I was in the Lincoln Park, Mi. Sears store last winter with my wife who was shopping for boots. Being bored, I walked over to the yard and garden department. There I found a 54" craftsman ZTR clearanced for $2299.00. I had been mowing with a Gravely Pro-50 walk behind with a pull behind sulky, which I had purchased used, for years.The mower deck had rusted badly and was in need of replacement. I had been researching ZTR's all winter and never even considered a craftsman mower before. When they scanned the tag, the price had dropped to $1799.00. I just couldn't pass up this deal! I have been mowing with this machine all summer. I would recommend this mower for home use but definitely not for a commercial business. My 25 year old Gravely was 18 HP. The Craftsman, being 24 HP, mows faster but not necessarily better. I mow about 2 acres of my 5 acre property with this mower. I used a Ford 1710 tractor with a 72" rear mower for the back 3 acres. You can not mow high weeds and grass with this like you can a commercial mower. I miss the ride from the sulky. The seat was mounted on a large leaf type spring and was very soft riding. The Craftsman seat is mounted on 2 small coil springs, but absorbes none of the bumps, making it a rough ride. The mower deck occasionally drops when hitting a heavy bump. The notches that the adjusting handle sits in should have been better designed. Sitting on the sulky behind the mower, much lower than sitting on top of the machine, allowed me to get much closer and under tree limbs. I also found that I can not mow as close to the county drain that runs across my property. When I attempt to turn, the rear wheel spins and it wants to slide into the ditch. This makes this machine useless if you are mowing on inclines. Fortunately, my yard is flat. In conclusion, it was a great price. I have learned to stay away from the edge of the ditch and have pruned the tree limbs upward so as to not knock my head off while mowing under them. Would I have bought this machine if I knew about these problems?? At this price, I have to say yes. It was $2000.00 lower than the machines I had been seriously considering. Hope this review helps others considering buying a Craftsman ZTR.
Craftsman 54" 24 HP V-Twin Kohler
- Thread starter HoboDewey
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