Craftsman LS3000

[JohnSinVA]

Honda HRC216HXA

I guess you the old saying, "You can pay me now, or pay me later" is appropriate. If you purchase a quality lawn tractor or 48/60-inch walkbehind, it will most likely last you for life (for the average homeowner), but you can buy low quality products every few years and end up paying more in the end.

Well, for that $1100 MSRP I can buy 6 "low quality" push mowers. Supposing I get only 5 years out of each that's still 30 years of service. With modern OPE, if one does routine maintence even the inexpensive stuff will give 10 years service to the homeowner, so I have the 30 years plus $600 in my pocket.

That mower you linked to would be appropriate for FT professional cutters. To suggest it for a homeowner who cuts their grass once or twice a week is nonsense.

 

[hbaird]

As I said in answer to another post, my DLT3000 with the Koehler Command 20HP V twin has had a lot of rough treatment and is still going strong after 3 years. The blades wear very fast if you cut brush and stumps but otherwise mine has given great service with only basic care. In parting, I would really like to see an $1100 lawn mower. Oh my brakes will need adjustment soon.
Harold

 

[MT372HERE]

As I said in answer to another post, my DLT3000 with the Koehler Command 20HP V twin has had a lot of rough treatment and is still going strong after 3 years. The blades wear very fast if you cut brush and stumps but otherwise mine has given great service with only basic care. In parting, I would really like to see an $1100 lawn mower. Oh my brakes will need adjustment soon.
Harold

That was my one ongoing complaint with my craftsman. I went through 2 sets of blades a season. And I dont have any sand, or stumps. Cutting 1 to 2 acres. They would just dissentegrate.

When I bought my JD 425 in late 200o, I sold it in late 02 with about 150 hours of cutting on it, with the same blades, and they still were at least 90%. I had sharpened them 1 time a season. They never wore out.

Then when I bought the 445 in late 02, I had new JD blades on it, and I mowed about the same amount before I sold it, and the blades hadnt worn.

to add to that, when I bought the old JD 316 late last year, it had new blades on it, and Ive mowed 2 acres 1 time a week every week since, excluding winter, and Ive sharpened them 1 time, and that was only becasue I mowed a friends yard whose grass was 3 feet tall. Seriously, it was 2 acres up to the hood.

My aunt has a Yard machines mower, its only 1.5 years old, and she has 1 acre, and I have to put new blades on every 2 months. No sand, no rocks or stumps, just grass.

Maybe its the thicker steel? or the faster blade speed? I dunno.

 

[firemanpat2910]

I dont remember if it is the same model but I bought my dad a Craftsman for Xmas for around the same price. The cast iron front end, step through mounting,and better seat are what made me choose it over the other brands. Pops could not be happier,previously he had an old used MTD that Ibought him 4 years ago.his only complaint is the old one went faster on the streets between his house and mine!! I get the grass cut 2 or 3 times a week and all I do is the upkeep. That reminds me Its probably time to change the oil. He uhas used the mower at least 4 days a week since Xmas and had no problems at all.

 

[Gatorboy]

Gatorboy, we are still waiting to hear more about the $1000.00 21" push mowers. Is this for real or empty garble?

Uh, I posted a link to one example above.

 

[ejtaylor822]

Do you have any specific faults with the Craftsman? or just a history of bad experience?

Gatorboy, when are you going to answer Kevin's question above? Also, what kind of push mower and riding mower do you have for your own personal use? Just curious.

Eddie

 

[Gatorboy]

Do you have any specific faults with the Craftsman? or just a history of bad experience?

Just from experience when I was in the lawn care business back in Florida during the early 80's. Many guys would try and get into the business with these cheap mowers and after a month or two were broken down. I received many calls from people wanting me to come and cut their lawn because the guy they hired (who always tried undercutting the real professionals) stopped showing up. Unfortunately for them, this always seemed to happen during June/July and I was already fully booked. Just like the old say, "You get what you pay for."

I had pushmowers (Bobcats) that cost more than these guys paid for their riding pieces of junk.

If you ever use a good quality mower, you will never want to buy anything cheaply made again -- IMHO.

For my own personal use on my lawn, I have a 48-inch Scag walk-behind with a 17HP Kawasaki engine. Fantastic machine.

 

[ejtaylor822]

Dave/Gatorboy,
Thanks for sharing. Understand your perspective a little better and it is very credible. Do not disagree with you one bit on the quality of commercial equipment and the premise of "you get what you pay for" - no arguments here - it's just a lot of us, at least myself, really do not need commercial equipment. Limited $$$$, at least for me, means limited equipment choices. So far, I have found something that meets the need.

Agree with you, from what I have seen on the Scag's those are nice machines. I had not heard of them before until the landscape service in our last development used them. They appear to be very well made for the long haul.

Eddie

 

[Kevin_in_VA]

Thanks everyone for all of the replies (the good ones and not so good ones as well).

Dave/Gatorboy

Thanks for the candid opinions, and I agree with your point of pay me now or pay me later, but I just bought a backhoe for my TC30 and cannot afford the type of mower that might last a lifetime. I have 7.5 acres and most of it I maintain using my New Holland, the Craftsman is more of a fill in mower for me as I need something to get into the areas that my TC30 won't go and are too much work for a push mower. In this case a $1,000 riding mower with a service plan is sufficient for my purposes.

Thanks Bird. I've always valued your opinion on this board (whether you knew it or not).

As for proper care and storage, I maintain all of my own equipment and would be the only one using it. Maybe that's why my old one lasted 15 yrs. I was considering the Hydrostatic drive too, but for my purposes the gear drive is adequate. My TC30 is a Hydro, and I really like it, but I do a lot of FEL work with it and the Hydro really comes in handy. For straight line mowing gears work fine.

 

[Kevin_in_VA]

Kevin,
Those new FS series are nice - I have been eyeing them myself. Think you will really it. I work with a guy that bought one a month or so ago and he loves it.

As Bird mentioned, and sure you already know, just take good care of it and it will last a long time - it's just like anything else. I am on my second Craftsman mower and have no complaints whatsoever. Is it commercial quality? I do not think so, but, I don't care either! I am just a homeowner that just wants to keep my yard neat. All I care about is that it starts, runs and performs the task that I am doing (cutting, dethatching, aerating, spreading, etc.) in a reasonable amount of time without hassle. For the last three years it has done that and then some. When it stops performing and/or doing what I need, and it will, I will go get another one. Just like with an automobile.

Congratulations! Post some pictures when she shows up and enjoy.

Eddie

Thanks for the feedback. My sentiments are the same as yours. BTW I had the model # wrong. It is an LT3000 not an LS3000.