Executive Summary: I am very familiar with this mower and it has a proven track record as being a great lawn tractor. Even though there are no reviews on Sears.ca this mower has been around for quite some time. For the features it offers compared to all the other brands it continues to be one of the best value riding mowers on the market today. It has a good motor, an automatic transmission, and a great cutting deck.
Is this the right mower for you?: If you just want a good mower and you have a flat lawn under 1 acre put this lawn tractor at the top of your list. Automatics are fun, agile and easy to drive, but they are limited to mowing a flat lawn and pulling a small yard cart. If you try to pull heavy loads or use this mower on hills you will be replacing the drive belt every two years or so. This tractor will mow up to 1.2 acres an hour.
The 42 inch deck is Craftsman’s vented design. It has a lot more airflow that conventional decks. This helps the deck lift the grass and cut it evenly. If you bag, this also helps the deck throw the grass into the bagger. This is a great yard tractor and is designed to primarily mow lawns. If you need a heavy duty tractor with a heavy-duty transmission for blowing snow look at the Craftsman Professional Garden tractors instead.
Brand/Manufacture: Craftsman / Husqvarna
Model/Series: Lawn Tractor
Item Number: 717 860 263 10
Where To Buy:at Sears.ca CRAFTSMAN®/MD 19.5HP Briggs & Stratton Gold OHV Engine Tractor
Store Pickup: Buy Here Online, Pickup at Your Local Sears
Delivery: Buy Here and have it Delivered to your home
Street Price: $1649.99
Basic Quality: (Cheap, Good, Best, Premium, Don’t Buy) This is Craftsman’s Best quality. The LT series is less quality. The Premium series is better.
Type: (Riding Mower, Lawn Tractor, Yard Tractor, Garden Tractor, Estate Tractor, Sub-Compact, Zero Turn, Stand-On) Yard Tractor. See the list of attachments at the end of this article.
CRAFTSMAN®/MD 42 in 19.5 HP Tractor
Pros:
Great Cutting Deck
6 inch Turning Radius!
Full Pressure Lube Engine
Nice Seat
Cons:
Single Cylinder Engine
AutomaticTransmission
Retail Price: $1649.99 Check The Best Sale Price Here: CRAFTSMAN®/MD 19.5HP Briggs & Stratton Gold OHV Engine Tractor
My Review:
This Lawn Tractor uses and “automatic” transmission. It is not a hydrostatic. It uses a variable speed belt and pulley system to quickly and easily change the speed of your tractor. It is a great system and has been used on lawn tractors a lot longer than hydros. The only drawback is they are designed for the weight of the tractor, your weight, and pulling a small cart. If you try to pull heavy loads or try to use this mower on hills you will wear out the belt faster than normal. I don’t recommend this tractor for plowing or blowing snow. Don’t misunderstand me, the transmission itself is as dependable as you can get. I just want you to be aware of the features and limitations of this trans.
The tractor itself is a compact design. The low profile hood makes it very easy to see around and it’s light weight makes it a very agile mower.
The single cylinder Briggs & Stratton engine has plenty of power for this tractor. It is not a smooth as the V-Twin in the and you will experience a little more vibration when you are mowing with this tractor. But this motor is dependable and has an oil filter.
The rest of this mower is the same tractor that is rated by everyone as one of the best. It is a better value than the 100 series John Deere, 1000 series Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt. Toro and Ariens Lawn Tractors. This little Craftsman mows well, drives well, and lasts longer than the other “lawn tractors” in this price range that you will find at Home Depot or Lowes.
Comfort – Ease of Use: Good seat, easy to use operator controls, quick steering, good field of view.
Power For Mowing: This tractor has plenty of power for for mowing, and bagging. I feel it is a little under powered for mulching.
Reliability – New to 3 yrs: This tractor is serviced by Sears. This tractor is not new and I have witnessed very few problems or complaints. One thing to know – If there is an assembly problem you call 1-800-4MY-HOME and a service tech comes out and fixes the issue. The store where you picked it up from or the delivery team does not repair the tractor.
Handling – Traction/Steering: This tractor has average traction and handling and is similar to all the other lawn tractors in this price range. I recommend you never use a mower like this on wet or drought-dry slopes. If you need more traction, buy the Craftsman Professional or Garden Tractor.
Mow – Mulch- Bag: This tractor get high marks by owners and independent review organizations for cutting, mulching and bagging. But, be aware this is not a “high-speed” deck like you will find on a commercial lawn mower. It mows perfectly at 3-4 MPH but don’t expect it to mow as fast as the tractor will go (5.5MPH) and give you the same results. With this tractor/deck you set the height of cut using lever on the tractor.
I’m not going to go into a lot more detail on this review. If you have specific questions leave a comment below and myself or the readers will be glad to answer them. This is a great tractor and if you want one to last this should be at the top of your list.
Specifications, Features, Benefits
The rest of this article is taken from the retailers website.
Type: Lawn Tractor
Maximum mowing area per hour (acres): 1.3 acres at 3 MPH
Recommended for moderate slopes? No
Excels in mowing around obstacles? no, this model does not have the 6 inch Turn Tight Steering!
Will Mow In Reverse? Yes
Manufacturer: Husqvarna
Brand: Craftsman
Engine Power: 19.5 hp*
Displacement: 540 cc.
Manufacturer: Briggs & Stratton
Cylinders: Single, Cast Iron Liner
Type: Gold, OHV, oil filter, Full-pressure Lubrication
Charging System: ? amp regulated
Battery: 28 amp
Choke/Speed Control: Integrated Throttle/Choke
Fuel Tank Capacity: 5.7 litre
Transmission: Variable speed belt (automatic)
Transmission Control: Clutch, Fender Shift
Cruise Control: NA but fender control stays in position
Forward Speed: 0-5.5 mph ?
Reverse Speed: 0-2.5 mph ?
Chassis: rail frame
Front Tires: 15×6-6
Rear Tires: 15×8
Front Axle: Steel
Hood Material: Steel
Hourmeter: No
Tool Tray: NA
Cupholder: Yes
Headlights: Yes
Translucent fuel tank or Fuel gauge: Yes
Deck washout port: ?
12-volt outlet: No
Steering: Type 2-wheel steer
Turning Radius: 14 in.
Uncut Circle Radius: ? in.
Spindle Bushings: Metal, replaceable
Seat Back Height: Mid back, Deluxe
Fore-aft Adjustment: Yes
Seat Suspension: Two coil springs
Deck Lift System: Fender, Easy-Lift
Mower Cut Height: 1.5 in. to 4 in., 6 position
Cut Height Increments: 0.5 in.
Preset Cut Height: No
PTO clutch: Manual Lever
Mower Deck
Type: Side discharge
Mower Cutting Width: 42 in.
Blades: 42 in.
Mower Deck Material: 13 ga.
Mower Wheel Adjustment: 2 anti-scalp wheels, tool required
Mower Level Adjustment: Exact
Mower Drive System: In-line belt, manual PTO
Mower Attachment: 3 point Not EZ-Off
Mower Drive: Belt Tension Spring
Mower Wheels Rotate For Deck Removal: No
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 49.4-in.
Overall Length: 73-in.
Width without mower: ?-in.
Width with mower: ?-in.
Width with mower: (deflector raised for storage) 45-in.
Height: 34-in.
Weight: 450 lb with mower, no fuel
Warranty: 2 year