Beware of Husqvarna Garden Tractors, Front Scoop "Capable"?

   / Beware of Husqvarna Garden Tractors, Front Scoop "Capable"?
  • Thread Starter
#41  
My 1984 Work Horse GT1100 was $1699.00 MSRP with no options. It has an 11 HP Briggs & Stratton engine, 8 spd transaxle and has a steel angle frame. It was rated for a Front End Loader, land plow, and other ground engaging implements. I bought it with a 48" Dozer blade, wheel weights, and chains for an additional $400.00. The similar Wheel Horse with a 10 HP Kohler engine was $2999.00, but had more deluxe features. The GT1100 helped with clearing a house lot and did extensive back filling of a 28x50 foundation and a 150' long well line. It hauled all the fill for a 35' retaining wall in a 17 cu/ft trailer that was heaped full on each load. I also cleared a 20" wet snow fall at a neighbors new house construction that an older 2wd full size backhoe gave up on, due to not being able to get traction on the ice underneath. The only major problem was/is a rear axle seal that has let go. I could not find a new garden tractor that is similar so will probably try to find an extremely well taken cared for 25 +/- model with a hydrostatic transmission and hydraulic lift. Bill C

I like the story. There seems to be a noticeable difference between the pre 90's and modern. I also wonder about the HP ratings now, the older tractors were very powerful with those cast iron blocks. A manual transaxle can put more actual wheel hp to the ground than the common IHT that come in our modern choices, might be something there too.

It sounds like you got your moneys worth, That GT sounds very "capable", (I had to add that) and I've been there with a drain field I moved with my prior grass cutter (2011 Ariens hd special with 6spd), what a mess, I blew the seals eventually on that transaxle, they were cheap and easy to replace though, and I still have that old transaxle. I don't know what I will use it for yet, but it was too good to give up.:)

By the way, on my "newest restored GT in America" I'm approaching 400hrs. The JBJR is still working well and the GT, after all the chassis build, is proving very "capable", short update.

Cheers GT
 
   / Beware of Husqvarna Garden Tractors, Front Scoop "Capable"? #42  
Hi All. I have a 2017 Husqvarna GT52XLS with 24 hp kawasaki. i
It is unclear to me if the 2”17 models and earlier have the weak frame problem. I really want to put a bucket on mine buck don’t want to break my machine. I’d rather use a shovel than risking breaking it. Is there really a risk of I put the 36” Husqvarna bucket on my machine and just use it for light duty things?
 
   / Beware of Husqvarna Garden Tractors, Front Scoop "Capable"? #43  
Lots of good info. Thanks to the OP. Back when I searching for a true GT back in the late 90's, I picked up and still use my WheelHorse - solid machine with lots of available attachments. Looking for another GT nowadays and I don't really see anything that is comparable without stepping up to a SCUT.
 
   / Beware of Husqvarna Garden Tractors, Front Scoop "Capable"? #44  
Very good points/ questions. I want to respond at least in brief now and then more detail later.

On 17 JULY 2017 I purchased my GT48DXLS from our local Dealer. Our Dealer claimed it was an actual "Garden Tractor" capable of all the accessories ("Ground Engagement Work") that were represented by Husqvarna in their ads.

For 62 hrs and 10 months I would have told people how good the GT was and how "capable" it was, getting so much yard work done, and a small amount of mowing.

On 07JUN2018, with 63hrs on the tractor, everything changed.

View attachment 609980



This is the short, short, short,....etc. version.

The chassis failed, completely. This failure was not due to too much weight in the bucket. It didn't magically occur because of the different brand of 200lbs weight limit scoop I had (I was using a JBJR). It didn't fail because I was driving a 5 mph max speed tractor so fast that I crashed it, which would have resulted in me going over the front as if I was in the Olympics (I had no injuries, the tractor implement had no damage, and the plastic tractor pieces were intact too). The support brackets for the scoop I was using were a bit more supportive for the tractor than the Husqvarna support brackets would have been. It's actually a simple thing that took a couple seconds, very fast. I had joined the many ranks of front snow blower owners that found themselves with a chassis that had buckled in the same identical location. While Husqvarna was busy publicly ignoring the problem with their known weak chassis, they were quickly quietly eliminating the GT from their model line up and then slapping on a thick piece of metal in this very weak spot. They called this metal piece added in 2018 a "Chassis Support Bracket". Husqvarna thinks they don't have to come clean about their weak frame, so I'm helping them. 😉

So I had to rebuild the tractor on my own employing an engineer and credible, agriculture Fabrication shop that is approx 2 hrs from me to help me make this a true Light Garden Tractor. This manufacturer was very helpful, to include showing me what I could do that was labor intensive to help keep the costs down for me. All they do is build and fix the big machines, I was thankful for them taking this on as a small project. I have 173hrs on it now. Unlike Husqvarna's empty promises, The fabrication shop kept their word and my GT performs as it always should have, had it been fitted with a properly engineered chassis in the beginning from the manufacturer, which is what I thought I was buying in the first place, when they sold me on their "robust" frame.

So that's the short, short short, short, version..... of what was the motivation behind my post.
would you be willing to explain what you did to fix the chasis and make it capable of handling the bucket and snowblower? I have a 2017 GT52XLS that I want to put a bucket on.
 
   / Beware of Husqvarna Garden Tractors, Front Scoop "Capable"? #45  
Lots of good info. Thanks to the OP. Back when I searching for a true GT back in the late 90's, I picked up and still use my WheelHorse - solid machine with lots of available attachments. Looking for another GT nowadays and I don't really see anything that is comparable without stepping up to a SCUT.
Basically you are correct. The true garden tractors have morphed into SCUT,
 
   / Beware of Husqvarna Garden Tractors, Front Scoop "Capable"?
  • Thread Starter
#46  
Hi All. I have a 2017 Husqvarna GT52XLS with 24 hp kawasaki. i
It is unclear to me if the 2”17 models and earlier have the weak frame problem. I really want to put a bucket on mine buck don’t want to break my machine. I’d rather use a shovel than risking breaking it. Is there really a risk of I put the 36” Husqvarna bucket on my machine and just use it for light duty things?

Glad to see this is still creating do it yourself thought and interest.

To clear up the question, the chassis on the 2017 is 3" tall, you have the same as my 2017 GT48DXLS.

The chassis has changed part numbers over the years for extra bolt holes drilled but that's it. The chassis on the latest TS3 series is the same as the chassis on the GT series and the YT series it originally was on when Electrolux spun the AYP company off to it's own management under Husqvarna in 2006.

The chassis production was started in 2005 for 2006 models of YT's at first, it was morphed from earlier models (built prior to 2005) that were a bit stronger. I gave all the dimensions to the TS3 series chassis in my post on the build, I'll include links.

The build is a very good aid for anyone thinking of putting a front ground engagement implement on their 26lb pan chassis Husqvarna or Craftsman, or the few private labels. What I've built is very capable of digging, leveling, and such like a scut bucket just not the overall height :).

I've moved a lot of sand, and I have more to go with the up and coming build projects. Having the abilities to move the weight with that bucket has been invaluable to me, I recommend the Johnny Bucket JR and proper chassis modifications.


Lots of good info. Thanks to the OP. Back when I searching for a true GT back in the late 90's, I picked up and still use my WheelHorse - solid machine with lots of available attachments. Looking for another GT nowadays and I don't really see anything that is comparable without stepping up to a SCUT.

Thank you. The wheelhorse was solid, and the fact they are still around being used regularly kind of speaks well for the design.

Sad but true the options for a real in between work horse are slim, but they are out there.

Hope this helps,

-GT
 
   / Beware of Husqvarna Garden Tractors, Front Scoop "Capable"? #47  
So does anyone know if Husqvarna is planning on changing back to the C - Channel frame / chassis. I am concidering purchasing a TS 354xd for grass cutting and attaching a snow blower to it from my old Craftsman YT4000 (which oddly enough is a lower end riding mower but has the stronger C - Channel chassis/frame). I am concerned the frame will not be able to handle it and will buckle. I think that if it is being called a "Garden Tractor" at this price range with the K66 and Professional grade Kawasaki engine should have a C-Channel frame and be able to handle at least a snowblower but maybe not a Johnny Bucket which would better be left to a SCUT. I have also looked at the Cub Cadet XT2 GX54D which has the C-Channel frame and would be very comparable, does anyone have any thoughts or insights

If you want a real garden tractor then the XT3 or the 2000, 2500, and 3000 series cubs are what you want.
 
   / Beware of Husqvarna Garden Tractors, Front Scoop "Capable"? #48  
A tidbit of useful info for those that have the frames cracking ahead of the rear axle. A seller on EBay has a bolt on reinforcement bracket. sspowersportsllc is the seller.
 
   / Beware of Husqvarna Garden Tractors, Front Scoop "Capable"? #49  
 
Top