Craftsman mowers are made mostly by American Yard Products which has been bought by Husqvarna and is now HOP (Husqvarna Outdoor Products). They make Husqvarna, Craftsman, Poulan, and many store brands. Parts for these machines are not hard to find. You should be able to get parts for a Craftsman at a Husqvarna or Poulan dealer if they know how to cross reference the models.
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Is Craftsman worth it?
- Thread starter Homesteader
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Export threadAlbionwood
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- Mar 22, 2011
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If Craftsman is not worth it why do all the stores around here stock primarily Craftsman tools? It seems like there are always twice the amount of Craftsman then any other product.
Stores stock what will generate the most profit for them, not necessarily what will be the best tool for you. Craftsman is easy to sell because it has the best name-recognition, and I imagine they offer favorable terms to dealers; and frankly, most people (self included) buy on price first and quality second. If they can't perceive an obvious quality difference, it comes down to price only, and the Craftsman retail prices are very competitive.
Craftsman is just a label, they haven't made their own mowers for a very long time (if ever) and have changed manufacturers many times over the years. So for certain time periods their mowers were very good, at other times poor quality; you have to do some research (hang out at forums like this, for example) to find out. I agree with the OP, Sears service is not anything like what it once was, it's a major PITA to get parts from them now.
Some people may be conflating Craftsman tools with Craftsman-branded mowers. The hand tools, with the lifetime warranty, are still very good. The mowers, not so much.
Jinzo Ningen
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- May 27, 2011
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My GF just bought a new Craftsman 22" rear-wheel powered bagger and it mows like a dream. I've put in 6 hrs with it and she's done about half that in the last week or so. Good vacuum; pulls the grass up and clips it all, very uniform cut. Rear-wheel drive works WAAAAY better than a front-propelled unit. (My first experience with a rear drive), and the one lever height adjustment is really slick. Pretty much has all the bells & whistles except electric start; but this mower doesn't have any primer OR choke to manipulate!? Never seen or heard of such a thing but it sure works like a charm - ahhh the wonder of modern technology. LOL
She paid for $307+tax, which I considered a very good deal. The mower itself is made by Husqvarna, so it should last her quite a while. My last Craftsman push mower was an ultra-basic no frills pusher with an "Eager-1" engine. Gave it to my cousin 10 years ago or so. He's still mowing with it with no problems and only routine fluid and blade changes. No complaints with Sears here.
She paid for $307+tax, which I considered a very good deal. The mower itself is made by Husqvarna, so it should last her quite a while. My last Craftsman push mower was an ultra-basic no frills pusher with an "Eager-1" engine. Gave it to my cousin 10 years ago or so. He's still mowing with it with no problems and only routine fluid and blade changes. No complaints with Sears here.
Check out jackssmallengines.com for parts, as well as partstree.com. Their prices are usually within a few bucks of each other. And yes, if you go to sears for parts, dig deep.
As for mower quality, you somewhat get what you pay for. Cheap deals are usually that, cheap. Many times it is just plain luck, good or bad, when you get a good mower or a lemon. I have a 42" Craftsman rider, and it has cut my 3 acres for the last 10 years, and I plan to keep it another 10......... that would make me 73, ummmm.
I work on a lot of the Craftsman 42" series as well as other brands and the vast majority of the problems I find were either preventable or normal wear.
Any mower a person chooses will be no better in service as is the upkeep and planned maintenance that the unit gets.
As for mower quality, you somewhat get what you pay for. Cheap deals are usually that, cheap. Many times it is just plain luck, good or bad, when you get a good mower or a lemon. I have a 42" Craftsman rider, and it has cut my 3 acres for the last 10 years, and I plan to keep it another 10......... that would make me 73, ummmm.
I work on a lot of the Craftsman 42" series as well as other brands and the vast majority of the problems I find were either preventable or normal wear.
Any mower a person chooses will be no better in service as is the upkeep and planned maintenance that the unit gets.