Sure wish I had found this Forum a month sooner.

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Car53whereru

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New here but already finding a wealth of info here. A little background if I may. I have a lakefront summer home here in Virginia and cut approximately one and a half acres of mostly level ground. I cut about every other week but in the early spring the grass can get very tall before the first cutting. I have worn out three Sears "garden tractors" in the last 40 years but they have given me good service. The last one I bought was a GT5000 (Husqvarna in disguise) in 2004. It is B&S powered with a 50" deck. This year I rebuilt the deck but it is still tired. I need tires all around and the 3 speed hi-low gearbox is (has been since almost new) stuck in hi range. I decided that it was time to invest in a new "tractor". My first surprise was the fact that everything now has the Hydrostatic transmission. I didn't want to go this way because of my experience with my JD L120 which is on its second transmission cutting my flat 1/2 acre lawn. After a long search I bit the bullet and bought a Husqvarna TS354XD powered by a 24HP Kawasaki. I also purchased a sleeve hitch for the rear and a 36" scoop blade (Husqvarna brand) made by Agra-Fab for the front. I realize it is not a front end loader and has limited capacity.

This is where the fun begins. It cuts grass great, except that it gets stuck if you venture in to any soft wet grass or mud. In its first 9.8 hours I have gotten it stuck 6 times even with the locking rear engaged and had to get out the old GT5000 for a tow. Moving a small pile of mulch with the scoop blade has caused both of the front attaching brackets to bend. A look on the Agra-Fab site shows those parts are no longer available. Apparently this is no longer made.

So since being here I have found that Husqvarna may be on thin ice, that my concerns about the Hydrostatic transmission may well have been correct and that this is a "garden tractor" in name only. That said, I guess I will be spending lots of time here looking to rebuild that 17 year old Craftsman. I'm sure to need it to pull my $4800 "lawn ornament" around.

Thank You all in advance for your help.
 
Welcome here. Yes it appears that Husky is a dead horse and it's too bad that "truth in advertising" doesn't seem to mean anything anymore. Sears has gone the way of the Dodo bird also so who knows how long parts will be available for them. A year and a half ago I purchased a new Ferris zero turn and now Briggs & Stratton is discontinuing their yard and garden equipment so I understand where your coming from. I feel your discouragement.
 
Thanks for your comments.. Fortunately so far I have been able to find most parts for the old Craftsman though they all come from across the pond. I'm certainly going to need tires soon (2004) and while the front don't seem to be a problem I haven't been able to find the rears. I'm going to replace the "Turf" tread rears on the Husky with a more aggressive tire since chains are not an option without removing the deck. I've added rear work lights and taillights for night time use while cutting the road and disconnected that dreaded seat switch so that every time I move or bounce over a bump the engine doesn't cut off and if need be I will have a machine shop make me some new mounting plates out of a heaver steel that will not bend as easily. I hope what I have read about the frame is wrong but I guess I can reinforce the frame rails too. I'm also going to keep an eye open for another GT5000 if for no other reason than for parts. I had a zero turn maybe 12 to 15 years ago, a Dixie Chopper. I couldn't drive it 6" in a straight line though my son and grandson could fly on it. Wasn't that good of rough lawns. Had a Kohler 2 cly that dropped a valve so after I rebuilt it I found someone that wanted it more than I did. As far as B&S goes I just needed a new carb for my generator. My Briggs dealer quoted me just under $300. and would have to order it. As much as I hated to do it amazon $69 next day and it was identical. I hate buying overseas but they are forcing us to have to do that. So anyway best of luck with your Ferris. I hope you get long and good service from it.
 
Have you tried pulling a mower some are called finish mowers or trail mowers. These are a lot less stress on what your driving. I too cut about three acres every other week and another acre near the house once or twice a week. I use the GT on the acre near the house and a 60” Swisher Trail mower for the rest.

There was a period on the Swisher mowers where I think Briggs engines didn’t hold up. You can find these cheap and just repower. Mine was repowered with a Kawasaki 12hp. This thing is like pulling a weapon. Anything you drive it over it will cut it.

You can beef up the critical areas on your tractor where the factory left off to better suit your needs. It’s sad no matter what we buy any more regardless of brand the quality just isn’t there anymore. Keep us tuned in on what you do.
 
Car53whereru said:
a Dixie Chopper. I couldn't drive it 6" in a straight line
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Funny you mention this as I tried a Simplicity before the Ferris and couldn't keep it going in a straight line for anything. The Ferris I can drive with one hand and they are both made by the same company.
You finding another GT5000 is an excellent idea and I don't think you'll regret it. Nice to have your own parts dept.
 
Cvans said:
Funny you mention this as I tried a Simplicity before the Ferris and couldn't keep it going in a straight line for anything. The Ferris I can drive with one hand and they are both made by the same company.
You finding another GT5000 is an excellent idea and I don't think you'll regret it. Nice to have your own parts dept.
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I have found a year newer GT5000 on the local Marketplace. Just haven't been able to catch up with the seller yet. From the looks of it I might save it and use mine for parts.
Toomanytoys84 said:
Did you read the thread here about the member who bent his frame using the front scoop? He has a huge write up on those tractors.
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Yes I did
 
Well I did get some good news today. Spoke with a very nice lady at Agri-Fab Customer Service today. The two brackets that I need are still available and are on the way to me and were very reasonable. My plan is to make a pattern and have a machine shop make a new set out of heavier gauge metal or after straightening what I have weld the two together with some cross bracing. I don't want to get too aggressive where I might damage the frame but think they are just asking too much of those thin pieces of metal.
 
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