What's wrong with it?

As for returning it. If you still have your receipt, it should be cash back on delivery to store.

If you don't have the receipt, but bought by credit card, most stores (Don't know about Sears in particular) will just take the charge off the credit card.

Is this buyers remorse? Or do you think that it is a lemon? Have you called the service dept?

wrt returns: I returned their "heavy duty" plug aerator. Most of the tines broke/bent (on the first use) and they told me that they don't sell just the tines (??). Sooo it went back. After the paper work was done, I just drove up and they took care of it.

By the way, I returned it to a different store.
-gh

Here is the return policy from their website:

"A 15% restocking fee applies on Tires, select Home Appliances, Home Electronics, Home Improvement, Household Goods, Lawn & Garden, and Automotive products not returned in the original box, unused, and containing all original product packaging and accessories."

I take it you used it to have formed your opinion, therefore you may be looking at a return fee.

A 15% stocking fee will likely apply. If you complain enough, they may waive it.

Sounds like you got the newer version of my discontinued mower - an LT3000 I bought last year. It has a 20HP Briggs mated to a six-speed transaxle.

The one-banger is loud, yet it's great on gas. The mower runs and handles fine. The 42" deck cuts and bags well. I'm gonna start mulching this weekend.

After all the discounts, I paid just under a grand for mine. Attachments were another story :-p I'm curious as to what's wrong with yours. I knew I wan't getting top-of-the-line in a thousand-dollar lawn tractor. So I wasn't too disappointed to find things I didn't like.

Peace.

Marco

I'm not very literate with tractor parts lingo but I'll try to explain.

When the tractor was delivered everything looked fine. On first and only mow, I did notice a little unevenness to the mow job but chalked that up to 'its new/don't really know how to mow properly with it yet'.

2/3 into the 1 acre - the mower would not go forward but do drive in reverse. Well, after much thinking (maybe not enough) I decided to just mow the last 1/3 acre in reverse to get the job done (if nothing else I am persistent - my neighbors think I am insane now).
Once that was done and the mower cooled down enough, I took the opportunity to look under it to see what was going on. Turns out that one of the cotter pins was missing from right side of the front axle - so the steering bar on that side was hitting the ground in forward and stopping the mower. In reverse, it was dragged so it didn't hamper mowing in that direction.

It appears that the metal piece that went into the axle (held in by the pin) was just jiggling around until it finally popped out because there was no pin.

Honestly, I'm just really po'ed that this happened in the first place considering that I had to wait 41/2 weeks for delivery (they said 2 1/2) and although I think the crappy steering and jerky driving of the mower are most likely due to the pin missing - I don't want to take the chance that they Âfix it (bought the 3 yr warranty) and it still drive poorly.

Just an FYI - this replaced an older MTD that operated the same way and although my husband use to do all the mowing (he passed away last year), I can definitely operate one.

Maybe I just expected this one to be much better than the 14 yr. one it replaced but it just feels jerky. For simplicity sake, I probably should have gotten the hydrostatic one instead so yes, maybe just a bit of buyer's remorse but mostly I am disappointed in the tractor itself.

BTW - thank you all for your comments - I really do appreciate your taking the time to respond.

It is the following mower...
Craftsman 20 hp 42 in. Deck, LT 2000 Lawn Tractor
Sears item #07128707000 Mfr. model #28707

That return policy that was quoted from their web site applies to items purchased sears.com their web site, not to items bought in person at a retail store. The retail stored may be different.

If the tractor was delivered to you not in the original box then conditions like that could never be met. So it sounds like a self-serving policy by Sears and those do not hold up well if it comes to a real dispute.

I would also say: I am not satisfied, and I want my money back. With a safety issue like defective steering it is luck you were not seriously injured.

However it turns out, please let us know. It will be educational for all the other Craftsman owners here or possible owners to be.

If the pin hadn't fallen out would you be returning it?
I think every merchant should have 1 chance to make it right.
Maybe whatever you get to replace it will be worse?

I have noticed that when someone has started a "returning this piece of..." thread they have already made up there mind and there is little anyone can say to change it. Once it is in your head that you made a bad decision, it eats at you forever. That is why I don't even try to talk people out of returns anymore.

I found some reviews of my LT at the Sears site. The second one on this page is interesting...

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Lawn+Tractors&pid=07127681000&vertical=LAWN&subcat=Lawn+Tractor+Series&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

It says, in part...

"Two mishaps were a flat tire this Spring, and a "tie-bar", at least that is what I would think to call it, lost the cotter pin and came loose. That was a very easy fix, the flat called for a tube to be installed."

This is for the LT/LS 3000.

I think the big difference between my 3000 and the 2000 the O/P has is the front axle - cast iron and steel, respectively. Although it looks like the steering arm on either can lose a cotter pin.

Peace.

Marco

Don't know if I'd be so quick to return it. My Craftsman has been nearly perfect for 3 years. Right tractor, right task and right price. I wouldn't want to mow a acre with it, but for me it's just right. This is a minor problem, easily fixed and (if you've sized it right and take care of it) will last many years. Call Sears repair, let them fix it and check it over for any other problems.

If you are not satisfied take it back and don't let them talk you into a crappy repair by some moron in their shop. Get a refund or a hydro model you like. Sears has the "satisfaction guarranteed" policy and they should honor it. Keep your chin up. Don't let them con you into something you don't want. It's not your fault it fell apart, doesn't mow even, is jerky handling, and was 2 1/2 weeks late. If Sears can't let a customer test drive a mower then they should be prepared to accept returns. They are... they do take them back.... Go get a refund or a better model.

I had a LT2000 That gave a lousy cut until I got the nose roller AND got the deck aligned right.22 hp briggs and 42" deck .It finally cut like a dream. Mowed over 2 acres with it and the only reason I sold it was to get a bigger deck, I now have a JD445 with a 60 " deck but My Craftsman never let me down and I worked the S$it outta it.

Unless they jump fast through several hoops to make it right once notified, I'd retun it to. At that price point the quality is going to be the same. You just got one that wasn't inspected properly.

And wenchinson that is just sad.

Have we now reached the part of the thread where all the loyal Craftsman owners chime in about how solid and dependable their tractors are, and how nobody should ever return a Craftsman tractor for their money back?

Well, I say if she don't want it any more take it back. She paying for it and if she's not satified return it. if they ask why same it broke due to poor quality control and design. If it was A JD I would recommend the SAME.

What ever happened to the Sears statement "Satisfaction Guaranteed or your money back."? Does that no longer hold? What happened to the 30 day return policy?
Is it now "Satisfaction guaranteed or your money back (less a 15% restocking fee)"?

These restocking fees have become a profit center for retailers.

Seriously, I would give Sears at least one chance to fix this and get it right.

OHH,my, yes, send it back, ask for a refund, junmp up and down, holler and scream!! All for a missing cotter pin!
Disgusting! They should fire the guy who sold the machine to a woman! Women belong in the kitchen, not out there buying things they know nothing about!

I'm kind of curious on what the store told you about returning the tractor? - It doesn't make a lot of difference what people on this forum think about returning the tractor. It's your decision and what the store tells you their return policy is what counts. So what does the the store tell you about the return?

Sorry for the delay in responding.
The Sears manager gave me the choice of returning , repairing or replacing the mower. I choose to repair since I can't see getting a new one unless I give them a shot at fixing the old. He did say that the cutting issue was probably not related to the pin issue and that the deck would need to be looked at as well.
Repair guy was out yesterday and there was an issue with the deck/blades which caused the uneven cut. He also did something with the engine to reduce the jerkiness on shifting. They replaced the steering arm and all pins and it mows like a charm.
Thanks for all the reponses!

Thanks for the update. Glad things worked out for you.

If it still is not what you feel it should be.Just have your friend drop by with the trailer.Use the ramps to load it on the trailer.Best to back it on the trailer.Will make unloading faster and easier.Once you get it loaded.Place a concrete block on the seat.Take it to the Sears store.Backup to the store front.No need for ramps.Just start the Craftsman up.Push in the clutch the concrete block means no driver needed.Place shifter in highest forward gear.Sending the Craftsman back on its own power to where it belongs.While yelling I want to make a return and telling them where to stick it.

bhfreebh,
Isn't it interesting how people are ready to slam businesses before they talk to them to find out what the options are.