Thoughts on this riding mower ...
- Thread starter odie
- Start date
It's cheap, it's new and should be reliable. One thing it's not is heavy duty.
I would only use it to cut grass, not plow snow, tow a yard cart full of top soil... .
Don't use it as a pasture mower, meaning don't cut real tall grass with it.
BTW, 36" is narrow, yet it might not fit through all residential gates.
I would only use it to cut grass, not plow snow, tow a yard cart full of top soil... .
Don't use it as a pasture mower, meaning don't cut real tall grass with it.
BTW, 36" is narrow, yet it might not fit through all residential gates.
Its not much power but if you have a smaller flat yard and dont tow anything and keep it inside a garage or shed, it will probably last you a decade or more. I am assuming about 20-25 cuts per year and around an hour each cut. 10 years will be 250-300 hrs and with a little care should not be a problem. I basically have the CVT version of that mower. A TroyBilt 18 hp with a 42" deck. It was the least expensive tractor at Lowes and a left over. I have been using it for 12 years to cut around the house, About 1 ac with a gentle slope. I thought it was on its way out this spring but when I jacked it up to change the blades I found the main drive belt had cracked and lost a few chunks. After replacing that its working good again. I have 340 hrs on it and so far 1 deck belt, 1 carb rebuild, and 1 main power belt OH and 1 set of tie rod ends (my fault for hitting a drainage ditch with the wheel turned. I am rough on it but keep up the maint. and fix anything I find wrong right away.
Zee09
$200 Site Donor 2023
You can make them last a few decades but they are what they are.
Probably shouldn't mow more than 30 minutes at a time. They steer like a Mack truck from the 50's.
You can make it work but anything over an acre you need to move up.
Good luck.
Probably shouldn't mow more than 30 minutes at a time. They steer like a Mack truck from the 50's.
You can make it work but anything over an acre you need to move up.
Good luck.
It’s a one acre maximum, cheap MTD. Enough said. If you are set on going the cheap route, look at the Poulan Pro riders. At least, they are made by Husqvarna.
You can get a John Deere S120 for $550 more. The JD is a much better mower and parts are readily available.
Right on the money
AND, Mow your yard, your whole yard and nothing but your yard. That and changing oil regularly are the secrets to a 'cheaper' mower's long life.
I went and read some of the reviews on this mower and one thing sticks out besides the usual defective unit problems. That was the inability to control the speed in tight areas. Depending on your yard you might want to look at the automatic (CVT) or Hydrostatic. The MTD CVT is light duty but bullet proof some of the others that use the General Transmission 800 or 400 are heavier duty but seem to have issues with leaky seals and over heating with grass build up. Of course any hydrostatic in a really low cost tractor will be sealed and if you have any hills the biggest issue seems to be they just start slipping and wont move.
Personally I would step up to a John Deere. Better machine, will last longer and can be repaired with parts that will be available down the road. And the steering on those Craftsmen are terrible. Just turn the wheel back and forth and you will see all the slop in it.
FWIW - A family member has a similar mower. It gets worked on at least twice a year, it is by far the worst mower she's ever owned, and she says never again to craftsman mowers.
Seems pricey to me. BTW: the JD mowers are made by the same people that make Craftsman, Husky, etc.
Urban legend.
I don't mean to be a snob, but before I would buy any of those big box mowers, I would find a good used heavier duty mower. There are tons of them out there for sale and if you take some time and look around, you'd be amazed what you'll find. I sometimes look around the internet just to see what I can find, and although I need a much much heavier duty tractor, I've found some amazing deals on great stuff. I recently found a JD 758 Diesel in a neaby city. Turns out the guy was moving for his job and had recently bought the 758, which had less than 200 hours on it, with a 60" mower. I called and talked to the guy, and was really thinking about buying it, but (stupidly) changed my mind. He would have sold it for $6500, that's probably 40% of the new cost and the pics he sent me looked brand new. Well, I changed my mind on the diesel and bought a 425 gas. So, they're out there if you look and you don't have to suffer with cheap tractors.
Hermann
Site Donor 2023
Bought a 38 in Murray rider at wal mart for $600 at the end of the 2019 season. Only problem so far is that it wasn't mowing even. Aired up the tires, found them way off side to side. Inflated to 1 lb over the sidewall on all four and uneven mowing went bye bye. For me the small size is OK. Goes places bigger mowers would no go in my yard. Air cooled 11.5 HP engine. Uses no oil, starts easy, purrs like a kitten with 10w-30 Valvoline full syn Maxlife. Best air cooled engine oil I have ever used. Bought the extended warranty for $120, protected for this and 3 more seasons. Lives life in a heated and cooled garage.
BTW that is way too much cash-ola for that mower. The regular price on mine before closeout was $1088
BTW that is way too much cash-ola for that mower. The regular price on mine before closeout was $1088
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Looks like it's got provisions for deck gauge wheels which is a must IMO.
Provided that gear drive is a real gear drive and not a belt and variator system, go for it.
That HP range is plenty for a 36" cutting deck.
The bad thing is I think this is an MTD based machine. I'd go for a Husqvarna based one w/ the tried and true 42" deck IMO.
Provided that gear drive is a real gear drive and not a belt and variator system, go for it.
That HP range is plenty for a 36" cutting deck.
The bad thing is I think this is an MTD based machine. I'd go for a Husqvarna based one w/ the tried and true 42" deck IMO.