Beware of Husqvarna Garden Tractors, Part 4: Front Scoop "Capable"?

GT48DXLS

Tractorologist
Senior Member
Member
I got to thinking about what "capable" means, as it refers to a Garden Tractor, and this came to mind;

Though there are many implements being built for our Garden Tractors, I will look at the front scoop for today.

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The front scoop, verses a bucket loader is a unique ground engagement Garden Tractor implement that is designed for light loads and limited capabilities that keep the load below or at the chassis height. This allows the use of a Garden Tractor to move fill verses a wheel barrow and not go too far above the GT's center of gravity and negatively effect the equipment's design strength and capability.

A quick look at the bucket loader for comparison;

Bucket loaders are designed to go above the tractor chassis, requiring much more chassis engineering to handle the raising of the center of gravity over the chassis and potentially the tractor.

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Since this is about front scoops and Garden Tractors, to include Light Garden Tractors, lets take a look at whats available.

The Agri-Fab built for Craftsman front scoop, model #24847

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The Agri-Fab built for Husqvarna front scoop, model #588181401 (Agri-fab #05-04031 and succession)-(36") Bucket part #64962. I'm still including because there maybe some still out there for sale, but looks as if discontinued for Husqvarna now. Here it is;

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The Husqvarna branded Agri-Fab scoop started as a 42" wide bucket, with the same limitations, near as I have been able to find, as early as 2006. 2006 is also the first time I can find the GT/TS pan style chassis being used by Husqvarna.

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And it wasn't in a Garden Tractor, Husqvarna still used c-channel welded chassis in their Garden Tractor's then. Who knew husqvarna would keep adding holes and adding the lawn mower chassis in the top Garden Tractors within a couple years, it was a deluxe riding lawn mower (you won't find it on tractor data, but but you will on Husqvarna.com);

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The Johnny Bucket JR, from Johnny Products has the same limitations but uses electric muscle to operate. The other two use operator muscle to operate. The JBJR;

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This is how they compare;

Craftsman 36" front scoop:

1) 36" w x 14" L x 12" H - Volume= 1.7 cubic feet or 12.7 US Gallons.
A) If moving dirt at 80lbs per cubic foot= that's a total of 136lbs.....This scoop full is 64lbs under weight limit.
B) If moving sand or rock at 100lbs per cubic foot= that's a total of 170lbs.. and 30lbs under the 200lbs weight limit.

2) Maximum lift above ground- 7"

3) $599.99 MSRP- though frequently in the $400 range.

4) Requires or is recommended:
A) Wheel Weight
B) Tire Chains

5) Maximum allowable speed when attached- 3mph

6) Two mounting options, 1 for dual front mower drag links (the short support brackets), 1 for the single center mower suspension drag link (the long support brackets are to be used)

(Special note here, if you have a Husqvarna model TS with the chassis support plates, then the long support brackets will not fit without removing your chassis support plates. This will void the warranty for both the scoop and the tractor)

7) 1 year warranty on the scoop only, not use on your tractor.

8) 200lb maximum weight capacity.

Husqvarna 36" front scoop:

1) 36" w x 14" L x 12" H - Volume= 1.7 cubic feet or 12.7 US Gallons.
A) If moving dirt at 80lbs per cubic foot= that's a total of 136lbs.....This scoop full is 64lbs under weight limit.
B) If moving sand or rock at 100lbs per cubic foot= that's a total of 170lbs.. and 30lbs under the 200lbs weight limit.

2) Maximum lift above ground- 7"

3) $629.99 MSRP

4) Requires or is recommended:
A) Wheel Weight
B) Tire Chains

5) Maximum allowable speed when attached- unknown

6) Unknown mounting options- appears to be unavailable

7) 2 year warranty on the scoop only, not use on your tractor.

8) 200lb maximum weight capacity.

42" Husqvarna front scoop: Unavailable. sold 2006-2008?

Johnny Bucket JR:

1) 42" W X 14" L X 10" H- Volume= 2.5 cubic feet or 18.7 US gallons.
A) If moving dirt at 80lbs per cubic foot= that's a total of 200lbs..This scoop full is at its 200lbs weight limit.
B) If moving sand or rock at 100lbs per cubic foot= that's a total of 250lbs.. and 50lbs over the 200lbs weight limit.

2) Maximum lift above ground- 10"

3) $1,489.95 MSRP (including fast dump upgrade)

4) Requires or is recommended:
A) Wheel Weight
B) Tire chains

5) Maximum allowable speed when attached- not given.

6) Two mounting options, 1" up or !" down, to effect the 10" total lift.

7) 1Year warranty

8) 200lb maximum weight capacity.

Meet the biggest, baddest, most powerful, and most expensive Husqvarna to date:

The Husqvarna TS354D at $3,749.95 MSRP

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This Husqvarna TS354D at $3,749.95 msrp is still being considered a Garden Tractor, and yet is not "capable" of operating a JBJR with 200lb weight limit. Johnny Products says this about the Husqvarna TS/GT models;

"(GT48XLSi, GT52XLSi, GT54LS, GT52XLS, GTH52XLS any 2018 and up TS3xx series such as TS348 etc. and a few others are still compatible but have a weak tractor frame design that is not strong enough for use with the Johnny Bucket)"

The Chassis is too weak for a front garden tractor scoop with a 200lb weight capacity? WOW.

Let me show you what does not have a chassis too weak for the johnny bucket;

The cheapest, most affordable, riding lawn mower that Husqvarna currently builds, $1,599.95 MSRP

The YTH18542 (18.5hp, 42" mowing deck) has a strong enough chassis for a johnny bucket.

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The Craftsman LT1000, again the cheapest riding lawn tractor in Craftsman has a strong enough chassis for a Johnny Bucket.

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The Cub Cadet XT1 LT42, currently the cheapest Cub Cadet riding lawn mower built, $1,699.00 MSRP has a strong enough chassis for the johnny bucket.

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John Deere 100 series Riding lawn mower is currently the cheapest JD with a strong enough chassis for the Johnny Bucket at $1,599.00 MSRP.

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Husqvarna is misrepresenting their product when they make people believe their TS/ GT tractors are "capable" and yet there cheap grass cutters are the only one's in the brand that have strong enough chassis for a 200lb limit front garden tractor scoop.

The other grass cutters were to just drive the point home.

Beware of Husqvarna Garden Tractors (and TS354D, etc).

:tango_face_smile:
 
I don't know anyone else who get's as much entertainment out of a Husqvarna as you do. ;)
That may be true but he learned from experience and real life do's and don't's. Money wise these are probably one of the better GT's out there.. There will be probably thousands of people that will never have the problems he's had . I'm sure that's what Husqvarna is counting on . It will make others think as to what they intend to do the tractor.
 
Maybe those little LT frame would handle the scoop but the transaxles would lead a very short life if you used it in this manner frequently!

That is my biggest complaint on all these lower end garden/lawn tractors! They stuff a super light duty non-serviceable transaxle in there and they are good for a couple hundred hours then they start losing power and then die.
 
Maybe those little LT frame would handle the scoop but the transaxles would lead a very short life if you used it in this manner frequently!

That is my biggest complaint on all these lower end garden/lawn tractors! They stuff a super light duty non-serviceable transaxle in there and they are good for a couple hundred hours then they start losing power and then die.

So true.

Before I go on, I just want people to know, I do this to hopefully help someone, not entertainment.:):)

I want Husqvarna to be honest about their tractor chassis, fix it (they could go with the grass cutting chassis that is strong enough), and a public apology wouldn't hurt either.

I hope the message doesn't get lost in the transaxles though, for this particular post. The Husqvarna chassis has been a challenge to demonstrate how incompetent it is as a Garden Tractor. I too was praising it's capabilities for 62hrs of use, and didn't listen. The 63rd hour of operation was the beginning of my education. If I had taken the mower deck off before use that day, I might still not understand the design weakness in the Husqvarna Garden Tractor Chassis/ Frame. I wish I knew who on this post told me I may have the newest restored tractor, so true.

I would think that problems or not when discussing if an advertised or represented product is "capable" of it's manufactured representations, such as the Husqvarna GT, now TS, people putting down $3700. might be interested in how weak the chassis actually is, when compared to the cheapest grass cutter chassis available in the same line. It should cause someone to consider the irony that all, and again "All" the grass cutters that are not advertised as GT's on the Johnny Bucket sight (excluding of course Husqvarna GT/TS and all Murrays) are evaluated as having a strong enough chassis for a 200lb max limit front scoop with better support for the chassis than the Agri-Fab 200lb max limit scoop.

Think of it, if someone were to buy the cheapest grass cutter models of Husqvarna, Cub Cadet,at $1500 full retail, and not use it yet, but sell the K46 as unused for what? $500, $400, or even $300. Buy a new K66 for $1700 at full retail with the assurance of Tuff Torq at a bare minimum warranting their transaxle instead of Husqvarna. They would have done what Husqvarna was unwilling or incapable of doing, and have a "capable" GT for the same price (i'm including wheels too). That would be an interesting post.

If it is a GT than it should have a chassis stronger than a Riding Lawn Mower, but Husqvarna believes the grass cutter should be stronger.

Very puzzling!
 
"If it is a GT than it should have a chassis stronger than a Riding Lawn Mower, but Husqvarna believes the grass cutter should be stronger."

I believe they're just playing the odds.
The smaller riders really don't have enough weight and traction to self-distuct so may be a little safer to use with "their" attachments .
Their mindset may be..
Who buys a FULL size 1/2 - 3/4 ton pick-up today and actually uses it to make it work... Let s build a 25hp garden tractor and "put er out there"....
 
Who buys a FULL size 1/2 - 3/4 ton pick-up today and actually uses it to make it work... Let s build a 25hp garden tractor and "put er out there"....

Ain't that the truth. Grocery getter 3/4 tons!

I've never quite understood why these little lawn tractors have 25hp motors!

When I was a kid the little lawn tractors had 8hp motors. Dad bought the 128 in the early 90s and it was obviously 12hp. Even the john deere 110 was an 8hp and it would chew up grass just fine.
 
I was told by a small engine guy, that some of the reason for the big hp is for emissions. The large hp engine don't have to work as hard for normal grass cutting, so emissions are better, throttle does not open as far as low hp engines under some load.
And for a while, some manufactures just wanted a bigger engine than the other guy, just to sell more, Thats my opinion.

Noel
 
It's the same with cars. Back in my high school days in the mid 80's, if you had 300-400 hp on the street you had a powerful vehicle. Now you have factory 4 cyls with 250, 6 cups with 300-350, and muscle car V8's with 500 plus. Our older 200 Hp v8''s could still run and smoke the tires, its same as the low hp small engines versus today's "high" hp ones.
 
"If it is a GT than it should have a chassis stronger than a Riding Lawn Mower, but Husqvarna believes the grass cutter should be stronger."

I believe they're just playing the odds.
The smaller riders really don't have enough weight and traction to self-distuct so may be a little safer to use with "their" attachments .
Their mindset may be..
Who buys a FULL size 1/2 - 3/4 ton pick-up today and actually uses it to make it work... Let s build a 25hp garden tractor and "put er out there"....

Yeah, I don't disagree, and on that 25HP GT, yeah, get-er-done, there is a market for it, and be honest with it's capabilities, right?

The chassis on these LT's that I chose are actually structurally stronger than the 12ga open pan style , 26lbs Husqvarna GT chassis. The comparison was not to suggest they are a full package but to demonstrate the absurdity of Husqvarna's GT/ TS representations.
 
Forgive me! I have long sensed your frustration with your tractor. I can certainly understand. My 'entertainment' remark was only meant to be a gentle poke in the ribs.

No worries, I figured, but I didn't want anyone getting the wrong idea. I thought it was funny, but this is where the forum fails, face to face is difficult to communicate in words, or something like that :):)

The tractor has been great after the rebuild, by pro's. Husqvarna not so much.
 
Ain't that the truth. Grocery getter 3/4 tons!

I've never quite understood why these little lawn tractors have 25hp motors!

When I was a kid the little lawn tractors had 8hp motors. Dad bought the 128 in the early 90s and it was obviously 12hp. Even the john deere 110 was an 8hp and it would chew up grass just fine.

I doubt there's actually anywhere near 25hp actually getting to the transaxle through a 1/2" belt, right?
 
Ain't that the truth. Grocery getter 3/4 tons!

I've never quite understood why these little lawn tractors have 25hp motors!

When I was a kid the little lawn tractors had 8hp motors. Dad bought the 128 in the early 90s and it was obviously 12hp. Even the john deere 110 was an 8hp and it would chew up grass just fine.
Speed and mulching. People seen commercial lawn mowers mowing a yard like a raped ape and they want that too. They think a bigger engine=more speed= more time to do other things.
 
I'd like to know if these disposable hydros they are installing are really rated to handle 25hp and for how long. After picking one of them up I'd be afraid to drive one with 8hp for anything more than light duty.

Light Duty on the transaxle would be a proper representation. Even Tuff Torq would agree. It appears that Heavy Duty gives the ability to control heat beyond just air cooling, such as remote oil cooler.
 
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