Sears Lawn Tractor

[rd_macgregor]

I've mowed a couple of times with my new Craftsman lawn tractor (26hp B&S, hydro with 54" deck) and I think I may have made a $2500 mistake. The mower starts and runs great, and mows nicely (and very fast!) on smooth ground. Unfortunately, my yard (and entire property) is definitely NOT smooth. It is tilted and bumpy, which means that the deck tends to bottom out causing the tractor to lose traction (sometimes leaving me totally stuck). I mow with the deck raised as high as I can get it, so when I'm hung up, I'm really stuck! If I try to mow with the deck lower, I just get hung up more frequently. My 13-year old Craftsman 42" seldom had this problem, so it is frustrating to me to be able to mow an extra foot on each pass, but end up stuck in places I used to mow with no problem.

I'm not expecting solutions from my colleagues in the tractor world, but wouldn't reject any sympathy you might have!

BOB

 

[locknut]

Lower the deck wheels and see if that helps.

 

[Gator6x4]

Craftsman mowers usually mow five inches when raised all the way up. I think something is not adjusted correctly or you are trying to mow a very rough area.

 

[cletus99]

Take it back for a refund.

 

[bearcreek paul]

See if they'll trade you for a smaller deck. Won't hurt to ask.

 

[Recoveryhill]

Take that Kioti and play landscape engineer and make a flat lawn, would be my first recommendation.

The second would be to avoid Sears products at this time, return to sender. It is being run (into the ground) by a Hedge Fund Manager, Eddie Lampert. Want to buy a tractor from this guy? He's currently liquidating his stake in Sears Canada, by the way....

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/30/b...-excessive-confidence.html?ref=edwardslampert

 

[kebo]

If it has turf tires, then put on some more aggressive tires with tractor lugs. That should help out. Or, you could just put on some chains and see how that does.

 

[rd_macgregor]

I double-checked the deck installation instructions and all the connections, but I can't see anything I might have done wrong. I'll measure from the barn floor to the blades and see if it is a full 5 inches; if not, then maybe I have a good excuse to return it to Sears.
Actually, I've thought of putting ATV tires on it...did you know that ATV tires cost more than car tires?!!
Anyway, if they don't have a greater diameter, I'd still not have traction if I got hung up.
I did lower the deck wheels, but when they bottom out, it still takes enough weight off the drive wheels to make me lose traction. The manual claims that the mower deck must be removed in order to use tire chains (which might also make it infeasible to use a larger diameter tire).
Finally, I'm pretty sure that these mowers are made by Husqvarna for Sears (there is even a Husqvarna sticker under the seat).
Thanks for the suggestions.
BOB

 

[Gator6x4]

Is the mower a YT4500? If so this is what one individual said about his.

Recently accepted delivery on this yard tractor, there are some good things and bad. Tractor does a great job mowing in some difficult terrain. Love the hydrostatic transmission, previous mower was a manual shift, and this is much easier to use. Lots of power, great cutting, and ease of use. On the negative side, there were some pre-delivery assembly issues (performed by Sears): 1. Steering wheel loose. 2. Seat improperly installed. 3. Mower deck not set-up properly, Height adjustment will not go below "3" (deck sitting on ground) and maximum height ("6"), only raises blades to 21/2" above ground. 4. Entire unit was dusty upon delivery; minor, but I would expect they would at least clean it before delivery

 

[rd_macgregor]

Mine is this one: CRAFTSMAN®/MD 26-Hp Garden Tractor - Sears | Sears Canada
and I really don't have major complaints about the fit and finish/assembly, except that I can't get the deck up high enough to be out of the way on rough ground. Mine has twelve slots for the deck height, but I'm sure it would be sitting on the ground before it got down to 4 or 5. I haven't checked yet to see how high it is cutting when the deck is at its lowest setting (sitting on the ground?), but I think it is supposed to be 2"...and 5" at the #12 setting (ie, .25" per notch). The tension spring doesn't quite offset the full weight of the deck, so it is quite a struggle to hoist the deck lever all the way to 12. Also, if I hit an abrupt bump at speed, the deck lever tends to kick out of the high notch and slip down to a lower one (say 8 or 9). Based on my experience so far, this mower is not well-suited for use on rough/uneven ground. Put it on a nice, smooth, level stretch of turf and it'll mow like gangbusters, though!
BOB