Craftsman GT5000 vs. Husqvarna YTH2348

mystreba

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Hi all. My Craftsman GT5000 recently gave up the ghost, so I've been looking for a replacement. Today I borrowed a neighbor's brand-new Husqvarna YTH2348 just to keep the weeds at bay. I don't know much about tractors, but here's my comparison of the two.

The GT5000 is listed in Google searches as a "garden tractor". It was used when I bought it 4 seasons ago for $1800, but I don't know how old it was. I hear from neighbors that the previous owner was VERY rough on the tractor. It had a Kohler Command v-twin 25hp motor, and a 54" triple-blade deck. I don't know what transaxle it had, but it was hydro (using a stick). It started running very rough toward the end of last season, and it turned out that the barn where it's stored had mice which had nested in the engine compartment and chewed through some wires - it was running on one cylinder. The shop fixed it, and then it happened again at the beginning of this season. Shop says the engine is dead - no compression.

The Husq is brand new, purchased at Lowe's, 23 HP B&S Intek v-twin, and a 48" deck (thus, the 2348 designation). It has the Tuff Torq transaxle, hydro with forward and reverse pedals.

I mowed the back acre, which is fescue lawn mixed with various weeds (ie: not a hay field), a little bumpy with soft ruts carved in recently by some heavy equipment traversing the area. The shape is mostly rectangular for a pretty straight-forward cut. I use the inside-outside
method to keep all clippings blowing toward the sides of the field, gradually pushing them all to the edge - thus, no raking.
I know this can be rough on tractors - to continually re-cut and throw all the clippings. My GT5000 did it beautifully even when the grass was tall and/or wet. Today the grass was ~6-7", and I set the deck to 3.5" - as high as it would go.

My first impression of the Husq is that while the engine runs smooth, the tractor can't handle bumps very well. The feeling is that it bounces around a lot, and when it bounces the transaxle starts jerking. All in all, a very rough ride, and I felt as though I had to baby it. The forward/reverse is great, and it has a super tight turning radius - much better than the GT5000. It is not nearly as fast as the GT. You cannot mow in reverse, which I found to be a fascinating "feature". If you try to go in reverse with the blades engaged, it doesn't just kill the blades - it kills the ENGINE. This limitation is only somewhat compensated for by the tight turning radius. OVerall, this one feature alone makes this tractor a total PITA for mowing, and I wouldn't purchase it just for that reason alone.

The deck on the Husq is junk, imo. Its stepped-locking lever is superior to the dial-lever of the GT, and it raises and lowers very smoothly. But it seems as though the designers sat down and considered how to build a deck that traps grass perfectly. I mean, if you had to design a deck that clogs with clippings rather than throwing them out the side, this is the deck you'd design. There is a shelf along the leading edge, where it meets the chute. The only ostensible purpose for this shelf is to trap clippings and clog the deck. At least, that is what it does. The grass was wet, but what's the use of a tractor that can only mow dry grass? I literally had to stop the tractor after each inside-outside pass of the field, shut off the blades, reduce the throttle, apply the parking brake, get off the tractor, reach under the deck and pull huge clumps of wet grass off that shelf and out from under the blades. I know the first thing someone will say is that I caused this with the inside-outside mowing method. But a 23-hp mower should be able to handle this little volume of grass with no problem, imo. It's not as though it's throwing a huge amount of clippings - I think the mower has mulching blades because there really were very few clippings coming out the chute. Anyway, the GT handled this beautifully, and never once choked or clogged no matter how high the grass was, and no matter how wet it was.

I used the GT to pull all kinds of things around the yard in a tow-cart - stone, dirt, firewood, construction debris, etc. It never complained, and always got the job done. The Husq doesn't have that "tough" feel to it. Rather, it feels as though you have to baby it. I wouldn't feel too comfortable hitching a cart up and loading it with dirt, that's for sure.

All in all, unless you are simply mowing a well-manicured lawn I'd say the $500 price differential of the GT to the Husq is well worth it. But from what the mechanic at the tractor shop tells me, you may want to avoid the "Courage" line of Kohler engines that you find in some of the Craftsman tractors.

NOTE - the tranny disengage lever (located in the back, below the seat) used for free-wheel pushing of the tractor is CHEAP on the Husq. On the GT it was pretty heavy-duty. On the Husq, I literally have coat hangers that are much thicker.
 
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mystreba

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Follow-up to Husqvarna YTH2348

Just a follow-up. I mowed the lot again today with the Husq, this time doing the full 3 acres. These three acres are lawn - not field - but bumpy in places. Again, the Husq is the most herky-jerky mower I've ever ridden. It bounces over the bumps, and then the tranny starts jerking. You really have to take it S-S-S-L-L-L-O-O-O-W-W-W.

Again with the clogged deck. Grass was 5" high, deck set to 3", so only cutting 2" of grass. Some dampness from the dew. I had to stop after each pass and clean out the side chute, which had clogged due to accumulation on the "shelf" near the chute. It is literally DESIGNED TO CLOG.

I have to say that I really, really miss the "joystick" hydro control on the Craftsman GT5000. Its like built-in cruise control, by design. I don't like the pedal format of the Husq, which is used on most lawn tractors. Once the tractor starts bouncing around, your foot can't help but bounce around also, which starts the herky-jerky movement.

I stress once again, this mower (the Husq) should only be purchased for an acre or less of manicured lawn.
 

RockHound

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Great review! Thanks for the comparison. I really don't like Craftsman mowers because I got burned badly on the two I had. I finally sold them to a guy who just wanted to fiddle with the engines. I'm using a mower I bought used right now but I'm also looking for a "good rider" to mow a semi wet, sloping yard which has a lot of ruts from leech lines.
 

Adamsrib

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Good review but you are comparing apples and oranges. The 5000 GT is a garden tractor, it is much heavier duty then the YTH2348 which is a Yard Tractor. The new GT's have a 19" turn which makes for getting around a lot easier.

I would find a used motor and put on the GT and you still have a much better mower and by the way it probably has a tuff torq tranny.
 

MarkBer69

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I have a GT5000.I got it in 2004 and had a lot of bad luck with it.5 engines later and after the sevice contract ended i replaced the fuel line that was bad and never had to fix it again.its like a new tractor.And for the Husk.i bet the tires a setup with 14psl in them.I didn't think a craftsman is worth the $$$$$$ they charge.
 

codger

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Check the key on the husky..... if there are 2 positsions between OFF & start ,,,, Turn the key
back to 1 before Off & it will mow in reverse ! "a safty feature" ????
May be Too much air in the tires {rough ride }
The deck is made for mulching cover hense the grass catching bar ! Hold the chute up with a bungee
will help with the plugups !
Sorry I forgot ,,,,, It is npt your mower !
I have been using a craftsman for 5 yrs. as long as I dont hit hard bits it has been trouble free.
I service about 3 1/2 acers in that area are some pasture & very rough ground!
At the present Time craftsman are built by Husky! .... Fix the old mower !
just my opinion ,,,, and likly worth what it cost !
Codger
 

BKA

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Thats funny Craftsman Husq an Polan are all built by AYP with the same parts just differint colors I work on many of them every day an mix an match parts all the time
 

CarlGlas

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Over the years Craftsman products have been manufactured by numerous companies. The first three numbers will tell you who made yours.

For instance, the first three numbers on my DGT6000 are 917 which means it was manufactured by
Frigidaire. To find out who made yours check here: Craftsman Lawn mower Parts, Craftsman riding mower and Craftsman push mower parts and Crafrsman Engine Parts

I bought a Craftsman DGT 6000 in 2003 and it has served me well over the past 7 years.
It has a 27.0 HP Kohler CV 740 Command engine. The Command, which looks like the Triad engine, was built for the Craftsman line and the only difference between the Command and the Command Pro is Craftsman didn't want to spend the extra money to have the oil cooler installed. The optional oil cooler, which I did install, regulates the oil temperature, extending oil-change intervals.
 
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