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Best Deals On Lawn & Garden Is This Sunday March 21 At Sears.com

Paul — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:35:51 +0000

If you are waiting for the best deals on Craftsman, Sunday, March 21st is the best time to buy. From Saturday night starting at 8 pm to Monday at 4 am CST. Sears.com is having their famous Family and Friends Event.

Just about everything in Lawn & Garden, Tools, Grills, and Patio will be an additional 10% off. About the the only exception to this sale will be items listed as “great price.” Specifically for for us that is the Yard Machine, Yard Man tractors and a few Evolve tools.

Buy Online – Pick Up At Your Nearest Sears

Buy Online – Have Delivered To Your Home. For a normal charge Sears will deliver to your home. They also have international shipping if you live outside the United States.

Be sure to sign up for the free “Shop Your Way” rewards card and place the number in your Sears.com Profile. Signing up will always give you the best possible prices including the Craftsman Club savings if there is one on your purchase. (The Craftsman Club savings vary from month to month and are for specific mowers for that month. Be patient, if there are Club savings it will be reflected JUST BEFORE you click pay)

If you are buying a grill of patio use the “SAFFonly5″ code instead of the “$5off$50″ code to get the best deal.

Payment: Did you know you don’t need a credit card to buy online from Sears? Sears.com takes many forms of payments including debit cards,ebillme, gift cards, credit cards, and PayPal. Myself, I use PayPal for most transactions on the Internet. It gives me an additional layer of security for payment and fraud. You can also redeem your “shop your way rewards” points this weekend.

With a Sears Card you get no interest for 12 months or 5% cash back on lawn & garden purchase totaling $299 or more!

Discloser: By clicking on these links and purchasing it this weekend through Sears.com I get paid a commission. I don’t get a commission if you purchase it at a Sears store. The $5 off coupon is a little thank you for purchasing from me.

Note: The Sears stores will be having this same sale Sunday March 21st from 6 pm to 9 pm ONLY!

Click on any of these banners to read more.

2010 Craftsman LT2000 42 inch 20 hp Model 28905 Review

Paul — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:14:23 +0000

The LT Yard Tractor is all new this year. For about $100 more than the 28904 you get a hydrostatic transmission. The mower has no history and I will not have a chance to test it until April 15. So … this review will only cover a visual inspection and my first impressions of the machine.

Model 28905

2010 Craftsman LT2000 42 inch 20 hp Model 28905 Review

Sears Item 07128905000

Listed on Sears.com as: Craftsman 20 hp 42 inch Lawn Tractor

Click on the coupon to check prices and read more.

Buy Online – Pick Up At Your Nearest Sears

Buy Online – Have Delivered To Your Home. Use the coupon code during the checkout process to save an additional $5 over the sale prices listed on Sears.com. Be sure to sign up for the free “Shop Your Way” rewards card and place the number in your Sears.com Profile. Signing up will always give you the best possible prices including the Craftsman Club savings if there is one on this mower. (The Craftsman Club savings vary from month to month and are for specific mowers for that month. Be patient, if there are Club savings it will be reflected JUST BEFORE you click pay)

By clicking on the link to this product and purchasing it within five days through Sears.com I get paid a commission. I don’t get a commission if you purchase it at a Sears store. The $5 off coupon is a little thank you for purchasing from me.

Specs:

Series: LT2000
Model: 28905
Ca Model: None
Engine HP: 20
Engine Brand: Briggs & Stratton Gold
Cylinders: 1
Transmission: Hydrostatic
Transmission Control: Fender Control
Mower Width: 42 inches
Blades: 2
Cutting Positions: 5
Gauge Wheels: 2
Washout port: No
Blade Engagement: Manual
Turning Radius: 18 inches
Front Axle: Welded Tube
Rear Tires: 18 x 9.5
Seat: Mid-Back
Slide Seat Adjust: Yes
Service Minder: No

My Review:

This mower is considerably different than the 2009 version. While it has the same gray paint scheme, the frame, deck, transmission, tires, controls and overall appearance are different.

The deck is very similar to the deck on the Yard Man Model 28906.

The frame is an “U” design. It appears to be strong and stiff for the price range of the mower. I don’t expect you to have any problems with this design.

That’s it for now. When I get a chance to drive it and as it gets some history I will update this review.

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Needed Accessories:

I will add accessories in a few weeks.

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2010 Craftsman LT2000 42 inch 20 hp Model 28904 Review

Paul — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 03:09:21 +0000

The LT Yard Tractor is all new this year. For about $200 more than the 28901 you get a B&S Gold series motor, two gauge wheels and a shift-on-the-go “automatic.” The mower has no history and I will not have a chance to test it until April 15. So … this review will only cover a visual inspection and my first impressions of the machine.

Model 28904

Sears Item 07128904000

Listed on Sears.com as:Craftsman 20 hp 42 inch Lawn Tractor

Click on the coupon to check prices and read more.

Buy Online – Pick Up At Your Nearest Sears

Specs:

Series: LT2000
Model: 28904
Ca Model: 28919
Engine HP: 20
Engine Brand: Briggs & Stratton Gold
Cylinders: 1
Transmission: Automatic (Variable speed belt-drive)
Transmission Control: Fender Control with Foot Clutch
Mower Width: 42 inches
Blades: 2
Cutting Positions: 5
Gauge Wheels: 2
Washout port: No
Blade Engagement: Manual
Turning Radius: 18 inches
Front Axle: Welded Tube
Rear Tires: 18 x 9.5
Seat: Mid-Back
Slide Seat Adjust: Yes
Service Minder: No

My Review:

This mower is considerably different than the 2009 version. While it has the same gray paint scheme, the frame, deck, transmission, tires, controls and overall appearance are different.

The deck is very similar to the deck on the Yard Man Model 28906.

The frame is an “U” design. It appears to be strong and stiff for the price range of the mower. I don’t expect you to have any problems with this design.

That’s it for now. When I get a chance to drive it and as it gets some history I will update this review.

Ask a question, leave a comment, tell us about your mower below:

Needed Accessories:

I will add accessories in a few weeks.

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2010 Craftsman LT2000 42 inch 19.5 hp Model 28902 Review

Paul — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 02:45:54 +0000

The LT Yard Tractor is all new this year. For about $100 more than the 28901 you get a B&S Gold series motor. The mower has no history and I will not have a chance to test it until April 15. So … this review will only cover a visual inspection and my first impressions of the machine.

Listed on Sears.com as: Craftsman 19.5 hp 42 inch Lawn Tractor

Click on the coupon to check prices and read more.

Buy Online – Pick Up At Your Nearest Sears

Buy Online – Have Delivered To Your Home. Use the coupon code during the checkout process to save an additional $5 over the sale prices listed on Sears.com. Be sure to sign up for the free “Shop Your Way” rewards card and place the number in your Sears.com Profile. Signing up will always give you the best possible prices including the Craftsman Club savings if there is one on this mower. (The Craftsman Club savings vary from month to month and are for specific mowers for that month. Be patient, if there are Club savings it will be reflected JUST BEFORE you click pay)

Model 28902

Click On Picture To See a Larger Version”

Series: LT2000
Model: 28902
Ca Model: None
Engine HP: 19.5
Engine Brand: Briggs & Stratton Gold
Cylinders: 1
Transmission: 7 speed shift on-the-go
Transmission Control: Fender Control with Foot Clutch
Mower Width: 42 inches
Blades: 2
Cutting Positions: 5
Gauge Wheels: None
Washout port: No
Blade Engagement: Manual
Turning Radius: 18 inches
Front Axle: Welded Tube
Rear Tires: 18 x 9.5
Seat: Mid-Back
Slide Seat Adjust: Yes
Service Minder: No

My Review:

This mower is considerably different than the 2009 Model 28902 from last year. While it has the same gray paint scheme, the frame, deck, transmission, tires, controls and overall appearance are different.

The deck is very similar to the deck on the Yard Man Model 28906.

The frame is an “U” design. It appears to be strong and stiff for the price range of the mower. I don’t expect you to have any problems with this design.

That’s it for now. When I get a chance to drive it and as it gets some history I will update this review.

Ask a question, leave a comment, tell us about your mower below:

Needed Accessories:

I will add accessories in a few weeks.

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2010 Craftsman LT1500 42 inch 17.5 hp Model 28901 Review

Paul — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 02:19:42 +0000

The LT Yard Tractor is all new this year. It features a B&S Silver series motor and a 7 speed shift on the go transmission. The mower has no history and I will not have a chance to test it until April 15. So … this review will only cover a visual inspection and my first impressions of the machine.

Listed on Sears,com as: Craftsman 17.5 hp 42 inch Lawn Tractor

Click on the coupon to check prices and read more.

Buy Online – Pick Up At Your Nearest Sears

Model 28901 Click On Picture To See a Larger Version

Specs:

Read My Review Below These Specs:

Brand: Craftsman

Series: LT1500
Model: 28901
Ca Model: 28911
Engine HP: 17.5
Engine Brand: Briggs & Stratton Silver
Cylinders: 1
Transmission: 7 speed shift on-the-go
Transmission Control: Fender Control with Foot Clutch
Mower Width: 42 inches
Blades: 2
Cutting Positions: 5
Gauge Wheels: None
Washout port: No
Blade Engagement: Manual
Turning Radius: 18 inches
Front Axle: Welded Tube
Rear Tires: 18 x 9.5
Seat: Low Back
Slide Seat Adjust: No
Service Minder: No

My Review:

This mower is considerably different than the 2009 Model 28901 from last year. While it has the same gray paint scheme, the frame, deck, transmission, tires, controls and overall appearance are different.

The deck is very similar to the deck on the Yard Man Model 28906.

The frame is an “U” design. It appears to be strong and stiff for the price range of the mower. I don’t expect you to have any problems with this design.

That’s it for now. When I get a chance to drive it and as it gets some history I will update this review.

Ask a question, leave a comment, tell us about your mower below:

Needed Accessories:

I will add accessories in a few weeks.

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2010 Craftsman Garden Tractor 54 inch 26 hp Model 28945 Review

Paul — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:40:31 +0000

This mower is the same as the 2010 Model 28947 with a manual transmission. So this review will be short. Just go over and read the review for the 28947.

Sears Item 07128945000

Listed on Sears.com as: Craftsman GT 5000 26 hp 54 inch Garden Tractor

Click on the coupon to check prices and read more.

Buy Online – Pick Up At Your Nearest Sears

Model 28945

Click On Picture To See a Larger Version”

Specs:

Brand:Craftsman
Series: GT5000 Gt 5000
Model: 28945
Ca Model: 28955
Engine HP: 26
Engine Brand: Kohler Pro
Cylinders: 2
Transmission: Heavy duty Geared.
Transmission Control: Fender Lever Control with Foot Clutch
Mower Width: 54 inches
Blades: 3
Cutting Positions: 7
Gauge Wheels: 5
Washout port: Yes
Blade Engagement: Electric
Turning Radius: 18 inches
Front Axle: Cast Iron
Rear Tires: 23 x 10.5
Seat: High Back with Armrests
Slide Seat Adjust: Yes
Service Minder: Hour Meter

My Review:

Please go here and read the review of the 2010 Model 28947. This is the same Garden Tractor with a manual transmission.

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Needed Accessories:

I will add accessories in a few weeks.

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2010 Craftsman Garden Tractor 54 inch 26 hp Model 28947 Review

Paul — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:25:11 +0000

The GT 5000 is one of the best values for a Garden Tractor. It has a big 26 hp Kohler Pro Motor and 54 inch deck. This Garden Tractor is designed to mow 2 to 5 acres quickly and efficiently. It will pull all of the ground engaging attachments Sears offers.

This review covers the GT 5000 with a twin cylinder Kohler motor, 54 inch deck, and foot control hydro. It will handle a snow thrower. If you want a smaller deck look at the different Craftsman models. This is the largest tractor in the Craftsman line-up with a Kohler Motor.

Sears Item 07128947000

Listed on Sears.com as: Craftsman GT 5000 26 hp 54 inch Garden Tractor

Click on the coupon to check prices and read more.

Buy Online – Pick Up At Your Nearest Sears

Model 28947

Click On Picture To See a Larger Version”

Specs:

Read My Review Below These Specs:

Brand: Craftsman
Series: GT5000
Model: 28947
Ca Model: 28948
Engine HP: 26
Engine Brand: Kohler Pro
Cylinders: 2
Transmission: Heavy Duty Hydrostatic Transmission
Transmission Control: Pedal with cruise
Mower Width: 54
Blades: 3
Cutting Positions: 7
Gauge Wheels: 5
Washout port: Yes
Blade Engagement: Electric
Turning Radius: 18 inches
Front Axle: Cast Iron
Rear Tires: 23 X 10.5
Seat: Deluxe Hi-Back with Armrests
Slide Seat Adjust: Easy Slide Adjust

Service Minder: Yes, Hourmeter

My Review:

For about 2800 dollars on sale this is a very good value if you need to mow large areas. This model features the new Craftsman style step through operator’s platform, Kohler Pro oil pump lube engine with oil filter, and a 54 inch 3 blade deck.

The 28947 has the foot control hydro. It is very easy to drive and has a “cruise control” for mowing the large open areas.

If you want a mower that will mow 2 to 5 acres well, handle a snow blade, snow thrower, and all the attachments Sears has to offer, this is the mower in the Craftsman lineup that will do the job for you. This tractor is heavy enough to handle hilly and rough lawns. There is only one mower in the Craftsman lineup that will mow faster. In my opinion there is no other mower that will pull more. I would have no problem pulling a boat light camping trailer, or 1500 lbs of dirt around your yard. This is a great all around workhorse.

I would have no concerns hooking up an AcrEase commercial wing mower from Kunz Engineering or two to this Garden tractor and mowing 10 feet or 15 feet at a time. I mention the AcrEase because this is the only pull-behind mower that can mow at the speeds the GT 5000 can mow at. These wing mowers will easily mow at 8 mph. With two of these behind the GT 5000 you can easily mow 7 acres or more an hour. The AcrEase mower has a unique hitch that works so well you don’t even know the wing mower is there. (I don’t make a commission if you buy an AcrEase)

This Garden Tractor will also pull the AcrEase rough cut mower.

To give you an example of the toughness of this tractor. A typical hydrostatic transmission in a lawn or yard tractor weighs about 20 lbs. This transmission in the GT5000 weighs THREE TIMES as much. This is one rugged tractor for the price.

I like the GT 5000 series. I think it represents a good value and a machine that if taken care of properly will last you a long, long time. Click here to see the full line of Sears attachments.

Cons:

The GT 5000 is good mower, but there are two items you need to be aware of.

First with this large of deck you will not get the consistent, even cut you get with say a 42 inch 28922. If your lawn is rough and uneven you will have some scalping and areas where the deck mows unevenly compared to a smaller mower. The deck has 5 anti-scalp wheels (gauge wheels) and rounded edges so the unevenness is minimum compared to other mower brands. Just be aware of the difference if you are moving up from a smaller mower. If you want a more even and consistent cut and still mow large areas look at the Model 28875 Professional Zero-turn.

Second, you can buy a mulch kit for this deck but be aware of the negatives of using a mulch plug on this large of a deck. The problem is called “Blow-By.” To understand the negatives I will explain a little about deck design first.

Most of these large decks are built in a triangle. The middle blade is in front of the other two. This allows the blades to “overlap” so you never leave a stripe when turning or backing up. This design also has smooth edges under the deck designed to get the grass out from under it quickly and spread the grass evenly when discharged. In addition this Craftsman deck has “vented spindles” that allow a lot of air into the deck. All that air helps the blades lift the grass and cut it evenly and then helps the blades quickly throw the grass out the discharge.

The problem occurs when you plug the discharge with a mulch plug. All that air has to go somewhere and it ends up blowing down and out the underside of the mower deck. Most of the time when you are mulching good green grass everything works fine and you don’t notice this blow-by. It’s when you try to mulch dry, poor grass that this blow-by blows grass everywhere. It blows it mainly out the right front of the mower. Wind, mowing speed, etc., causes all this grass to go everywhere. On top of the deck, on top of the tractor, and all over you! The only way you can fix this is to remove the mulch plug when you are mowing in dry, dusty conditions.

Yes, all of these large decks will do this, it doesn’t matter if it is a Craftsman or any other brand. Be aware before you purchase one of these large deck machines of blow-by and be ready to live with taking a shower after you mow.

Final Thoughts:

I like this mower and I feel it is one of the best values available for a mid-priced Garden Tractor. There are very few negatives with this mower as long as you understand that it is a good quality Garden Tractor designed to mow large lawns well. These Garden Tractors hold up well and have a great maintenance record. I like this lawn mower for what it is designed for. At around $2800 on sale it is a very good value.

Ask a question, leave a comment, tell us about your mower below:

Needed Accessories:

Hauling Equipment: Anything Sears Sells
Lawn Care Attach: Anything Sears Sells

I will add more accessories in a few weeks.

Ask a question, leave a comment, tell us about your mower below:

GrassHawk Review – Cleaning Your Mower The Easy Way!

Paul — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 14:46:16 +0000

This tool is for every person who owns a riding mower, yard tractor, or push mower.

Every once in a while a tool comes along that is so simple, yet so useful that everyone says, “Why didn’t I think of that?” The GrassHawk is on of those tools.

GrassHawk Deck Cleaner Click Here to buy through Sears. (See note at end of article)

Click For Larger Image

The Patent Pending Grasshawk makes cleaning the underside of your deck easy. It is so inexpensive that everyone can afford it.

Cleans all contours of the deck. Flat or Curved! Use the curved edge to easily clean the rounded edges of your mulching mower. Use the flat end to clean the rest. This is much faster and makes a much smaller mess than using the “Deck Wash” system. Use the Grass Hawk for those times where the deck wash won’t clean the wet sticky or dry caked on clippings

2 Blades in 1. The easy Quik-Knob™ unlocks the tool and pivots to rotate blade from flat to curved

Click For Larger Image

You never have to get your hands all stained from cleaning your deck again. The GrassHawk attaches to extension pole to clean under Lawn Tractors. You can use any normal paint roller extention, or broom handle. I will have a one footer for small decks and then use my shop broom handle to for the big decks.

The special ‘knuckle-saver’ curved handle keeps your knuckles out of the way.

An easy way to a clean mower for a perfect cut. Use this when the “Deck Wash” system makes to big of a mess or the grass is just to thick for the deck wash to work

Click For Larger Image

GrassHawk Deck Cleaner Click here to buy from Sears.

Note: I make a commission when you click on the links in this article and buy through Sears or Amazon. I have not been paid in any way to write the article. I use Sears and Amazon exclusively because Craftsman is the most trusted name in tools and Amazon is the most trusted name on the Internet.

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2010 Craftsman Professional Yard Tractor 42 inch 24 hp Model 28980 Review

Paul — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:32:36 +0000

This is a new tractor from a manufacture who has not made this type of mower for Sears before. The mower has no history and I will not have a chance to test it until April 15. So … this review will only cover a visual inspection and my first impressions of the machine.

Read my review below the Specs.

Sears Item 07128980000

Craftsman Professional 24 hp 42 inch Yard Tractor

Click on the coupon to check prices and read more.

Buy Online – Pick Up At Your Nearest Sears

Model 28980

Click On Picture To See a Larger Version”

Specs:

Read My Review Below These Specs:

Brand: Craftsman Professional
Series: Professional
Model: 28980
Ca Model: 28672
Engine HP: 24
Engine Brand: Briggs & Stratton Professional
Cylinders: 2
Transmission: Hydrostatic
Transmission Control: Foot Control
Mower Width: 42 inches
Blades: 2
Cutting Positions: 11
Gauge Wheels: 4
Washout port: Yes
Blade Engagement: Electric
Turning Radius: 12 inches
Front Axle: Cast Iron
Rear Tires: 20 x 8
Seat: High Back
Slide Seat Adjust: Yes
Service Minder: Hourmeter

My Review:

This mower is considerably different than the 2009 Model 28970 from last year. While it has the same yellow and black paint scheme, the frame, deck, transmission, tires, controls and overall appearance are different. It still has the high-end Briggs & Stratton motor, electric blade engagement and rugged front bumper.

The deck is very similar to the deck on the Revolution Model 28933. Consumer Reports rated the Revolution’s cut very high last year so I expect this deck to cut as well.

The frame is an “L” design instead of the channel frame found on the 28970. It appears to be strong and stiff. I don’t expect you to have any problems with this design.

The hydrostatic transmission is a medium duty transmission and designed for the application. It is does not weigh as much as the retired K 46 found in the 28970 but I don’t feel this will be a problem. The tranny manufactures are very careful to size their transmissions to the application.

Last years tires were 20 x 10. The new tires are 20 x 8 and not as flat across the tread. These new tires are a very common size and won’t give you any problems unless you are trying to mow in sandy or muddy conditions.

The drive control is now a foot control. Sears.com states it has “cruise” but I can’t find it on the actual machine. I may be overlooking the control and when I find it, I’ll change this.

That’s it for now. When I get a chance to drive it and as it gets some history I will update this review.

Ask a question, leave a comment, tell us about your mower below:

Needed Accessories:

I will add accessories in a few weeks.

Ask a question, leave a comment, tell us about your mower below:

2010 Craftsman Professional Zero Turn 52 inch 26 hp Model 28875 Review

Paul — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:39:35 +0000

The commercial mowing guys call this mower a high end residential. It has all the features and durability of a commercial mower, except it uses hydrostatic transmissions instead of the more expensive pump/motor units.

This mower will mow a lot of lawn. It will mow twice as fast as the Craftsman Excellerator all while giving your lawn that beautiful golf course look.

Read the rest of my review after the Specs.

Sears Item 07128875000

Sold on Sears.com as: Craftsman Professional 26 hp 52 inch Zero Turn Riding Mower

Click on the coupon to check prices and read more.

Buy Online – Pick Up At Your Nearest Sears

Model 28875

Click On Picture To See a Larger Version

Specs:

Read My Review Below These Specs:

Brand: Craftsman Professional
Series: Zero Turn
Model: 28875
Ca Model: none
Engine HP: 26
Engine Brand: Briggs & Stratton Professional
Cylinders: 2
Transmission: Twin Hydrostatic
Transmission Control: Twin Lever
Mower Width: 52 inch
Blades: 3
Cutting Positions: 13
Gauge Wheels: 3
Washout port: NA
Blade Engagement: Electric
Turning Radius: Zero Turn
Front Axle: Heavy Gauge Welded Box
Rear Tires: 20 x 10
Seat: High Back with arm rests
Slide Seat Adjust: Yes
Service Minder: Yes

My Review:

I like this mower! If you are mowing 5 to 20 acres a week this is Craftsman Mower for you. This mower is the heaviest and most durable in the Craftsman line and at around $5500 on sale it is one of the best bargains in the Sears line-up. It uses 7 and 10 gauge steel for the frame and mower deck. I will gladly rate this mower against a dozen similar mowers from other brands that all cost $1000 – $2500 more. I can show you where this mower is equal or superior in design, ruggedness, and overall features to all these machines.

This mower is a prime example of time verses money. Let’s say you have a large lawn (5 acres.) You can spend $1500 for a Yard Tractor and it will take you 5 hours plus trimming to mow or you can spend $5500 and get your lawn done in about 2 hours INCLUDING trimming. For example, a 54 inch YT 4500 Model 28990 will mow 1 3/4 acres per hour well and the 52 inch Model 28992 Zero Turn will mow 2.25 acres per hour. This mower will mow 3.5 acres an hour well.

Another example of how a mower like this can be worth the money. My neighbor has about five acres to mow. The property is heavily wooded and it used to take him all day to mow it with his old Cub Cadet and then usually three hours more with a string trimmer. He finally retired his old mower and bought a 50 inch Country Clipper (very similar to this Craftsman.) He can now mow and trim his lawn in less than two hours. What is your time worth?

Cons:

You will have to buy a grease gun and learn how to lubricate this machine. Because it uses commercial components there are specific maintenance procedures you must do every 50 hours or so to keep the mower running for years. If you don’t perform theses tasks you will tear out bearings, etc. It only takes about 15 minutes to do, but it must be done.

On a residential mower like the 28922 the bearings are “sealed.” This means they are sealed and lubricated for the life of the bearing. The manufactures typically design this “life” to be between 250 and 500 hours. On a commercial machine the bearings are designed to last 2000 hours or more. But they are not sealed and require regular greasing (typically every 50 hours) I know some commercial owners who do the regular maintenance and take their machines apart every 2000 hours. They clean out the grease from the bearings and then “repack” them with new. Some of these owners get 5000 hours or more out of their mowers.

You should learn to sharpen your own blades. (Just ask and I’ll make a video) With a normal residential mower you usually replace the blades. The blades on this mower are designed to be resharpened at least 10 times before you need to replace them.

One last con. This is not a true commercial mower. It is designed for residential use and if you try to use it commercially (20 or more lawns per week) you will not be happy with the durability of the drives (transmissions.) Spend the extra $3000 and buy an ExMark Lazer Z.

One last comment. Sears Service. Sears service is dependable, reliable and they come right to your home. The reason I mention this is the high-end residential mower market is a very “fluid” market. If you are shopping around there are a lot companies that get into this market for a few years, and then quit. There are also a lot of dealers or individuals who try to sell to this market and after a few years, quit. I can name a dozen manufactures I looked at in 1998 who are no longer in business. If the company goes out of business parts will be hard to find. If a dealer goes out of business you may have to travel a hundred miles or more to get warranty work done. (My local John Deere farm equipment dealer just closed it’s lawn mower location and now customers have to drive 20 miles to get service) If you are shopping around and looking at other brands be very careful of the service and support. Sears stands behind their products and you can get parts for at least 10 years.

Seriously consider buying the Repair Protection Plan. I feel you may never use it on this machine, but on this mower the “RPA” gives you expedited service. This means if you have a problem, Sears will schedule you in front of the regular service customers. They will get to your home, diagnose the problem, order parts, get the parts, and get the repair made as quickly as possible. They will make every effort to get the repair made within “one mowing cycle.” The Protection Plan covers all parts, labor and trip charges. It covers all wear and tear except blades and tune-ups.

Ask a question, leave a comment, tell us about your mower below:

Needed Accessories:

I will add accessories in a few weeks.

Ask a question, leave a comment, tell us about your mower below: