Which Craftsman Garden Tractor To Buy??

[cruzenmike]

I am looking for a Craftsman Garden Tractor with a Hydrostatic Transmission. Any suggestion on which model I should be looking for?

I hope to use it for towing miscellaneous yard tools and possibly some cutting along a newly made path in my woods.

Any other feedback on these machines would be greatly appreciated.

Mike

 

[cruzenmike]

So, I ended up purchasing a 1998 Craftsman GT (no numbers after the GT). The model number of the machine is 917.273221 . A couple of things to note about this specific machine. It shows 1145 hours on the meter, but the engine is not the original. The GT came with a Kohler CV24 but at some point in it's life it was replaced with a CV22S. The deck has a couple of small rust holes in it and the pulley covers are missing. The deck belts were replaced by the person who sold it to me and it works when the PTO switch is pulled out. The rear tires were tubed, but the fronts are still tubeless. I noticed that there is some dry rot on the front tires so I am guessing that replacements will be needed at some point soon. What I am surprised about is that the front and rear tires are MASSIVE!! I thought that only the DGT6000 had the larger tires, but this GT has the 8 inch from rims and 24x12's in the back. Also, the seat has some cracking which is to be expected for a 24 year old machine. Lastly, there is some rust on the fenders and the gas cap is broken. A little rough, but not too bad considering it's age.

When I got it home today I did a tune up with the Kohler Tune-up Kit. I also plan to do the hydro fluid and filter change. Which by the way, this machine, while still belt driven, does have the Hydro Gear BDU pump and a separate transaxle. Once I have some free time in the coming weeks I will also replace all of the rubber hoses including fuel lines. Long term it would be nice to take the metal panels off and fix any rust and holes and then to repaint it. While this is not necessarily a project or restoration, I can certainly see myself getting deep into making it run perfectly and look nice! Here are some pictures of the machine:

 

[cruzenmike]

After my last post I went online and ordered some replacement parts including:

Hydro Gear Transmission Filter
5 Quarts of Vanguard 15w-50 Synthetic Oil (most appropriate fluid based on grade, API Spec, zinc additives and cost)
Fuel Pump, breather hoses and breather separator
Fuel line and clamps
Fuel Tank Cap/Gauge
Front Wheel Bushings

Since the spring is upon us here in the Midwest, I will be getting the lawn roller and dethatcher out and want to get the Craftsman in tip top shape for spring cleanup. I am really hopeful that this machine will serve me well for the next year until I find something else to buy!

 

[cruzenmike]

Well, I got the stuff to do the Hydro Fluid and Filter change and what a pain in the behind!! I ended up jacking up the front end and setting the wheels on cinder blocks and then jacking up the back and resting the frame on jack stands with further support via ratchet straps connected to a header in my garage ceiling. The left rear tire had to come off in addition to the seat and rear fender assembly. The gas tank gets moved out of the way as well. Per a recommendation that I found online I blew the whole area out with a blow gun really good before I started.

A couple of lessons learned: filling from the fill line only really works IF the check port is open at the same time. Also, the schematics from the Hydro Gear manual are a bit confusing as they do not appropriately illustrate where the fill and check ports are on my machine, or at least in the configuration/orientation of my transmission. Lastly, if you have fluid to spare, flushing the drive is highly recommended!

I am going to guess that the service on this transmission either had never been done before, or if done it had been a really long time. The fluid that came out was thick and black. Since I purchased 5 quarts of oil I ended up flushing the transmission twice with warmups in-between before finally changing the filter and filling it for the last time. The first flush came out nearly as black as the initial drain, then the second flush more of a dark brown. Once I finally changed the filter and topped off the oil after a few bleeds/purges, the oil in the transmission was golden yellow.

Following that, I adjusted the drive mechanism as the machine would creep in neutral. There is not a lot of adjustment so I ended up having to back the linkage all the way down to stop the creep. Before I put it all back together I will be replacing the fuel line from the tank to the fuel pump and replacing the transmission cooling fan which of course has no fins on it!!

I am hoping that after doing all of this I have a much smoother, quieter, and more reliable hydrostatic!

 

[Craftsman Garage]

Well, I got the stuff to do the Hydro Fluid and Filter change and what a pain in the behind!! I ended up jacking up the front end and setting the wheels on cinder blocks and then jacking up the back and resting the frame on jack stands with further support via ratchet straps connected to a header in my garage ceiling. The left rear tire had to come off in addition to the seat and rear fender assembly. The gas tank gets moved out of the way as well. Per a recommendation that I found online I blew the whole area out with a blow gun really good before I started.

A couple of lessons learned: filling from the fill line only really works IF the check port is open at the same time. Also, the schematics from the Hydro Gear manual are a bit confusing as they do not appropriately illustrate where the fill and check ports are on my machine, or at least in the configuration/orientation of my transmission. Lastly, if you have fluid to spare, flushing the drive is highly recommended!

I am going to guess that the service on this transmission either had never been done before, or if done it had been a really long time. The fluid that came out was thick and black. Since I purchased 5 quarts of oil I ended up flushing the transmission twice with warmups in-between before finally changing the filter and filling it for the last time. The first flush came out nearly as black as the initial drain, then the second flush more of a dark brown. Once I finally changed the filter and topped off the oil after a few bleeds/purges, the oil in the transmission was golden yellow.

Following that, I adjusted the drive mechanism as the machine would creep in neutral. There is not a lot of adjustment so I ended up having to back the linkage all the way down to stop the creep. Before I put it all back together I will be replacing the fuel line from the tank to the fuel pump and replacing the transmission cooling fan which of course has no fins on it!!

I am hoping that after doing all of this I have a much smoother, quieter, and more reliable hydrostatic!

nice! gotta love those craftsman riding lawn mowers!

 

[BobinWis]

I have had the 917.273223 since 1999 when I bought it new. They are good tough machines.
Mine has been mostly trouble free. The steering column goes thru a bracket w a plastic bushing. That bushing wears out & the slop starts to cause wear on other steering components.
So, keep an eye on that.
Otherwise, these tractors are overbuilt for typical small landownwer applications. I have a JohnnyBucket on mine & have been mowing about 1.3 steep acres.
It is a beast. I think you;'ll be delighted once you have the tractor sorted out.

 

[sgkent]

"917" in 1998 was AYP which was renamed Husqvarna Group in 2006. Made in SC I believe.

 

[bertsmobile1]

Husqvarna Outdoor ( note not mtorcycles ) was part of the massive Sunbeam organization
Sunbeam made a decision to abandon outdoor products & go excluseivly into indoor electric goods
Thus Husqvarna was floated as an independent business.
In Aust & the USA the parent company usually would load as much debt int the floated business as possible but in Germany you can't do that .
So Husqvarna Outdoor hit the marked fully cashed up & went on a buying splurge .
Like most expanding companies they bought up as much of their supply chain as possible
The logic beeing that if you own the company that makes the wheels then you profit from every wheel sale, both to yourself & your competitors
Thus Husqvarna bought AYP who made most of their mowers ( Noma & Murray also made Husqvarnam branded goods ) .

Then they went into stage 2 which is to buy out all of your competitors.
They could not do it with mowers but did do it with chain saws & hand held tools .
Rhumors are that they bought the foreign half share of RuZing Carburettors & are trying to buy a Chinese engine maker .
Note in China a foreign company can have no more than 49% ownership of any local business .
This prevents multi nationals setting up to rape & pillage turning locals into slaves in their own country while all of the profits get sent overseas .
This is one of the major reasons why the Chinese economy is going gang busters , probably only second to the undervaluing of their foreign exchange currency .

 

[sgkent]

it also guarantees who has access to the patent and engineering drawings.