all the time, and now I am living it....You get what you pay for!! The Deere I had was 4 yrs old and had 400 hours on it, never an issue.

 

[stevem5215]

I'll be the first to say this. A 100hrs a year is a lot of use for any low end tractor. That's about what would be recommended for a chinese manufacturer as well. And they call those "hobby tractors". A Craftsman used that much is stretching it for sure.

The question that begs to be answered is how many acres a week are you cutting with it ? If it's more than the manufacturer recommended then that could be the issue. Or if the terrain is more like a field than lawn that's an issue too. I mean after all you wouldn't use a farm tractor to cut a manicured lawn and you wouldn't think of using a lawn tractor for field work.

Steve

 

[murphy1244]

The average homeowner uses a rider 38 hours per year and is replaced every 4.5 years. That is from the manufacturers own surveys conducted on there products.

And the average homeowner does not change the oil or do any filters.

 

[PapaPerk]

2010 Gt 5000 Garden Tractor with 314 hours. Only used for mowing grass. Front tires out of toe. Bought new spindles and drag links....still out of toe. I did some research and have read where people are having trouble with bent frames. Called Sears and was going to set up an appointment to have a Sears Repairman come out to take a look, and hopefully replace the frame. Yes the frame is under warranty. But, it costs $96 just for the guy to come out, then I would owe all labor if the frame does need replaced. So It would still cost me around $400 just to have the frame replaced under warranty!!!! Done!!! You get what you pay for! I should have never bought the thing. Back to a Deere for me. I will pay a little more to have a much better product!! Anyone interested in this tractor?? Live near Pittsburgh Pa.

I'd avoid Deere garden tractors too. Try a Kubota BX or Deere 1000 series. Of course they cost a lot.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I mean after all you wouldn't use a farm tractor to cut a manicured lawn and you wouldn't think of using a lawn tractor for field work.

Steve

oops..