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May 31, 2011 |
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Jun 9, 2011 3:56 pm |
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Re: Lawn/Yard Tractor for a slope
#1 Jun 4, 2011 4:21 pm |
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I went to the Sears Catalog/Franchise store and looked at the GT6000.
You all are right....it does not have the fit and finish of a John Deere or other high end tractor.
But it DOES HAVE the Hydro Gear G7 tranny !!!
And all in all it was pretty well put together for what it is.
I am a fan of Kohler motors.... that is a plus. Even though I have had no problems with any B/S motor as long as it was an Intek or better.
Now comes the hard part.......is Sears willing to deal? or am I willing to part with the money.
Thanks to all
Oh, I measured my slope......It appears to be mostly a tad under the 15 degrees that is quoted as not to go over.
But...........I have a small section that approaches 20 degrees (maybe). DO ANY OF YOU THINK THAT IS A PROBLEM?
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Re: Lawn/Yard Tractor for a slope
#2 Jun 4, 2011 10:45 am |
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Sears (IMO) offers a decent light to medium duty GT at an affordable price and sometimes price is a major issue. If you have the $$$ I'd go for the JD X500 series as this is just a whole lot more tractor than what Sears can offer. The dealer most likely suggested the X320 because it has a K58 tranny which is more robust than the K46 offered in the X300. It can get kind of pricey as you move up the line and it's easy to start saying: "well the X320 is ONLY $ 1,000.00 more than the X300 and the X500 is ONLY another $ 1000.000 more than the X320" and so on. Next thing you know your into the tractor for $5K+ and you've got a lot of explaining to do with the wife. The tranny in the Sears GT's is usually a TuffTorq K58 (I believe) or HydroGear G730 but they switch suppliers so often you never know for sure what you're going to end up with. I had a Craftsman YS4500 for about 2 years and it was an alright little tractor but I have hills and I could feel and hear the tranny slowing down over time. Pulling a loaded cart over hilly terrain with a K46 tranny is a killer. The tranny oil tends to overheat and lose its cooling/lubricating abilities and this leads to a failure which generally means a complete replacement as most have not had good luck with the rebuild kits on these low end trannies. Flat terrain is one thing, hills require a more robust tranny which means spending more $$$ up front but the tranny will last. Like anything else, maintenance and using the tractor within its design parameters is the key to a long tractor life. I appreciate the replies that have been coming. It is 'my opinion' if one has the money then Simplicity or John Deere are the ones to buy. They're rugged and seem to match their engines, transmissions and frame to what the need is. But......I'm thinking there are more people like me who have to be somewhat frugal on their initial outlays. Because I have a 'slope' for a yard; I live in the mountains, I have to buy more tractor than I need to be able to get the proper transmission at a price I can afford. Craftsman is the only one that comes close to what I can afford. I know some folks will say you get what you pay for and as the old FRAM commercial used to say "Pay me now or Pay me later". But sometimes being frugal can pay off. Also as it was stated above.........."you've got a lot of explaining to do with the wife".......I can't explain to her I need a $5,000 or more tractor. I will possible go to our local Sears Catalog/Franchise store and look at the GT6000; they actually have one. I just wish I knew what to look for when looking at the tranny; to be able to tell which/what one it is. If it is the K58 or Hydro G I think I'm OK. I think I would like for it to be the Hydro G because it has a filter that is accessible and I assume can be serviced easier? But I noticed at the Hydro web site there are other tranny's that are not as good in the torque so would not want of those lesser ones? How to tell? Thanks
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Re: Lawn/Yard Tractor for a slope
#3 Jun 3, 2011 1:46 pm |
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I have done some more investigating of the Sears products. It is known that if one needs service you might have to wait. But there are a lot of satisfied customers for Sears/Craftsman lawn/garden tractors. The GT6000 is given a 'recommendation' to buy by Consumer Reports. I can get a GT6000 with a Kohler engine for approximately $1200+ less than a JD X320. The big question: what brand/model # transmission does the GT use? I have called Sears and talked with 4 different departments to find out. You guessed it......no one knows? I would imagine that it is a Tuff Torq model of some sort but which one. If it is the K58 then I would think the Sears product would be a potentially good buy.........but without knowing I hesitate to venture forth on it.
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Re: Lawn/Yard Tractor for a slope
#4 Jun 3, 2011 12:07 pm |
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Ditto 100% - Well said Paul7. Get yourself a nice low hour used or brand new GT and you won't be disappointed. You'll typically get a very strong hydro tranny, 1" axles, a powerful, torquey engine and a 50" + deck width. Sears uses a very deceiving alpha-numeric code to make their tractors sound beefier. Most times the only difference between an LT (lawn tractor) and a so called YT (yard tractor) is a few bells and whistles a better seat, graphic logos, and a bit bigger tires and rims. The engine and tranny are typically the same unless you step up to the GT (garden tractor) line and then you get a real Garden Tractor with differences that matter like a ground engaging transmission, heavier duty frame and axle, a premium engine and generally a much more robust machine. Typically not a heavy duty GT but more of a light to medium duty GT, but a true GT nonetheless. If you have any kind of hills, plan on pulling heavy loads or just using it as tractor should be used, etc..., I suggest you strongly consider a GT and don't let the LT/YT designations fool you. I've been there before and learned the hard way. Spend your money right the first time and you won't lose - trust me on this one. Sooooooooo, FrankMA are you saying the Sears Garden tractor line is a GOOD option? I ask because the John Deere dealer/rep has back tracked some now. He NO LONG suggests the X300. He says I would be better off with the X320, minimum. In fact he thinks I might should consider the next step up? the X500? Geez, talk about expensive. The X320 is $4,000 and probably after all is said and done I will probably spend closer to $4,600 to $5,000. I think the Garden Tractor line of Sears is a tad cheaper? Finding a used J.D. is hard to find in my neck of the woods......Northeast Georgia. And the couple I did see are not much cheaper than a new one??? There were a couple of 'beat up' looking ones too but they were unattractive enough not to even consider. thanks everyone for chipping in suggestions.
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Re: Lawn/Yard Tractor for a slope
#5 May 31, 2011 3:55 pm |
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Thanks for the info
The warranty is for 4 years so one might be able to assume that the 100 hours would fall into that warranty period? But with my luck...........
I am somewhat hesitant to go with Sears due to ONE main thing that most people complain about.......SERVICE. You can get it but it might take 2-4 weeks for someone to show up?
Some folks have suggested I investigate the ExMark? They have a self propelled walk behind mower with a 26" deck with a 6HP Kawasaki full pressure lube engine.
Anyone want to comment on that?
thanks again
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