Craftsman 26 hp 54 in. Deck Garden Tractor —
I bought this tractor about a year ago to cut about an acre of lawn and an acre of pasture. At the same time I bought the box scraper and sleeve hitch to grade my 1/4 mile gravel dirveway.
Likes:
- More than enough power for cutting tall grass, grading the diveway, and pulling an 800lb-capacity dump cart (usually way overloaded). Absolutely no problem pulling ground engaging attachments, although this winter I plan on adding the wheel weights and chains so I can use the grader to move snow.
- The seat is very comfotable for long hours.
- Removing/installing the deck is a piece of cake.
- Routine maintenance (filters, oil, grease, belts, etc.) couldn't be easier.
- Huge selection of accessories available
- Plenty of room to get on and off; all controls easy to access.
- Absolutely no problems, mechanical or otherwise.
Dislikes:
- It takes a lot of pressure on the reverse pedal to get full reverse speed...Sears should offer an extension.
- The seat kill switch is overly sensitive. I forsee it being disabled very soon.
- The mower deck has seven positions for height but only enough range for 6 of them.
I gave this tractor five stars for two reasons. One, the Likes far outweigh the Dislikes, and Two, a year ago this was a bargain and now the price is even lower. Even if you opt for the extended warranty it's still a bargain, and then you won't have to worry about it for three years.