How reliable and durable are Craftsman Lawn tractors?

[Egbert]

Let's just say they're pretty decent for a "lawn" mower. I've had two, both were reliable and mowed well on my residential properties. When I acquired a home with 2 acres, I quickly learned why people bought John Deere mowers. The construction difference is huge. Mowing acreage with a Craftsman was like taking a beating, while I could almost take a nap on the JD.

 

[casey448]

At one time, when sears sold sears tractors, they were tough as nails. These old gt's such as the suburbans, customs, ss's, etc, are still found quite regularly on CL and often quite affordable. Many 40-50 years old and still working hard, some daily workers. As time went on they changed. Keeping the legendary 6 speed hi-lo tranny up until the mid 90's I believe. Those dark grey and dark green square hoods were the last of the good gt's from craftsman that id buy as a workhorse. If your only going to use it to mow, then a newer one will serve the need, but im not a big fan of the new offerings from sears/craftsman.

 

[kingsville]

My Craftsman GT6000, purchased January of 1994, was just retired. The trans-axle was damaged and I decided to go for a new Craftsman zero turn mower. The trans axle bracket broke and allowed the shift handle to jam against the body of the mower. This stripped second gear. I repaired the bracket and used 3rd gear in the low range. This worked for 2 months to end the season.
The GT6000 was used for lawn maintenance, pulling carts of wood and mulch, and plowing snow from my driveway and occasionally from my side street that was ignored by the county plows. It was a Kohler 18 hp that was running the day the GT6000 left.
Sears has been great to me in previous warranty issues with other products.
The Craftsman zero turn I bought is a Cub Cadet RZT 54 KH painted red. I have 9 hours on it and I am glad I got it.
I know Craftsman are made by MTD, Husquvarna and others. I have used Craftsman chipper shredders, weed eaters and have been pleased with the durability.
I shopped others before I bought the Craftsman this time but I was disappointed in the response of the sales people when I asked questions. I decided that I was not getting any special expertise by going to a local dealer for Cub Cadet or Toro.
I am just over an acre. I did not see any benefit to spending 4 to 5 thousand dollars for the machines the local shops were pushing.
I believe the Craftsman deliver for the money.

 

[DuckSlayer1017]

I bought a YT5400 in 2006 when we moved from a small city lot out into the country with a 2 acre yard and many trails on our 20 acre plot. I bought the Craftsman because it was the best deal I could find on a 54" deck and I had a limited budget with the new house. I figured if it lasted three years I would be doing good. Well, I have beat the snot out that tractor hoping it will die some day so I can get a zero turn. No such luck after seven years of yard mowing, trail mowing and food plot mowing. I do regular maint and recently had to repair a weld on the mower deck. My guess is the weld broke after my 11 y/o daughter hit something mowing.

 

[deerseeker001]

I have to agree after buying these usually last about 5 years then start having problems then buy another one.

As usual, you get what you pay for.

Craftsman is one of the many generic lawnmowers out there that I consider to be more or less disposable. This type of lawn mower is fine for it's intended purpose. It will mow grass and probably work fine for several years, but after 5-10 years the plastic parts will start wearing out and it's not worth fixing. If that's what you're looking for, then Craftsman is probably just as good as any other. You can run it into the ground, wear it out, get your use out of it, and then throw it away and buy a new one for not very much money.

If you're looking for more of a long term investment, look at Simplicity, Cub Cadet, John Deere, or something along those lines (Not the ones sold in big box stores) Name brands like these have a lot higher quality, and you'll be a lot more likely to fix them over the years and keep them longer, but you'll also pay the price for them.

It just depends on what you want.

There's nothing wrong with using disposable razors.

 

[dakotagun]

My craftsman gt5000 6-spd is about 7 years old, I have used it to mow our 2.5 A lot where we eventually built a home (thought I'd eventually add a sleeve hitch and drag a blade or harrow). The land was rough, a wheat field turned development. I've replaced several mandrels but that's it. Bought a JD 2305 a few years ago, but leave the 60" deck off and use it for the FEL and grader/box blade cuz the Sears unit does a good job. When it dies, I'll probably replace it with a ztr though, as I don't need it for any ground-engaging attachments.

 

[gasnutte]

I need somebody to tell me disable or fix the safety start clutch pedal. You push the pedal in start the
machine realest the pedal the machine dies ether fix it or disable it I can't find the wire or switch. And
I don't have the model # it's Craftsman 19HP in fair condition. Does anybody know were the mod. # is
located or which wire to cut. Buying a new one is not an option Gasnutte

 

[tcartwri]

the model number is usually under the seat.

 

[PILOON]

Craftsman and most mowers are made by MTD which in turn is owned I believe by Toro.
The unfortunate thing is while basically the same machines there is very little part number cross reference but the actual same repair parts can vary wildly in price so I strongly suggest to purchase from a local small yard equipment dealer that has a good service reputation.

 

[TractorDiva]

I will be buying a new lawn tractor to replace my 8hp Snapper RER which is 28 years old and just went bad on me. I guess I should not complain . My price range is $1500-$2000. My lawn is 3/4 acre and basically flat. Up to this point, I have not considered the Craftsman lawn tractors because I always heard homeowners say they had a lot of problems with them in the past. Could you guys talk about the reliability and durability of these products? What suggestions/input can anyone give me on this matter? Has anyone experienced any reliability/durability problems with this brand as a whole? How has anyone found Craftsman manufacturer/retail support in the event of a problem? Who makes Craftsman lawn tractors and are they basically the same as Husqvarna tractors? Does anyone know anything about Columbia lawn tractors? Thanks for your help!

I purchased a Sears Craftsman Lawn Mower Model# 288583 in October of 2013. I use it once a week in the summer and once a month in the winter. It is stored in a garage and we mow 3/4 to 1 acre when it is used. The seat has a rip in it. I don't understand how with the type of usage and the storage this could be. The seat should last at least 10 years on this item. They charge $150.00 for a seat. I am pretty upset by this. Craftsman use to stand for quality but now I think it means "good luck"!

 

[KiotiKowboy]

I had a Craftsman rider for several years. As "budget" riders go - Craftsman was as good as anything else. Eventually, I broke down and parted with the cash to get a Deere. The difference is night and day. The JD steel is much heavier, rides better and cuts better. It has lasted over 10 years - so far - and was well worth the money. Now that big box stores sell the JD mowers, you can get a really good price on them. I haven't really looked at them, so I'm not sure if they are as well constructed as when I bought mine.

 

[IslandTractor]

My Craftsman LTX1000 has been going strong for thirteen years now. Just needed to rebuild the deck last fall after mangling it on a stump but otherwise everything still works. Still on original belts too although I'll change those with the deck rebuild. It has only failed to start when the battery died (on the second replacement battery now) and has never required anything but oil changes. Still on original spark plug.

I don't doubt that some of the JDs are better built but it is hard to argue with an investment that amortizes out to less than $100/yr so far and is still running strong. I think my generation of Craftsman was built by Husqvarna IIRC.

 

[kingsville]

I will be buying a new lawn tractor to replace my 8hp Snapper RER which is 28 years old and just went bad on me. I guess I should not complain . My price range is $1500-$2000. My lawn is 3/4 acre and basically flat. Up to this point, I have not considered the Craftsman lawn tractors because I always heard homeowners say they had a lot of problems with them in the past. Could you guys talk about the reliability and durability of these products? What suggestions/input can anyone give me on this matter? Has anyone experienced any reliability/durability problems with this brand as a whole? How has anyone found Craftsman manufacturer/retail support in the event of a problem? Who makes Craftsman lawn tractors and are they basically the same as Husqvarna tractors? Does anyone know anything about Columbia lawn tractors? Thanks for your help!

I am starting my second season with a Craftsman Zero turn mower. I have the 54 inch deck. So far all is good. It replaced a 20 year old Craftsman GT6000 that had a gear box failure.
Parts are available. The mower I bought seems to getting discontinued by Sears. They have another model that is built by Husqvarna taking the 54 inch place in the line up.
The mower I bought is equivalent to a Cub Cadet RZT 54 with the Kohler engine. I got it online at substantial savings. I considered the Cub Cadet but when I inquired at the web site of the local independent shop I received no response. No need to spend an extra $600.00 when no one gets back in touch with you.
Mower arrived set up ready to run. I paid and extra $10.00 and they took the old mower with them.
I was able to arrange the whole transaction online.
I bought a hitch for the mower from Home Depot, they sell Cub Cadet, and I am able to tow my Sears lawn aerator and Sears Lawn sweeper without any problems.
I believe the Sears/Craftsman model I purchased was a good value. I know people that have spent $4000 to $6000 on zero turn mowers. They are awesome mowers but I get my one acre lot done in less then an hour with this mower.

 

[SPIKER]

I bought a GT6000 in May 2011 & yesterday it went over 137 hrs. I have had 6 or 7 service calls on the thing & have generally been unhappy with it's performance. It is hydrostatic drive & 26 hp Kohler eng.

I had to have the eng replaced at 33 hrs as rings never seated and it burnt oil & hever had much "Power" to mow or roll yard. The NEW eng has 100 hrs on it and STILL is not powerful enough to MOW and ROLL on anything but down hill and or flat ground. I have a 4'x24" roller so big one but can only have it half full with this GT6000 tractor.

I had to have the Drive Belt idler pulley replaced, Plus 2 other parts failures on it already. This is the Huskvarna built unit & NOT one I would buy again for the $2700+ price tag. As it runs now I think the Hydro transaxle might be taking a downward turn.

my 1999 Murry 20hp briggs can still out pull the GT6000 even with it's busted toothed peerless transaxle (it is geared not hydro.) The Murry is 46' cut and the GT6000 is 54"cut.

Mark

 

[davesl708]

I don't remember what model it was. My friend bought a Craftsman 25hp in 06 when she bought her new house. Good thing she bought the extended warranty. Between 06 and 10 she had to have Sears come out five times for broken parts, bent sheaves, spindles locking up and several other issues.

She sold it in 2011. Good riddance.

 

[MoMower]

Purchased a LT5000 in 2009, cut half my yard and the deck came apart (flying pulleys). Back to the store and they made good, even trade for a GT5000 excelerator, used it on 2 acres of grass until 2014 when I bought my Massey GC1710. Sold it for $1000 to a friend and it's still going.

 

[dougbthom]

I bought a Craftsman YS4500 (24HP) in 2008. It was built by Husqvarna. It has been an excellent performer with no problems whatsoever. Mind you I do over service all of my equipment such as oil changes, plugs etc. and always use premium fuel in all my equipment. Great machine!

 

[woodlandfarms]

As this post keeps coming up now and again, I found an interesting failure part that seems pretty common.

From the engine and mower deck pulley system on our 3 blade craftsmen. In our models design the engine drives a pulley at the end of the mower deck, so the belt is required to do an L. The pulley on the mower deck, us a cup looking pulley with a star pattern hole for alignement.

Well it turns out this item is a wear item. The vibration tends to shake the metal cup around to where it breaks. Takes a few years but I guess it is very common. $30 I think was the new pulley price. Shop I bought it from suggested I put on a spot weld when attaching, he feels that the bolts tend to loosen here from the vibration and that is what causes the cups to fail. i did not weld this time around

 

[Harry Palmer]

In the 36 years I've owned my place (one acre lot with pecan orchard) I've owned four Sears lawn tractors plus a couple of push mowers. The early models were great; I usually got about ten years usage. The one I use now is only three years old and I'm starting to have issues. It replaced one which I owned for three years and the engine threw a rod. I've looked at the latest models and I don't think they are worth the money. All seem to be made in China with cheap parts. Myself, when I replace my rider, I will look at a better quality mower. If it will last I get my monies worth. I have Bermuda grass and mow once a week starting in February. I don't stop cutting until October. I spend about 1.5 ~ 2 hours mowing. Picking up the grass is an option, depending on my mood. :2cents:

 

[Joebklyn]

My Craftsman LT 1000 is going strong after 17 years. I've had problems but they were solved with the help of kind folks from here and other websites. BTW it has a Tecumseh engine