Which Garden Tractor to get Sears or husky

[4570Man]

I have several kubota lawn mowers. They all have over 1000 hours, and run like new. I just bought a used Kubota B7100 3 cyl diesel 60 inch deck for $3500. The little diesels run forever on a tank of diesel.

 

[powerscol]

And what does this haft to do with my situation....the kubota prices were 3K to 4K more that what I am paying for this mower. I have a CT 235 Bobcat that can handle a mid mount mower as you describe, but it wont fit in my back yard and other tight locations.

However thanks for your input.

 

[4570Man]

I didn't read the whole thread and I didn't realize you already bought a mower. The used Kubota mowers are not terribly expensive.

 

[powerscol]

No worries, but around here in SW Colorado, even used they were out of my reach. They also will not maneuver at tight as the Sears does

 

[Capricious]

I have a 1978 Sears 11 hp "Vari-drive" garden tractor with a 42" deck. I have used it for "brush-hogging" for 3 years- have really beat it hard. It just keeps running.

That thing is tough.

The old Briggs engine does not have much compression anymore and burns a lot of oil ( I keep the oil full, and change it 2 or 3 times a year) but I have a
Harbor Freight engine laying in the garage that I will repower the tractor with should the Briggs finally die.

When I bought it I had to fabricate a "no longer available" part in order to get the variable ratio belt drive to work. I really like the belt system- I am able to look at it and figure it out. No way could I do that with a hydrostat.

By the way, which hydrostat does the new Sears use?

 

[powerscol]

Mine is supposed to have the 730 hydro, but I have not crawled under. Sears service just came by and went over things - OK service. I'm glad they put the bumper on as it was a two guy operation and small long fingers were needed....I have short fat ones. From talking to them this is the strongest and least trouble unit they make. In the year or so this kohler model has been out he has repaired one bad switch to the front lights. He said stay away from the gray colored ones as they are cheap and trouble prone.

I get mowing later and report on how it works.

 

[BigBlue]

I've been following your story and look forward to your impressions of the tractor when you put it to work. All the best!

 

[MoPops]

I'm following along too. I bought a used craftsman last year for $650. It's the 27hp. The lever to adjust the deck height does not work. I have to hold the lever and turn the knob, but it runs great. I use it for mowing the acre right around the farm house. Have a brush hog for my CT225 for bigger stuff.
If I switched to a different mower, I'd consider a zero turn, but they seem pretty pricey. (Compared to $650)
As far as my used Craftsman is concerned, it runs like a champ. I changed the oil and filter. Added new blades and belts, and couldn't be happier. I'm not sure how many years I'll get out of it, but I was on a pretty limited budget.
I'm hoping Sears/Craftsman can hang in there for a long time.
Looking forward to hearing how your service call goes.

 

[flusher]

You don't have to pay through the nose for a decent riding mower.

In 2005 a bought a new Huskee 42" riding mower from Tractor Supply for $899. Made by MTD. Has the 18 hp B&S Intek engine.

Mowed about 2.5 acres of lawn and almond orchard with it. Also mowed 10-ft wide strips along 1/2 mile of fence line to keep the place looking tidy. Operating cost was oil, gas, oil filter every two years.
Changed the belts and blades once so far in 10 years of ownership. Sold my place a few months ago and the new owner is using that old Huskee.

 

[powerscol]

Got a chance to put her to work. I am very pleased. Mower worked great, excellent cut and fairly even and I am getting used to the Hydro Trans. I did not even use full power when mowing, just 3/4. Tip - for a tight turn, slow down, otherwise you have the front end sliding.

Some things service did not do even thought asked...they were in a rush as bumper took longer than thought.

I need to drop the tire pressure. After reading the manual they are overinflated to ship, otherwise trying to back out of a tight corner cause tire spin, and I had to raise the deck. Second, deck is not level - they eyeballed it, but when I took the tape measure out after the first cutting , it is 1/2 inch high in one corner. Should not be a big deal to do as I figured it out. It's simply backing off a locking nut, pulling the pin, and spinning the fitting to the correct level (on the rear), the front is a one nut operation to adjust up or down. Before I do this I will be calling the service folks to ask if this should have been done by the crew they sent.

Once I get past the change is service culture, I believe I have a very good garden tractor/mower. For fun I am going to try and get my old one running again. I'll replace the pulse pump with a newer model, modify the fuel and pulse lines according, rebuild the carb and see how it goes. I enjoy tinkering.

BTW if your getting a new one based on my experience, be very careful when ordering. They put a new model in the line up last week that appears identical to this one, but lacks cruse and has a weaker hydro trans. MY model number is 917.98645. The new one is Calif compliant too.

Hope this helps