Do not buy a Craftsman unless you plan on replacement in 5 years. Buy a used John Deere from Craigslist. You should get a nice one for about 700 bucks. I have a John Deere which I bought in 2000 as brand new from Home depot. With 600 plus hours on it now, still running great. I take good care of it though. I think mine will last another 10 years.

I am retired, however, I spend a lot of time at the local repair shop - helping the newer technicians with troubling shooting problems. All of these have similar problems - many which are created by the owners. Most of these are purchased at the department stores and are about equal quality. The 200 series JD are higher quality than the JD offered by Lowes and Home depot. Older JD 100 series was better quality but most of that is now over 20 years old.

1. . Most problems are related to lack of maintenance. Owners state they take good care of their equipment, however, our inspections indicate otherwise. Equipment has been stored outside and is very dirty and usually corroded. Fuel tanks are full of old contaminated fuel. Engine oil levels are frequently low and air filters dirty. My opinion is the JD and the craftsman (ayp/Husqvarna) are about equal quality. I would probably buy a larger craftsman because I think it is easier to repair. The MTD brands are usually lighter duty.

2. John Deere - I see occasional problems with wires to the electric clutches snagging and breaking. Also the brace for the clutch breaks off. Front wheel bearings seem to wear quicker than the other brands. JD advertises an upgrade bearing kit for this. Spindles on the decks also seem to wear quicker than the others. Plastic throttle controls break more frequently than the controls on the other brands.

3. Craftsman made by ayp/Husqvarna - seem to have more electrical problems on ground connections. The packer wire terminals sometimes corrode and break - causing intermittent starting / electrical problems. Steel front wheel bearings wear on the axle shaft if they are not lubricated properly. Steering on the larger garden tractors is not aligned properly from the factory. Belts on these are usually easier to replace than the other brands.

4. Craftsman made by MTD - These are all lighter duty. The front axle is very light duty. Belts are more difficult to change than other brands. Decks are more difficult to remove and reinstall than the other brands.

5. Cub Cadet - this is made by MTD. I believe Market share is less than the other brands. I believe the cub is generally much better quality than the basic troybilt / bolens MTD models. Some models have experienced electrical problems. The old cub cadets were great quality, but about 30 years ago, they were acquired by MTD and redesigned for the consumer market. I believe large cub cadet tractors are owned by a different company.

Thanks for the info.