help me select my first garden tractor please

Inspector507 · Jun 27, 2004

Daniel,
I've had a Craftsman LT4000 for years and it's almost indestructible.......almost.
Craftsman has several in your price range, but seriously look at the 2 in that range that offer the Kohler engine vs the B&S. Both have the cast iron axle which will hold up better. The model #27601 has a dual range transaxle which may work out better for you.......good luck in your choice.

Freds · Jun 27, 2004

Bird, so in theory, is the more expensive lawn tractor more durable and longer lasting given the same amount of usage and care? Is it like a commercial vs residential use thing?
The more I read and see the more I'm having a harder time justifying the price difference. At the time I was only comparing it to ZTRs, so it didn't seem out of line.
Sure beats the heck out of the way I used to mow, though.

DanielNY · Jun 27, 2004

Which tractor would be the best choice here, the GT5000 with Kohler Pro engine, or the JD L130 with the Kohler engine (JD being the better deal money wise)?

rozett · Jun 27, 2004

Daniel, I vote for the Craftsman! The GT5000 will give you more hp than the JD. And that hp will make a BIG difference with the snowblower. If you follow slammer's advice given earlier, this unit will perform well for many years. JD certainly makes excellent products, but when matched spec for spec, I just can't get by the price difference.

I own a Craftsman GT3000 with the 23 hp Kohler Pro engine and a 50" deck. It has solid front axle, pressure lubrication, spin-on oil filter, etc. I would agree with the comment earlier about seat position. I have mine all the way back and there isn't enough room between the seat and the dash. For me, the 50" deck is too big due to hilly lawn, flower beds, rock gardens, and 200 year old trees in the way. But with your flat lawn, it would ideal.

Good luck with your decision.

WoodstockSoxFan · Jun 27, 2004

I had the same decision to make last year. Had looked at the Craftsman and JD L110 at Home Depot. Went with the L110. Had struggled with the bagger plugging up frequently over the past year and now cannot get it started. I believe the starter has failed. JD requires that I deliver the tractor to a dealer about an hour away. I'll let you know how I make out but this has been a terrible experience so far. Getting the run around from both Home Depot and John Deere.

DanielNY · Jun 27, 2004

lol you guys aren't making it easier on me /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Is the GT5000 as well built as the L130?

rozett · Jun 27, 2004

Oh, another thing.... the transmission. Definitely drive the machine of your choice with both transmissions to decide which one you really like. I have a gear tranny on my 36 hp CUT and the GT3000 has the stick-HST. I much prefer the gear tranny...actually, I hate the HST. So, without restarting the tranny wars on TBN,/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I recommend that you drive both and decide for yourself.

rozett · Jun 27, 2004

( lol you guys aren't making it easier on me /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Is the GT5000 as well built as the L130? )

That's hard to say. If you went to JD dealer and bought a machine there, I would expect that the JD was a 'higher' quality machine... using the stuff that Bird mentioned. But the machines that HomeDepot sells are "value engineered" by JD. What that means is they substitute lower cost (and therefore lower quality) components in order to get the price down for HomeDepot.

The same is true for all the big box stores. People think 'brand name' and think they are getting a bargin. Just not so!. I worked in the computer industry for 30 years. One employer started selling machines through a big box. Although the model numbers were similar, the internal components were different to make the price points. Things like slower disks, slower memory, cheaper connectors, etc.

KiotiJohn · Jun 27, 2004

Didn't I read on TBN that the JDs in Home Depot were farmed out to MTD? Many have mentioned that the frames were not as sturdy as older JDs. It wasn't that long ago but I don't remember the name of the thread. I've had fairly good luck with MTD made merchandise, but I've read a lot more that didn't. I think the Craftsman is made by American Yard Machines as is my 5 yo Poulan HST and it's still going pretty strong, but it's not top grade. John

Cliff_Johns · Jun 27, 2004

( Didn't I read on TBN that the JDs in Home Depot were farmed out to MTD? . . . )

If MTD manufactures the machines to John Deere specifications then how other MTD products perform hardly seems relevant since they were not made to JD specs. THese other machines would instead have been made to the specifications of whatever badge (MTD or otherwise) they wore. I don't know if they are made by MTD, although I would not be surprised or disappointed by that fact alone.
Cliff