Hi, everyone. I've been reading everything I can find about LTs and GT for about a month. I feel I will need to replace my 1988 Lawnboy LT12 before too long. I am looking for reliability above all and a decent cut on my 1/2 acre (level) lawn.
I am rather spoiled by the level of reliability I have gotten accustomed to with my current little lawn machine. I have used it to mow 1/2 acre for 22 seasons and it has never been in a "shop" of any kind. Five years ago I rebuilt the carb on the B & S I/C 12 HP single cylinder. At that time I replaced the original drive and deck belts. Other than that, it has seen 2 blade replacements, 1 micro switch, 2 spark plugs and 3 air filter replacements, plus yearly oil changes.
Unfortunately, my deck is starting to shown signs of failure at the attachment points, due to rust and metal fatigue. So, I am starting to look for a replacement that will last another 25 years.
I am really interested in the CC 2542 for it's heavy duty drive train at it's price point ($3500). BUT, I am disturbed by some of the problems I have read about: Hoods that break at the attachment points, potential under hood heat issues, possible problems with electric PTO clutches and belt/pulley/spindle issues. I think some of these issues may have been addressed in the newer (2009/2010) models and some may be misreported issues with 1000 series tractors.
I would be buying a GT for it's HD build quality, even though it is seriously overkill for my intended usage. But, if I am going to be fixing/replacing or hauling this thing to a dealer every couple months than I will be better off with a lower priced unit like a JD with K46 tranny and upgraded engine. Then I can put my money into replacing those crappy spindles every 80 hours.
Can anyone address the issues of hoods, heat, PTO clutches and belt/pulley/spindle problems? How pervasive are these and have they been satisfactorily addressed in the newer models? With light-duty usage and regular maintenance prevent these sorts of failures or are they inevitable?
Or should I start looking at how to keep my old LT12 running another 10 years?
I am rather spoiled by the level of reliability I have gotten accustomed to with my current little lawn machine. I have used it to mow 1/2 acre for 22 seasons and it has never been in a "shop" of any kind. Five years ago I rebuilt the carb on the B & S I/C 12 HP single cylinder. At that time I replaced the original drive and deck belts. Other than that, it has seen 2 blade replacements, 1 micro switch, 2 spark plugs and 3 air filter replacements, plus yearly oil changes.
Unfortunately, my deck is starting to shown signs of failure at the attachment points, due to rust and metal fatigue. So, I am starting to look for a replacement that will last another 25 years.
I am really interested in the CC 2542 for it's heavy duty drive train at it's price point ($3500). BUT, I am disturbed by some of the problems I have read about: Hoods that break at the attachment points, potential under hood heat issues, possible problems with electric PTO clutches and belt/pulley/spindle issues. I think some of these issues may have been addressed in the newer (2009/2010) models and some may be misreported issues with 1000 series tractors.
I would be buying a GT for it's HD build quality, even though it is seriously overkill for my intended usage. But, if I am going to be fixing/replacing or hauling this thing to a dealer every couple months than I will be better off with a lower priced unit like a JD with K46 tranny and upgraded engine. Then I can put my money into replacing those crappy spindles every 80 hours.
Can anyone address the issues of hoods, heat, PTO clutches and belt/pulley/spindle problems? How pervasive are these and have they been satisfactorily addressed in the newer models? With light-duty usage and regular maintenance prevent these sorts of failures or are they inevitable?
Or should I start looking at how to keep my old LT12 running another 10 years?
