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joe fess
USA
260 Posts |
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Talntedmrgreen
USA
4110 Posts |
 Posted - 02/17/2012 : 07:35:51
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| That ad would already be deleted here. Lots of Sears guys in these parts. For the money, you can't go wrong. |
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Edited by - Talntedmrgreen on 02/17/2012 07:36:04 |
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simplelife
USA
1385 Posts |
Posted - 02/17/2012 : 15:41:28
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| It is already flagged for removal. |
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skunkhome
USA
12827 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2012 : 09:36:29
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quote:
Originally posted by Talntedmrgreen
That ad would already be deleted here. Lots of Sears guys in these parts. For the money, you can't go wrong.
Yeah, but they are sears! |
  Phil
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty."
Benjamin Franklin |
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Talntedmrgreen
USA
4110 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2012 : 09:40:41
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| I can't really knock them (other than appearance, ugly as sin to me), because I've never run one. I know lots of guys around here adore them. As long as they don't all start chasing the deals on Simplicity's, I'm good with that =] |
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skunkhome
USA
12827 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2012 : 11:22:45
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| When I was a kid on northeast Louisiana the two tractors that you would see were Sears and CC. The Sears were hell on belts and everyone i knew that owned one were dealing with some state of disrepair. I had two customers who decided to buy Sears tractors rather than pay me $5/acre to mow their lawns. After a very short period of time I was back owing their lawns with my B10. They would finally get their crapsman running again and I would loose the business for a few weeks then they would call me back to mow when it broke down again. Both customers finally gave up and I mowed their yards on a continuos basis. At one place, for more than 4 years, I mowed around the rusting hulk where it stopped running in the middle of their side yard. Not only were they paying me to mow but also were paying on an installment plan to Sears for a tractor "parked" in the tall grass. |
Phil
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty."
Benjamin Franklin |
Edited by - skunkhome on 02/18/2012 11:28:25 |
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Richard L.
USA
483 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2012 : 11:55:33
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| I've had a few (like a dozen or more)of those Sears like what was pictured in that ad in my time and believe me I didn't refer to them as Crapsman. These particular ones were well before the Craftsman name was even thought of. One particular one was an ST16 with a 48" deck that I used to mow fields of overgrown saplings and the like that would rival anything one of those front mount Simplicity jobs with the rotating knives decal on the front. That particular tractor I don't recall ever having a problem with anything on it including the belts which I surely must have tortured in some of the fields I did with clumps of 1" saplings all over. Then I moved up to an SS16 with a 2 cylinder Onan. Much , much smoother but would absolutely kill a forest of saplings. Never had a belt problem with any of them and I had over a DOZEN different ones. The only tractor I know of that was a simpler design than even Simplicity's. |
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skunkhome
USA
12827 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2012 : 12:34:59
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| I don't know when they started using the craftsman name but my experiences with them is from 1966 through 1970-71. All the tractors i refer to had single cylinder Tecumseh engines. The two bladed mowers were particularly problematic with gear box failures and the quality of cut was abysmal. They may have improved later but I have no experience with anything built after the late 60's. |
Phil
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty."
Benjamin Franklin |
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Richard L.
USA
483 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2012 : 13:58:30
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Well, the Sears that I had were all the Roper built machines from about 1970 on back with 3 blade decks either 42 or 48". I have a feeling the ones you're talking about were the MTD counterparts and weren't considered a garden tractor. I had an ST12 and an ST16 both powered by Tecumsehs and then the SS16 with a 2 cylinder Onan. There were lots of different ones in my stable back in that time another being a (I'm thinking it was a) '69 or '70 SS12 with a hydro transmission. They were all tough little tractors. None were known as Craftsman until almost into the 80's If I remember right. I know some people now that have the ST16 and SS18 Onan powered ones that are something like '78 models and I think they went at least into the 80's with the Roper built stuff. I've even had one of the first lawn tractors they had that was obviously an MTD counterpart and that had a Sears name on it but shortly after they did switch to the Craftsman name. I've still got the 11 hp vertical Briggs engine from that tractor out in the garage. I just checked and that engine had a code date of '79 with it being a lowly designed MTD type thing with the Sears name on the tractor. I know that was one of their last before starting the Craftsman name so I'm thinking it was 1980 when that Craftsman name started on the tractors.
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skunkhome
USA
12827 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2012 : 14:27:58
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| I remember tat they had the 12" rear rims with 5 hole bolt pattern but only a three bolt hub. I think the ones with 2 blades were 38" decks. |
Phil
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither safety nor liberty."
Benjamin Franklin |
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Richard L.
USA
483 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2012 : 16:26:31
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| I remember they had some smaller ones back around 65 or so with the regular garden tractor tires and smaller decks but I'm telling ya those others in the 70's to 80's made by Roper were some good machines. |
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gomez15605
USA
91 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2012 : 17:12:10
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This is the Craftsman I have.This thing is a tank.20hp Onan,50" deck. Has a 42" blower and a 48" blade.Has a rear sleeve hitch and rear box blade.Its around the early eighties.It doesnt cut as nice as a Simplicity, but I only use it as a utility tractor.Im not sure who made it but it is heavy duty.I also have a ST10 but it is light duty.It was free and I have never used it but it has a brand new Tecumseh 10hp engine never ran.The Craftsman is a backup as I also have some Powermax's. Bill
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joe fess
USA
260 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2012 : 18:58:08
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I have had mine since new and I can't kick. The first has a 10 hp briggs. with a 4 speed cast iron transaxle, The second, my sons ,has a 6 speed cast iron transaxle with a twin 18 hp briggs.
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Edited by - joe fess on 02/18/2012 21:01:12 |
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19luna57
USA
192 Posts |
Posted - 03/17/2012 : 22:17:17
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| I just made trade on SEARS ST12 has 12HP Tecumseh,42 inch 3 blade deck. Going to bring home next Saturday,been setting in shed since mid 90's as best remembered, LOL Looks like well built little machine,but will proble prove me wrong,but cannot beat the price if I only use the wheels. |
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Sears deal
