Lawn & Garden Discussion Board

Craftsman Luxury Tractor

inquisitivemind — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:58:50 GMT

Way back it used to be called 'pre production testing' and units would be 'loaned' to selected clients for their normal use. The recipients of these 'loan' were supposed to have their own 'back up' but I do not believe any of them ever did, but by saying they did, in writing, removed any complaint of not having a working machine because the 'experimental' one had broken down.

Craftsman Luxury Tractor

ShadetreeRet — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:44:11 GMT

fixNmowers, your offer to be a test driver reminded me of a meeting we had about 1970. They showed us a movie of their test grounds in Fla. where mowers, etc. were rigorously tested for durability. ( We all had a good laugh because the grass was so short that the featured mower was hardly discharging any clippings.) One of our techs. came up with this suggestion, Give every technician one piece of lawn or garden equipment, of his choice, and let him use it at home for a year. During that time he would keep notes on the performance of the equipment and note any weaknesses or needed improvements. Now that would have been a real test! I guess that it was too logical, because they didn't go for it.

Craftsman Luxury Tractor

JasonB122 — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:00:33 GMT

This tractor looks like a beefed up Monster Series mower Craftsman would have had out in 2008. The Garden series was a step up from that back then. I will say the welded deck is a BIG step up this year...especially on the new zero turn mower. The only thing I can think of that this unit needs would be arm rests. It looks great though, and it seems to have just about all you could really ask for in that price range.

Gonna purchase some lawn tools this week.

JasonB122 — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:47:57 GMT

I think just about everything in the C3 power tool line is great. Let us know how the trimmer works out for you, as I have not yet had the opportunity to use it.

Replacing starter

kindley — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:08:01 GMT

o.k.,will change the fuel filter too.Forgot about doing that and it's over due. Thanks.

Replacing starter

madgolfer — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:16:29 GMT

Try a half-throttle for a warm restart, no need to choke it.

Replacing starter

kindley — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:32:40 GMT

Me again.

Changed solenoid,fuse,spark plug and starter.Changed oil and cleaned battery terminals at both ends.Just finished and tried to start it.Started right away and sounded good.Shut it off and re-started a couple more times.On the 3rd try it wouldn't start at all.Turned over good and strong,but just wouldn't start.Any suggestions are appreciated.Battery ground at frame was pretty nasty and I cleaned it good.Mower wouldn't do anything before I cleaned that point.

Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks

Prevent cracking on flat tires

GardenTractorMan — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:15:03 GMT

Proper storage and regular maintenance should be a big step towards keeping tires in good shape. The areas and ways a person operates a tractor can make a difference on tire life also. Making hard turns on pavement and slamming on the brakes and skidding can wear out tires in a hurry. Under inflated or over inflated tires can wear them out in places also.

Prevent cracking on flat tires

fixNmowers — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:52:44 GMT

I see a ton of flats on yard equipment here, due to the huge amount of thorns and cacti, we have here, plus stickers and grass burrs don't help at all. So there is a lot of tires that got down in the off season and set flat on the ground for long periods. The cold winters make the rubber hard and put additional stress on the tires in a flattened state. Cracks tend to develope and then eventually ruin the tires if left unattended. You are also right, where a unit gets stores has a direct impact on the tires as well. Today's tires are much thinner than years back and get flats much more easily. Plus another factor of a tire setting flat is sometimes they tend to come loose from their beads, then you have that issue to deal with.

Prevent cracking on flat tires

GardenTractorMan — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:45:34 GMT

You have a good question Cincybeth. I have seen tires that are about 40 years old with cracks in them but they were what I call a mild climate in Georgia. Where they are stored might have something to do with it. If the tractor is stored outdoors I would think it would be harder on the tires compared to indoors. Also the type of use they have had such as plowing a garden or plowing snow on a driveway.

Prevent cracking on flat tires

cincybeth — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:18:43 GMT

I'm sure the colder the climate during the winter, the more likely there is a chance for your tires to crack if they do flatten. Does that sound possible?

Prevent cracking on flat tires

GardenTractorMan — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:55:37 GMT

You have an interesting way to protect your tires. I have an old 1970's Sears garden tractor with the original tires on it and the tires still hold air. They even have Sears written on the side walls. Some people have said they made the old tires better than the new ones. I have seen a lot of old Sears tires cracking in several places.

Prevent cracking on flat tires

fixNmowers — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:33:00 GMT

Our lawn and garden equipment with inflatable tires such as lawn tractors, tillers, wheel barrows, yard wagons, snowblowers and such left sitting in their off seasons will most likely have a flat or two when we pull them out to use for the first time. These tires left flat on the ground for any length of time can cause weather cracks and ruin the tires. This is what I do to prevent this from happening:: if it's going to sit for a while without being used, I jack up the item and place blocks or jack stands underneath the unit just enough to keep the tires off of the ground. So if they do go flat in the off season, they are not left squished on the ground to develope cracks while flat.

cleaning engine

GardenTractorMan — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:54:41 GMT

A back pack leaf blower or just a plain leaf blower works great for blowing the dust off a mower before storing it. FixNmowers has some great suggestions.

cleaning engine

fixNmowers — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:29:14 GMT

I use compressed air, then use a pressure washer to clean the engine if it's really gunked up. I do not use any solvents on my engines that I clean, but as long as you keep the solvents from the electrical components, you should be fine with Gunk. After the engine is clean, then after each use before you put it up, grab your air hose and blow it off real good to prevent debris from building up and clogging up your engine. A dirty engine will run hotter and wear down faster and cause premature breakdowns. MAke sure to check your cooling fins and always keep those clean at all times. Keeping those clear to allow heat disipation is critical to the longevity of the life of your engine. I might also ad, while you are cleaning to thoroughly clean your mowing deck (both top and bottom). Dirt and grass buildup on your deck causes pulleys to freeze up, cables to stick, deck brakes not to function properly, bdeck belts to wear or fail prematurley, blade spindals to sieze. The grass build up underneath the deck keep the grass from discharging properly and bogs down your engine more than it should & also causes your blades to wear down due to not eing able to expell the grass properly as it cuts.

cleaning engine

GardenTractorMan — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:45:32 GMT

I cannot believe you have not had anyone to reply to you yet.

I usually clean my engine with a shop vacuum cleaner and a brush. Sometimes I use compressed air also. The engine service manual should have some information on what to do when cleaning the engine like removing the cooling shrouds and cleaning the cooling fins.

Does your engine have oil leaks that have caused it to have a lot of oily, greasy buildup on it? You might need to replace a gasket if oil is leaking all over it. A leak can cause the engine to fail from lack of oil.

Try figuring out what brand engine you have and the model number on the engine. Then try calling the manufacturer and ask them if Gunk is safe to use on it, or what they recommend to use when cleaning greasy oil off of the engine.

Replacing starter

kindley — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:54:47 GMT

Sent you a message.

Replacing starter

GardenTractorMan — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 04:18:10 GMT

You are welcome, and I was glad to help if I could.

Replacing starter

kindley — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:57:28 GMT

Believe me,all advice is appreciated.........Thanx

Replacing starter

GardenTractorMan — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:01:35 GMT

Whoops! I didn't realize the others had already figured it out. You are welcome. I was just trying to help.