Summary: I am going to start the reviews this year with my favorite. If you have 1/2 an acre or less to mow this may just be the perfect mower for you. This mower is simple, rugged, and will give you years of use. You can find a cheaper mower in the 2010 Craftsman line up but I feel you can’t find a better value if you have a small lot. Below the Specs read my complete review.
Listed On Sears.com As: Craftsman 28” Rear Engine Tractor
Model 28034 Click On Picture To See a Larger Version
Specs:
Brand: Craftsman
Series: RER
Model: 28034
Ca Model: N/A
Engine HP: 12.5
Engine Brand: Briggs & Stratton Gold
Cylinders: 1
Transmission: 5 speed disk
Transmission Control: Lever
Mower Width: 28 inches
Blades: 1
Cutting Positions: 6
Gauge Wheels: N/A
Washout port: No
Blade Engagement: Manual
Turning Radius: Listed at 28 inches?
Front Axle: Steel
Rear Tires:15 x 6
Seat: Mid-Back
Slide Seat Adjust: Yes
Model 24982 Bagger
Bagger: Bagger Model 24982
Mulching Blade: Oregon Gator Mulcher 3-N-1 Lawn Mower Blade For Snapper 28-Inch 99-928 #96-628
Mulch Cover: Click on the SearsPartsDirect Banner in the right-hand column and type in 7016983 for the part number.
My Review:
If you have one acre or less of lawn. If you have an “English Garden” If you have gates to go through or paths to mow this is the mower for you. In 2004 Briggs & Stratton purchased Simplicity/Snapper. Along with the merger came Snapper’s rear engine rider. Snapper invented the rear-engine rider and now you can buy it under the Craftsman name.
You already know this mower. It has been around for years. It mows well. It’s agile. It’s simple. It get the job done and keeps on running for years. I won’t get to drive the Craftsman model until April, but I don’t have to……. I know the machine. It is a simple machine and it works!
Craftsman is offering this mower with the standard deck and hi-lift blades. Craftsman does not have a mulch kit available yet, but you can buy a “Gator Blade,” and a mulch cover through the links in the specs section of this article.
One of the features I really like about this machine is you can grab the front axle and stand it on the rear end. You can inspect it, clean it and store it this way. (If you store it on end, you must take the battery out) This is a really nice feature if you have a small space to store your mower!
The Disc Drive Transmission design has been around for years and eliminates complicated clutches and provides easy forward/reverse drive. The disc travels across the drive plate to achieve ground speed. This is the same type of transmission found a the majority of snow blowers. Simple, effective and almost bulletproof. You should know that the transmission is designed to pull you, a loaded bagger OR a light duty cart. If you try to use this mower to pull heavy loads you will prematurely wear out the drive “tire” in the transmission. It is an easy repair if you do wear it out, but keep in mind this mower is only designed to mow lawns, not be a “garden tractor.”
The steering on this mower is the fastest of all the mowers. The one-to-one steering ratio helps you maneuver easily around tight spots and make quick turns. It is not hard to steer and you will really like the quick response.
The deck follows the front axle and has a pivoting frame. This allows the mower to easily adjust to the contours of any lawn for a smooth cut. If you have a lawn with a lot of short dips and rises this feature lets the deck follow those contours easily. The deck is easily adjustable if it ever needs leveling.
In my opinion there is no better mower for a small lot than this one. It mows well, is very maneuverable, simple to repair, simple to clean and can be tipped up on end to take up less room in your garage.
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Buy Online – Pick Up At Your Nearest Sears or Buy Online – Have Delivered To Your Home.
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Ask a question, leave a comment, tell us about your mower below:
Needed Accessories:
I will add accessories in a few weeks.
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Tags: 2010 Craftsman 28 inch 28 inch 12.5 hp Model 28034 Review, Craftsman 28'' Rear Engine Tractor
Does anyone know what happened to this mower? It is a new model, and can’t be found in stores or on the website? Did they get rid of it already?
@Ben,
My understanding is they made a limited number this year to test the market. And they did well enough to sell through. I expect they will be back next year.
The mower manufactures are already geared up and making snow throwers so I don’t expect any more to be produced this year.
I bought this Snapper clone by craftsman thinking it was a good price point at $1,486 with tax and delivery.
It came to my home in a crate fully assembled.
The delivery people were very nice.
When I got it out, the 1st thing I noticed was it is not a dual start machine as I had hoped. It is electric start but no pull start. So if the battery goes out or you’ve stored it without the battery and don’t feel like reinstalling it you are out of luck.
Removing the battery would seem necessary in order to use the “stand on end” storage feature so as not to spill battery acid all over the motor. Dealing with the removal of the battery looks like a pain because of these plastic clips holding the battery cover that appear to be none to durable if you remove them more than a few times. I have not tried it yet so we’ll see.
This machine appears to be a duplicate in almost every detail of the snapper model 28125BVE except for the following:
1. The engine is electric start ONLY….there is NO manual pull start.
2. The engine looks similar to the Snapper engine with a spin on oil filter, but the label says “Craftsman Gold Edition by Briggs & Stratton 12.5 HP”.
There is no mention of Briggs & Stratton Intek™ AVS® FEATURES as on the label on the snapper. Is this a lower feature engine? I don’t know yet. If it vibrates a lot then I’ll know where the second of two so far, of the corners were cut, hence the lower price point as compared to the Snapper 28125BVE.
3. The Craftsman is BLACK and the Snapper is RED.
@Jay,
I didn’t even think to mention that there was no pull start. All the tractors and riders I have reviewed so far this year except the Weedeater One are electric start only.
If you are going to have the mower tipped up for more than 2 hours the battery needs to be removed.
The Craftsman Gold is a B&S engine is the pressure lube with oil filter. It’s an XRD extended life series. All Motors in the Craftsmans are AVS or V-twins. Silver is pressurized only, Platinum is oil pump and filter, Professional is oil pump, filter, heavy bottom bearings, chrome valves and ELS.
Let us know how it mows!
[...] I was primarily looking for weaknesses in the design. As I looked at the mower I compared it to the 28 inch Craftsman 28034 and the 38 inch Yard Machines by [...]