Latest reviews about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

Ossie10 says "POWERFUL AND GREAT VALUE - 2010 GT5000 6 spd manual" about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

Ossie10 — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 23:38:20 GMT

Bought this last year after looking at some larger and more expensive tractors but got this on special so I couldn't pass it up. I use it on our 31 acres that is 2ac lawn, 2ac fields and rest is woods with trails. It does a pretty good job on the lawn with the mulch kit, great for the fields up to about 18" in 5th gear. I also used it to do some trailcutting with saplings up to about 1.5", using the dozer blade to first push them over the mower had no problems. Has heaps of power, I tow about 1/2 ton of firewood out of the woods regularly - I added a set of the Chevron rear tires with bar tread and with some extra weight over the back wheels it will go just about anywhere. I use it with a grader blade and sweeper but by far the best is the snow thrower...no nor'easter is too big for that baby. I use a utility tray from Ohio Steel that hooks on the back to add up to 200lbs of salt bags or cinder block if I need big traction. I also added a 2000 lb winch on the back that i use...

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gej47 says "The front end is very substandard" about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

gej47 — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 02:13:24 GMT

I bought the GT 5000 tractor in 2010. I have used it for a year. The front axle is poorly designed and the parts are to small and weak for the tractor. My front wheels are both pointed out and when you try to turn it the wheels drag. The frame flexes and should be much stronger. I like the transmission but the reverse pedal should be relocated, perhaps beside the forward pedal. The current design allows the operator to snag their shoes between the forward and reverse pedals and in a situation where you need to control the direction of the tractor, having your foot trapped is a safety issue. Also, the stance could be wider which would mitigate the higher center of gravity that this tractor has. For now I am waiting for a tech to come out and repair the tractor. I have grass growing and nothing to mow it with. Not a good situation for me. I would not recommend this tractor to anyone because it has front end reliability and design issues. I don't like giving a bad review because I love Sears...

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May2011 says "Craftsman GT5000 Garden Tractor (A piece of $3000 junk)" about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

May2011 — Tue, 31 May 2011 15:29:27 GMT

I purchased this garden tractor in September 2009. It has been nothing but a piece of pricey junk. I mow approximately 4 acres. During the first year I noticed that the front wheels were going in opposite directions. I called for an appointment and after about a month, the technician showed up and replaced the tie rods, the front axles and the steering mechanism. When I started mowing this year the front wheel started going in opposite directions and the front wheel fell off. Again, I called for an appointment. A month or so the technician showed up and replaced the front wheel axles. (Said they were bent and showed me the axles were not welded completely around--welded only on one side) . Again I started mowing and after mowing about 1/2 acre the wheels started going in opposite directions and the wheel fell off.

Certainly would not recommend this Sears product

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MyMowerSucks says "would be happier mowing my 3acres with scissors." about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

MyMowerSucks — Sat, 28 May 2011 01:49:08 GMT

I purchased my mower in the fall of 2009 for a ballpark of $3000. Also, for this mower i have a 42" snow blower mounts on the front. Since i have owned this mower, i have had the mechanic out many times for a issue with the steering. The steering wheels have a large amount of slop in them making your turning radius dwindle from what used to be around 2', to around 7'. Every time it needs to be repaired the parts take about one month to come in. There is a lot of down time associated with this mower, including twice now having the pto fail to engage/disengage, once being after a huge snow fall.

This mower has a great, and tough motor, and the drivetrain is fairly good as well. With how this mower is set up it can be quite versatile. I would recommend this mower to anyone who has no trees on their property to mow around, otherwise you are going to be severely frustrated with this piece of equipment like i am. ********** offer a x300 series in this price range with the option differential...

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scotkel says "Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26hp gas powered riding garden" about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

scotkel — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:48:58 GMT

Bought this unit two years ago, it's still in warranty! In that time frame, I had to take off both metal deck protectors because they bent and started ripping up the grass, and the right front wheel has fallen off three times and I had to have the rim replaced. On top of that, recently it just stopped (no power) right in the middle of the last mowing experience. I am currently waiting for a technician who is scheduled for 2 1/2 weeks from now, during heavy mowing season. They have no loaner program so I have to borrower my neighbor's mower (**********, which I am getting next!) so my lawn won't look like a field when I finally get my mower fixed. Not very happy and I am out $3000! Look elsewhere!

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Charlotte626 says "54 inch craftman lawn tractor" about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

Charlotte626 — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 02:15:33 GMT

I had bought one 7 years ago and it is still working. I just bought a new one on April 1 and I plan on using it regular. They are a great product and I would recommend it to anyone that has a lot of yard to cut. We cut almost 5 acres and the old one still works great after 7 years. We just updated and plan on getting years of use. The warranty is also great.

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blandone says "a year and a half and no problems" about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

blandone — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:43:10 GMT

great tractor with plenty of power if you get this tractor get the wheel weights and chains does have the problem of not enough weight for the power

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ToddManteufel says "Outstanding performance." about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

ToddManteufel — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 13:51:21 GMT

I was a ********** man for many years, but now I am a craftsman GT man. I would tell people to buy this tractor over any other one made. Love this tractor great for mowing and snowblowing. The one problem I had was the hood was not secure. I however fixed the problem with hood latches on both sides of the hood. Excellent tractor....

Saldog says "Decent mower for the price." about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

Saldog — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 01:05:03 GMT

I own the older model that does not have the foot control, wish it had that feature. I purchsed this mower when they first came out with the 54" deck, about 4 years ago if I recall correctly. I mow about 2 acres and all my other neighbors own ********** or Cub Cadet. I could not part with that much money for a comparably sized mower in those brands so I purchased this Sears mower.

I had several problems with the first mower so Sears exchanged it for another one, it has been problem free all these years so far. It does not cut the grass as smooth as my neighbors **********, but I paid a third of what he did so I can live with that.

Sears may have improved on the deck design since my purchase, so it may leave a more even cut.

The one thing I don't like is the ability to make tight turns both left and right. I can only make tight left hand turns. The design for this is due to the discharge chute on the right. This may have changed since my model year.

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ToddLawson says "GT 5000 is the biggest piece of junk I have ever bought" about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

ToddLawson — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 17:16:36 GMT

I purchased the tractor for my wife to cut the grass. I noticed the strips of grass she left behind and figured she would learn then I tried to cut with it and found the tractor was junk. I had the service rep come to repair it and he could not help, he did fix the 3 flat tires and put new blades on it and verify the deck adjustment. It still did not help. The deck would not raise all the way and would only lower to 3, the hood flopped open on small bumps. All in all I felt like I was driving a little kids toy with a big motor....

CJames875 says "GT 5000 is everything that I hoped it would be." about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

CJames875 — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 02:49:10 GMT

The power and the dependability of this mower haver exceeded my expectations.I have mowed, towed and hauled about everything around on my property and i have not been dissatisfied with my purchase what so ever. I am very impressed with the power of this mower it seems to excel when you put it to work. I have cut my mowing time done by at least half. I would recommend this garden tractor to anyone who were to ask my opinion of it.

I wish I would have been able to purchase this garden tractor a long time before I was able to I utilize it almost everyday whether I am mowing or just rolling the lawn anything that i have used it for doesn't seem to affect the performance of the tractor at all. Now i am going to save up and get the three point sleeve hitch with the electric assist so i can expand my potential to do my own landscaping in the yard and garden work. I just realized setting here that I need to get a push blade for the front to clear snow from my walks and driveway. This...

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hankaaron67 says "If you need a garden tractor buy a real one!" about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

hankaaron67 — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 21:51:18 GMT

I waited a year since I bought this tractor to right this review to make a good judgment on it. But lets start with the first one I received brought it home jumped on my new shiny tractor proceded to give it a drive and the pedal stopped working for the transmission, looked into it and they forgot to install a cotter pin and the linkage came apart not a problem had a extra one in the garage. So I got it working, couple days later decided to cut the grass had some electrical problems where if the deck was on the mower would shutoff sometimes when going forward. Also would almost always backfire and run over when it was shut off. So called sears since it was only a couple of days they let me bring it back and switch it out.

Got the new one worked good, cut the grass fast, ran pretty good, the only problem is its a really light tractor. A person could pretty much push it over if the deck wasnt on. I have a hilly lot so it would spin out a lot so I put weights on the tractor which helped....

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rabbithash1 says "GT 5000 I should have sent it back at delivery" about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

rabbithash1 — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 01:53:47 GMT

When it was delivered without deck wheels or a belt I should have told them to take it back. It has been down hill since then. Took 3-4 weeks to get all the pieces for the deck wheels that I had to put on myself. Then the belt that was not on when delivered but put on by the delivery person kept coming off, this was at 20 hours of use. They replaced the belt but now it keeps stalling out on me. If I loosen the gas tank lid for a second then it runs alright for a little while. This should not happen with only 26 hours of use. I have another craftsman garden tractor that is 23 years old and still runs like a top. Only problem with it and why I bought a new one was the deck is just plain wearing out. The pullys were replaced one time and had to replace fuel pump. I don't have time to play with this tractor to keep it running, I mow 3 acres of grass. Should have had a deck made and not paid for a new tractor. Very disappointed in this machine, not the quality that USED...

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britm3 says "Solid Value Priced Garden Tractor" about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

britm3 — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:05:25 GMT

I have had the GT5000 Excellerator for about one season, and overall, feel this is a solid entry level garden tractor. The transmission is better than what you get on the lower level ********** X300 series. The speed and power are great - the cut quality is also fine - not as nice as a Simplicity with rollers, but it is even when you take the time to level the deck. Now this is a AYP product meaning it is very similar to the Husqavarna tractors, with less content (oil pressure guages etc) - the build quality is good for the price - you cannot expect this to compare to a ********** X748 that costs $12,000. Reliability has also been great to date - I do change the oil every 10 hours or so which is agressive and have 30 hours so far. The 54" deck works well for mulching, it is not that easy to clean (deck port is limited in cleaning) so I do end up lifting the front of the tractor with a jack to really get under it and wash it out. However, if you cut damp grass that is to be expected. Only...

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UPoutdoorzman says "Kohler engine dead and gone forever" about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

UPoutdoorzman — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:17:25 GMT

My 2005 GT5000 just blew a hole thru the aluminum engine block. It is now useless so I am parting it out plus all the attachments. I bet I have barely 100 hrs on it. Not to mention $4000+ into this thing. Not such a great value is it? They tell me rebuilts are no longer availabe and new one is $1500+labor. I used to love this tractor. Now I need to find a Sears and Kohler rep and ***********; It blew the oil seal 2 years ago and must have blown out again since I found very little oil in it. And to think I paid more to get the Kohler engine because others said it was better than B&S. Fool me once shame on me...No more Craftsman tractors for me.

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matt5245 says "The Craftsman mower has terrible electric problems. " about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

matt5245 — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:12:19 GMT

I bought my tractor in May of 2009 and was impressed by the size of the mower and its rather low price as compared to others. Within the first few months I had to have the Sears repair man visit my house to resolve wiring problems. This year I have become good friends with the Sears repair man since he visits so much. (John will be on my Christmas card list). There is a problem with the ignition control modules/coils failing and the repair is to convert the coils to the old system. After having that done there has been two subsequent visits for the same problem. The tractor will only run on one cylinder, rendering the tractor useless but yet a great decoration for the garage. And the quality of the cut is less than desireable. Sears said they will not replace the mower unless it can not be fixed, a rather subjective statement. In closing, if you like to have long grass and your are looking to befriend repair people buy this model tractor becuase you won't be cutting a lot...

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Jonflyama says "GT 5000 Excellant mower for the prince, needs minor update" about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

Jonflyama — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:51:48 GMT

Excellant mower, cut 2 hours off my previous cut time with previous mower. Hood needs rework to keep it from shifting and bounching when cutting in rough terrain. Mower is fast and has excellant cut while cutting fast. I cut five acres of grass and am very pleased so far with this unit. It is comfortable and powerful.

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MrKurt says "STAY AWAY 2ND TRACTOR APRIL 2010 PURCHASE " about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

MrKurt — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 12:44:08 GMT

WHAT EVER AMERICAN YARD PRODUCTS DID DO NOT BUY THEY DID A CHANGE TO THE BELT AND PULLY SYSTEM KEEPS BREAKING OFF THIS IS MY SECOND TRACTOR AND THIS IS GOING BACK KEEP WITH NAME BRAND HUSKY IS THE BEST OUT THERE.

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jetboatrich says "Good for the Price" about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

jetboatrich — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:37:47 GMT

We bought our GT500 August of 2009 and mow about 4 acres each week. The unit is simple to use and with the automatic trans, even my wife uses it.

As mentoned in other reviews, the hood is horrible as it wobbles around and no real way it is secured. We put a bungee cord around, below steering wheel and no more issue, but should not come to that.

Deck becoms clogged with grass easily, then it is very difficult to clean the pulley area under the covers.

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EcoMan says "Best tractor I've owned!" about Craftsman GT 5000 54" Kohler 26 hp Gas Powered Riding Garden Tractor

EcoMan — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:32:25 GMT

I have 2.5 acres of various terrain, half acre which I will be planting a vegetable garden with. I purchased this machine so I could till up my entire lack a yard and start fresh, and this thing does not dissapoint! I purchased wheel weights that added the weight I needed to keep from slipping when I hook up the large disc tiller. This machine doesn't even flinch at anything I throw at it.

I was researching for months, going back and forth between **********, Cub Cadet, Craftsman, and Husqvarna (who is the one that makes the Craftsman tractor). For the power and the heavy duty transmission this thing has for the price beats out anything out there. I would've had to spend $4500 or more to get the same power and features this incredible this has. I will be happy with this thing for many years.

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