Craftsman Zero Turn Mower Test Drive – Revolution Model 28933 Updated Review June 1, 2009
I had the opportunity to test drive the Craftsman Revolution Model 28933 on April 7th. The same day the Consumer Reports Mowers & Riders article hit the news stands. I was able to test drive the unit before my judgement was influenced by their report.
In general this riding lawn mower is exactly what I expect. A zero-turn mower that doubles as a simple, easy to use lawn tractor. The control layout is a little different than the new style Craftsman and you will find it is well laid out and intuitive. It has plenty of power for the size of the deck and will mow better than the old Craftsman you are replacing .
Craftsman Revolution
Specs:
You can read about the specs in my original review here (Revolution) or read the specs on Sears.com here. (Craftsman Zero Turn Tractor – Revolution)
Pros:
Very smooth drive system. It is quick but not jerky. Most zero-turn mowers today have shock absorbers (dampeners) built into the drive linkage so you don’t move the steering levers too fast and cause the mower to jerk around. Some of the early zero-turns like the Gravely 100 that did not have dampeners were like riding a bucking horse. They were so jerky it was almost impossible to mow in a straight line. The Revolution is not like this at all. Because the innovative way the transmissions are designed the Yard Tractor is smooth and responsive at all speeds. When you press the foot control the lawn tractor moves very smoothly. I found the drive system very easy to use.
Very responsive drive system. Because the way the Infinitrak transmissions are designed FULL power is available to the rear wheels when starting. It doesn’t “slip” like a hydrostatic transmission. If you have ever parked your hydrostatic tractor or zero-turn on a hill and then went to move it farther up the hill you will understand what I mean. To illustrate this point I backed the Revolution up a 40 degree blacktop incline. As I transitioned from the flat parking lot to the hill I did not have to push farther down on the foot control to move up hill like I would have to with a hydro. I stopped the on the hill. Then I went to move it further up the hill. The transmission started immediately and proceeded to backup the hill without any slippage like a normal hydro would have. With a normal hydrostatic transmission on a steep hill like this you would have to move the foot control a lot farther than you normally would to overcome the hydraulic “slip” in the trans. Because of the way the Infinitrak is designed there is no slip.
It’s Actually a Zero Turn Mower. Consumer Reports reviewed the Revolution as a lawn tractor but in reality it is also a zero-turn-radius mower. The Infinitrak transmission and the unique steering allow this Craftsman lawn mower to turn inside it’s own length just like the zero-turn mowers other manufactures are advertising. But, it looks and drives like a lawn tractor. It has a steering wheel just like a conventional tractor. You can pull attachments just like your old Craftsman Yard Tractor. In fact you don’t realize it is a zero-tun mower until you turn the steering wheel all the way.
When you turn the steering wheel it acts like a regular lawn tractor for most of the turn. If you are doing normal yard work it acts just like a conventional tight turning radius tractor. But when you turn the steering wheel farther the inside rear wheel stops and then goes in reverse! This coupled with the unique steering allows the Revolution to “zero-turn” meaning it will turn inside it’s own length.
It is safer than a Zero-Turn Mower. Another unique feature of this mower is that it automatically slows down in the turns. What? Yes, when you are mowing and get ready to turn around just turn the wheel all the way. The mower slows down and zero-turns. Straighten the steering wheel out again and the Revolution returns to the speed you had set before the turn.
It is also safer on slopes and hills than a residential zero-turn mower (ZTR). With a residential zero-turn only the rear wheels control the steering and provide traction on slopes. With the Revolution the front wheels also provide traction and control. It will stay put on the slope just like your conventional lawn tractor. In addition the Craftsman Revolution has very wide stance. The front and rear wheels are as wide as the 42 inch deck which gives it the best possible stability for the size of the tractor.
You can duck under tree branches. The way you sit on most of the zero-turns confines you. By having to keep both hands on the steering levers it is sometimes difficult to mow under trees because you really can’t duck and get out of the way. With the Revolution you can steer with one hand and use your other to hold the limbs out of your way. It is much easier to move in the seat to miss low hanging branches.
Feels a lot more stable on slopes. Like a conventional lawn tractor you can shift your weight on the seat and feel more comfortable mowing on slopes than you can with the current residential zero-turns from the other manufactures.
Can drive it with one hand. A steering wheel instead of steering levers it is much easier to drive for long periods. Even the Country Clipper with it’s single joystick restricts your movements more than the Revolution which uses a steering wheel instead of control levers. You can scratch your nose without stopping the mower. (I know …….. with some of the twin-lever zero-turns the handles are close enough together that you can drive it in a straight line for a short period of time with one hand)
I like the Revolution better than the AWS (all-wheel-steer) tractors like the John Deere X304 and the Snapper LT 130. In my opinion the AWS units take some practice getting used to and have a lot of extra parts in the steerable rear end to wear out over time.
Cons:
A rattle on the test unit. Update 6/01/09. Quite a few Revolution owners wrote me and stated that their units did not have the rattle I observed in the demo model I drove. The rattle apparently was unique to that mower and is not a common issue so I am dropping this paragraph about the rattle from my review
Strange High Pitched Noise. All mowers have their own unique sound and the Revolution is no exception. I am listing this here as a con so you are aware that this mower sounds different than the mower you are retiring. The sound of the Infinitrak Transmission is unique to the Revolution and is different and normal for this zero-turn mower. In my opinion most if not all of the negative reviews I have read about the noise are because the test operator was not aware of the sound the Revolution should make. This seems to be a training issue and not an issue with the mower itself.
To take this a little further: If you have only driven a mower with a manual transmission a hydrostatic transmission will sound strange to you. Many of the hydros whine and make weird noises especially under load. It doesn’t matter if you are driving a $1200 dollar Craftsman Hydro, a $6000 dollar Great Dane or a $35,000 KutKwik the hydrostatic transmissions all make unique sounds and it will take some time to get used to them. The sound even varies from one unit of the same model to the next. For example, I owned 3 Jacobson TurfCats. On two of those units the transmissions were very noisy and the whine could be heard over the engine and deck running. The other one was very quiet and hardly made any sound at all.
The normal noise of the transmission on my 3303 Dixon mower sounds like you are sharpening a chisel with a bench grinder. To someone who has never heard a cone-drive Dixon like the one I own it sounds like the unit is grinding itself apart. But the sound is normal and there are thousands of Dixons still running that are 25 years or older.
So you have to test drive the Revolution and make the determination if the mower and it’s unique sounds are right for you. Don’t take the word of anyone else (including me)
Neutral Creep. YOU SHOULD NEVER GET OFF A ZERO TURN MOWER OR ANY TRACTOR EQUIPED WITH A HYDROSTATIC TRANSMISSION WITHOUT SETTING THE PARKING BRAKE!!! All commercial mower operators know this and it doesn’t matter if the engine is running or not. The Revolution is no exception. You must set the parking brake on the tractor before you get off the machine or it will creep.
The controversy here is: The Revolution operators manual specifically states: “NOTE:Your Revolution tractor is equipped with an innovative drive system. It is normal for some forward movement of the tractor to occur when the brake is released.” As with any infinitely variable transmission there will be some “neutral creep” when you release the parking brake with the engine running. Someone made a video and a couple of reviews are published on the Internet where the person moves the throttle on the mower to it’s highest position and then releases the parking brake. They claim resulting “jerk” is unsafe but in reality the jerk is normal for variable speed transmission. In reality it is just like “popping the clutch” on a manual trans; the unit will jerk. The video and the reviews should be listed under the category “stupid people tricks” and should be taken for what they are: People blatantly disregarding the safety rules and normal operating instructions for a mechanical device.
To take this a little further: In general infinitely variable transmissions are designed to seamlessly go from full forward to neutral and then to full reverse. The position of the foot control or hand control determines the neutral point and the transmission does not “disengage” like it does on a manual transmission. Because of this the neutral is more of an “adjustment” in the control linkage than a specific mode of the transmission operation. All of the infinitely variable transmissions that I know of do not use a “hard” neutral where the transmission completely disengages like it does with a manual transmission. Some manufactures put an indent in the control linkage to tell you where the neutral should be (My Ransomes 5000 has a mechanical indent in the control linkage) Most neutrals on infinitely variable transmissions have to be adjusted from time to time. (Hydros, zero-turns, etc.)
Parking Brake Lever. The parking brake button (lock) operates in reverse from all of the other Craftsman riding mowers. On the Revolution to set the parking brake you push the brake pedal with your foot and then push DOWN on the locking lever. I know this may sound like nit-picking but I watched more than 2 dozen test drivers try to pull it up. If you are used to a Craftsman riding mower, it will take a little while to get used to this change on this one machine.
Summary:
The Craftsman Revolution is like Twitter, you will either get it or you won’t. This is a good Lawn Tractor. You will be very pleased at the way it mows, handles, and pulls your yard cart, fertilizer spreader and other attachments. BUT it is also the best zero-turn mower under $3000. Unfortunately Consumer Reports did not rate it as a zero-turn. They only rated it as a lawn tractor. I feel they should have rated it in both categories. They rated it as number two for lawn tractors and in my opinion it can easily rate number two or three against the other zero-turns they rated. For residential use you will not find another mower that will turn as well yet perform all the yard duties of a conventional lawn tractor. If you have a lot of landscaping and trees to mow around you will like this machine.
You can order your mower through Sears here:
You can read more about this Lawn Tractor and order it online using this link Craftsman Zero Turn Tractor – Revolution.
After you order it online you can pick it up at your nearest Sears store and not get charged for shipping. You can get the mower delivered to your home from the store for a normal charge. Sears has a 30 day price guarantee so you can buy it, watch the sale ads and come back into your local Sears and get the difference refunded to you if it goes on sale for less than you paid.
NOTE: If you have the mower delivered it will have the deck attached. New for 2009, if you have gas available, the delivery guys will also start the mower and show you how to use it.
After you use your new mower for a while, come back and tell us how well you like your Craftsman Revolution!
You can read about the specs in my original review here (Revolution) or read the specs on Sears.com here. (Craftsman Zero Turn Tractor – Revolution)
Related posts:
- 2009 Craftsman Revolution Model 28933 – Zero Turn Tractor Review
- 2010 Craftsman Zero Turn 42 inch 22 hp Model 28933 Review
- 2009 Craftsman Excellerator GT 5000 26 HP/54″ Garden Tractor Model 28947 Review
- 2009 Craftsman Professional 36 inch Zero Turn Mower PZT 9000 Model 28977 Review
- 2009 Craftsman Revolution Update:
Tags: craftsman garden tractor, Craftsman lawn mower, Craftsman Lawn Tractor, Craftsman Revolution, Craftsman Revolution Model 28933 - Zero Turn Tractor Review, craftsman yard tractor, craftsman zero turn mower, Lawn Tractors, MTD Infinitrak, riding mowers, ToroTrak
Paul, your comments have been very helpful to a “not too mechanically inclined guy ” as I go about replacing my old Snapper. I live in N.C. I have about 15,000 sq. ft. of grass with several hard wood trees ,as well as a few natural area to navigate. I bag and also mulch; also find bagger necessary during leaf season. I have narrowed my brands to Craftsman or John Deer based on Consumer Reports and was almost set on a Craftsman YT 4000 #28927 until I saw a Revolution at a Sears Outlet store. My concerns are noise and the apparent lack of consistency in Quality Control. Do you think these will these be solved by summer ? Any advise will be greatly appreciated
@Chet,
I don’t know what Sears has planned for the Revolution. At this point it looks like they will drop it from the 2010 line-up. It is too high priced and too technically advanced for their normal buyers. The noise is not the problem with the machine. The fact that the transmission sounds differently than any other tractor out there is the problem.
I like the 28927. It is a good mower for the price. If you want a little bigger deck look at the 28928. These two mowers will be basically the same for 2010. Both mowers offer a wide range of attachments, the Revolution only offers a bagger and mulching kit. (You may not be able to find a bagger if they drop the mower for 2010)
I cann’t thank you enough !!!!!!!! May never need another mower but have recommended your site to my kids and all of my friends.
Hi Paul,
I have the new Craftsman Revolution riding lawn mower, and after some intitial problems with the first one I received, mostly having to do with quality control inspections on the assembly, Sears came and picked it up and replaced it with another new one. I have exactly 13.5 hours on it now, and I enjoy using the machine. This one is quieter than the first one, and I don’t notice any whine to it, or I’ve become accustomed to it; I’m not sure. It rides ver well, leaves a nice cut, and really mulches the grass nicely, leaving no windrows. It turns around in it’s own space, which I need for my small 100 foot city lot. The paint job and finish is equal to a clearcoat job on todays cars; kudos to MTD on that! The seat is very comfortable, and I like the flipup arms. My mower does move forward an inch or two at startup when I release the brake, but I expect it. It is not a “lunge” forward, and it certainly doesn’t frighten me, however.
I am currently considering buying the 2 bin bagger kit #24919 for it, and was curious as to how easy is that to attach and remove from the mower. I had a John Deere mower that was complicated as heck doing that. I hope this one is easier. I have looked for reviews on that item online, but have found none.
I enjoyed reading your responses on the mower, and I agree with what you have written. Thanks for efforts on such a new machine.
@Gene,
Thanks, The Revolution is a great machine and eventually the general Craftsman buyer will realize that. I still want Craftsman to make a stand-on mower.
Go to http://www.managemyhome.com and search for “Craftsman 24919″ The manual for the bagger will pop up and you can study the installation instructions.
It is a little more involved than the other Craftsman baggers but it looks easy enough.
I want to know if sears is going to find a way to use the front loader on this?
I would buy this tractor if I could find a way to hook that attachment up.
My opinion on the noise from one I drove was it was much like tire
noise on a highway. And, anyone who drove hydrostatic forklift trucks
circa 1980 would comment on how quiet this one is.
If you ease off the brake or apply a little throttle at the same time
it doesn’t seem to move.
@EdM,
So far Sears is only offering the 07124025000 front blade for the front of the Revolution. The Revolution does share attachments with the iSeries ZTT 42 Cub Cadet so we should be able to fit a snow thrower.
It uses a different mounting system than all the other Craftsman mowers so the front loader will not fit.
The question is then…… will Agri-Fab make the front loader for the Revolution and iSeries tractors. I don’t have any contacts at Agri-Fab to find out.
You are right, it will take a while for the general public to get used to the sound of this new tractor. I was thinking of writing a post about innovations like the TTT trans and how long it has taken for the lawn industry to put these into common use. The DR® VERSA-PRO™ Z-MOWER is a good example. I know the designer of that mower and it has taken over 12 years for a large manufacture to finally take the machine and sell it.
I have done quite a bit of research on this unit and found both good and bad points. On the upside, the unit is very nice and ergonomically friendly. I liked the seat and the controls all being in the right location. I also liked the look of the unit – I have never seen a finish quite like this on any lawn tractor that I have looked at. I was lucky enough to have a Sears store willing to let me test drive it and I wanted to verify what was seen here by Paul. I did get on the unit and before starting it up, the sales guy gave me a brief tutorial on how to use it. In going over the unit, I noticed a yellow label on the dash that said not to let off the brake at high throttle. I was curious at that point so when I started it, I left the throttle all the way up and let my foot off the brake. As I did so, the unit lunged forward a few inches, but the sudden shock scraed me. So, I throttled it back down and tried it again. This time, the unit moved forward slightly, but with not as much shock. I did not care for that, but still decided to drive it around. I found a grassy slope to play with and it does do well with the hills. After riding for a while, the noise from the drive system got worse and worse. This sound is different than any other tractor that I have driven and I honestly don’t care for it. It may not be as loud as other tractors, but it is more of a high pitched sound that overpowers the sound from the engine and deck combined. I saw Paul’s comment about the brake rod and the salesman and I checked that on this unit. When we looked up there, the rod was not even close and the transmission still made the same sound. As we moved around the unit, the noise was the most intense right at the transmission. From my research, I found that this is the first year that this drive system has been offered and that it boasts about having quite a bit of torque. I do not see any benefit to having this transmission in a lawn tractor. If it were in a farm tractor, then maybe I could see a benefit. This lawn tractor is not set up to pull ground engaging attachements and I believe that the extra torque that they say it makes would be detrimental to a yard by increasing the chance of turfing. There is no mention of increasing fuel efficiency or how it helps me as a consumer. To me as a consumer, I see the Craftsman Revolution and the Cub Cadet i1042 as the same tractor, with the only difference being the transmission. The Cub Cadet is cheaper which makes me wonder what about the Revolution is worth the extra cost. Both units function the same on hills and slopes, however you have to deal with the drive system cons on the Revolution. I am not sure that is worth the extra money.
@ John Spanner.
Thanks John for the very in depth review. I talked to an MTD Rep Tuesday night and asked him to tell me what others were telling him. His only real comment was that “Consumer Reports rated it as the second best mower in their tests.” I reminded him that Consumer Reports rated the mower on evenness, side discharge, mulching, bagging, handling and ease of use. They did not rate it on noise.
I have had a chance to drive two more units since I wrote the above review. Both of the units did not have the rattle the first demo unit had. Yes they both sound different and yes, they both moved a fraction of an inch when you let out the brake. (When you let out the brake it also engages the transmission drive belt)
I’m not making excuses for the Revolution but, my Dixon ZTR also moves a little when you release the parking brake. Like the Revolution when you release the parking brake, you also engage the drive belt to the transmission. On a lawn it is not noticeable at all, but on hard pavement it will creep a little if you just let it sit and run without the brake engaged.
I personally do not leave the ZTR running unattended without setting the brake and I strongly suggest that no one gets off a lawn mower without setting the brake …. running or not. I also put my car in park when I get out. I never leave it in neutral without the parking brake set. A lot of zero-turn mowers will creep with the engine running if the parking brake is not set.
John, you and I are talking about two different sounds. On the first demo I tested the brake rods rattled. On the other two units I drove they did not. The sound that you are talking about is the noise of the transmission itself. On the units I drove they did make a unique “whine” but was not as loud as what you heard from your unit.
So far no one from MTD has addressed, explained, or demonstrated to me or anyone else I know exactly why the Revolution transmission makes the sound it does or why we should or should not be concerned.
There are a few units sold that should have 20 or 30 hours on them by now. It would be interesting to hear from those owners to see if the sound is better or worse.
I understand what you mean about creep, but this unit does not creep. The lunge that I referred to was exactly that. As the drive sytem engaged, the unit violently jumped forward. This makes sense since it is a torque sensing transmission. Once you let your foot off the brake, transmission thinks it needs power and applies it all at once. I have been around many pieces of outdoor power equipment and have never heard anything as bad as these units. The machine is a great idea, however, the hydros meet and exceed consumer demand. It seems like this transmission doesn’t belong in a lawn tractor application… it is more suited for agricultural equipment or an automotive application.
@Pete,
These tractors are all over the map as far as quality of the new TTT transmission. I have many reports of owners who have no problems whatsoever with this mower and some reports of people demo-ing the units and having the transmissions jump when they let off on the parking brake. Sears.com has had some reports of loud, whiny transmissions but the owners I know say their units are fine.
The unit I demo-ed operated exactly like I explained in this review. I have also had the chance to drive three others since I wrote that review and NONE of them lunged. All three of them were no louder than a typical hydro.
I would be interested in hearing from you as to what throttle position you had the tractor at when the tractor lunged.
The tractors that I have tested have each had a yellow sticker on the dash saying that you should not release the brake at full throttle. This to me means that the manufacturer knows there is an issue. If you let your foot off the brake at full throttle. The unit has a violent lunge forward and is scary the first time it happens. The unit does not creep, but just jumos forward about 6 inches. This is bad if you have this parked next to anything nice – both it and the object will sustain damage from the hit. If you try releasing the brake pedal at low throtle, the unit does still jump forward, but not as violent. This is not creep, this is the drive sytstem engaging and wanting to drive. If you look at the drive system itself, you will notice a huge brake in the side that tries to keep the transmission from turning when the brake is released. I am not a big fan of that design either as it seems like it would be problematic over time.
@Pete,
I have been trying to be very tactful about this issue of the Revolution moving when you engage the clutch at full throttle for almost six months now. I think it is time to voice my honest opinion. In fact I have started a post about “New innovations in lawn & landscape industry…..no one likes change” I think I’ll finish it in the next few days.
Let me start off. I know a guy who shifted his brand new 1959 Plymouth Fury into reverse going down the highway at 75 mph. “Just to see what would happen.” The reason he did it was because the owners manual said. “Do not shift into R when the car is in forward motion” Would anyone venture to guess what happened? (He did survive his experiment. He is now 84 years old. I will remember this forever, because I was in the car when he did it.) That was my first lesson in “common sense”
If there was a big yellow sticker on the dash of your car that said, “Do not release the clutch with the engine at full throttle” how many people do you think would try it just to see what happened? How many people would complain that the manufacture “knew” there was an issue? Most manufactures today assume that the buyers of their products do not have any experience operating items like theirs (read common sense) so they fill the owners manuals and place stickers all over the item with all the issues that have caused them and the government safety concerns in the past.
If you read through any lawn mower manual (or any manufactures owners manual for that matter) you will see that over half of the pages are taken up with safety. The majority of those pages are not issues the manufacture knows about or the government looking out for you, but actual cases of some operator not using “common sense” and filing a lawsuit.
The underlying problem with the Revolution seems to be the quality inspections done by MTD when the mower leaves the factory, not the technology of the transmissions. The four units (one demo and three brand new production run models) I drove did not jump and you could not get them to jump. From what I see and hear though MTD should do a better job of testing each individual unit before it is crated up and shipped out. The linkage for some of the transmissions is not adjusted correctly and causes the new units to move when the parking brake is released. If you bought a Revolution and it jumps a simple call to 1-800-4MY-HOME will get a tech out to your house to adjust the linkage. There appears to be enough of an issue that I personally would like Sears to have a tech start the machine and make any adjustments to it before it leaves the store.
The unit has two parking brakes (one on the output shaft for each transmission) not one large one. You may be looking at the cooling fan shroud between the two transmissions.
Go to this link and look at the parts breakdown of the linkages and transmission. http://www.managemyhome.com/mm.....905007.pdf the linkages are on page 38 and the transmission is on page 40.
Thanks, Paul
I’m considering this Craftsman. However, the comments from the attached forum posting has me doubting whether to get it.
http://www.mytractorforum.com/.....hp?t=77201
@ Will Fisher,
There are one or two people from West Virginia who seem to have made it their one purpose in life to discredit the new Craftsman Revolution. The attacks seem to be focused on the Infinitrak transmission, MTD, and the parent company of the Infinitrak (ToroTrak)
Why do I say attacks? If you look closely at the two videos, the same person made the videos by themselves. There was no collaboration or second opinion by anyone else. The sound on the video was deliberately adjusted to make the mower sound bad. The general consensus from us who have driven was the unit was the jerking of the tractor was from the video operator intentionally using his other foot to make the unit jerk. (the foot he never videos)
Please read the entire thread on the link you gave me. The poster (CUB_CADET) seems to be on a mission to make the Cub Cadet look good. The poster is on at least 4 other websites always discrediting the Revolution.
The Revolution is a very unique mower and I like it. It uses a proven CVT (constant velocity transmission) design and it does sound different than a hydro or a gear drive tractor. (So does my Dixon mower the uses cone drive CVTs) But the benefits of CVT far outweigh the new sound. CVTs or TTTs as ToroTrak calls them have FULL torque available to the rear wheels at all speeds. There is no slip or hydraulic losses that are inherent with a hydro.
One of the features I really like about the Revolution is you can run at a constant speed, begin a turn and the mower automatically slows down, makes the turn and then speeds back up to the speed it was going before the turn.
It is different than what you are used too. Please read the entire operators manual before you use it. That way you will get the most out of your new mower.
Finally, I helped my local Sears store take one out the crate and use it for a demo last weekend. Everything about the mower was good. The 40 people who demo-ed it liked the way it handled and drove. We mowed a little lawn with it and it gave a very smooth, even cut.
If you want the best of both worlds ….. a zero turn that will pull attachments …… a zero turn that will hold on side-hills ….. this is the right mower for you.