Craftsman (Sears) riding lawnmower (lawns, 2014, mowers, yard)

[davissja]

We bought a brand new Sears Craftsman riding lawnmower two summers ago. We went to start it this spring and it would not go forward or backward. We asked the Sears people to come out and check it, which cost $100.00. They said that the transmission was dead and to fix it would be $1000.00. We paid $1400.00. We didn't buy a warranty because we thought we could trust the Craftsman name. We were told, "So sad, too bad". Come and buy a new lawnmower.
I guess that in order to have something last, one has to pay the company hundreds extra cause they are selling crap. Sarah 6-6-2016

[High_Plains_Retired]

I bought a new Craftsman GT3000 garden tractor (23 hp) in the summer of 2001 and have used it MANY times to mow some really rocky and dusty lots and lawns here in west Texas. Beyond a seat shut-off switch I had to replace under the regular warranty shortly after buying the tractor, I've only replaced the oil, oil filters, air filters, two front tires and two batteries. I now use the tractor to mow the five acres around my small farm. It has started each spring since 2001 without fail.

My Craftsman riding mower is surely as tough as any of my old Ford 8n farm tractors that were built from 1948 to 1952 but, like everything else produced in recent years, I'm not sure Craftsman still maintains the quality they had especially on their small lawn and garden tractors mowers.

[Redraven]

When looking at yard or garden tractors, keep in mind that there are very few engine manufacturers these days (Briggs & Stratton and Kohler are the most popular), and only a couple of transaxle manufacturers (Eaton and Peerless used to be popular).
While it may say "Toro" or "John Deere" on the engine, it is more than likely a Briggs or Kohler!
Whatever name is on the tractor, they only built the frame, the deck, and the sheet metal. All the important stuff was purchased from the manufacturer of that part!
So, if your transaxle is dead, contact the manufacturer of the axle. Their warranty may be better than the tractor warranty, or their replacement cost might be less.
Good luck.

[Hemlock140]

You need to buy an old used one. Mine is a 2001 and I paid $50 for it 3 years ago. It wouldn't start so the seller practically gave it away, I fixed it in 20 minutes at no cost. I just replaced the drive belt sat week, but otherwise it's been great and starts right up even after sitting all winter in the shed. Yes, it's a Craftsman, 30" rear engine mulcher. The quality has dropped over the last 10-15 years, and the good ones like John Deere are a lot more expensive.

[oberon_1]

1) Today things are not built to last. Why would they? As you were told, they expect you to buy a new one.
2) Sears (once a mighty company) is in big trouble and may not be there for long.
3) They take advantage of the Craftsman label. Uninformed customers associate today's products with what they used to be. Big mistake.
4) Suggestion: depending on where you live maybe you can find an auto mechanic, or somone who repairs motorcycles. If you do, don't tell them about Sears diagnostic, just let them diagnose it by themselves. Maybe they could fix it for much less.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

I had a sears garden tractor and it ran and ran. Decades old, covered in rust, never even hiccoughed and it worked hard.

Someone stole it, so I bought a new sears riding mower. That lasted less than two years before the engine blew up. The family mechanic figured out what was wrong, and then discovered you can't buy individual parts. You have to buy a very expensive engine rebuilding kit complete with lots of unneeded parts.

So, now I have a different mower with a different brand of engine, less than two years old and it has started to make alarming noises.

Is there a riding mower with an engine made by Honda? I've had really good luck with Honda small engines.

[Hemlock140]

You could buy a Honda engine at the local Honda Power Equipment store and put it into your mower. We have a Honda/Kunitz in Issaquah, WA. Northern Tool also sells Honda engines. The Cub Cadet has some models with Honda Engines, I saw one at Home Depot, zero turn for $2,999.

[High_Plains_Retired]

I forgot to mention that my GT3000 has the Kohler engine. I have to mow around the house and barns in the morning so I went out late this afternoon and started it for the first time this year. It started right up.

[Cambium]

Originally Posted by oberon_1

1) Today things are not built to last. Why would they?.

I never understood that, things built in the past were stronger and lasted longer. Didn't they want consumers to come back frequently and keep making purchases? How did they make money back then?


Makes you wonder why things are made cheap now.


Either:
Consumers don't want to pay for something good
Manufacturer needs that income to keep happening
Or cost of imports or parts are too high

[High_Plains_Retired]

Originally Posted by High_Plains_Retired

I forgot to mention that my GT3000 has the Kohler engine. I have to mow around the house and barns in the morning so I went out late this afternoon and started it for the first time this year. It started right up.

Okay so I broke a primary drive belt on the mower deck this morning. The original drive belt lasted from 2001 to 2014 at which time both belts on the deck were replaced. It looks like the new primary belts only last a year now.