Latest reviews about Craftsman 17.5 HP 30In. Side Rear Discharge Lawn Tractor

Mainman14 says "Absolutely an amazing mower." about Craftsman 17.5 HP 30In. Side Rear Discharge Lawn Tractor

Mainman14 — Mon, 10 May 2010 15:29:36 GMT

I recieved this mower last year. I have no problems with it, it runs great. My dad bought it for me so I could mow our yard with ease. I help me dad with trees that fall down in our woods. He cuts them up and i tow the trailer full of wood with the mower. Its great for leaf pick up in the fall. I recommend just taking good care of it, wash it after two mows. Also change the oil every year and she will always run like new.

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boats67 says "The side rear discharge,easy to unload, with my bad arm." about Craftsman 17.5 HP 30In. Side Rear Discharge Lawn Tractor

boats67 — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:13:56 GMT

It is really easy for me to unload the grass cuttings on my side rear discharge Craftsman lawn mower. The ease of the lift bar really helps me since I have limited stength in both arms and hands. Don't know how I would keep my yard looking so good with out it.

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kurbs says "Marginal Mower, Limited Options" about Craftsman 17.5 HP 30In. Side Rear Discharge Lawn Tractor

kurbs — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 16:12:31 GMT

First use, the clutch cable snapped on me, and the blades would not engage. The engine would die and not restart, it kept cutting out on bumps and small ditches due to the supposed safety features. I had to disconnect the bag switch just to keep from cutting out on hills. Every small bump caused the bag to move off the switch and cut the engine. Anything that it runs over can bump it off the switch. All they need is a longer switch plunger to fix this issue, add another 1/2 inch to it and it would be fine.

I am told by one Sears rep it has a mulcher kit, try and order one, it says not available for this model! Can't put a plow on it, or a trailer. Had the gas cap issue with the dying, Sears shipped a vented cap ( they know it's an issue but still sell it with the non vented caps ), a serviceman showed up and had to repair it using a cable from another tractor! This was brand new by the way, not a return or refurb. It's funny, since it cannot be used with a snow blade that it has headlights...

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Sharkey823 says "A good riding mower overall for small lawns" about Craftsman 17.5 HP 30In. Side Rear Discharge Lawn Tractor

Sharkey823 — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 10:05:11 GMT

Overall Good. s/b 3 1/2 stars. I did not have any of the issues about the bagging or gas cap or stalling. The dumping is pretty cool. As long as you make sure it is centered correctly the switch on the bag is not a problem. I must say it is a bit loud on the exhaust though. Maybe there is a quieter muffler on the market. For a 17.5 hp, it seems that reverse is poor when backing up on inclines...not powerful enough. I also was misled with tractor attachments and being able to mulch by a salesmen at the stores I visited... I blame myself on not checking into it further. Did not notice that information until I put gas in the second time. There is a decal inside the hood near the headlights. The mower should go a tad faster forward and reverse a little more power-full on inclines. Very pleased with turning radius and size of the mower. Especailly for the yard I am using with. Very pleased with the mower overall. Please send feedback if there is any advice on some of these issues....

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grandpabest says "Terrific little riding mower" about Craftsman 17.5 HP 30In. Side Rear Discharge Lawn Tractor

grandpabest — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:19:54 GMT

This 30 inch, side rear discharge mower is destined to be in the same class that the ledgendary Craftsman hand tools enjoy. It's comfortable riding and mows just the way the ads say. My lot is about 1/2 acre, pretty much level, and only a few trees with a couple of raised rose beds to mow around. I purchased it this summer and have had NO problems with it. I'm a dedicated mulcher, so puchasing the mulching kit ( for about 40 clams ) was a must, and installing it was a snap - 15 minutes at most. Be advised this machine does not come with the wash out port. Its extra for about 20 bucks, but the mounting holes are there and is easy to install. Because of the short distance between the deck and frame, I purchased a standard 6 ft. wash machine fill hose with a 90 degree hose fittng on one end for cleaning. Works great. Can't comment on the bagging, so I just leave it mounted to the mower. It's easy to maneuver through my small gates. The gas tank should be larger capacity, but its...

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Flyboyindy says "Great Mower...Great Price" about Craftsman 17.5 HP 30In. Side Rear Discharge Lawn Tractor

sears-feed — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 16:30:05 GMT

I have a somewhat smaller yard, but still a good hour and a half to mow by hand. I didnt need a big tractor, but this one really seemed to fit the bill! My hour and a half is now 20 minutes and it is very agile around corners. Im going to take the advice of the others and direct wire the kill switch, as the mower died on me a few times hitting bumps. I also got mine at the Sears outlet for a steal! Other than that one flaw... what a great machine!...

Anonymous says "FUN MOWING" about Craftsman 17.5 HP 30In. Side Rear Discharge Lawn Tractor

sears-feed — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:00:05 GMT

I got my mower this week,and was prepared for all the little flaws,the other reviewers wrote about this mower.I got to say i actually enjoyed mowing the lawn this week,the bagger is not as bad as others have mentioned.Got through my 36" gate no problem , i have a big slope hill on one side of my house no problems,grass had not been cut in three weeks reall thick some areas must have been 8" tall,no problem there eather,awsome around trees and plants.Just follow instruction you will love THIS NIMBLE MACHINE....

b8637 says "Compact Tractor with Powerfull Engine" about Craftsman 17.5 HP 30In. Side Rear Discharge Lawn Tractor

sears-feed — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:45:04 GMT

I needed a tractor that would fit through narrow gates and not take up a lot of room in my storage building. This tractor meets those requirements. I had trouble with the engine cutting out. I thought it was due to the sensitive bagging system. Going down a slope or over a bump sometimes causes the bagger to break free which causes the engine to quit. But my main problem with the engine cutting out was an unvented gas cap! The cap did not have a hole in it! The Sears repairman said he had to replace quite a few gas caps. I wasn't aware of the bagger feature of being able to empty it while remaining in the drivers seat until I watched the Sears promotional video for this tractor today. Would you believe the Operator's Manual does not show this operation? The more I use the Tractor the more I get use to its' capabilities....

Anonymous says "Great mower/OK bagger" about Craftsman 17.5 HP 30In. Side Rear Discharge Lawn Tractor

sears-feed — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:16:08 GMT

Lots of power and great turning and fairly fast. The frist time I used it was to cleanup stuff from a wind storm. Small stuff. The bug filled up and the blade stopped as I going over a root and bent the blade down into the grass. My fault so I orderd a new blade. I don't think I hurt anything on the deck. It wants to run the best at wideopen. At slower engine speeds seems to vibrate some. Its also a little louder than I had hoped. Thats all ok. The bagger is another thing. I went thru the book and saw the switches on the bag. So that didnt cause a big problem. How ever dumping the bag is an other thing. You have to pull it back and down and always drop grass on the ground. The slide out catcher on the other 30 in mower is better. All in all after you get to know the odd things its a good mower. After I get more hours on it I am going to have it serviced one time at Sears and have the engine gone over. Its likes the ground to be level and seems like the carb needs to be adjusted....

Icabod says "Good except for..." about Craftsman 17.5 HP 30In. Side Rear Discharge Lawn Tractor

sears-feed — Mon, 11 May 2009 10:03:41 GMT

Decided on the 30" model as I have a smallish yard and the 42" was just too big. It's a good machine with enough power. However, there's the grass bagger. The second time I used it the engine started to cut in and out. I drained the gas and put new gas in. The third use the engine died each time I engaged the blades. The tech services made a couple of suggestions then had to send a repairmen. This was the second 30" he'd seen and both had the same problem. There's a switch on the right rear. The grass bag must fit exactly right to close the switch. No switch, no blades. Worse, there's a plastic clip on the bagger frame, under the bag, that depresses the switch. It can slip. If it's not perfectly aligned, no blades. Remove the bagger to empty it and the clip will slip. The lever that triggers the full bag alert also has a habit of falling off. I wanted to mulch but this doesn't seem to be an option. Up until you get to the grass bagger, it's a great machine. powerful, great turns and easy......