murphy1244
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- Kubota 1120 RTV Kioti DK-40, MF-135, Ventrac 4500Y
MF is made by Briggs along the Simplicity line
Will no longer buy Craftsman/Sears Products!!
- Thread starter jgrinn
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SPYDERLK
Super Star Member
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- Feb 28, 2006
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- 10,382
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- VA
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- JD2010, Kubota3450,2550, Mahindra 7520 w FEL w Skid Steer QC w/Tilt Tatch, & BH, BX1500
Sears Craftsman has a lot of good products. Learn what they are and buy them. Well all regret it if the baby goes out with the bathwater.
larry
larry
busy dad
Bronze Member
I used to haul Craftsman from South Carolina..They were made similar to MTD but not Mtd at that time ( 10 yrs ago) I liked Craftsman far better than MTD..Seemed to be better built then..
Midniteoyl
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AYP - American Yard Products
Zork
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- Dec 14, 2003
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- '04 Branson 3520, '51 Fergy, '96 MTD 18/46, '02 Craftsman GT5000/48
I guess it all depends on how someone uses the equipment. The tractor is supposed to perform the work but the operator is to work smart as well. I have seen operators trash new equipment in a few hours and then blame the machine. There is some junk out there but my Craftsman GT5000 was purchased around 2002 and I am very happy with it with the 4 acres I mow. I had to repair the tank and rear fender assembly a few years back because of cracks. Replaced the fuel pump and deck power belt a couple years back as well. Keep the oil changed, blades sharp, and the air filter and cooling fins clean. This machine has been a great investment and a great machine.
My 1996 MTD 18/46 has all the original belts. The drive belts have needed changing the last several years and I am anticipating the mower belt to brake anytime. I rebuilt the front axle assembly and engine base gasket circa 2000. Aftermarket batteries are trash and the lights always stunk. This machine has been a great investment and a great machine.
My 1996 MTD 18/46 has all the original belts. The drive belts have needed changing the last several years and I am anticipating the mower belt to brake anytime. I rebuilt the front axle assembly and engine base gasket circa 2000. Aftermarket batteries are trash and the lights always stunk. This machine has been a great investment and a great machine.
The newer Craftsman models (model numbers added in the past year or two) bear MTD labels. The older models bear Husqvarna labels. Regarding JD. A JD company employee who sells to the golf course trade told me "the only thing JD about the machines sold in the big box stores is the color of the paint". He stated that they are made in Mexico, and have absolutely no resemblance to "real" JD machines (like the X series).
I understand your anger and frustration and I am not here to defend Craftsman, but your argument makes no sense to me. I own a 2006 Craftsman GS6500, which was Sears top of the line Lawn /Garden Tractor. It has the same frame and steering as your GT5000.
1. You said the frame costs $400. I priced the frame out several weeks ago for a crawler project I intend on building part #194260@$100.49. There are also used frames available for $50-65.
2. What kind of warranty charges more for a part than list? It sounds like they are charging you parts and labor to change the frame. That means they are not honoring the warrantee for some reason.
3. Quite frankly I don稚 know how you could bend this frame under normal mowing conditions. Maybe if it was dropped off a truck or something. I was looking at this frame for a project because it is very thick. I haven稚 measured the gauge of it yet, but it is not lightweight.
4. I can稚 see where bending this frame could cause a toe-in problem. All of the steering gear is bolted to the frame and is lighter duty. Are you sure something else isn稚 bent? Like the front axle? It is cast iron and extremely heavy duty. I priced this out too, #195968@$121.50. It would take a very hard hit to bend this too. If the spindles at the axle are not kept lubed, did you see those zerks? It could eventually cause a camber/castor problem.
The Sears lawn tractor I owned previously for 18years was an 18hp (I don稚 remember the model), had the **** beat out of it from snow plowing and running through the woods. It had a lighter frame than ours and the only thing that every broke was plastic piece in the steering column. The only reason I got rid of it was because I wanted a hydrostatic.
Please post pics of the bent frame. I would like to know where I would have to reinforce it.
1. You said the frame costs $400. I priced the frame out several weeks ago for a crawler project I intend on building part #194260@$100.49. There are also used frames available for $50-65.
2. What kind of warranty charges more for a part than list? It sounds like they are charging you parts and labor to change the frame. That means they are not honoring the warrantee for some reason.
3. Quite frankly I don稚 know how you could bend this frame under normal mowing conditions. Maybe if it was dropped off a truck or something. I was looking at this frame for a project because it is very thick. I haven稚 measured the gauge of it yet, but it is not lightweight.
4. I can稚 see where bending this frame could cause a toe-in problem. All of the steering gear is bolted to the frame and is lighter duty. Are you sure something else isn稚 bent? Like the front axle? It is cast iron and extremely heavy duty. I priced this out too, #195968@$121.50. It would take a very hard hit to bend this too. If the spindles at the axle are not kept lubed, did you see those zerks? It could eventually cause a camber/castor problem.
The Sears lawn tractor I owned previously for 18years was an 18hp (I don稚 remember the model), had the **** beat out of it from snow plowing and running through the woods. It had a lighter frame than ours and the only thing that every broke was plastic piece in the steering column. The only reason I got rid of it was because I wanted a hydrostatic.
Please post pics of the bent frame. I would like to know where I would have to reinforce it.
I take very good care of my equipment, greased routinely and not beat at all. Only used for mowing and pulling a leaf vac in the fall.
The warranty is one year parts and labor, the frame and front axel are 5 years parts only. Thus the estimated cost of $400 was for the labor to switch out the frame(mower is over the one year warranty period), if it was bad. It was $96 just for the service guy to come to the house.
I replaced both spindles, both drag links, all wheel bushings, and the plastic steering bushing, still had the exact same condition. The plastic bushings that the spindles go into on the axel seemed fine. Tried to replace them also, but you can not buy them. Parts direct said that they are not available. Looked all over the net and could not find them either. There is a replacement front axel (different part number) that you can get the bushings for, but they are not the same size(I bought them and tried). The front axel is fairly heavy duty, and I can not see how that would be bent (never hit anything). To be honest, not sure what caused the problem.
My buddy took the drag links and made them so they now have adjustable tie rods at his tool shop, it was no little project since they had to be milled down and threaded. Not easy to mill down do to the shape of the drag links. The problem is now fixed, though I still am not sure what caused it.
Mower does mow great. But I will still be going back to a Deere next spring.
I know lots of people who have older Craftsman mowers that have been to **** and back and keep going. But the quality of products these days are not like they used to be.
The warranty is one year parts and labor, the frame and front axel are 5 years parts only. Thus the estimated cost of $400 was for the labor to switch out the frame(mower is over the one year warranty period), if it was bad. It was $96 just for the service guy to come to the house.
I replaced both spindles, both drag links, all wheel bushings, and the plastic steering bushing, still had the exact same condition. The plastic bushings that the spindles go into on the axel seemed fine. Tried to replace them also, but you can not buy them. Parts direct said that they are not available. Looked all over the net and could not find them either. There is a replacement front axel (different part number) that you can get the bushings for, but they are not the same size(I bought them and tried). The front axel is fairly heavy duty, and I can not see how that would be bent (never hit anything). To be honest, not sure what caused the problem.
My buddy took the drag links and made them so they now have adjustable tie rods at his tool shop, it was no little project since they had to be milled down and threaded. Not easy to mill down do to the shape of the drag links. The problem is now fixed, though I still am not sure what caused it.
Mower does mow great. But I will still be going back to a Deere next spring.
I know lots of people who have older Craftsman mowers that have been to **** and back and keep going. But the quality of products these days are not like they used to be.
MTD may make Craftsman mowers they make a lot of mowers. Craftsman mowers were being made by American Yard Products, also known as AYP. AYP manufactures lawn equipment and parts. They make them for brands like Sears, Craftsman, Roper and more. They also make parts for snow blowers and tillers.
American Yard Products and Outdoor Power Products, are owned by Husqvarna. Husqvarna is in turn owned by Electrolux. So in all likelihood you can probably say Craftsman Mowers are made by Electrolux, the vacuum cleaner king.
Husqvarna is the world's largest producer of chainsaws, lawn mowers and other portable petrol-powered garden equipment such as trimmers and blowers. The Group is also a world leader in diamond tools and cutting equipment for the construction and stone industries. Net sales in 2005 were SEK 28.8 billion and the average number of employees was 11,700.
American Yard Products and Outdoor Power Products, are owned by Husqvarna. Husqvarna is in turn owned by Electrolux. So in all likelihood you can probably say Craftsman Mowers are made by Electrolux, the vacuum cleaner king.
Husqvarna is the world's largest producer of chainsaws, lawn mowers and other portable petrol-powered garden equipment such as trimmers and blowers. The Group is also a world leader in diamond tools and cutting equipment for the construction and stone industries. Net sales in 2005 were SEK 28.8 billion and the average number of employees was 11,700.
From:
Husqvarna AB - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Husqvarna Group (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈhʉːskvɑːrna]) is the world's largest producer of outdoor power products including robotic mowers, garden tractors, chainsaws and trimmers. Based in Huskvarna, Sweden, the Group is also the European leader in consumer watering products and one of the world leaders in cutting equipment and diamond tools for the construction and stone industries. The company was spun off by Electrolux in 2006.
Husqvarna AB - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Husqvarna Group (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈhʉːskvɑːrna]) is the world's largest producer of outdoor power products including robotic mowers, garden tractors, chainsaws and trimmers. Based in Huskvarna, Sweden, the Group is also the European leader in consumer watering products and one of the world leaders in cutting equipment and diamond tools for the construction and stone industries. The company was spun off by Electrolux in 2006.
