Executive Summary: This is the 46 inch version Craftsman’s most popular twin-cylinder riding mower. It has a better motor than other lawn tractor brands in this price range, a hydrostatic transmission, a great cutting deck, plenty of available attachments and Craftsman’s Turn Tight 6 inch turning radius. It will handle all of the non-ground engaging attachments Sears sells. This is Craftsman’s best value twin-cylinder Yard Tractor. Compared to all the other brands this yard tractor has more of the features you want. You won’t find a better tractor in this price range.
Is this the right mower for you?: If you have lots of landscape beds and other obstructions to mow around this is one of the best mowers for the job. The 46 inch deck sticks out just farther than a 42 inch to make trimming around obstacles and along fences easy. This tractor will mow up to 1.5 acres an hour. The hydrostatic transmission and 6 inch turning radius makes this the most agile 46 inch mower on the market. In fact, the turning radius is so good you won’t need to spend the extra money for a zero-turn. The 46 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. The 24 hp B&S Platinum engine is smooth and better than the motor in competitor’s tractors. 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 look at the Craftsman Professional Garden tractors instead.
Brand/Manufacture: Craftsman / Husqvarna
Model/Series: Yard Tractor / Turn Tight™
Item Number: 717 860 267 10
Where To Buy: Sears.ca
Store Pickup: Buy Online, Pickup At Your Local Sears
Delivery: Buy Online, And Have It Delivered To Your Home
Ship:?
Street Price: $2399.99
Basic Quality: (Cheap, Good, Best, Professional, Don’t Buy) This is Craftsman’s Best Quality. The CRAFTSMAN®/MD 17.5 HP Shift-on-the-Go is less quality. The Professional Craftsman’s are better.
Type: (Riding Mower, Lawn Tractor, Yard Tractor, Garden Tractor, Estate Tractor, Sub-Compact, Zero Turn, Stand-On) See the list of attachments at the end of this article
CRAFTSMAN®/MD 46 in, 24 HP Turn Tight™ Tractor
Pros:
Foot Control Trans with Cruise
Hydrostatic Trans
Step-through Platform
6 inch Turning Radius
Cons:
Wider than the 42 inch you are used to.
Retail Price: $2399.99 Check The Best Sale Price Here: CRAFTSMAN®/MD 46″, 24HP Briggs & Stratton Turn Tight™ Tractor
My Review:
This tractor continues to be the best value tractor on the market for your 1 to 2 acre suburban yard! This is a great lawn tractor with an excellent cutting deck. It has the better B&S Platinum motor. With four anti-scalp wheels, it will mow your lawn without gouging or scalping the turf. This tractor continues to get the best reviews from the review organizations for value, cut, and dependability.
This lawn tractor will mow in reverse.
People who buy this yard tractor know what they are buying and this is just what they want. That is why you will find so many good reviews on Sears.com. This is a great tractor with a great cutting deck and may just be the best value for you and your suburban lawn.
I’m not going to go into a lot of detail on this review. If you have specific questions leave a comment below and myself or the other 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.
Comfort – Ease of Use: Deluxe high-back seat, easy to use operator controls, good field of view. This Yard Tractor is very comfortable to operate and drive. .
Power For Mowing: This tractor has plenty of power for side discharge mowing every week. It mulches and bags well.
Reliability – New to 3 yrs: This tractor is serviced by Sears. There have been very few issues with the build quality. This tractor is a “work in progress.” In other words even though it has no reviews on Sears.ca, it has been around for a few years and each year Craftsman has added features. New this year is the Turn-Tight. It was introduced in the U.S. last year and has proven very dependable. I am extremely knowledgeable on the U.S. versions and this tractor has proven to be a great tractor for the price.
Handling – Traction/Steering: This tractor has average traction and handling and is similar to all the other lawn tractors from the other retailers, but it is much more agile than the other brands because of the 6 inch radius Turn-Tight steering. If you have slopes I suggest you look at a heavier garden tractor or professional series. I recommend you never use a mower like this on wet or drought-dry slopes.
Mow – Mulch- Bag: This tractor gets high marks by owners for mowing, mulching and bagging. In fact, one of the leading consumer magazines consistently rates this deck as one of the best. The 46 inch twin blade deck bags exceptionally well with high-lift blades installed. 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 a lever on the tractor fender.
Specifications, Features, Benefits
The rest of this article is taken from the retailers website. Specs subject to change.
Type: Yard Tractor
Maximum mowing area per hour (acres): 1.4 acres at 4 MPH
Recommended for moderate slopes? Yes, Moderate slopes
Excels in mowing around obstacles? Yes, Tightest turning radius in the U.S.
Will Mow In Reverse? Yes
Manufacturer: Husqvarana
Brand: Craftsman
Engine Power: 24 hp*
Displacement: 724 cc.
Manufacturer: Briggs & Stratton
Cylinders: Twin, cast-iron liners
Type: OHV, oil filter, Pressurized with automotive style oil pump
Charging System: 15 amp regulated
Battery: DieHard
Choke/Speed Control: Separate Choke/Throttle
Fuel Tank Capacity: 3 U.S. gal.
Transmission: hydrostatic
Transmission Control: Direction/speed – foot control with dash mounted cruise control
Cruise Control: Yes
Forward Speed: 0-5.5 mph
Reverse Speed: 0-2.5 mph
Chassis: 11 ga.
Front Tires: 15x6x6
Rear Tires: 20x8x8
Front Axle: Cast Iron, lifetime warranty on axle
Hood Material: Steel
Hourmeter: Yes
Tool Tray: NA
Cupholder: Yes
Headlights: Yes
Translucent fuel tank or Fuel gauge: Yes
Deck washout port: Yes
12-volt outlet: No
Steering: Type 2-wheel steer
Turning Radius: 6 in.
Uncut Circle Radius: ? in.
Spindle Bushings: Metal, replaceable
Seat Back Height: Deluxe high back
Fore-aft Adjustment: 6 in. while seated
Seat Suspension: Two coil springs
Deck Lift System: Spring assist, Fender
Mower Cut Height: 1.5 in. to 4 in., 6 position
Cut Height Increments: ? in.
Preset Cut Height: No
PTO clutch: Manual
Mower Deck
Type: Side discharge
Mower Cutting Width: 46 in.
Blades: 2, 46 in.
Mower Deck Material: 13 ga.
Mower Wheel Adjustment: Yes
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: ?-in.
Overall Length: ?-in.
Width without mower: 42-in.
Width with mower: 57-in.
Width with mower: (deflector raised for storage) 47-in.
Height: ?-in.
Weight: 526 lb with mower, no fuel
Warranty: 2 year
Optional Attachments
Will handle the following list of attachments. See Sears.ca for the items
Mulch Kit:
Baggers: 2 bin or 3 bin
Carts:
Lawn Rollers:
Sweepers:
Dethatchers:
Aerators:
Spreaders:
Sprayers:
Snow Equipment: Blade and Snow Blower
Lawn Vacs:
Ground Engagement Equipment: NA