Trash picked GT3000 917.273012 w/Kohler twin and 6 speed

V

vintagerust

Member
A neighbor who's in his late 90's, put this out to the curb, or rather his son did.
He's had a lawn service mowing his lawn for the last 25 or so years, so its been sitting in the garage since it was new. The rubber nipples are still on the tires. The blade edges still have paint on them. The battery, which is dated 2/99 somehow took a charge and seems to be working.
It had no gas in it, the fuel line was off and plugged with a golf tee.
The seat and one foot tread is missing. The guy said he was going to make a roller seat for his wife out of it.

It start, runs, mows grass. The fact that the old guy even had a riding mower back then is sort of insane as his whole yard is maybe 20x40ft. Its got some stuff spilled on the hood, and lots of scratches all over it from being buried in old blankets, baskets, and boxes in the garage for nearly three decades.

When I charged the battery and added fuel I really didn't expect it to start but it fired up nearly instantly.
The deck is marked 46", but its sitting on a trailer that measures 49" wide and the deck is 4" from each side. It measures 46", but it sits on an angle so the effective cut is maybe 44".
The engine is smooth, quiet and runs perfect.
The bad part is going to be finding a seat base for it I've got a seat.
It feels like the seat needs about a 5" riser or so. It feels pretty cramped being a tall guy.

What surprised me was he said it sat out front with a big free sign on it for four days and no one took it.
Am I missing something or is there something wrong with these that I'm not aware of that even the scrappers didn't want it?

Judging on how the new stuff is failing, I'd think the older models would be more in demand?
I see these listed all over for $250 or less, no clue on their condition but that seems cheap, most push mowers are listed for more.
I found the original receipt from 4/1999 in a zip lock bag behind the dash, he paid $2,689 plus tax for it new.
Anything this size now is double that at the big box store.

I have my doubts if it ever cut grass before I ran it up and back across my lawn sitting on a rolled up shipping blanket shoved into an old duffel bag for a seat.

How interchangeable are those seat base pans?
Can I use one from a different model?

I'd like to add some height to it, about 5" or so. I need to make some leg room.

The last picture is of the under side, its oddly super clean underneath as well.
Its kind of hard to believe its 28 years old.
I only wish I had found it when I had grass to mow. my lawn now only takes five passes with a 20" push mower.
I just can't see selling it for what most machines this age seem to sell for.

View attachment 72973View attachment 72974
 
vintagerust said:
A neighbor who's in his late 90's, put this out to the curb, or rather his son did.
He's had a lawn service mowing his lawn for the last 25 or so years, so its been sitting in the garage since it was new. The rubber nipples are still on the tires. The blade edges still have paint on them. The battery, which is dated 2/99 somehow took a charge and seems to be working.
It had no gas in it, the fuel line was off and plugged with a golf tee.
The seat and one foot tread is missing. The guy said he was going to make a roller seat for his wife out of it.

It start, runs, mows grass. The fact that the old guy even had a riding mower back then is sort of insane as his whole yard is maybe 20x40ft. Its got some stuff spilled on the hood, and lots of scratches all over it from being buried in old blankets, baskets, and boxes in the garage for nearly three decades.

When I charged the battery and added fuel I really didn't expect it to start but it fired up nearly instantly.
The deck is marked 46", but its sitting on a trailer that measures 49" wide and the deck is 4" from each side. It measures 46", but it sits on an angle so the effective cut is maybe 44".
The engine is smooth, quiet and runs perfect.
The bad part is going to be finding a seat base for it I've got a seat.
It feels like the seat needs about a 5" riser or so. It feels pretty cramped being a tall guy.

What surprised me was he said it sat out front with a big free sign on it for four days and no one took it.
Am I missing something or is there something wrong with these that I'm not aware of that even the scrappers didn't want it?

Judging on how the new stuff is failing, I'd think the older models would be more in demand?
I see these listed all over for $250 or less, no clue on their condition but that seems cheap, most push mowers are listed for more.
I found the original receipt from 4/1999 in a zip lock bag behind the dash, he paid $2,689 plus tax for it new.
Anything this size now is double that at the big box store.

I have my doubts if it ever cut grass before I ran it up and back across my lawn sitting on a rolled up shipping blanket shoved into an old duffel bag for a seat.

How interchangeable are those seat base pans?
Can I use one from a different model?

I'd like to add some height to it, about 5" or so. I need to make some leg room.

The last picture is of the under side, its oddly super clean underneath as well.
Its kind of hard to believe its 28 years old.
I only wish I had found it when I had grass to mow. my lawn now only takes five passes with a 20" push mower.
I just can't see selling it for what most machines this age seem to sell for.

View attachment 72973View attachment 72974
Click to expand...
Equivalent new mower these days probably around $3200. The GT stands for garden tractor, a little bit heavier built than LT (lawn tractor). Good find. Run it or sell it.
 
vintagerust said:
A neighbor who's in his late 90's, put this out to the curb, or rather his son did.
He's had a lawn service mowing his lawn for the last 25 or so years, so its been sitting in the garage since it was new. The rubber nipples are still on the tires. The blade edges still have paint on them. The battery, which is dated 2/99 somehow took a charge and seems to be working.
It had no gas in it, the fuel line was off and plugged with a golf tee.
The seat and one foot tread is missing. The guy said he was going to make a roller seat for his wife out of it.

It start, runs, mows grass. The fact that the old guy even had a riding mower back then is sort of insane as his whole yard is maybe 20x40ft. Its got some stuff spilled on the hood, and lots of scratches all over it from being buried in old blankets, baskets, and boxes in the garage for nearly three decades.

When I charged the battery and added fuel I really didn't expect it to start but it fired up nearly instantly.
The deck is marked 46", but its sitting on a trailer that measures 49" wide and the deck is 4" from each side. It measures 46", but it sits on an angle so the effective cut is maybe 44".
The engine is smooth, quiet and runs perfect.
The bad part is going to be finding a seat base for it I've got a seat.
It feels like the seat needs about a 5" riser or so. It feels pretty cramped being a tall guy.

What surprised me was he said it sat out front with a big free sign on it for four days and no one took it.
Am I missing something or is there something wrong with these that I'm not aware of that even the scrappers didn't want it?

Judging on how the new stuff is failing, I'd think the older models would be more in demand?
I see these listed all over for $250 or less, no clue on their condition but that seems cheap, most push mowers are listed for more.
I found the original receipt from 4/1999 in a zip lock bag behind the dash, he paid $2,689 plus tax for it new.
Anything this size now is double that at the big box store.

I have my doubts if it ever cut grass before I ran it up and back across my lawn sitting on a rolled up shipping blanket shoved into an old duffel bag for a seat.

How interchangeable are those seat base pans?
Can I use one from a different model?

I'd like to add some height to it, about 5" or so. I need to make some leg room.

The last picture is of the under side, its oddly super clean underneath as well.
Its kind of hard to believe its 28 years old.
I only wish I had found it when I had grass to mow. my lawn now only takes five passes with a 20" push mower.
I just can't see selling it for what most machines this age seem to sell for.

View attachment 72973View attachment 72974
Click to expand...
www.ebay.com

Craftsman GT 3000 Tractor Seat Pan Bracket Hinge and Switch 155925 | eBay

Make : Craftsman. Model: GT 3000. Engine make:Kohler. Engine Model.
www.ebay.com
 
vintagerust said:
is there something wrong with these that I'm not aware of that even the scrappers didn't want it?
Click to expand...
Around here the scrappers don't drive by until big trash pickup day. I know if this was out there on MY block, it would be gone. Not big trash day it will sit there.
 
I've got an older Simplicity 7116H that I've had for years, I only use it to clear the driveway when it snows or to move my boat trailer in and out of the back yard.
The Craftsman won't replace that, and I don't need a mower.

The GT 3000 looks a lot heavier built than say a typical Craftsman LT1000 or similar, or those Troy Built Ponies that everyone has lately, but in a neighborhood with 0.2 acre lots there's not much need for a mower with a big deck. I'm in my mid 60's but cans till push a mower so I don't see any need for this Craftsman unless it would replace the Simplicity but I don't see it being anywhere close to being as capable as that thing is. \

I used to use the 7116 to disc and plow a half acre garden at my old house but its been years since the dirt plow got hooked up. I also had a few Cub Cadets over the years starting with an original model and a couple from the 70's. The only other Sears tractor I had over the years was an blue and white SS15 with a cast iron Briggs motor and a manual three point hitch set up. It was good machine but it ate belts when plowing dirt or pushing snow.

The closest machine with 5 lug rear wheels that Lowes had was on sale for $5,100 but with a 24hp motor and 50" deck. The smallest Craftsman they had was 36" with 11.5hp for $2,100 with 18" rear wheels. vs 23".

A buddy seems to think that all those seat pans are the same on the AYP models? Just the slots are different for various seat bolt patterns. He said he's got a few Ariens and a few Poulan and Husqvarna tractors there with that sort of set up but no big Sears models to compare to. The seat I've got has 22 threaded holes in the bottom, so it's got a lot of choices.

The studs are 5 1/2" apart, the OD distance across the springs is 9 1/2" and the front to back measurement is about 10" total judging by the imprint in the paint where the hinge was to the rear of the springs. The seat pan off an older LT model, (square hood with a rear battery), is too narrow, but made from 1/8" stamped plate steel. The spring area is good, but the area in between there and the hinge is only 6" wide and the hinge area is falls short by an inch front to back.

If I had a piece of 1/4" plate steel I'd just make a pan but I'd space it up with some 2x4 steel tubing or C channel.
It'll be a far more comfortable ride if I can get the seat up higher.
 
slomo said:
Around here the scrappers don't drive by until big trash pickup day. I know if this was out there on MY block, it would be gone. Not big trash day it will sit there.
Click to expand...
The scrappers around here have been oddly absent lately, but the city has cracked down on trash picking. They hired an outside company to collect recyclables and the city is supposed to be the one to take 'large items'. If I hadn't gone down there and grabbed it, chances are it would have been gone as soon as it got dark.
I suspect quite a few of the scrappers got deported or are hiding. A couple of years ago it wouldn't have lasted ten minutes, day or night. I don't know what surprises me more, the fact that someone would throw away a tractor this clean, or that no one else grabbed it.
 
Tonebalone said:
Click to expand...
I almost bought that one but I called the small engine shop where I used to live n PA, they had a complete new assembly for less, it comes with the pan, hinge, switch, wire pigtail, and hardware. They're going to drop it off when they get over this way on Mon. Under $20 problem solved. I can then build a riser off the top of that pan to raise the seat.
 
No one grabbed it because they likely priced a new seat assembly and did not want to spend the money. Other than that, they likely assumed it was a "parts machine" with a blown engine or transmission.

The economy has gone downhill so much that people don't go around picking up scrap anymore unless they can get a trailer load to at least pay for the fuel. Metal prices have tanked, fuel has gone up and replacement parts have tripled in price.

People that don't want to work, rely on local and government handouts, so why work when everything is provided for them without any effort?
 
I have a Craftsman GT3000 that looks just like the one you have. I have pulled the engine off it to put on a Dixie Chopper I have. I also have an older 18.5 46inch cut that is has the same seat on it. I pulled the engines off them to put on two Dixie Chopper mowers. One is a hydro and the other is a gear drive. If you want to drive to middle Tn, you can have them. The gear drive even has a twin bagger that goes on it I used to bag my grass with to make compost when I use to garden. Oh yes, the seats are in rough shape.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top