2011 Craftsman Professional Yard Tractor 42 inch 24 hp Model 28888 Review
A Great Mowing Lawn Tractor!
It’s Not The Best Lawn Tractor….It’s The Best Lawn Tractor For You!
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Craftsman Pro Model 28888
My Rating of this Craftsman Riding Lawn Mower:
My Value/Cost Rating: Lawn Tractor: Mows Lawn Well, Mulches, Gets Through Tight Spaces Well. Great for 1/2 to 2 Acre Lawns, Medium Hauling, Snow Removal, Accepts Light Attachments & Bagger.
Type: Lawn Tractor. See Tractor Rider Mower Types for a complete explanation.
Engine Type: Best. See Engine Types for a complete explanation.
Transmission Type: Hydrostatic. See Transmission Types for a complete explanation.
Speed Control: Foot (Pedal) with cruise
Accepts Medium Duty Attachments: See Attachments for a complete list.
Don’t Forget Your Trailer, Dethatcher, Aerator, Broadcast Spreader. See Attachments for more info.
Tractor Attachments: See Attachments page and At Sears Tractor Attachments and Tractor Attachments At Northern Tool.
What I Like!
What do you get when you take a Cub Cadet 1046 and drop in the best 26 HP Briggs & Stratton Professional Series Motor? Yes, The Craftsman PTY9000 Model 28888! This mower replaces the 42 inch 28980 from last year. It has a larger deck, larger motor, 12 inch turning radius, high back seat, and 12 position cutting height control.
The 28980 proved to be one of the best lawn tractors in the entire Craftsman line. It had virtually had no repair issues and this mower will be the same. It mows great, bags great and is very agile for it’s size. This mower will be the same quality as the 28980 it replaces. A great mower, a good tractor, capable of performing all the yard tasks around your 1/2 to 2 acre suburban yard.
I want to make one thing perfectly clear though. This is not a garden tractor and this is not a commercial mower. Craftsman Professional series are “deluxed” tractors, with great extra features that make them more comfortable to drive and easy to use. They not heavy duty commercial machines. (though the 28985 comes very close)
Reading the reviews over at mysears.com I noticed the negative reviews were all about what the tractor isn’t and for some reason the new owners did not realize this when they bought the tractor. It is simply a great lawn tractor with the great cutting deck, the best motor Briggs has to offer and a few extras that make this lawn tractor easy to use. If you want to install a johnny bucket or pull ground engaging attachments look at the garden tractor series, not this tractor. Go here for garden tractors (4 Craftsman garden tractors which one is right for you) Think of this Tractor as the best LAWN TRACTOR you could own.
I have two customers who use the 28980 to make money. They have put more hours on their 3 tractors than you will in 15 years mowing your 2 acre lawn. Of course they do normal maintenance like changing the oil, air filter, belts and blades. The 28888 will do the same.
The only service issue I have heard is about 1 out of every 200 engines sold in this tractor has a problem with the electronic ignition right away. (first 10 hours) Of course your realize this is a Briggs problem, not a problem with the mower itself. All the owners had to do was call 1-800-4MY-HOME and a Sears tech fixed the problem.
2011 Craftsman Professional Yard Tractor 46 inch 26 hp Model 28888
Read More Here: Craftsman Pro 26 hp 46 Inch Model 28888 Yard Tractor
Buy Here from Sears: Craftsman Pro Model 28888 at Sears
Product Description From Sears
Do you want all the bells and whistles? The Craftsman Professional 46″ Yard Tractor features a high performance cutting deck with 12 cutting heights that will give you the flexibility to get your job done faster. Power and performance comes from the 26 HP engine and foot controlled hydrostatic transmission; a tight 12″ turning radius will save time. Its fully loaded with features that will do the job faster and make you more comfortable.
- Briggs and Stratton 26 hp OHV V-Twin engine with spin on oil filter
- 46 in. deck featuring 12 cutting heights ranging from 1.5 in. to 4 in. and four deck wheels
- Foot pedal hydrostatic transmission with cruise control
- 12 in. turning radius for extreme maneuverability
- Deck wash system for easy clean-up
- Heavy-duty 9-gauge steel frame with cast iron axle
- 3-gallon gas tank with sight gauge
- High back seat with extended auto slide
- Mow in reverse capable
- Premium fender flares with grab handles
- 15 in. x 6 in. front tires; 20 in. x 8 in. back tires
- 230 CCA Die Hard™ battery
- Color: Black/Gold
- 2-year full, 5-year frame and limited lifetime front axle warranty
- Not available for sale in California
- *as rated by engine manufacturers
Added on January 06, 2011
My Review:
Pros:
This tractor has some of the basic components found in other mowers from this manufacture but Sears has dramatically improved this tractor over it’s cousins the Cub Cadet LTX 1042 , the Troy Bilt Range Rider, and the Toro LX427 . The Craftsman Professional has a commercial grade Briggs & Stratton ELS motor and offers their legendary Protection Plan.
The frame is an “L” design instead of the channel frame found on the Turn Tight Tractors. It is a heavier 9 gauge steel. Yes, the frame is thicker, but is it stronger? Only time will tell. It appears to be strong and stiff. I don’t expect you to have any problems with this design.
The hydrostatic transmission is a medium duty transmission and designed for the application. It can pull all of the non-ground engaging attachments Sears sells. It is does not weigh as much as the retired K 46 found in the 28970 but I don’t feel this will be a problem. The tranny manufactures are very careful to size their transmissions to the application.
Last years tires were 20 x 10. The new tires are 20 x 8 and not as flat across the tread. These new tires are a very common size and won’t give you any problems unless you are trying to mow in sandy or muddy conditions.
The drive control is a foot control and drives a lot like your car. It uses a simplified button for cruise control and the parking brake.
Cons:
I am not a big fan of the 12 inch turning radius, but it should not be a “deal breaker” for you unless you have very poor, sandy soil. This is the same steering found on the Cub Cadets and if you have a poor lawn or sandy soil the tractor will “scuff” your lawn if you try to turn that tight. To get the 12 inch turning radius on this mower MTD had to put in some negative camber in the steering design. If you buy one of these tractors and it does leave marks in your yard when turning sharply the only way to “fix” this problem is to not turn as sharp. The tractor is engineered to turn sharply, but it will not work well in ALL lawn types and it will leave marks in your lawn under certain circumstances. This is not a “don’t buy” situation, I am just telling you that while this is a good, solid, machine, there will be times where you can’t turn as sharp as the machine can without leaving marks in your lawn.
Summary:
In summary, this mower is a step up from the YT 4000 series and the motor alone is worth the extra money over the YT series. This Professional Series Craftsman will give you many years of good service.
Special Offers ONLINE ONLY:
Here are examples of special ONLINE ONLY offers that Sears runs regularly. These specials are available online only and the stores can’t match them. These specials usually run for one or two days only and can be as short as four hours.
Use these link and click on the “Special Offers” Tab to see this weeks special offers for your product, and location.
Craftsman Pro 26 hp 46 Inch Model 28888 Yard Tractor
3YR In-Home Repair Protection Agreement $ 459.99
5YR In-Home Repair Protection Agreement $ 719.99
Garden Tractor Attachments: Tractor Attachments from Sears and Tractor Attachments At Northern Tool.
Ask a question, leave a comment, tell us about your mower below:
If this tractor is not for you go here to read about other sizes and brands:
My 2011 Reviews. You can find larger and smaller mowers from this list.
Hi paul,
The pyt9000 26hp 46″ #28888 can be used to pull dump carts, plow snow and some what semi heavy duties?
Thanks.
@Colin, Yes, Keep the “semi heavy duties” to once in a while and it will do fine.
I was told at the local sears store that they stopped making the pyt9000. Is this true and what is the reason they stopped making it this year. My father has one that I like and I was wanting to get one myself.
@johnathan, Yes, the PYT9000 is history. In it’s place they have a much better mower, the CTX9000. Please read my reviews.
If you want a machine that is very close to the PYT9000 look at the Model 28961 GT6000. The PYT9000 was made by MTD and the GT is made by Husqvarna though.
Whenever I want to start my Craftsman pyt9000 26hp 46″ model 28888 it is always difficult but once it started the next try was much easier. Please tell me what happen, how do I fix it it was delivered yesterday 4/20/2012
@Colin, Only do this if you know what you are looking at and have some experience with small engines. If you don’t call 1-800-4MY-HOME and schedule a service tech. When he comes out explain the problem and have him check the “choke close”
If you know what you are looking at remove the air cleaner and check to see if the choke is closing all the way. We have found here that some of choke cables were not adjusted properly.
Again if you know what you are doing, have someone move the choke lever and you watch the cable where is is clamped to the carb. Determine what direction it moves when you close the choke. Loosen the clamp holding the choke cable and move the cable in the clamp the same direction. You can usually only move it 1/8 of and inch. tighten it back down, re-install the air cleaner and see how it starts. It should start better. If it doesn’t call 1800-4MY-Home and have a tech come out and service it.
Thank Paul for your help. You were right on, it was the choke cable that was not properly adjusted. Now it starts every first try. Thank again.
I found a store that wants to sell this mower for $1500. The mower has 14 hours on it. I am hesitating because I’m not sure if this mower wasn’t for instance run very hard. How do you judge a resale in terms of operating hours? Is 14 hrs of something that should concern me at all with this mower? Thanks!
@jakub, if it takes 2 hours to mow your lawn you will put on around 50 hours a year. So, assuming you played around with it a few hours, it’s probably only mowed the lawn a few times.
Is this a Sears store? Does this mower have a Clearance or Closeout tag on it? If it does it has a full two-year defects warranty and you can purchase the 5 year Protection Plan so you won’t have to concern yourself with any issues it may have for up to 5 years.
Otherwise just look at the machine. Pull the dipstick out and the oil should be clean or only slightly dirty. If it’s ink black there may be a engine issue. Is it clean? Are there any dents or large scratches on the deck top or sides? Look at the blades. At 14 hours they should be sharp but the paint will be worn off the cutting edge.
The average life of today’s mowers is somewhere around 300 to 500 hours if you take care of them at all, so at 14 hours it just getting broke in.
Paul, thank you so much for your answer. This was a Sears Outlet in GA and I found it online from here in Orlando, FL (so I couldn’t check the oil, but it was said to have several scratches).
What just didn’t add up to me was that Sears return policy is 30 days, so how can you put 14 hours on it mowing your lawn.
Either it was returned several times by different users, someone used it to mow a rural airfield or, what worried me the most, used it to till their entire property.
Anyway, this particular mower was sold last night and I think I decided I will just wait for a local deal on Craftsman 28857 to mow my 0.5 acre St. Augustine.
I love your site!
@jakub, The hour meters are not very reliable because they record when the key is on, not when the motor is running so it could easily have been the key got left on. I have seen the floor models with 95 hours on them…..they have never been ran, just people playing with them on the sales floor.
Yes, if you just look at the 30 day return policy, I would question that much time myself.
Sears will also return a mower if the owner has purchased the optional protection plan, and it will take to long to get parts. There is also a “no-lemon” clause in the Protection Plan. If the same problem happens over and over again the tech has the option of replacing the tractor. Sears usually reconditions all of the mowers and sell them as Clearance or Closeouts.
I saw one Husqvarana Garden Tractor this summer that was 4 years old, (you can buy a 5 year protection plan) The trans went bad and it would be over 6 weeks to get a new one. Sears gave that owner a new tractor and when the parts finally showed up, reconditioned the mower and sold it for cheap ($2900 mower for $1100).
I’m trying to buy a PYT 9000, and having a mulch kit is a show stopper. Sears can’t get one for me….is there an option?
@gregg, Let me understand this. You are trying to buy a closeout tractor for about half price. (anything with an .88 price point is a clearance or closeout and probably won’t be sold again) A tractor that Sears is not going to sell ever again. But you won’t buy it because they can’t supply a $15 dollar piece of plastic?
This may not be the mower for you. You may want to look at buying a YT 4000 instead. That model will carry over to next year and accessories will be available for it far into the future.
That said, The mulch kit consists of a plastic cover for the discharge chute and a set of mulching blades. The 2010 and 2011 PTY9000 is made by MTD. The deck is the same premium deck as found on the other MTD tractors. Specifically the Cub Cadet and Troy-Bilt. So you can get the mulch plug at any Cub Cadet dealer. Sears may still have the mulching blades or you can get them at any dealer that sells MTD parts.
Thank you!
Nice read…..It is a closeout and $600 cheaper than the YT4000 which I am also looking at. If I can find the $15 part, I’m still up $585.
Thanks again!
I have a question about the Craftsman 28888. Is it powerful enough, engine and transmission, to handle a pull behind tiller? I need something that will cut grass and handle a small(40`x60`) garden.
thanx
crs
@Ray, Craftsman does not recommend the 28888 for ground engaging equipment. This tractor does not have the heavy duty transmission the 28861 has.
That said. If you use it just to till your garden once or twice a year and as a mower the rest of the year, I feel the tractor is heavy enough.
Question: I bought the Craftsman PYT-9000 (28888) and am very happy except for cutting ht. is not sufficient. Are larger wheels available? Where and which sizes? Also I`m having a slight traction issue. Are knobby or other types of tires available?
@Ray, unfortunately, you can’t just go down to the local NAPA and get a set of “20 inch rims” for a lawn tractor. I don’t know where you can get different sizes or types.
But, most lawn tractors including the PYT-9000 use a 3/4 keyed axle. (garden tractors use a 1 inch keyed axle) So all you have to do is find a larger rim that fits a 3/4 inch axle. Again, unfortunately again all the tractor brands use part number for their parts, descriptions (i.e.sizes) are almost impossible to get.
Another option would be to take the rim size you have and see if there is an ATV tire out there that would give you better traction.
Hey just wondering what the two shoulder spacers are doing on the rear of the frame. one on each side of the tractor on my pyt 9000?
@Tom9000,
If I understand you correctly these are on the side of the tractor frame just above the axle. These are mounting bolts for a three-bin bagger.
The Sears salesman looked at his info on this tractor and said it will only take the 2-bin bagger. Was he mistaken?
@Jim, The Sales associate is correct Sears only offers a 2 bin for this tractor. A 3 bin is not very popular for this size deck because the bagger is wider than the tractor and it gets caught on everything.
The frame is the same basic frame as the Craftsman 28981, some Cub Cadets, Troy Bilt, and Toro’s so it makes sense from an assembly stand point to put the same bolts on all the frames.
You can’t use the 3 bin from the 28981, 50 inch deck because the deck connection tube is different for it than the 46.
Hello Paul,
Cannot locate mower deck spindle grease fitting on my 289980. Sears Tractor Help Line claims fittings are under the pulley. Not there.
Thanks for your help.
@John, The only current Craftsman decks that have greaseable spindles are the 54 inch. (Some older 48 inch also had grease fittings) ll the other decks including the 42 inch on the 28980 have sealed bearings and don’t need greasing ever.
Thanks so much Paul, guess Sears ought to upgrade their manuals.
The deck of the model 28888 in the store raises higher than the other models, i.e., the model 28856 and other nearby models. Is this true in general or just a fluke with that particular sample?
@Jim, you got me on that one. The 28888 is made by MTD and the 28856 by Husqvarna. The 28861 should have the highest lift. It has larger tires.
I noticed comparing the deck on the PYT9000 and the CC LTX1046 the the LTX 1046 has grease fitting on the two blade spindles and the PYT9000 does not. Is this of any concern?
@Peter, 1st. How many people now days actually owns a grease gun, let alone knows how to properly grease a spindle. 2nd. How many people would complain that something was wrong if their deck had grease on it?
Sealed spindles typically last 400 to 500 hours no matter what you do to them. That’s 5.5 years if you have three acres in Texas or 12.5 years if you have 2 acres in Wisconsin. Greaseable spindles may last longer if you take care of them or can lock up in as little as 5 hours if you don’t.
Thanks Paul for all of the helpful info.
-Peter
Is the deck on the PYT9000 a floating deck?
@ Peter, Yes
So it has a mower deck like a Simplicity Regent and a higher gauge frame, larger motor and less $$$$. Hmmmm, what’s not to like.
@Peter, Actually the deck is like the 1046 Cub Cadet. I like the engine in this mower!
I went and looked at the PYT9000 last night at Sears. I have downloaded the manual and I don’t see any info on adjusting the Gage wheels on the cutting deck. There is discussion on leveling the deck back to front and left to right but that is about it.
Don’t the Gage wheels need to be adjusted?
Do you thinks it’s worth spending and extra $460 for a 3yr service agreement? Any clue how the the 2yr full warranty that comes with the mower works. The staff at Sears just don’t seem to know.
Thanks
Peter
@Peter, The gage wheels do not need to be adjusted. They are actually just anti-scalp wheels that keep the deck from digging into ditches or roots. They don’t actually ride on the ground.
You can adjust them down one inch if you have a really rough lawn.
Sears Protection Plans. Is it worth spending the extra money? The answer is …………. it depends.
Here is what happens if your mower quits and you have the Protection Plan.
1. You call 1-800-4MY-HOME.
2. A trained sevice tech comes out to your house, troubleshoots the problem with your machine and orders all the parts.
3. When the parts arrive by mail in a few days to your home. the tech comes back out and fixes your machine.
With this Protection Plan you get expedited service. Meaning, your repair gets put in front of all the other people who don’t have Protection Plans. You don’t get charged for the service call ($99 to $120) and all labor to fix the problem is included. If the service tech can’t get the part or your machine has had more than 4 repairs in a year Sears usually will give you a new machine (up to $1500). There are no hidden or additional costs. Oil, Spark Plugs, Air Filter and blades are not included. Belts, tires and wear and tear is included.
If YOU break the mower (run a landscape brick or garden hose through it) you get a 25% discount off the parts and repair.
The protection plan is especially useful if you do not have the time to work on your own equipment, if you don’t know how to work on your own equipment, or you don’t like to work on your equipment.
Most everything the “guy down the street” would charge you for is covered.
Here is what happens if your mower quits and you DO NOT have the Protection Plan.
1. You call your father-in-law or take it to the guy down the street who fixes mowers.
2. They look at the machine and say “I think I see the problem”
3. They go to the local parts store and get all upset and mad because the store doesn’t carry parts for a Craftsman mower. They end up driving to your local Sears and ordering a part or two for your machine.
4. The parts come in six to ten days and if you are lucky they ordered all the needed parts to fix it.
5. They charge you for the troubleshooting, the running around trying to find parts, the trip to Sears to order the part, the labor to install the parts and charge you for the parts themselves. (usually they will upcharge the cost of the part so they make a little extra money)
6. One repair usually charges come to much more than the cost of a Protection Plan.
Ok, You spend the extra upfront on a Home Protection Plan (it seems like a lot of money, but it works out to about $10 a month for the 3 year and $8 a month for the 5 year. That’s less than a meal at McDonald’s once a month.
Would I buy a Sears Protection Plan on a Mower?
I know how these units operate. I know how to repair them and can take one apart and put it back together with my eyes closed. I know how to get parts and can get the parts just as fast as the service tech.
But, I have other things to do than work on my mower. I would rather be working on my hobbies or out in the garden or fishing than fixing a mower.