From Craftsman to Cub Cadet

[Auae1985]

I had an earlier post regarding estimating runtime hours for a Craftsman LT2000, which I bought new in 2003. It has a 490cc 17HP Kohler engine and 6-speed transmission, and probably has 650-700 hours at least, but it has practically spent its entire cutting life on flat terrain, about 2/3 acre per cut. Last Fall we bought another house, that has a 50-50 split between flat and sloped terrain, about 1/2 acre cutting area. So, given its age and previous usage, I wasn't too sure the Craftsman would last very long, especially the transmission.

Last weekend I bought a used 2017 Cub Cadet XT1 42" with a 596cc 18 HP Kohler engine and hydrostatic transmission, that has around 440 hours. The seller was a retired guy who buys lawnmowers, cleans / reconditions them as needed, and then sells. He has excellent feedback in the area. According to the seller, the previous owner was cutting a 3 acre yard that was mostly flat, but had some sloped areas. The CC has been serviced and has new tires, belts, battery, oil and filters. He said he uses 15w40 synthetic in the mowers he sells.

I cut the "new" yard yesterday, and aside from getting used to the hydro transmission (for me), the CC mower did fine. I need to get my mowing pattern worked out, so I traverse the slopes correctly and efficiently. I'll see how the hydro transmission acts over the next few cuts, and plan on a fluid change if it starts acting up, based on some other internet threads I have read.

 

[B6_Dolphin]

I've had great experiences with Cub Cadet equipment. Back in the late '90s, my wife and I lived in Central CT, and we were on an acre lot that had a couple of oaks in the front, with a wooded area that ringed the entire back yard. Besides a walk-behind self-propelled mower, I owned a Cub Cadet walk-behind 9-hp vacuum/chipper/shredder (Model CSV260) that bagged the leaves, acorns, etc. Cub Cadet claimed a 10-to-1 reduction, and in the fall, it was used either daily or every other day. Thankfully, the town picked up the leaves at the curb, so I could just dump them from the bag. Four years later, with a job transfer to Michigan, and finding a house with two acres but no trees, I sold the Cub Cadet equipment to an appreciative neighbor, who would previously rake his leaves onto a tarp, and then pulled them to the curb.

 

[Egg_Head]

'scrub Cadet's with the Kohler Courage engines are ticking time bombs.

 

[supton]

'scrub Cadet's with the Kohler Courage engines are ticking time bombs.

What is bad about them? I had one given to me, with a bad HG. I did both in like 2 hours (or was it 3? don’t remember). Do they have other issues?

 

[4WD]

I just went from the Craftsman 2200 (gave to son) to a CubCadet LT42 … It has a Kohler 5400 series which IIRC was clean sheet circa 2017. Far nicer unit to mow with - love the vertical oil filter too … And a bit more oil capacity than the B&S …

 

[Kruse]

What is bad about them? I had one given to me, with a bad HG. I did both in like 2 hours (or was it 3? don’t remember). Do they have other issues?

The issue is that a lot of them throw a connecting rod through the side of the block. A few years ago, I purchased a Toro really cheap that needed a repower...thanks to it having a Kohler Courage engine.

 

[Egg_Head]

The issue is that a lot of them throw a connecting rod through the side of the block. A few years ago, I purchased a Toro really cheap that needed a repower...thanks to it having a Kohler Courage engine.

Eggzactly!

 

[jeepman3071]

What is bad about them? I had one given to me, with a bad HG. I did both in like 2 hours (or was it 3? don’t remember). Do they have other issues?

The V-Twins aren't as bad. The single cylinders are awful.

Here is a list of things I usually see on them:
-leaking valve cover gaskets (constant warping, only fix is to use gasket maker)
-top cover bolts back out and hit the flywheel, causing all sorts of issues
-blown head gaskets
-dropped valve seats
-plastic camshafts stripping
-valve seal and piston ring failure at under 200 hours causing excessive engine smoking
-blocks cracking

 

[supton]

Thanks, did not know that they were that bad. Good thing I have nearly nothing in this one, just shy of 300 hours now.

 

[tnt_motorsports]

Thanks, did not know that they were that bad. Good thing I have nearly nothing in this one, just shy of 300 hours now.

Like many things there are good and bad ones I guess. FWIW I have a 2002 JD LT150 with a 15HP single cylinder Kohler. I put a HG in it 2 years ago. It was weak when I bought it. Other than that I think it has been a solid motor.

I use 5w40 HDEO in the sump and an FL400 Motorcraft filter changed annually.

Just my $0.02

 

[AutoMechanic]

Glad to hear you found one you like. Personally I avoid Kohler. Briggs and Stratton and John Deere are the only ones I buy for mowers.

 

[jeepman3071]

Like many things there are good and bad ones I guess. FWIW I have a 2002 JD LT150 with a 15HP single cylinder Kohler. I put a HG in it 2 years ago. It was weak when I bought it. Other than that I think it has been a solid motor.

I use 5w40 HDEO in the sump and an FL400 Motorcraft filter changed annually.

Just my $0.02

Those came with the Kohler Command series engines which are a much better commercial grade engine.

 

[Skippy722]

Love my ZT2 50, but it’s got a Kawasaki, love that I can do 2 acres in about an hour!

 

[MCompact]

Love my ZT2 50, but it’s got a Kawasaki, love that I can do 2 acres in about an hour!

I have a16 year old Cub Cadet Enforcer 54 with a Kawasaki twin. It's still going strong.

 

[Eddie]

So much depends on the maintenances and brutality you subject the mower & Engine to.

 

[Auae1985]

OP here, Did a little work on the CC. I noticed that the throttle lever didn't have a lot of effect on the engine speed (primarily idle), although it appeared to installed correctly, so I went ahead and bought a new one with the part number as shown in the CC manual. Got it today, and yep, it made a big difference. A lot more range of throttle lever movement on the carb, and I could feel the detent for mowing speed. Apparently the other throttle was another CC one that had been "made to fit", but the geometry in the lever assembly was apparently wrong. Also remounted / straightened the steering wheel and removed a wheel knob that the previous owner must have used.

 

[Skol8480]

OP here, Did a little work on the CC. I noticed that the throttle lever didn't have a lot of effect on the engine speed (primarily idle), although it appeared to installed correctly, so I went ahead and bought a new one with the part number as shown in the CC manual. Got it today, and yep, it made a big difference. A lot more range of throttle lever movement on the carb, and I could feel the detent for mowing speed. Apparently the other throttle was another CC one that had been "made to fit", but the geometry in the lever assembly was apparently wrong. Also remounted / straightened the steering wheel and removed a wheel knob that the previous owner must have used.

I've got the exact same mower. I really wish the wheels could be upgraded to actual bearings instead of those plastic sleeves and cheapo grease zirks that strip out the first time you grease them.

 

[Skippy722]

I've got the exact same mower. I really wish the wheels could be upgraded to actual bearings instead of those plastic sleeves and cheapo grease zirks that strip out the first time you grease them.

McMaster Carr has a big selection of bearings. You just need to know the shaft size and the hole size on the wheel that the bushings press into. Tap the old bushings out, tap the new bearings in, you’re all set.

 

[Skol8480]

McMaster Carr has a big selection of bearings. You just need to know the shaft size and the hole size on the wheel that the bushings press into. Tap the old bushings out, tap the new bearings in, you’re all set.

I'll have to take a look. I ordered bearings a couple of summers ago. But, I ordered the wrong size and haven't revisited the idea since. If I could get bearings on the front end, I'd be a lot happier.

 

[ragtoplvr]

The issue is that a lot of them throw a connecting rod through the side of the block. A few years ago, I purchased a Toro really cheap that needed a repower...thanks to it having a Kohler Courage engine.

Per the owners manual the oil fiter must be prefilled. Small pump, takes many seconds to fill filter,no pressure lube to rods, boom. 400+ hours prefilling. Neighbor who thought that was stupid, did not get 200.