Craftsman LS3000

[Gatorboy]

Why dont you try to be more pleasant?

I'm not a journalist, I'm an engineer, so I get right to the point -- I don't add fluff to my posts. If that makes me unpleasant, so be it.

 

[GaryS]

... I'm an engineer ... If that makes me unpleasant, so be it.

I'm a software engineer for a network attached storage company and I've worked with more than a few that said stuff like this. Please understand that being an Engineer doesn't make you unpleasant.... it's much more basic.

I just don't buy the "I can be rude because I'm an Engineer" baloney.

 

[Gatorboy]

I just don't buy the "I can be rude because I'm an Engineer" baloney.

I never said I was rude. I was just pointing out that technical documents, etc. are not written in a letter or novel style -- they are to the point, or blunt. That is the style I am used to.

 

[GaryS]

I never said I was rude. I was just pointing out that technical documents, etc. are not written in a letter or novel style -- they are to the point, or blunt. That is the style I am used to.

"Brevity is the soul of wit." And I do appreciate short, insightful comments but "Brand X is junk" isn't very helpful. Had it been backed up with real data, it may have been.

While I won't even try to compare Craftsman with expensive Deere or Kubota products, they do provide value and according to ConsmerReports they are they are the second most reliable brand (see "Brand repair history" of the "Lawn Tractors" article). BTW, Deere took top honors.

While I don't have actual sales data, I'd bet that Craftsman outsells any other brand by a large number. When you put a large number of tractors in the field, some percentage is bound to have issues.

Responding to post after post with the same "it's junk" message and "you got to spend money to get anything of value" isn't helpful nor is it entertaining.

 

[MT372HERE]

Seeing that you would like to know: My 48-inch Scag walkbehind is now 7 years old and I've not had one problem with it.

Even a blind squirrel finds an Acorn every once and a while, it's called luck...

You had good luck with an expensive mower, and other people have had good luck with cheaper mowers...

Congratulations, you all got your grass cut in the end right?

Tommy-

 

[Robertsen]

Craftsman Tractors are made by American Yard Products (AYP) which is owned by Electrolux (Swedish Corporation) which apparently is also the owner of Frigidaire and Eureka and several othe brand names. Ayp makes Craftsman, Husqvarna and Poulan Pro tractors and Weedeater trimmers and some Ryobi products.

MTD now makes Troybilt, Cub Cadet, White Outdoor, Yard Machines, Bolens,Toro and McCullogh chain saws.

Murray makes some John Deere rear engine mowers and snowblowers.

John Deere makes their own tractors In USA with some attachements made in Canada and some made in China.

Kubota is made in Japan and USA

I would rate the products thus:

Group A, Compact Tractors

1. Kubota (clearly the leader in engineering, quality and performance, especially since I own the very superior L-3130 with a LA723 loader and BH90 backhoe.

2. John Deere

3. The rest of the domestic and foreign tractor manufacturers.

Group B, Garden products

1. Kubota
2. Deere
3. Troybilt before MTD (I've owned a chipper and rototiller)
4. AYP (since I own and have owned very dependable Craftsman tractors)
5. MTD
6. Murray

(Just my opinion)

Rob

 

[Fordlords]

Fluffery or not, I do believe a few words are worth more than 2800 meaningless innuendos. If you have fact or meaningful opinion to write about what you are thinking, by all means write it. To state that a Craftsman lawn tractor is or is the equal to a Yugo automobile without any solid justification is as meaningless as the posted statement. To say Craftsman is Yugo because my Scag walk behind mower has not broke down in 7 years says NOTHING.

By looking at all the threads and posts here at TBN, it seems that the majority of Craftsman owners are satisfied with their machines as opposed to the dissatisfied. No, they are not claimed to be the best in the world or anything fancy, but for thier price they perform their tasks in a satisfactory manner and have equal customer service and parts/service avaliability as opposed to ALL the competition IN THEIR PRICE RANGE for a machine purchased new.

I would trust the old Packard statement, "Ask the man who owns one," long before someone's statement that as I have an engineering degree I must know it all with my simple dumbfounded innuendos. I might be getting at something, but I have not seen either novel or technical writing from the implied author yet at TBN.

-Fordlords-

 

[Gatorboy]

If you have fact or meaningful opinion to write about what you are thinking, by all means write it.

I thought my background in the lawn care business (earlier post in this thread) made my opinions a bit credible. But I guess if you are not on the Craftsman bandwagon, opinions by others go on deaf ears.

 

[GaryS]

I thought my background in the lawn care business (earlier post in this thread) made my opinions a bit credible. But I guess if you are not on the Craftsman bandwagon, opinions by others go on deaf ears.

I think you do this just to get a rise out of people. I know your opinion and would heed your advice if I was opening a lawn care business - I truly would. I have a bigger Massey for loader, snow removal, and brush hogging and just need a machine to cut my grass once a week for three months.

I object to the endless "Craftsman sucks" posts. We know you hate Craftsman. You need not post that again.

I thought that this site had rules against brand bashing. Endlessly posting "Craftsman sucks" without any data to back that up is brand bashing.

 

[Bird]

Yes, I think Gatorboy has done enough Craftsman bashing and it's time to close this thread.