Reviews about Lawn & Garden

chollis says "More than I expected" about Craftsman YTS 4500

chollis — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:42:43 GMT

Well, went looking around for lawn tractors, and ended up getting this one.

Wanted good horsepower, lots of attachments, and decent support. Local Sears hardware store had this one as a floor model, and they were willing to deal a bit. Got the 3-bagger and the snow blade at the same time.

Sears pretty much delivered as promised. Just got done mowing the lawn and picking up leaves (it's fall in New England).

Initial impressions: powerful engine, good build quality, controls are bit of a learning curve, nice job on my unruly and damp lawn, bagger is wonderful, has good power and traction up and down my 30 degree hills, wife approves of the results :-)

OK, we'll see how this all progresses, but -- so far -- I am a happy buyer of this product.

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BernieB says "I Love it!" about Craftsman Variable Speed Blower Vac

BernieB — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:18:16 GMT

I purchased the Craftsman Variable Speed Blower/Vac after reading many reviews. I was originally going to purchase the similar Toro model but the craftsman was on sale. Easy to assemble; I have used it for several hours so far without problems. Blowing power VERY good, love the variable speed capability since the blower is very powerful on highest speed. I found the vac to be good--just don't overload when vacuuming leaves, just vac with slow and steady speed. Mulches excellent, bag ok but of course fills up fast and opening is very wide and not so easy to dump the mulch into paper leaf bags. Best advantage of this model is its metal impeller. I found the blower to be ergonomic--comfortable to use. Noise is average for a power tool--I always wear ear protection so noise is never a bother to me. Only negative is the power cord but still beats gas/oil/exhaust/pollution. My neighbor bought the Worx TriVac and is not nearly as happy with her purchase as I am with mine. I would definitely...

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jimymac says "total junk" about Arnold Snow Thrower Light Kit

jimymac — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:30:37 GMT

After installing light , turned on snow blower, light stayed iluminated for about a minute until I ramped engine to full speed at which point the bulb burned out. tested voltage had varying AC voltages on wire lead as I adjusted throttle on machine. There was no phone number or comany address on package of light . did some research online and called manuf. explained my problem they told me to go to an arnold dealer and they could order me the new bulb? What ? they would not send me a new bulb as a courtsey ? I explained that i would be returning the whole unit to sears for a full refund. An inferior product . Personally , i think the bulb they are using is not rated for ROUGH service , and we all know the vibration of snow blowers can make your hands numb at times. DO NOT BUY THIS ARNOLD PRODUCT A PIECE OF GARBAGE!

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Snapper3100 says ""Precision Spray" nozzle renders Snapper 3100 useless!" about Snapper 3100 MAX PSI / 2.5 MAX GPM Pressure Washer- CA model

Snapper3100 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:43:01 GMT

I purchased a Snapper Model 580.752640 last week as a replacement for my old Sears 2350 pressure washer. The Briggs and Stratton engine started on the first pull. The unit is very transportable and has adequate power. Gas consumption and noise levels are tolerable. The design of the nozzle is a complete failure. On the "General": setting the spray pattern is too wide to effectively clean concrete, stucco, or pool decking.. On the "Maximum" setting the pattern is far too concentrated to provide an efficient cleaning zone. It's like trying to clean a driveway with a lazer beam on the Max setting. I saw this flaw within 60 seconds of operation and was incensed after paying nearly $450.00. I have a very large driveway and 15 rental homes to clean. My garage and storage areas are filled with Craftsman tractors, tools, equipment and accessories. Fortunately I had kept my old pressure washer and the nozzle it contained. The old unit featured a truly adjustable nozzle which passes the......

Randy-Taylor says "They coppied Ryobi, but not as good as the real deal" about Craftsman 32cc 2 cycle Split Boom Gas Trimmer

Randy-Taylor — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:23:34 GMT

I was a bit disappointed in this model. I have had a Ryobi for 10 years and was very pleased with it. I could not find another Ryobi when Mine quit so I (as always) looked at Sears models. They have the same attachments (that seem to be better than Ryobi models) I purchased this unit and the first time I used it the shaft locked up and stripped the spline. I took it back and they replaced it with another - I was happy again. My new one has had the same problem. I will be replacing it when it quits with a different brand. The problem is that I have spent a great deal of money for all the attachments. I am not happy with the line configuration on this unit either . it takes short lengths of line , no bump to advance line, you must replace the line and there is always about 6 inches of line that does not get used.

Not a real effecient or convenient to replace the line in the whacker part of this unit.

I will not buy another like this one.

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BlueCrewGuyInMA says "Light shovel with a big appetite" about Craftsman 20 in. Combo Shovel

BlueCrewGuyInMA — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:33:47 GMT

I purchased this shovel last winter (December 2008) because one of our old ones had been stolen. What a great replacement!

The D handle is big enough for a gloved hand to easily fit, but with a rubberized grip for extra control. The shaft has a cushioned collar to eliminate the ice-cold shaft freezing your hands. The shaft itself is crafted of lightweight aluminum, and the blade is a lightweight transparent polycarbonate, which combine to reduce the weight of the shovel and make shoveling easier. After all, the snow is heavy enough! It also has a pretty durable ice-breaking blade on the edge, which came in handy when breaking apart sheets of compacted snow from the driveway.

Rumor has it there's a new ergonomic version of this shovel coming out. The traditional straight shaft is the only thing keeping this shovel from 5 stars. This basic design is functional but not as comfortable to use. However, it's still worthwhile for anyone looking to lighten their shoveling load. And, of course,...

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jospinks says "Without this attachment, I would have to hire a pro tree trimmer" about Craftsman Pole Saw Attachment

jospinks — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:29:43 GMT

Living on a sizable and well treed lot, this attachment has seen a lot of hard work. I also use it on my job as well maintaining trees for a few customers. While I only do tree work for my very best customers as a courtesy to them, this tool gives me the appearance of being much more of an arborist than I am. I have used this attachment with a rented 40 ft. cherry picker bucket, and with the additional 12 ft. of so of extra reach for more than 52 ft. total, I am comfortable using this tool in spite of my age (mid-60s). As with any cutting tool, due diligence is warranted, but with normal safety precautions, anyone can save money by doing the low-level tree work themselves.

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Grandpa61 says "The 2 Bin Hard Bagger Attachment Makes The Job Easy" about Craftsman 2 Bin Hard Bagger #24897

Grandpa61 — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:18:36 GMT

The 2 Bin Hard Bagger #24897 attachment for my YT4000 Yard Tractor was delivered to the store as scheduled..on time. This bagger attachment only took 20 minutes to put together and hooked up to the tractor with ease. The two bins are easy to empty and reinstall. Emptying the bins requires very little effort. The left bin fills before the right bin. There is a small red spinning wheel indicator on the side tubing next to the operator that is easy to watch. When the indicator stops spinning, it's time to empty the bins.

The old way of raking and bagging leaves took most of the day..sometimes part of the 2nd day. I am able to complete the same task using the 2 Bin Hard Bagger attachment in about 1.5 hours.

I am absolutely satisfied with the performance of the 2 Bin Hard Bagger. My only regret is that I did not purchase it sooner!

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rstinnett says "Wonderful Tool For Yards With Lots of Trees!" about Craftsman Pump N Cut Ropeless Tree Pruner

rstinnett — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:24:49 GMT

We stumbled upon this tree pruner by accident at our local Sears -- we weren't looking for one, but when we saw it we thought "maybe this can help trim a frew branches back". Did it ever! Within the first weekend of buying it we went "tree crazy" and really trimmed the yard up.

The #1 thing I like about this, and what convinced us to buy it there on the spot, was that its covered by the lifetime Craftsman warranty. If it breaks or fails to perform in any way, just take it back to Sears and they will replace it -- no questions asked.

Now onto its performance...

You should know this will take a little time to get used to. I think most of the negative reviews on here were from people who thought they could master it within 30 minutes of taking it out of the packaging. Because it extends to such a long length, you really have to learn how to balance this thing. It will take a good hour or two before you master it.

We found the saw part of the pruner to be more than adequate. It...

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whining says "Battery life is just too low" about Craftsman 18V Convertible Cordless Line Trimmer/Power Handle Combo

whining — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 16:23:33 GMT

Yes, I knew from other reviews that the amount of work I could do each time I charged the battery was not going to be a lot, but my yard is small and I thought that only a few minutes of power would be enough.

Problems started when the battery would not even charge. I kept trying different ways, and for longer periods of time, but no luck. Worse luck was that because of my stubbornness, I wasted time, and when I tried to return the product, it was too late, and Sears would not take it back.

Advice: even if you are ok with how much work you can accomplish with each charge, you also have to consider how long the battery life will last, and it doesn't seem to be long.

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SomeMaineGuy says "Why did we wait so long to buy one?" about Craftsman 9 Bushel 3 - Bin Soft Bagger for 42" Deck

SomeMaineGuy — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:22:25 GMT

We were very pleased with this product. It was easy to install and easier to use. It only took us 15 minutes to install and all we needed was a 9/16ths wrench. Removing the original bolts from the mower and putting in the shoulder bolts was kind of a tight squeeze between the bolts and the rear tires, so my ratchet didn't work, but a flat wrench worked just fine. The primary reason we purchased this bagger was to pick up leaves since our house is completely surrounded by maples and oaks. The biggest challenge was knowing when to empty the bags, which really was dependent upon how many leaves were on the ground. If you waited too long to empty it, the tube would get clogged, so you'd have to turn the mower off and unclog it. It was easy to do, but just took a couple extra minutes. You could tell when it clogged because it left a trail of mulched leaves, but after a few rounds around the yard we figured out how often to empty it and it saved a lot of back breaking raking. We found......

unidaddy says "Powerful, hungry beast!" about Craftsman 305cc Drop Down Chipper Shredder

unidaddy — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:59:34 GMT

I bought the 305cc Drop-Down Chipper Shredder from Sears (online in store pick-up to save $25). Put it together in about 45 minutes and fired it up the next day after putting oil and gas into it. I've read that the oil is difficult to put in, and I agree. I ended up getting a very long funnel from an auto parts store and that made the chore easier, but I also ended up overfilling the oil by a few ounces which kept my first pulls from starting the machine. I opened the filler plug and the excess oil flowed onto some rags that I had put in place to catch it. After that the engine fired and ran beautifully first pull. I've also read that the pulling is difficult (and the resistance of the compression is strong), but it didn't seem to need the fastest pull to get ignition. It has started first pull every time since my overfilling incident.

The performance of the chipper/shredder is fantastic as far as I'm concerned. I have shredded dozens of bushels of leaves and left the...

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tefariss says "After 6 months Mower is a joy to own" about Craftsman Riding Lawn Tractor

tefariss — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:34:24 GMT

I purchased the 46 inch Hydrostatic mower. It was on sale for the same price of the 42" and I also bought the 2 bagger system and the mulching blades. The mulching blades were the best purchase because the bagger is not a very high quality in my opinion. After having a 20 year old powercraft with metal rimmed bags, this bagger (all plastic) is not going to last. Mower has a tight turning radius and has plenty of power to pull my aereator. Has a few rattles because the hood has no latches but so far the mower has been great! The only con is reverse mowing where you have to turn the key to backup. A "safety" feature that I'm sure all the new mowers have. Probably a government requirement. Oil changes are easy with the tube.

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bhasie says "Not suggested for "heavy" drivers" about Craftsman Riding Lawn Mower

bhasie — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:17:55 GMT

After years of trying to convince my husband that we needed a riding lawn mower for our little place on the lake, I finally took the bull by the horns and got one for his birthday. Not the biggest Sears has to offer; however, large enough to get the job done in less than half a day. Ray was so suprised. When the truck delivered the mower, our youngest son (21) was there and he even indicated he would mow the lawn with the new mower. Our grandson (16) is the real lawn person...he likes new things, discovering how they work and then getting the job done. He loves it! However, he is a heavy driver. Over 300 pounds and the seat doesn't like someone that large...something about when he sits he has to lean to one side to prevent something under the seat from doing something. I don't know, but he worked it out and away he went. It's so nice to see that our lawn can be mowed in an hour or so compared to half a day with the push mower. Thank you, Sears.

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casamiro says "Best of the bunch by far..." about Craftsman 917.376061

casamiro — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:27:45 GMT

I have owned several different brands of lawnmowers over the years, Toro, Wards, Lawnboy, but this Craftsman mower is the best of the bunch by far. It starts on the first or second pull and what I like best is that my wife can start it without my help. No priming, just pull and go... This wasn't the case with others mowers I have had. The Craftsman mower is self-propelled and pulls with power, this was not always the case with the others I have owned. When it comes time to purchase a new mower, it will definitely be a CRAFTSMAN!!

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BlueBayou says "Model 917.376673. Mower good, repair warranty stinks." about Craftsman Push Rear Bag Lawn Mower

BlueBayou — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:08:05 GMT

When purchasing the mower I was talked into purchasing a repair warranty. Mower is great but after limited use it would not start. Taking the mower in for service I was told it had to be "sent off" for repairs and that it would take "several weeks" for it to be returned. After more than a month news came that mower was ready to be picked up. If Sears is going to sell a repair warranty they should have a contract with a local repairer like other brands. How is lawn care going to be done when your mower is down for an extended period? I will not make this mistake again; I will search out another brand to purchase. Another problem with mower is the small gas tank; work is limited by the available fuel.

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Greggory says "Why did I wait this long to purchase this time saver" about Craftsman 22 in. Hedge Trimmer

Greggory — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:08:04 GMT

I purchased this hedge trimmer after one of my neighbors forced me to use his trimmer. I was always used to using the hedge shears to trim my hedges. Well, this red devil cuts down my trimming time down to 1/3 of the manual shears and improves the outcome. I have not had any issues with the trimmer but had to read the directions to understand the trigger lock. The reason I picked this trimmer over the others was lock-on switch (trigger lock), large blade, bigger motor, and cord retention. Yes, I would purchase this trimmer again.

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TaylorConsulting says "Buy this, you won't regret it." about Black & Decker Grass Hog Cordless String Trimmer

TaylorConsulting — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:38:08 GMT

Black & Decker Grass Hog Cordless String Trimmer: I thought for a long time between buying a rechargeable cordless and a gas powered one. I finally pulled the trigger and bought the rechargeable one and it does a wonderful job. There is a guide for edging the grass that (once you get completely used to it) REALLY does a good job. You don't need to bump it, the string feeds automatically. I've had this bad boy for about a year now and am extremely pleased. Battery life is not bad (actually good when you consider that it comes with two batteries).

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GManTooler says "A compact pressure washer that does its job" about Power Washer Premium 1600 PSI Electric Powerwasher

GManTooler — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:38:06 GMT

The 1600 psi Power Washer electric pressure washer comes in a compact package, has a reasonable feature set and does exactly the kinds of jobs that I purchased it for - quick cleanups around the house. The electrical and high pressure safety features seem appropriate, based on my experience thus far. The garden hose fitting tends to be a bit undecided on whether it itself wants to come lose or the hose ;) I added a quick connect to solve the problem because I didn't want to overtighten (i.e. destroy) the plastic fitting.

High pressure hose is appropriate in length, but usually stays coiled since it is made of pretty hard plastic. The turbo nozzle is ok, provides a conically modulated stream at medium pressure (about 10 degree angle). The adjustable nozzle is very useful, since it is adjustable from a punishing 1/4 inch diameter stream at 4 ft distance to a fairly soft spray. The pinpoint setting cut through ancient moss and grime on my driveway like butter. Obviously such...

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janmw says "The Craftsman LTS 1500 lawn tractor is good, when it will runs." about Craftsman LTS 1500 17.5 HP/42" Lawm Tractor

janmw — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:32:20 GMT

I had this Craftsman LTS 42" deck lawn tractor delivered to my home, also bought the bagger attachment. It won't run with the baggers on half the time, when I can get it to run at all. The grass clippings blow out from under the bagger lid all over my back, when I have been able to use this lawn tractor. The owners manual is poorly written, also. I have done everything the manual has instructed to operate this machine and still have problems. Since I've had this mower it has failed to run when the brake is released, and appears to have a defective part in the throttle adjustment plate. Now I have had warranty service rescheduled 2 days in a row. Now I can't use the mower at all because it won't run and I am very unhappy with the quality of this product and the repair service I should be getting under the warranty

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