Whats wrong with buying a Sears/Craftsman?

[harryset]

I own a sears/craftman garden rototiller that was purchased in 1983. I have replaced the belts two times and changed the oil once a year. NEVER any problem, so they do make some good equipment. (I do change the plug once in a while)

Yep. I've got an 8hp, 4 gang, sleeve hitch tiller for my garden tractor, and it has been over stumps, rocks and everything else imaginable. Haven't even had to change the belt yet. Tough machine.

 

[tee3]

:laughing:

Yep. I've got an 8hp, 4 gang, sleeve hitch tiller for my garden tractor, and it has been over stumps, rocks and everything else imaginable. Haven't even had to change the belt yet. Tough machine.

Sounds like a HOGG....Must be a HOGG!! tee3:laughing:

 

[harryset]

:laughing:

Sounds like a HOGG....Must be a HOGG!! tee3:laughing:

Whenever I hit something substantial, it jars hard enough to send you to the Chiropracter.

 

[CXG4U]

My father bought a Craftsman riding mower 13 years ago, and it has not had a single problem except my brother tried to beat the wheel off and damaged the rearend (huh!). It has since been fixed and runs like a top today! My mother will not let anyone else on her mower, and mows about 3.5 acres. For the money, you cant beat it! And just to let you know, JD, Cub Cadet, and a few other "name" brands are nothing but cheap junk now, and you are still paying for the name, not quality. You want to be like the jones & the smiths, buy a JD and then deal with the constant problems that it brings.
My 2500 is made by MTD and it has a Kohler 22 hp engine. In my research, MTD is one of the highest rated mowers on the market. Some of the other mowers at Sears (craftsman) are made by Husqavarna and some other fine companies. Check out this article on todaysmower.com to see who makes all the Craftsman mowers.

 

[T J Blazek]

Hello Mr. CX. I'm happy that your mother's 13 yr. old Craftsman is still running great. I hope you have the same service with your 2500. (Not familier with the numbers; but I guessing its a Craftsman) It seems this thread will never die. As I posted before; I had two of them; '01 and a' '03; both had the K motor and both gave good service for 8 yrs.. The thing that turned me off of them was SERVICE and PARTS. I just got fed up waiting for their Service to come out (back then it was 10-14 days); then waiting for the parts to be mailed to me; and then wait for them to come out. I might even get a phone call : "Sorry; our technican is overbooked and he won't be out today; please call again and set up another date". I ran them until they died; one blew a rod; the other locked up. Both mower decks were shot. My new toy is the Cub RZT50; yes; made by MTD like yours; came with the K motor; know its disliked by the Pros on these forums; but the price was right for me. (26&change). Came with a 3 yr. warranty; I'm happy. If something breaks; I'll trailer it; and take it 6mi. to be serviced at a Dealer. Again; I was happy with the Brand ; but not happy with the Service. To me; they go together. Happy mowing in Miss.. TJ

 

[CXG4U]

I totally understand Mr. TJ, that would tick me off worse than the actual problem with the mower.....lol. i hope the Craftsman LT 2500 i bought lasts 13 years, and i will be real happy. Customer service or better yet, the lack of customer service is rampant these days! Happy mowing in Texas my friend!

 

[djdicetn]

In the past couple of days I have been reading a lot of posts. I came across a couple posts that didn't care for Sears/Craftsman mowers. Just curious on why or how Craftsman got a bad name. I have a lot of craftsman and there stuff has never FAILED me. I have had a problem or two but mostly it was my fault.

If you where to buy a lawnmower today, what brand would you go with?

kermit911,
Everyone knows that Sears(Craftsman) doesn't "manufacture" anything.....right??? I bought a new 2006 54" Craftsman YS4500 for $1800 only to discover later it was basically a Husqvarna lawn tractor(with a few "cheaper" components than the comparable Husqvarna model). And specifically, it had a 24hp Briggs & Stratton Intek engine(this mower was replacing a 13 year old 46" True Value Lawn Chief with a 16hp B & S Vanguard that I was giving to my son). I figured since the Vanguard, after 13 seasons, still ran like new and didn't use a drop of oil I couldn't go wrong with a 24hp B & S.......WRONG. The Vanguard would still mow circles around the Intek(and the Intek choke fell apart inside the carb just after the Warranty expired:0(!!! And the more I researched, I found out I "could have" bought a 2006 54" Husqvarna(amazingly similar to the Craftsman:0) with a Kawasaki engine(and a sundry of better quality "components") for about $100 more than I paid for the Craftsman. THAT is why when somebody asks me about a Craftsman I tell them if they are strapped for cash they are OK, but find out which model of Husvarna(even Consumer reports tells you that Husqvarna makes 80% of Craftsmans with a few Murray & MTD's thrown in) is the same and buy the Husqvarna. It will prove to be worth the extra few bucks!!!!

 

[7521]

I understand if you have a lawn care bussiness you need long lasting trouble free equipment. It's best to spend the money and get the best mower you can find. I live in a mountain setting, I'm a retired home owner that might need to cut the natural greenery on my 1.21 acre about 3 or maybe 4 times a year. There are precious few manicured laws in my area. Why invest $6K on a mower for my lot that is uneven at best? I have an old craftsman (1997) ride on mower (paid $325 for it), a walk behind string trimmer, and a couple of handheld line trimmers. They all have their uses in my little corner of the world. Where I live there are no dealers close but ther is a small Sears store 15 miles away where I can order/purchase parts. I don't need a mower that can cut a green on a golf coarse. I need a field mower that can take uneven ground and not give me grief. Shoot, some people in my area don't even own a mower, only line trimmers.

 

[motoman]

There are very few Cal forum members. I retired from SoCal where it is very dry and getting drier. Since "never too thin or rich" is often the by word people may be too busy in the rat race to mow if they even have lawn. Sounds like you have the right balance . I have nursed a "bought new" craftsman back to pretty good health and can mow slowly on tall grass and weeds.

 

[fastback]

I am one that owns 3 Craftsman GT's. One is a 1977, that is not used at this time and is one I would like to rebuild (complete teardown and paint etc). It has a 16 hp Onan engine that still runs, but smokes a little. I have a snow plow, 48 inch mower deck and a 42 inch single stage snow blower. The second is a 1989, 18 hp B&S. It has a 44 in deck, a snow plow and a sleeve hitch, at this point it is only used for snow removal. The last unit is a 1996, 18 1/2 hp Kohler. It has a 46 inch deck and also a sleeve hitch. This machine is only used for leaf and grass pick up. I do all of my cutting with the newest member a 2011 Housemoving GT with a 26 hp Kawasaki and 52 inch fabricated deck.

I don't get ride on these old machines because they still work and run well. My biggest complaint has been the time it takes to get parts, and since they are never in stock in the store I have to pay shipping, which is some times as much as the part. I remember being told when I first bought blades for the 96 ( way back when) that the reason they were not in stock was because the tractor was too new. The last time I was told it was too old. Go figure.

I can't complain about the tractors, they have served me well. I always do my own service and at times make my own parts. The salespeople are another story. Most have no idea of what they are selling. Some of the stuff they say is just made up. I loose my patients with these guys very quickly.

Would I buy another Craftsman? It is doubtful. I like the idea of getting my parts the same day I need them. The most recent tractor was bought from a reputable dealer. When I need parts I expect to have what I need right away.