I just finished the reviews for the new YT 3000 with Turn Tight. You will want to read all about these new tractors that replace the ones on this page. Click on the links below to read my reviews:
craftsman-yt-3000-42-inch-B&S 21-hp-riding-lawn-tractor-model-28851-review/
craftsman-yt-3000-46-inch-B&S 21-hp-riding-lawn-tractor-model-28852-review/
craftsman-yt-3000-46-inch-Kohler 22-hp-riding-lawn-tractor-model-28853-review/
2010 Models: Click on the link below to go to the review.
2010 Model 28921 Review
2010 Model 28922 Review
2010 Model 28924 Review
2010 Model 28934 Review
This review covers the following four yard tractors:
Craftsman YT 3000 21 HP 42″ Yard Tractor
Sears item# 07128921000 Mfr. model# 28921
Craftsman YT 3000 21 HP 42″ Yard Tractor
Sears item# 07128922000 Mfr. model# 28922
Craftsman YT 3000 21 HP/46″ Yard Tractor
Sears item# 07128924000 Mfr. model# 28924
Craftsman YT 3000 22 HP/42″ Yard Tractor
Sears item# 07128934000 Mfr. model# 28934
For 60 to 370 dollars more than the Craftsman Model 28910 Lawn Tractor you can move up to the mid-sized yard tractor series. These models feature the new Craftsman style step through operator’s platform, pressurized lube engine, and a 42 or 46 inch deck redesigned around the 46 inch Model 28724 Consumer Reports 2008 Best Buy.
If you want a mower that will mow 1 1/2 to 2 acres an hour well, handle a snow blade, and all the non-ground engaging attachments this is the mower in the Craftsman lineup that will do the job for you. This tractor is heavy enough to handle hilly and rough lawns. There are other mowers in the Craftsman lineup that will mow faster, or pull more but this is a great all around mowing machine.
Specs:
Model 28921 six speed manual. Models 28922, 28924, 28934 Hydrostatic transmission
Models 28921, 28922, 28924, 21 hp Briggs & Stratton Platinum Series Full Pressure Engine with oil filter, Model 28934 Kohler Pro Engine
Models 28921, 28922, 28934 42 inch 2 blade mower deck. 13 gauge steel. Model 28924 46 inch 2 blade mower deck
Four gauge wheels. If your lawn is hilly and rough gauge wheels helps to keep the deck from gouging and tearing up your lawn. The mower deck does not rest on these wheels during normal mowing so they don’t wear out.
Red tractor, red deck
11 gauge steel frame
Cast iron front axle
High-back seat
2 year warranty (manufacture defects only), optional 3 yr Protection Agreement (covers all of the lawn tractor including wear and tear, labor, and attachments bought with the mower)
Pros:
I like the mid-size YT 3000 series. I think they represent a good value and a machine that if taken care of properly will last you a long time.
These yard tractors are capable of pulling all the non-ground engaging attachments Sears offers including a snow blade.
Cons:
The YT 3000 is heavy enough, but I recommend going to a twin cylinder motor (YT 4000) if you want to attach a snow thrower. You will wish you had bought a larger engine for snow throwing.
Consumer Reports gave the 2008 46 inch model a best buy and Sears.com went though the whole line this winter and redesigned the other decks to mow as well. (The Craftsman YT 3000 model 28924 is the 2009 version of the 2008 Craftsman YS 4500 model 28724 Consumer Reports best buy) There are very few negatives with this mower as long as you understand that it is a good quality mid-sized mower designed to mow lawns well. I like this lawn mower for what it is designed for. It is capable of pulling a wide range of attachments and using a snow plow.
Click here to submit your review.
2009 YT3000 hydro
Paul
I have a question about the drive belt on my yt3000. The belt came off the rear end, I took out the battery and got it back on.The belt is not old or cracked . Is there any guides I can adjust? Or maybe a pulley that I Can check?
Thanks Jeff
Response: @Jeffery, Check all the pulleys to see if any are loose. The trans pulley, the idler, the clutch pulley, and the motor pulley. Try to wiggle them up and down.
If it the belts does not come off in the next 2 hours of use it was something caught in it like a stick etc, or just a fluke. Sometimes belts will twist on their own and it needs to be replaced...most of the time you can\'t see the twist because the cords are broken inside.
You can go to searspartsdirect.com and put in your model number (917.123456) It\'s under your seat. The diagrams will show you all the guides.
@jerry, When you are sitting on the tractor with the clutch pushed down (disengaged) does it work? If it does it sounds like the seat safety switch. Unplug it and plug it back in.
If that’s not it, check the safety switch on the deck engage lever. The only other switch in that circuit is the reverse switch under the right rear fender.
@Chuck, I don’t think the wiring harness has changed so it should hook up the same way as the YT 3000 on their showroom. They won’t mind you looking it over.
thanks, i may have to take a picture to Sears. I got in a hurry while taking the old harness off, it all looked easy to replace until i got it all unhooked. I wil try to call Sears. Thanks again.
Hi Paul,
It’s been a while since I sought your expertise. After warming up my YT3000, when I then try to go forward, backward or engage my snowthrower I immediately stall out. The engine sounds fine otherwise…what do you think?
Thanks!
Jerry
@Chuck, How close do you live to your Sears. Take your camera and take pictures under the dash.
As I am typing, I’m wondering if the extra connector is for the hour meter. If you tractor is a few years old the wiring harness is designed for an hourmeter, but Sears never actually put it on the YT 3000. While you are at Sears look at the YT4000 dash and see if those wires hook up to the hour meter.
This is not what you want to hear right now, but making a diagram when you tear something mechanical apart is a lifesaver.
If you have a smartphone, pictures as you are taking the item apart is a great idea.
But now that the damage is done would someone please go out into the shed, look at your YT3000 and tell Chuck where the extra wires he has goes?
I have a Craftsman YTS 3000, I had to replace the ignition wiring harness. I have a brown wire, an orange wire and a black and blue wire with a male connecter. I think the brown wire and orange wire conects to the light switch but I don’t know which one hooks to which connecter on the swith, any help on this? Also I have no idea where the blue and black wire plugs in. Any help would be great.
@MJ, Since moving to Wisconsin 10 years ago I have forgotten how aggravating Earwigs can be. Any dark, moist place they will crawl into.
back again.finally fixed.it was an Earwig bug in the fuel line.lol.Thanks God a friend of mine told me about a local small engine repair guy in town. cost me less than $20 to fix/clean .Sears want $250 for a 1 year warranty.
I’m thinking about replacing the fuel line with a clear one just in case it happens again
@MJ, No you don’t have a fuel pump. Something is causing the engine to starve (or get a vaporlock) I suggest going to youtube and searching donyboy73. He has some of the best troubleshooting videos on the web. Then search his videos for your problem.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/82767759@N08/7576294136/in/photostream
This is a pix of the part
loosening the fuel cap didn’t work again.plus I replaced the filter with a new one(B&S OEM)
@MJ, That’s a reasonable explanation but I’m not sure the single cylinder YT3000 has a fuel pump. The twins do and it an easy repair. Follow the fuel line from the filter to the carb. If there is a fuel pump there will be a part that looks like this
http://www.ebay.com/itm/BRIGGS-FUEL-PUMP-PART-808656-/270665534853#ht_500wt_922somewhere attached to the engine.Try loosening the fuel cap another 1/2 turn.
back again
didn’t use the mower since thanx to the nasty drought we have here in IL
loosen the gas cap 1/2 turn trick didn’t work.
The guy at Farm and Fleet(IL)today told me it could be the fuel pump going bad.is that part easy to remove/ replace? (mower is out of 3 YEAR warranty since May of this year
)
@MJ, I don’t know why the maintenance you performed would cause this issue. But, for starters when the mower starts to act up loosen the gas cap 1/2 turn. If that doesn’t fix the problem write back please.
2009 YT3000-28922 model
been along time since the last time I posted here.lol
last month I changed oil,,battery,spark plug,Air filter and gas filter(right flow way:-) ) now every time I use it it shots off after 15/25 min during the mowing.
any ideas why? thanks
@Byran, It’s not uncommon for batteries to only last 2 years. Cold winters and the vibration of the mower quickly take their toll. Did you have protection plan on the mower? The battery is warrantied for the life of your plan. If you did call Sears at 1-800-4MY-Home and they will put a new one in.
Did the mower click when you tried to start it or just nothing? If it just clicked clean the battery posts, if you have a battery charger, charge it on 2 amps overnight.
No, clicking sound or nothing happened make sure you are sitting on the seat, you have the brake all the way down, the trans is in neutral and the deck engage lever off. Check under the seat and make sure the seat safety switch did not come off. Look at the back of the ignition switch and make sure the plug is engaged all the way on the switch. Most of the time “it worked fine last time I used it” is not the battery but something else.
Paul, I tried to start my mower today and it did nothing. I am assuming its the battery. is it common that the battery die after 2 yrs. i have had it just over two yrs and dont have a big yard really at all and it seems to be dead. I’m new to riders so i was surprised.
Thanks again.
@Byran, Yes, grease the wheels. Be sure to grease the spindles and wheels about every 50 hours (twice a year) Before you do though I would like you to raise the front wheels off the ground and wiggle them up and down. Do they wiggle more than a 1/4 inch or so? If they do you may have ruined the bushings in the rims.
Order new ones through searspartsdirect.com The part number is 9040H and is used on all YT series tractors. You need 2 per wheel. Use the code in the SearsPartsDirect banner on the bottom right side of this page to get 10% off your parts.
You will have to remove the grease cap, retaining ring, and rim. Take the rim and pound out the old bushings (a 1/2 inch wooden dowel usually works) Pound the new ones back in (BUT don’t hit them with a hammer, use a block of wood between the bushing and hammer or use a rubber hammer to drive them back in.)
Paul, I have the 28921 and have had it for 2 yrs. its starting to squeak alot around the front wheels when I turn. Do you know what that could be. do I need to grease the front bearings?
Thanks for the tip. I have an extra set of blades that I received when I purchased the mulch plug from Sears (that was the only way you could buy it)!
@ Charlie, Don’t use the Gator blades if you are not using the mulch plug. They don’t work well for straight cutting and that is why you are getting the strip of uncut grass. Buy a set of hi-lift blades for what you are doing. Your local Sears mall store will carry them in stock.
I’ve had the YT3000 28922 for two years and am not pleased with the unevenness of the cut. I’ve been using the Gator Blades, but recently have taken off the mulch cap and just using the side shoot. I cut the grass in a clockwise fashing leaving a wide strip of clipping at the end which I then pick up with a sweeper. The lawn is healthy and thick and grows quickly especially in the spring and early/mid summer, so that I have to cut it at least once a week and the grass can get quite high even during that short period. I usually cut it on Level 4. However, I notice that as I continue to cut in this manner, the mower seems to leave a strip of taller, not fully cut grass in the center of the swath, so much so that I have to go over it again, taking twice as long to cut. Any suggestions for what might be causing this and how it might be rectified?? Thanks in advance for any help.
Paul,
Is there a list of the part numbers I need for the maintenance of my 2009 28922? I want to replace the spark plugs, filters, and change the oil. Does anyone sell a package with these items that I can use?
Thanks,
Phil
@mike Both Craftsman decks mow great.
42 inch for small yards. The deck and discharge chute take up about 10 inches less space than the 46. The 46 inch throws a little better so it is a great bagging deck. The 46 in deck also sticks out from under the tractor so if you have a lot of inside curves in your landscaping beds it will leave less uncut areas that will have to be trimmed.
@mike, No it won’t hurt the mower. Just be sure you look behind you when you back up mowing. I’d hate to see you back over your neighbors favorite pet
i forgot to ask, can you tell me if it is better to go with a 42 or 46 inch? what are the pros and cons between both?
do you have any information regarding leaving the ros feature activated at all times? would it cause any problems or eventually ruin the mower?
would any problems occure if the ros feature is always in the on position instead of the regular on position during mowing?
thanks for the quick reply.
@mike, Look closely at the belt from the engine to the deck. If it shows signs of wear or is frayed call 1-800-4MY-HOME and have them change out the idler pulley. A few of these mowers had the wrong pulley installed and it will cause the rattle and destroy your deck belt.
Try running the mower with the gas cap slightly loose. At this point it sounds like the gas cap vent is sticking. If it runs fine, call the 800 number above and have a tech come out and order you a new cap. (They won’t just order you a new one over the phone) If this doesn’t fix the problem have the tech come out, the ignition module may be the problem.
i purchased a 2009 yt3000 46 inch model number 28924 including the three year protection plan a day ago and used it for the first time. start up was smooth, but when i engaged the blades it started to make a loud rattle noise and rattled some. after a while the rattle went away. about 40 minutes later into mowing my yard with the engine started to stall, sputter, and eventually turned off as i was mowing. i tried to turn the mower back on, but was unsuccessful. i then noticed the freewheel control / transmission disengaged on its own during use. i engaged the transmission and tried to turn the mower on, but that did not work. i checked the spark plug and noticed it was a black from normal use, but was also slightly wet with gas. i reinstalled the spark plug and tried to turn the mower on again with out any luck. i opened the gas tank and tighten the gas cap and it finally turned on, but shortly experienced the same issue. about 30 minutes later i was able to turn the mower on and again had the same issue. as i engaged the blades it started to stall and sputter again as if i was rising up off the seat and sitting back down preventing the mower from turning off. after all this i pushed the mower into the garage.
do you have any idea what may have gone wrong? would any problems exist if the ros is always in the on position?
this mower was a close out item due to it being discontinued and being the last one at the store. i called several stores and everyone said they do not have them in stock anymore.
Hi Paul,
The tech came out yesterday, and fairly quickly discovered that the connecting rod was shot (I wasn’t home so this is what my wife told me). I am in fact covered, and they are going to replace the engine for me.
Thanks again!
Jerry