Craftsman 21hp, YT 3000 Lawn Mower
We purchased this mower when we bought our current home due to the fact that we have nearly one-half acre of fenced in yard, and we had spoken with our neighbor, who had purchased a craftsman also. He said that he had never had any problems with his at all, so we did a little research on different models, and decided to go with the YT 3000 because it fit our budget, and seemed to have all of the features that were necessary for it to last a long time.
We actually purchased it through Sears, and also got the manufacturer warranty. At first, we didn?t have any problems out of it, but as we starting using it more in the late spring/early summer, the air filter started to die out a lot more often than it should have!! The staff at Sears were very nice, and we ended up getting it replaced both times within a week, but during that time, we had to borrow our neighbor?s riding mower, which was an inconvenience not only to us, but to them as well.
Another area that I was not too impressed with was the cleaning attachment because it always gets stuck, and does not come off very easily. The hydrostatic transmission was a huge plus, but I never expected a riding mower to run this roughly; Every time I am through mowing, I have a headache and feel like I just stepped off of a roller coaster because it is so rough!! It does have a lot of power, and I have never had any problems with it
Another nice feature that came with the mower was the mulching kit, and that has come through for us very well so far, and makes things much more convenient! Another area that was a must-have for us when buying a new mower was to make sure that the bagger chute didn?t clog all the time (this was a MAJOR problem with our previous mower), and so far we haven?t had this happen at all with the craftsman model. In addition, it provides a very even cut and makes our lawn look beautiful afterwards!!
I do think that the pros far outweigh the cons (again, price is the determining factor here), but the overall design and placement of the parts in the mower could be a lot better. Durability isn?t the issue with most of the complaints that I have, it?s more the fact that the features we thought we were going to get with the mower aren?t as solid as we expected. But, if you are looking for a good deal, and you aren?t picky about how your mower rides, then this mower would be fine for you!
Pros:
-The cost is very reasonable considering all of the features that come with this mower
-The turning radius is very good also
Cons:
-the ride can be very rough, especially when you don?t have a flat yard
-I had to replace the air filter twice in a 4 month period (the manufacturer warranty covered the cost, but I still couldn?t use the mower for a while, so it was a huge inconvenience)
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars