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Craftsman Professional Zero Turn
I had a chance to demo the new Craftsman Professional 26 hp 52 in. Zero Turn Riding Mower earlier this spring and I would like to give you my viewpoint.
As most of you know I owned a lawn maintenance and landscaping company in the Chicago area from 1992 to 2000. I was one of the first to use zero-turn mowers extensively so I know their good points and bad points. I also do most of my own repairs (all non-warranty) so I can talk about maintenance issues.
The Craftsman Professional 26 hp 52 in. Zero Turn Riding Mower is a TRUE commercial mower. It is not a repainted homeowner machine like the other mowers in the Craftsman Professional line. It is manufactured for Sears by a commercial mower manufacture and everything about it is designed strong and reliable.
In General
The mower is an extremely well built machine and it can be purchased for much less than most of the other machines comparable machines($6500 retail, currently on sale for $4999. Though obviously made for heavy-duty and commercial purposes, this mower is also a great value for homeowners with large lawns. Its construction is very solid and strong, and the mower eats up bumps without affecting the quality of the cut. The mower is very stable on hillsides and easily climbs up and down them as well as an ExMark. The mower's max speed of 8.5 mph is below the top-end commercial machines but it is well above residential mowers so you can easily mow 4 to 4 1/2 acres an hour with it. The deck doesn't bounce and cause uneven cutting like most of the residential machines.
Specific Details
The deck is made of 7 gauge steel and reinforced around the bottom edge. It is as strong as any of the other popular commercial zero-turn mowers and much heavier than the ones that use a stamped steel deck. You will be able to bang into trees, patios, and foundations and not hurt this deck. In fact the deck is so heavy that there is a foot assist to help you raise it to set the mowing height and for getting it on and off a trailer. Being a true commercial deck it uses grease-able bearings and you will have to buy a grease gun and lube the deck and other parts of the machine periodically. The drive system is hydro pumps and motors. There is plenty of oil capacity for cool running and long life. The tires are over-sized. The mower has dual fuel tanks and 8.5 gallons of total fuel capacity. The Briggs engine is very fuel efficient so you should get about 8 hours from one fill up.
Pros:
The cost is very reasonable for this type of machine. Very fast without compromising cut quality, stable and strong in rugged terrain, tough frame with excellent suspension, high fuel capacity. The mower comes with a one year commercial and two year residential warranty. In addtion the Sears Repair Protection Agreement (RPA) is available for three years on this machine for $349.00 That's quite a bargain considering one pump or wheel motor is over $500 to replace. I'm not one for extended warranties but in this case the RPA is resonably priced.
Cons:
You will have to do periodic maintenance on this machine. Being a true commercial mower it uses greased bearings so you will have to learn how to find all the lube points and use a grease gun to lube those points about every 50 hours. Commercial mowers are used to this but homeowners will have to learn to do this maintenance. The only downfall of the mower is the engine. It uses a 26 hp Briggs & Stratton ELS V-Twin OHV Engine. I talked to Briggs engineers and they assured me this is their most reliable engine , but I still prefer a Kohler.
Parts:
If you would like look at parts availability and pricing click here, Zero Turn then click on the parts tab and type this Model# in 127.28875
In Summary:
Homeowners who are looking for a strong, reliable zero-turn mower that can handle vast amounts of rugged terrain with ease should consider the Craftsman Professional 28875 zero-turn mower, despite its big price tag. As a commercial mower, the 28875 is a good investment because maintenance is simple for most standard repairs. I believe Sears has a home run here.
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Contributor's Note
Paul has over 35 years experience teaching tool use to industrial electricians and maintenance mechanics, using hand and power tools around the home, and buying tools for the home and industry. Paul has personaly remodeled four homes and helped hundreds of other women and men fix, repair and remodel their homes and businesses. You can find out more about him at www.toolboxhero.com
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