Craftsman mower problem

[deerefan]

My dad passed a mint 3 year old craftrsman riding mower to me. It has the 20 hp twin kohler engine w/ a 46" deck. I used it yesterday for the first time. It worked great for about an hour then I encountered a problem. i would engage the blades and go about twenty feet and they would quit spinning. I'd push in the blade stop button, pull it out again, they would engage and spin for about 20 feet and stop again. I checked the connections at the switch and it seemed fine and clear of debris. Any suggestions???

 

[Gatorboy]

Any suggestions???

Give the Craftsman away and buy a decent lawn tractor.

 

[deerefan]

A free mower is a decent mower in my book....anyway, any INTELLIGENT suggestions?

 

[Thomas]

Does the ownwers manuel offer anything under trouble shooting...maybe call or vist to Sears sevice department might help.

If it was me,I would take air hose and blow clean all connections also check for wire that might be grounding out.

What the model and year?

There's gentlman w/GT6500 Sears that posted w/in 24 hours might beable to help.

 

[awlchu]

deerefan,

1) PTO clutch is going bad
2) Seat switch is going bad

 

[MT372HERE]

2 things.

1. if you come off the seat AT ALL when riding it with the blades on, they will turn off and you will have to manually turn the switch off and turn it back on. Try doing it SLOW, keeping your weight centered on the seat, not leaning at all. If it does okay for a while, more than likely you have a touchy seat switch and it needs to be replaced or adjusted.

2. The electromagnetic clutches are sensitive to dirt ingestion and heat, not to mention use...So the electric pack inside it can loose power over time, and cause it to release after it gets warm, its a longshot, but possible.

Electric clutches are a tradeoff.

The are easier on belts than a manual clutch, and are easy to use by simply pushing or pulling a button. But when manuafturers started skimping on wiring, and quality, they started becoming a hinderance.

When they work, they are awesome, when they stop working, they suck and are a pain.

 

[deerefan]

i'll try that this evening and let you know. thanks!!

 

[deerefan]

i removed the dust covers on the outer pulleys to watch their actions when the blaes "stopped." The blades are not actually stopping but turning very slow. As i stated before, it will mow for about a minute, then slows down. I found the clutch on the bottom of the motor and noticed it has 3 adjustment bolts like my bushhog. Would adjusting those in help at all? How much do these clutches run?

 

[Stimw]

You might have a spindle bearing (shaft that the blade is on) going bad.
Run the tractor until it quits cutting, TURN IT OFF and try turning the blades to see if there is resistance. One or more bearings might be seizing. Try backing the blade up and see if it loosens up.
Wouldn't hurt to check for rope or wire on a blade/spindle causing it to freeze up.

 

[thingy]

Gatorboy has got a good point,you can buy one o those deeres at lowes cheaper than you can buy a craftsman now. thingy

 

[Fordlords]

I think a Craftsman picked on and tormented Gatorboy as a child

I would guess a faulty seat safety switch on this one.

-Fordlords-

 

[deerefan]

Like I told him, the mower was FREE. Free beats anything sitting on the floor of one of those box stores.
Stimw, I tried that and everything seems free. I was thinking it was the clutch but after speaking with a gentleman who works on these for a living that was ruled out. I just bought a new belt b/c my dad told me that just before he gave it to me a stick locked up a blade, causing the belt to "smoke." The mechanic said it seems that once the belt gets hot it may start slipping. I'll try it tonight and post the results. Thanks for the input.

 

[deerefan]

Good one fordlords. I've had three craftsman mowers and this is the only problem I've ever had. One mower was a hand me down that I used to drive around when I was young. It was probably close to 20 yrs old when I got it and ran and cut like a champ.

 

[Fordlords]

It has been well established by many here that Craftsman tractors are every bit as good as any other tractor in their price range. Every now and then someone crawls out from under their rock with the bashing routine when they notice other decent posters are catching up to their post count.

Any machine you can get for free is OK by me And once you get past the paltry problem it's having, you'll probably get 10 years of use out of the tractor. Can't beat that!

-Fordlords-

 

[cc2160]

Gatorboy has got a good point,you can buy one o those deeres at lowes cheaper than you can buy a craftsman now. thingy

He said get a decent one. The JDs at Lowes are far from decent and could be part of the supposed price difference too, though I haven't seen anything to substaniate that. You're still paying for the JD emblem/name, even though you're getting average/sub-average quality equipment. I'd definitely stick with the Craftsman (Husqvarna) over those.


Does this tractor have the RSOS system on it? (Reverse Operation, does if it has four key positions instead of three -- OFF, RSOS, ON, START)

 

[deerefan]

yes, it has off,on, lights on, ignition.

 

[deerefan]

problem solved....replaced the belt...took all day to find one it has weird dimensions. The belt costs $32, a little steep but much better than $200 for the clutch.

 

[Gatorboy]

It has been well established by many here that Craftsman tractors are every bit as good as any other tractor in their price range.

Can't argue with that -- all tractors in this price range are pretty inferior and cheaply made. A good alternative would be to purchase a quality walkbehind mower (36"-48" cut). They will outlast these riders and cut your yard much faster.

 

[MikePA]

My dad passed a mint 3 year old craftrsman riding mower to me. It has the 20 hp twin kohler engine w/ a 46" deck. I used it yesterday for the first time. It worked great for about an hour then I encountered a problem. i would engage the blades and go about twenty feet and they would quit spinning. I'd push in the blade stop button, pull it out again, they would engage and spin for about 20 feet and stop again. I checked the connections at the switch and it seemed fine and clear of debris. Any suggestions???

Might be a safety switch problem?

I agree with the others who have stated free beats paying any time. While this class of riding mower is not something I'd buy (it wouldn't meet my needs), I'd sure use it until it dropped.

By way of example, I bought a Wheel Horse Work Horse garden tractor in 1984. 16 hp B & S twin and a 42" rear discharge mower. I've replaced the normal wear items such as the PTO clutch, belts, oil changes, etc. and that's it. Heck, it's still running the original spark plugs.

My neighbor bought a Craftsman riding tractor at the same time. I have no idea what he paid for it nor what kind of maintenance he did. However, the first one was replaced under warranty. That lasted a few years. Long story short....in the 23 years I've owned the Work Horse, he has owned at least 6 box store type riding tractors.

 

[Bird]

in the 23 years I've owned the Work Horse, he has owned at least 6 box store type riding tractors.

That may mean the box store machine was inferior, or it may mean a difference in how the owner used and cared for it. And what was the difference in cost when both machines were new? Sometimes it's well worth paying a higher price; other times it ain't. A fellow who used to work for me mentioned a few years ago that he didn't know what he'd do without his 18 year old Craftsman. And yep, he has a real tractor on the farm and runs several head of beef cattle. But the reel he built for building barbed wire fences is on the Craftsman, besides its mowing duties for 18 years. And I know another guy who blamed his one year old Craftsman for being no good, but it was because he left his riding mower sitting out in the weather all the time and allowed the kids to use it to ride around just for fun.