Executive Summary: This mower has actually been sold under the brand names Cub Cadet, Yard Man, Mtd Products, Murray, Troy-Bilt for a while, but I haven’t paid much attention to it. Why? Because like Consumer Reports I don’t like most of the residential zero-turns. I saw very few of these sold so I was surprised when Craftsman decided to carry it this year. In this review I will discuss the Craftsman branded mower, but everything I say applies to the other named units.
It seems every year Craftsman ends up with one riding lawn mower that I don’t like or one that has problems. Three years ago it was the MTD/Revolution with it’s transmission problems, two years ago it was the SRD mower that was wider than the deck, last year the Smart Rider had transmission issues. This year it’s the model 25001 42 in zero-turn. I have more issues with this zero-turn mower than any riding lawn mower I have seen for at least the last 15 years. I will go into detail in the review below.
This will be my “Craftsman DON’T BUY” for 2012!
While I really like the 2012 Craftsman Premium Tractors, I really hate the 2012 Craftsman Zero-Turn models 25001 and 25002. Yes hate is a strong word and I will do my best to explain why this is such a disgusting example of American ingenuity.
Now don’t give Craftsman too hard of time for this. This zero-turn has been on the market under different names for a few years now, but no one before me has taken a complete look at it.
Brand/Manufacture: Craftsman / MTD
Model/Series: Zero-Turn Riding Mower
Item Number: 25001 (49 State) NA (CA Version)
Buy Here: Sears.com
Store Pickup: Buy Online, Pickup At Your Local Sears Delivery: Buy Online, And Have It Delivered To Your Home Ship: NA
Street Price: $2299.99
Basic Quality: (Cheap, Good, Best, Premium, Don’t Buy) This is listed as Craftsman’s Good Quality. But, all other Craftsman’s are better.
Type: (Riding Mower, Lawn Tractor, Yard Tractor, Garden Tractor, Estate Tractor, Sub-Compact, Zero Turn, Stand-On) Residential ZeroTractor This particular zero-turn handles NO attachments.
Compare it to: Cub Cadet Zero Turn Mower , Troy-Bilt Zero Turn Mower
Craftsman Zero-turn Objects in the mirror are different than they appear
Pros:
Uses MTD’s good 42 inch deck
V-Twin Motor
Serviced by Sears!
Cons:
Will Not Mow In Reverse
Will No Zero-turn and mow
Poor Control Placement
Tub Chassis
No Anti-scalp Wheels
Retail Price: $2299.99 Check The Best Sale Price Here: Sears.com
My Review:
Here is my list of issues:
Will Not Mow In Reverse! There is no over-ride so that you can mow in reverse. The whole purpose of a zero-turn mower is to be able to mow around obstacles, jump into corners, and spin around quickly while you mow. Without the ability to mow in reverse this mower is no faster than the Craftsman Turn-Tight tractors. You might as well save yourself the $600 and buy the YT3000. At least you will be able to pull attachments with the Yard Tractor.
You can’t actually zero-turn with this mower! Because you can’t mow in reverse, when you go to back up with this mower the deck shuts off. The Cheap Cub Cadet, Troy-Bilt, Yard Man, MTD, Murray Zero-Turns are like this also. I watched a neighbor mow with his and every time he went to turn, every time he backed up, every time he tried to trim, the deck shut off. It took him forever to mow the lawn because he constantly had to reposition the mower so he could mow in the forward direction. I really wanted to make a video and post it on Youtube.
A true zero-turn will mow in reverse, and mow when it zero-turns. Mowing this way will easily cut your mowing time in half over using a conventional lawn tractor.
The wheelbase is wider than the deck. I just have a real issue when the wheel base on a mower is wider than the deck. That is so 1950′s. This causes you to run over uncut grass knocking it down. When you mow the next pass the deck has to do extra work to lift that pressed down grass and mow it evenly. Most of the time it doesn’t and you end up with “strips” of uncut or uneven cut grass in your lawn. You have to cut your lawn twice by either overlapping each pass or going over the lawn again after you mowed. The wheelbase on the mower I observed at my local Sears is about 2 inches wider than the cutting width of the deck.
Pan Chassis! This chassis is nothing more than a cookie sheet with holes! Now go to your kitchen and grab a cookie sheet by the ends. Twist it. What happens? The cookie sheet flexes. In my opinion the chassis on this zero-turn will do the same. It will flex and crack. There are a few reviews on the Internet stating the frame cracked on the Cub Cadet and Yard-Man Versions. Pan chassis work well for a radio-controlled carpet racer, but in my opinion they don’t belong on a zero-turn mower.
Hard To Clean! there are no debris holes on the chassis for grass, leaves and other debris to fall off. The chassis is just one big sheet of steel with a few holes cut in it for linkages. This will cause a build up of crap between the engine and seat. It will be very hard to clean and impossible to keep clean. I feel this will lead to premature rust and deterioration of the chassis. The only way I can see to keep this chassis clean is to use a shop vac on it every time you mow.
No access Panels. Cleaning the top of the deck including the spindles and pulleys will be a real chore. Most of today’s zero-turns have access panels so you can easily work on the deck or clean the transmissions. Removing the deck is going to be hard. Particularly rolling the belt off the idler pulley to remove the deck.
EZT Drives! The drives are sized for flat lawns and are too small to pull any attachments. If you pull anything with this mower or try to mow long slopes (like a road-side ditch) you will be replacing these drives every 200 hours or so. If you mow long slopes (300 feet or more) you may experience overheating and fading. (How to tell when they are over heating? When the downhill drive overheats you will have to push the control bar father and farther to keep the same speed. If you try to keep the lap bars even it will want to turn downhill)
Cost. In my opinion there is no more material in this zero-turn than in a cheap Yard-Man Lawn Tractor (ok, $200 extra for the 2nd drive) Don’t get upset with Craftsman here, because their profit margin is the same for this mower as all the others they buy from MTD. MTD should be able to sell this zero-turn for around $1500 and still make a good profit.
Motor too large! I’m sorry, but 24 hp is just overkill! You can only mow on flat lawns with this mower. The deck will mow only mow off 4 inches of grass at a time and cut well. You can’t pull attachments because of the drives. This mower only needs a 15 to 17 hp motor.
Picture on Sears.com is different than zero-turn I saw in the store. The mower I saw at my local Sears uses the same size tires and frame as the 50 inch version. This makes the mower wider than the deck. The pan chassis was also painted black.
Engine is suspectible to damage! The pan chassis does not stick out farther than the engine in the back. There is no rear hitch. There is no rear bumper. So if you get too close to a tree or lawn ornament you will damage the motor. Trust me on this, if you don’t have a lot of experience driving a zero-turn you will be hitting things with the back of the mower. I have a hitch on mine and when my wife was learning to drive it she was constantly hitting stuff. I can’t tell you how many times I had to “dig” the mower out of our chain link fence because she got the back end caught in the fence. 
No Cover on Tool Tray. There is one small drain hole in the bottom of the huge, open tool tray. This will make a great grass collector.
No creep adjustment: This zero-turn uses to separate transmissions. It is normal for these transmissions to wear unevenly as they get older. It doesn’t matter if you are buying a cheap zero-turn like this or a $15,000 dollar one, periodically you have to adjust the controls so the levers stay even and so the mower does not want to “creep” when it is in nuetral. MTD has made allowances for this by disengaging the drives when you set the parking brake. But the location of the parking brake is another matter. It is too low and between your legs. Us “old guys” are not flexible enough to reach down and set the brake. It does have a high speed track adjustment.
Battery hold down bracket. The bracket is designed to push down on the battery. This may cause the battery to crack
Deck height and parking brake between your legs. The safety interlock system will shut off the engine if the operator leaves the seat before engaging the parking brake. These levers are too low and for many of us this will be a issue. Can you sit on a chair and bend over far enough to touch your toes?
Change the oil? You are supposed to use a plastic hose to drain the oil into a appropriate container, but with the raised lip on the chassis, I can’t figure out how you are supposed to actually do this. You are going to get oil all over the place. Unless you clean the pan chassis with Dawn or other degreaser this oil will leave a film and will cause dirt to accumualte around the engine.
Uses push nuts for belt shields and discharge chute. Instead of carriage bolts, MTD is using push nuts to attach the belt shields, discharge chute and other pieces to the deck. After about a year these will rust tight and when you go to remove the deck or repair the deck these push nuts will fail.
Muffler: While it has a heat shield so it may not leave brown spots, buy it sticks down in the back and I know you will hit it enough times to break it off the motor. It is placed low enough that you will easily hit it if you get to close to your brick or rock landscape border, the edge of your patio or steps on your sidewalk. (Yes, you could be careful, but the purpose of a zero-turn is to save you trimming time and if you can’t get close to your landscaping there is no need for a zero-turn)
Balance? I won’t get to drive this zero-turn until April, but I am concerned that it is not balanced correctly. With the stamped, steel chassis and huge motor this zero-turn may want to buck up like a wild horse. If you buy one NEVER try and go up a hill with it.
This is the warranty statement from the current MTD operators manual: Notice that most of the issues I mentioned above are not covered. (for example, overheating the transmissions)
This warranty covers ONLY defects in material and workmanship.Warranty coverage does NOT include:
• Expendable parts (except battery) that can wear out from normal use within the warranty period, including but not limited to blades, spark plugs,air cleaners,belts,and oil filters.
• Standard maintenance servicing, oil changes, or tune-ups.
• Tire replacement or repair caused by punctures from outside objects, such as nails, thorns, stumps, or glass.
• Tire or wheel replacement or repair resulting from normal wear, accident, or improper operation or maintenance.
• Repairs necessary because of operator abuse ,including but not limited to damage caused by towing objects beyond the capability of the riding equipment, impacting objects that bend the frame, axle assembly or crankshaft, or over-speeding the engine.
• Repairs necessary because of operator negligence, including but not limited to, electrical and mechanical damage caused by improper storage, failure to use the proper grade and amount of engine oil, failure to keep the deck clear of flammable debris, or failure to maintain the riding equipment according to the instructions contained in the operator’s manual.
• Engine(fuel system) cleaning or repairs caused by fuel determined to be contaminated or oxidized(stale). In general, fuel should be used within 30 days of its purchase date.
Normal deterioration and wear of the exterior finishes,or product label replacement.
Sears does have an optional protection plan that covers most of the items the warranty does not for 3 or 5 years. Sears optional protection plan covers labor and trip charges to your home. See your local Sears for details.
This lawn tractor will not mow in reverse.
This article was first published at TodaysMower.com
Comfort – Ease of Use: Standard seat, standard operator controls. The location of the parking brake is a problem.
Power For Mowing: This tractor has plenty of power for side discharge mowing every week.
Reliability – New to 3 yrs: This tractor is serviced by Sears. Read The Reviews Here One thing to know – Sears takes the tractor out of the shipping crate but they do not “setup” the tractor. You have to put gas in it, and run it for the first time. You may have to hook up the battery and charge it. If there is an assembly problem you call 1-800-4MY-HOME and a service tech comes out and fixes the issue. The store where you picked it up from or the delivery team does not repair the tractor.
Handling – Traction/Steering: This tractor has poor traction and handling and is similar to all the other residential zero-turns from the other retailers. I recommend you never use a mower like this on wet or drought-dry slopes.
Mow – Mulch- Bag: This deck gets high marks by owners for mowing. But, be aware this is not a “high-speed” deck like you will find on a commercial lawn mower. It mows perfectly at 3-4 MPH but don’t expect it to mow as fast as the mower will go (6 MPH) and give you the same results. With this tractor/deck you set the height of cut using a lever between your legs. There is a mulch kit available for this deck.
Specifications, Features, Benefits
The rest of this article is taken from the retailers website. Specs subject to change.
Type: Zero-turn lawn mower
Maximum mowing area per hour (acres): 1.25 acres at 4 MPH
Recommended for moderate slopes? No
Excels in mowing around obstacles? No, because it will not mow in reverse.
Will Mow In Reverse? No
Manufacturer: MTD
Brand: Craftsman
Engine Power: 24 hp*
Displacement: ? cc.
Manufacturer: Briggs & Stratton
Cylinders: Twin, cast-iron liners
Type: OHV, oil filter, Pressurized
Charging System: 15 amp regulated
Battery: DieHard
Choke/Speed Control: Integrated One Lever
Fuel Tank Capacity: 3 U.S. gal.
Transmission: Two HydroGear EZT Hydrostatic Transmissions
Transmission Control: Direction, speed dual lap bars
Cruise Control: NA
Forward Speed: 0-6 mph
Reverse Speed: 0-3 mph
Chassis: 14 ga.
Front Tires: 11×4
Rear Tires: 18×8.5
Front Axle: Steel Tube
Hood Material: Plastic
Hourmeter: Yes
Tool Tray: Yes
Cupholder: Yes
Headlights: No
Translucent fuel tank or Fuel gauge: ?
Deck washout port: Yes
12-volt outlet: No
Steering: Lap Bars
Turning Radius: Zero-Turn
Uncut Circle Radius: ? in.
Spindle Bushings: Metal, replaceable
Seat Back Height: Deluxe hi-back
Fore-aft Adjustment: 4 in. while seated
Seat Suspension: Two coil springs
Deck Lift System: Lever between legs
Mower Cut Height: 1.5 in. to 4 in., 6 position
Cut Height Increments: ? in.
Preset Cut Height: No
PTO clutch: Electric
Mower Deck
Type: Side discharge
Mower Cutting Width: 42 in.
Blades: 2
Mower Deck Material: 12 ga
Mower Wheel Adjustment: NA
Mower Level Adjustment: Exact
Mower Drive System: In-line belt, Electric PTO
Mower Attachment: 4 point Not EZ-Off
Mower Drive: Belt Tension Spring
Mower Wheels Rotate For Deck Removal: No
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 43-in.
Overall Length: 67-in.
Width without mower: ?-in.
Width with mower: 50-in.
Width with mower: (deflector raised for storage) 45-in.
Height: ?-in.
Weight: 480 lb with mower, no fuel
U.S. Warranty: 2 year limited, 3 and 5 year optional protection plan
Optional Attachments
Mowers: 42X (standard)
Material Collection System: ?
Mulching System: 33748
Front Thatcher: NA
Front Blade: NA
Tractor Shovel: NA
Snow Blower: NA
Front Bumper: NA
Brush Guard: NA
Bucket Holder: NA
Tow-Behind Tools: NA
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