Crapsman 42 inch mower HST?

Geo-TH,In · May 21, 2017

The past two days I helped two people get their 42 inch crapsmans engines running only to find out the HST trans axles wouldn't work. Both, The drive belts were both moving. One the rear end, the wheels were locked up. I told them the rear end is above my pay grade. Don't think they are serviceable. They need to find profession help.

They both said, I don't understand, it worked the last time I used it. And I said, I bet they ran the last time you used it too.

So, what are the odds two dead engines and two dead rear ends in two days?
geo

Pair-a-dice farm · May 21, 2017

Are the rear ends locked up or just not turning? There is a disconnect rod on the back of the mower that allows the mower to be moved if the engine isn't running. If it's disengaged the mower will not move under it's own power.

wilson ind · May 21, 2017

Took one in trade for engine work/ bought rear end for 40.00 jb salvage bloomington. Tell your customers have good same size and brand fro 250.00

Dick L · May 21, 2017

My Craftsman LT1000 hydrostatic quit pulling itself last winter. I bought a used one on ebay and was back in business for about a day. They the engine wouldn't run and found the coil was bad. Now I am back in order. I use it every morning and evening to pull the trailer with water and feed for the horses.
As stated below there is a rod above the hitch that when pulled out it disengages the transmission. After I put the used transmission in and started it up it wouldn't move. I said, screwed on ebay again. I thought maybe they shipped without oil in the transmission. I removed the plug and it was full of oil. I started to push the mower out of the garage and reached down to pull the rod out and found it already out. Pushed it back in and it worked as it should. Part of getting old I guess.

Bob Harvey · May 21, 2017

Geo., the odds are ENORMOUS !! I've got a 42" Craftsman lawn mower /tractor, It is just about at the end of the line. only had it for a (4yrs) short time. That thing has got 58.7 hours on it, don't know what to do .

Geo-TH,In · May 21, 2017

Bill,
What do you mean customers? These people are friends, free bee job. I have no plans to take the tranny out. Above my pay grade, FREE.
geo

Geo-TH,In · May 21, 2017

Yes, one of the mowers, the disconnect rod in the out position rolls freely.
Not so on the other one, nothing helps. It's totally locked up.

I have no plans to remove the tranny that has no serviceable parts. Good chance
these mowers will never be repaired. They are old and really not worth putting
money into. Good engines, one a kohler the other a twin briggs.

Hobo,NC · May 21, 2017

The HST pump is about as simple as it gets the odds of repairing one are not in your favor. I doubt its the pump but there is nuttin to disassembling one if you fell the need to look at it... Those diff's are garbage and what kills most of them HST are not...

pat sublett · May 21, 2017

Typical Riding lawnmower type junk sells for the same price that I sold them for 20years ago. If the price hasn't changed, guess what has. The quality is controlled by MTD and Briggs and Stratton. If you expect to live long, invest one time in a heavy tractor type mower. I have a Kubota B1750 60 inch deck that I bought new in 1989. All I have done is replace the deck belt once because something flew up and cut it and I replaced the engine alternator belt because it looked a little frazzled. My neighbor has had 10 standard riding mowers in that time and I have more mowing to do than he does. The big difference is time and frustration, not money

Gchase24 · May 21, 2017

Check both rear wheels for a missing key. Neighbor lady ask me to look at her mower (Sears HST } .Left rear keyed axle was spinning in the wheel hub.

Texasmark1 · May 22, 2017

I have a little L110 JD I use for my Gator after retiring from mowing. I abused it about 10 years ago and the Tough Torque quit. Decided to dive into it and what I tore up was obvious, TT sent me the repair parts and a free "gimmie cap".

Last year or so I put a new BS V twin on it to replace the 17.5 Kohler single and while doing that I replaced the belts and popped the top on the TT. Everything looked good, changed the oil while I was there, closed her up and been running ever since. For the record, TT is increasing the viscosity of their recommended oil and using full syn. so I followed suit.

So George, it may not be all that bad if you have nothing else to do at the time. From your posts, seems you are adequately competent at most everything else!

Geo-TH,In · May 22, 2017

Tex,
The older mower has a 17.5 kohler other has a 19 V twin briggs. Both engines are solid motor. I have a lot of terramite work to do, mowing my lawns, keeping 8 rentals and 2 homes going, I really don't feel like I want to remove the rear end from a mower. Done that before and not looking forward to doing it now. Perhaps in the winter. I have another neighbor who keeps me busy repairing his 31 year old Honda ATV.

I've been retired 13 years and I never run out of things to do. People are always wanting me to fix something. And the boss keeps me busy with her gravel pit project.
geo

Dean · May 22, 2017

Bingo, Pat.

I bought my B1750 new in 1994.

In the 23 years since, it has needed NOTHING aside from regular lube, oil and filter services. NOTHING.

Dean

2510Paul · May 22, 2017

Who or what is TT? Thanks. Paul

Dick L · May 22, 2017

When I changed the transmission from the 18 year old Craftsman LT1000 I picked the rear up with my engine lift, Lifted it up to where I could work on it setting on a stool, Placed a floor jack under the transmission, removed the wheels, removed the drive belt, unhooked the shifter, removed the one bolt at the front of the transmission, removed the two bolts on each side holding the axle housing to the mower and lowered the jack some. I then pulled the rod the disengages the transmission and dropped the transmission all the way down. All most all was done setting on a shop stool. The good one went back easy also. It sure went much better than I envisioned.

guido · May 22, 2017

Hello Geo-TH,In,

Here is my Crapsman as you call it. Built in 2003 and still doing its job. I do give it a lot of TLC,

Guido.

Geo-TH,In · May 22, 2017

Guido,
Is yours an HST?
I have a craftsman that was made decades ago. It has a standard gear box, not an HST or one with a differential that has a forward and reverse and uses two belts and a compound pulley, one increases in size while the other decreases,

I use it with bar tires and it a pulling tractor. Use it with a 3 ft ATV disk.

My daughter has a 12 year old JD mower, it too has a gear box in trans axle.

I have a JD 275 with HST and a 15 year old husquvarna with HST. Never an issue.

Google how many people have problems with the throw away HST's of your craftsman. They appear to be a throw away expensive to replace, crapsman IMO. Didn't you work on a differential recently. Was that an HST?

I know I'll never buy another HST that can't be serviced. My old JD I can change the oil and filter on the HST.
geo

Fleeter · May 22, 2017

TT = TuffTork.
Many of the Sears, Husqvarna etc. mowers were made by AYP (American Yard Products)and used the TuffTork K46, K57, K66 transaxles which are considered to be light duty (not ground engaging).
There are several forums for rebuilding these units and service parts are available online. The model number of the transmission is on a Bar Code sticker on the axle. housing.
TT recommends changing the oil every 50 hrs to prolong transmission life. They also recommend synthetic 5W50 oil.
There are plastic plugs on top of the transmissions that can be removed and most of the oil siphoned out with a small dia hose and replaced usually < 2 quarts.

Texasmark1 · May 22, 2017

I retired on January 1, 2005, 8:01 AM. 36 years with the company. We're close on that. One does need a worthwhile winter project. Agree that a transaxle would be of the liking. I have a neighbor that raises goats and I supplied her off and on for many years. She had a 4x2 Trail Wagon with a 13 hp Honda that I worked over for her this winter. My first experience with one of those. I don't have any rent houses as I hate to fix things broken at my residence and don't like dealing with people in home occupation. Plumbing or house leveling are my most frequent problems and I'd take a beating before doing a plumbing job and I have crawled under my house for the last time.

Good mechanicing.

Mark

D beatty · May 22, 2017

Not a big fan of lawn tractor. They don;t hold up like the bigger garden tractors. My Craftsman garden ( 20 years old) has a hydro-gear in it with no problem. If you take care of a Craftsman you will get a lot of service out of it. I sold Dads SSt16 at 38 years old and it was still in good shape when I old it.

Alan K · May 22, 2017

On the one the wheels are locked up it might be the brake assembly is stuck. You can try and loosen the lock nut to see if it makes a difference. That was the case on the White mower I have in the shop. The drive belt was shredded and the previous owner said the transmission just up and quit. It was locked up. The wheels would turn (one forward the other backwards). Im guessing it was the belt. After I get the brake loosened up it turned as it is supposed to. Transmission full of oil, I replace the belt and it seems to work forward and back. One other one I bought once, the transmission was just out of oil. That one had a rubber plug just under the fan. Filled it with 20w-50 oil and it works well. If the oil has leaked out of one of them you mentioned that might be the problem.

guido · May 23, 2017

Hello Geo,

Mine is 6speeds manual, working good for me,

Guido.

Crapsman 42 inch mower HST?

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Similar threads