Craftsman 21 hp 46 in. Deck, YS 4500 Lawn Tractor
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Craftsman 21 hp 46 in. Deck, YS 4500 Lawn Tractor Reviews


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4.35 of 5 view all 46 reviews
Rating Summary | 87% of reviewers recommend (40 out of 46)

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Craftsman 21 hp 46 in. Deck, YS 4500 Lawn Tractor — 

I purchased this tractor in September of 2007. Consumer Reports rated it very high for its mowing capabilities. I COMPLETELY agree with this rating for this mower cuts the grass VERY evenly. I can not say enough good things about the appearance of the lawn after mowing. The motor always starts quickly and shuts off nicely. The motor does surge at first, but quickly evens out. Some of these mowers were returned to my Sears store due to more noticeable surge problems. The hydrostat runs smoothly whether mowing or dethatching. One concern I have about the hydrostat is with the belt that connects the motor to the hydrostat. I noticed the tractor really slowing down this spring of 2008 compared to when I used it briefly in the fall of 2007. Since the mower has a 2 year warranty, I had Sears visit the mower to look at this and a few other concerns. The Sears mechanic said the belt probably stretched. I was really surprised to hear a belt would stretch after only mowing a few times in Oct last year and mowing 2 to 4 times a month since April of 2008. When he removed the belt, the old one was an inch or so longer than the new one. The belt cost $28 but was replaced free since the mower has a two year warranty. What really CONCERNS me is that this drive belt has no adjustment on it. Once it stretches, the tractor slows down more and more. A Sears's repairman said these tractors never had an adjustment for the drive belt. Every other mower I have owned has had an adjustment to take the looseness out of a stretching belt. Not this one. My old mower has had the same belt for years! I guess one has to get used to the tractor going slower, or put on a new belt every year of so. If you like to cut your grass fast, be prepared to replace the belt every year or so. The bagger for this tractor had some less than positive reviews from previous reviewers in 07 and before. More than a few folks mentioned how the rubber ring in the hood of the bagger that accepts the tube from the deck has issues. Unless one is VERY careful, that ring will come out of its slot. The rubber ring comes out MUCH easier than it goes back into the hood. I have learned to be very careful so that it does not pop out. My previous riding mower, a Honda, NEVER had issues with anything falling apart or coming out of place. A bigger concern about the bagger is something I don't remember reading about in a review. If the tube connecting the mower deck to the bagger gets clogged up, clearing the clog is less than fun. The tube that connects the deck to the bagger is composed of two pieces. When you separate the upper piece of the tube from the lower piece, you have to be VERY careful that the rubber ring in the bagger's hood does not pop out. The length of the lower part of the tube is longer than the length of my arm. So unless you have really long arms, cleaning out the clogged tube is not fun. On my Honda, the lower part of the tube was shorter than the upper part. So clearing a clog was easy. The lower part also had a clear see through portion in the lower tube so one could see if the lower tube was clogging. I agree with a previous review who said the hood does rattle. The hood is flimsy but his solution of putting on rubber pads would work well. The hood is easy to remove to work on the motor. My dad likes the step through feature of the mower, but he says the mower rides like a Model T Ford car from the last century. This mower is not a smooth rider but the bouncing around is normal for a mid range tractor. Long story short, this mower cuts the grass beautifully. I really DON'T like the bagger that Craftsman makes for this tractor. I am disappointed with the drive belt stretching so quickly. If one would have to pay a person to install the belt, the labor would have been close to $200 according to the warranty receipt given to me. Thanks for taking the time to read these comments. I hope you find them useful to you in making a wise buying decision. Personally, next time I will not buy a tractor with the concerns I shared.

Craftsman 21 hp 46 in. Deck, YS 4500 Lawn Tractor

is not recommended by GeneralMechanic
Posted on Sep 11, 2008
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