# Craftsman lawn gear is JUNK!!



## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

I'll try to keep this short but I just have to vent my frustration at the JUNK that Sears sells. I've complained on here before about this piece of junk tractor I bought at Sears but this time it's just about pushed me over the edge. I've gotta start saving a few bucks over the winter because I think I'm going to start looking at a John Deere this Spring. 

A couple years ago the engine blew and I ended up having to put a complete new head on it. This is in addition to numerous other parts that went bad and had to be replaced. This tractor isn't more than five years old and I've already spent over $500 in repairs on it. This is up to but not including this past Friday. Using it the other day to do my final yard cleanup the stupid tie rod went bad and had to be replaced. Thirty bucks for an 18" long piece of round bar with a ball joint on each end. It was going to take a week to get and I don't have that kind of time to wait for shipping so I drove all the way up to Flint to pick up a new one from the Sears service center. Got home, installed it and got back to work. About two hours into working on the yard I shut the thing down for a few minutes. When I went to restart it, the thing would barely turn over. I know that battery is good because it was replaced last year. I let it sit for a couple minutes and tried again, same result but with one minor difference. This time there's blue smoke coming out of the starter! Needless to say, I jumped off of the tractor and had a few choice words for the POS. 

I came in the house and logged on to the parts direct site to find out how much a new starter would cost. Sears wants $134 plus tax and shipping. That means that it's going to be almost $160 to get it running again! :rant::rant::rant: Again, I'm under a time crunch because I've got to get this yard cleaned up before the snow flies. Not too far from me is an alternator/starter repair place. I decided to give them a call. I described what was going on and the guy said to bring it in and he'd test it but he was pretty sure that it was toast. This was NOT good news. Yep, it was toast but the guy did have some good news for me. He had a brand new (not reconditioned) starter for only $79! This is HALF what Sears wanted. It took him about ten minutes to just swap out the gear from my old one to the new one and I was on my way. 

So now in not more than five years with this piece of crap, I've spent well over $600 repairing it. I only paid about $1300 for it new!

Lets just say that this is the LAST piece of Craftsman outdoor power equipment that I'll ever purchase.

Rant off. 

John


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## WALLEYE MIKE (Jan 7, 2001)

You get what you pay for.

The engine has nothing to do with Craftsman. Probably Briggs or Kohler

John, cheaper to get a lawn service!!!!


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

I agree with the "you get what you pay for" line of thinking. But the thing of it is that my dad has a Craftsman tractor he bought in 1976 and it still runs. He only uses it occasionally for fall cleanups and such because he bought a new Toro about ten years ago. 

As far as the engine goes, it is a Briggs and it too is a piece of junk! After this latest fiasco with the starter on Friday, I figured that I may get through the rest of this season and be OK. WRONG! I went out about an hour ago and fired it up and started picking up the leaves in the back yard. Worked fine for about forty-five minutes and I noticed my neighbor out in the yard so I shut down and talked to him for about ten minutes. Jumped back on the tractor to get back to work and no matter what I do, it won't start! :rant::rant::rant:

At this point I'm about to tow it out back, stick a rag in the gas tank and light her up! 

Not all of the problems have been engine related though, I've spent a ton of money replacing other parts of the mower/tractor that have nothing to do with the engine.

John


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## WALLEYE MIKE (Jan 7, 2001)

jpollman said:


> I agree with the "you get what you pay for" line of thinking. But the thing of it is that my dad has a Craftsman tractor he bought in 1976 and it still runs. He only uses it occasionally for fall cleanups and such because he bought a new Toro about ten years ago.
> 
> As far as the engine goes, it is a Briggs and it too is a piece of junk! After this latest fiasco with the starter on Friday, I figured that I may get through the rest of this season and be OK. WRONG! I went out about an hour ago and fired it up and started picking up the leaves in the back yard. Worked fine for about forty-five minutes and I noticed my neighbor out in the yard so I shut down and talked to him for about ten minutes. Jumped back on the tractor to get back to work and no matter what I do, it won't start! :rant::rant::rant:
> 
> ...


Lot of stuff today is made with the cheapest way possible. Yesteryear stuff was made much better with more quality in mind rather than cheap price and more profit. Thats why your dads has lasted this long. Just built better.

Briggs is bottom line engines compared to Kohler, Kaw, Honda. But a bad engines can be had with any brand. Some more than others. Just like your starter. Some will last for years while others maybe one year.

I feel your frustration tho.


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## jarome477 (Dec 28, 2009)

should have spent more and bought a garden tractor not a yard real happy with mine . i think 3500'00 is what i paid


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## Still Wait'n (Nov 25, 2005)

The only thing of Craftsman I will buy is they're hand tools. That way if something go's bad with them I can take them back for an exchange. I stay away from they're power tools also.


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## KalamazooKid (Jun 20, 2005)

We won't buy ANYTHING from Sears. Long history that I won't bore everyone with. 

One finger at a time .....


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## Paul Thompson (Jul 16, 2007)

Still Wait'n said:


> The only thing of Craftsman I will buy is they're hand tools. That way if something go's bad with them I can take them back for an exchange. I stay away from they're power tools also.


Amen, craftsman power tools are plastic junk now. The wrenches are about all they have left that are "solid as Sears".


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

Let me guess........... the valve lash was last checked when?
So the starter was tring to turn over a motor the exhaust vales were barely opening on......
So the starter fried.

Damn Sears Junk.

Seriously John, check the valve lash when you replace the starter.


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## slowpoke (Jan 30, 2001)

Don't light it up. I might give you $100 for it as it is for parts.


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## Greenbush future (Sep 8, 2005)

John,

I hope you went to Madison to get the starter fixed. They always do outstanding work from my experience.
As for Craftsmen, you wont see any Sears or Kmart products at my place. They steal from consumers, just like a few other local companies around here. 
I'm a big fan of Craigs list when it comes to used lawn equipment, I must be lucky.


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## jpollman (Jan 14, 2001)

Yep, it was Madison.

It's the first time I've ever dealt with them but they've been there a long time. I'll be back if I ever have any future starter issues.

John


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## varminthunter (Dec 19, 2005)

Crapsman, not craftsman!


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## cjric (Oct 30, 2004)

Yep, bad experience here too.
Craftsman gas pressure washer.
6 weeks after the one year warranty ran out, the motor blew up. Nice big hole in the side of the block. Sears said "sorry, out of warranty. 300 to fix" I paid less than that new. The motor was a B&S, so I called the local B&S authorized service center. All B&S motors carry a 10 yr warranty. Guy said no problem! Bring it in and we'll take care of you. Then I mentioned that it was a craftsman. He says B&S service centers are not allowed to do warranty work on craftsman products. THe 10 yr warranty doesn't apply to craftsman products, due to Sear's contract w/ B&S.
That was the last Craftsman product I bought. I'll buy Harbor Freight before craftsman. Heck, the quality of their handtools is the same any more unless you get the professional line.


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## Northbound (Sep 17, 2000)

Kabota


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## Topshelf (May 24, 2005)

I had the exact same experience with my CRAPSMAN lawn tractor also. two steering boxes, numerous tie rods, frame welded where it goes over the front axle. The final straw was when the electric clutch that turns the mowere deck took a [email protected]. They wated like 300 bucks for it IF I could find a store that had one. I parked it, told the wife I was going to get a new mower. Came home with a Cub Cadet Zero turn. Gave the Crapsman to a friend who was trying to cobble 3 broken Sears into one usable one to get through the season. My motor was still running strong. I think its a 18 hp twin B & S. 

Good luck


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## kozal01 (Oct 11, 2010)

did the starting issue start right after you had the head replaced? your issue sounds like an issue i had with the single cylinder briggs i have in my 05 john deere. i bought the tractor used in late 07 and it burned oil to beat hell, turned out it was a head gasket. no big deal, $7 part and about 30 minutes in my garage to switch it out. only problem was right after replacing the gasket it started to turn over really hard,sometimes not turning over at all, the starter would smoke and all that. tried new starter, new battery ect. motor turned over fine by hand but the starter just couldnt do it to save its life. after 2 burned out starters and a new battery i called a local small engine repair shop and told him my issue and he asked how i set the valves in the head when i did the gasket and it turns out i didnt set the valves correctly. in some of those motors there is a lobe on the cam that actually opens the intake valve just slightly to allow enough compression out to allow the starter to turn the motor over. turns out i didnt have the valves tight enough and it wasnt opening the valve enough so i reset the valves according to the specs i was given and it now starts every time and it runs like a raped ape. i put 3 seasons on it now with no more issues. what you describe sounds alot like what mine was doing. on a side note, i know the briggs motors are considered "low end" and i am aware of the better motors but i was impressed when i had the head off of it to see that even after almost 3 years of use the cross hatch marks were still visible in the cylinder wall and overall the motor showed no signs of wear at all. hope that helps!


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## The_Don (Apr 28, 2008)

I'll have to break it to mine that its junk it seems to do what ever i want it to and keeps going, maybe it just doesn't know any better. Mine has the Kohler motor though not the briggs. I welded a 2" piece of square tubing to the back with a 2" ball welded to that and i haul my 14' trailer around. I made a 4x6 trailer and haul that around full of logs or split wood, and even moved my 19' fiberglass boat with 4 cylinder engine _once_ it didnt care for that much. I mowed 3 until this year lawns now its 2 and plow minimum of 5 drives every winter. The Spark advance module went 1 time (stupid idea) and the little gear which appears to be plastic for the steering is getting sloppy,oh and im always having to put gas in it...


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## target-panic (Jan 9, 2006)

I've been lucky I guess. I bought mine 15 years ago (Kohler Engine) and have had no issues at all. Starts every Spring and runs like a champ. I've only replaced one belt other than oil, filters, plugs, & grease.


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## sylvan19 (Sep 13, 2009)

I must be lucky got a craftsman snow blower sitn in my garage that I bought 15yrs ago and she still runs good and the electric start option still works. I have to admit I would like to get a new one but the 500.00 - 600.00 price tag is not very appealing. For lawn care Honda lawnmower and Stihl accessories for edging trimming and blowing.


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