Executive Summary: This is Craftsman’s largest tractor. It has a 30 hp motor and 54 inch side discharge mower. The news media that attended the Detroit Auto Show clamoured all over this new tractor. It has a great cutting deck, great engine, and lots of features you didn’t even know you could get on a riding mower. This is a “luxury” riding lawn mower and one that will give you years of service.
Is this the right mower for you?: This is arguably the best two-wheel drive lawn tractor/garden tractor on the market today. Particularly when you compare the price to similar tractors from John Deere and Simplicity. If you are looking for the best out there because everything else is built “too cheap” seriously look at this mower. This is Craftsman’s best mower. It has a heavy-duty frame, deck and drive-train. This tractor will easily mow 2 acres per hour.
This lawn tractor has many great features including power steering, automotive style starting, ground following deck, automatic traction control, differential lock and a transmission capable of pulling anything Sears sells. If you want to mow your lawn in style and comfort, pick this one. If you want to till the garden and pull firewood out of the timber pick this one. There is no other mower out there for the price if you want the best.
(Last year this tractor was market tested as the Craftsman Professional PTG9500, 28985) I’m glad to see Sears is continuing with this great tractor in a Premium package.
Brand/Manufacture: Craftsman / Briggs & Stratton
Model/Series: CTX9500 / Premium
Item Number: 25007
Buy Here: Sears.com
Store Pickup: Delivery: Ship: You can order online, pick it up at your local Sears or have it delivered right to your home.
Street Price: $6500
Basic Quality: (Cheap, Good, Best, Premium, Don’t Buy) This is Craftsman’s Premium quality. The GT & YT series are less quality. Craftsman does not have a better series.
Type: (Riding Mower, Lawn Tractor, Yard Tractor, Garden Tractor, Estate Tractor, Sub-Compact, Zero Turn, Stand-On) This is an Estate Tractor Handles at least 25 attachments including heavy-duty snowblower.
Compare it to: John Deere X530 24hp/54 in, Simplicity Prestige 27 hp/54 in., MTD Cub Cadet GTX 2154LE 23hp/54 in, Kubota T2380 23hp/48 in.
Craftsman CTX9500 54 in 30 hp Premium Yard Tractor
Pros:
Power Steering, Tilt Wheel
Hydraulic Lift, Electric Mowing Height
Differential Lock, Traction Control
Quick Change Deck
Cons:
About 20 inches longer than competition
Attachments while premium grade are expensive
Large 18 inch turning radius
Street Price: $6499.99 Check The Best Sale Price Here: Sears.com
My Review:
There’s an old saying, “You get what you pay for.” The Craftsman Premium series are a good example of that. You are going to pay more for this tractor than for a YT or GT Series Craftsman, but what you get is well worth the extra money.
Although not heavy enough for commercial use (40 to 50 hours a week) this tractor is heavier than many of the “commercial” units out on the market today. A heavy welded steel deck, differential lock, traction control, hydraulic lift. It has a better lift than the 2000 series Cub Cadet and a better turning radius than the X540 Deere. These new premium tractors are designed to mow well, drive well, and last much longer than the tractors you find at Home Depot or Lowes. This is the heaviest tractor in the “Estate” class and the best Craftsman offers.
I call this class of tractor an “estate tractor” This class of tractor is quieter, easy to use and will last longer than the “lawn tractor” and “garden tractor” class from Craftsman, John Deere, and Cub Cadet.
This article was first published at TodaysMower.com
I’m not going to go into a lot of detail on this review. If you have specific questions leave a comment below and myself or the readers will be glad to answer them. This is a great tractor and if you want one to last this should be at the top of your list.
Comfort – Ease of Use: This is a “real” lawn tractor not a “price point” riding mower. It drives like your car. Great seat, easy to use operator controls, power steering, good field of view, quiet motor. If you spend 5 hours on this mower, you will never go back to the 100 Series Deere, the 1000 series Cub Cadet, or the YT series Craftsman. This is a lot more tractor than the previous Craftsman Professionals (except the 28985.)
Power For Mowing: The Craftsman CTX9500 (25007 ) has more power for mowing than any other lawn, garden or estate tractor on the market. There is a mulch kit available and it is a true baffle kit. This motor will be able to handle it. Oh, It is proven winner for snow blowing. Go Here to see it in action PTG9500, 28985.
Reliability – New to 3 yrs: This tractor is serviced by Sears. Since this is the same tractor as the 28985 I am going to include owner reviews here. Of the reviews I read only one owner had problems getting his new tractor delivered. The delivery team broke the electric deck height getting it off a lift gate truck. Remember to always use fresh fuel and it will give you no problems.
Handling – Traction/Steering: This tractor has the best traction you can get. The Tuff Torq K71 hydrostatic transmission and it 1000 lb weight gives the CTX9500 the best traction you can get with a two-wheel tractor for your suburban yard. You can use a mower like this on wet or drought-dry slopes. It can handle all ground breaking equipment including the DR Power Grader and the Acrease Till-Ease Model 543. If you need more traction than this, plan on spending over $10,000 for a 4-wheel drive tractor.
And tilt-wheel, power steering. By the way, an 18 inch turning radius on this long of tractor is very, very good. (This tractor is 20 inches longer and 300 lbs heavier than the competitors)
Mow – Mulch- Bag: This tractor get high marks by owners for cutting, bagging, and mulching. But, be aware this is a large 54 inch deck so it will not mow quite as even as a 42 inch deck. This deck was made for big lawns. This deck will mow faster than your old lawn tractor. It mows perfectly at 5 MPH but don’t expect it to mow as fast as the tractor will go (7.2MPH) and give you the same results. With this tractor/deck you set the height using an electric switch on the tractor. You can raise the deck for transport and when you go to mow the next time, it goes right back to where you set it. This is great if you have teenagers or other operators who don’t pay attention to the height of cut. The bagging system is larger than yard tractors and uses a blower so everything you mow goes into the bagger. There is a mulcher available for this deck but it is a semi-permanent set-up.
Deck Height Screw
Specifications, Features, Benefits
The rest of this article is taken from the retailers website.
Type: Premium Garden Tractor
Maximum mowing area per hour (acres): 2.5 acres at 5 MPH
Recommended for moderate slopes? Yes
Excels in mowing around obstacles? Yes
Manufacturer: Briggs & Stratton
Brand: Craftsman Premium
Engine Power: 30 hp*
Displacement: 810 cc.
Manufacturer: Briggs & Stratton
Cylinders: V-twin, cast-iron liners, Dynamically Balanced Crankshaft
Type: OHV, oil filter, Automotive type oil system for cooler operation and longer life
Charging System: ? amp regulated
Battery: 500 cold-crank amps
Choke/Speed Control: Magnetron® Electronic Ignition, No choke, automotive style starting
Fuel Tank Capacity: 3.6 U.S. gal.
Transmission: Tuff Torq K71 hydrostatic transmission
Transmission Control: Twin Foot pedals
Cruise Control: Standard
Forward Speed: 0-7.5 mph
Reverse Speed: 0-4.0 mph
Chassis: Frame Welded heavy-duty/Primer/Paint E-coat/powder
Front Tires: 16×5-8
Rear Tires: 24×12-12
Front Axle: Cast iron
Hood Material: Steel
Hourmeter: Yes
Tool Tray: On fender
Cupholder: Yes
Headlights: Yes
Translucent fuel tank or Fuel gauge: Yes
Deck washout port: No
12-volt outlet: No
Steering: Power steering with tilt
Turning Radius: 18 in.
Uncut Circle Radius: 18 in.
Spindle Bushings: Metal, replaceable
Seat Back Height: 18 in. open back
Fore-aft Adjustment: 7 in. while seated
Seat Suspension: Two coil springs
Deck Lift System: Hydraulic
Mower Cut Height: 1 in. to 4 in.,
Cut Height Increments: infinite position with deck gauge
Preset Cut Height: Yes
PTO clutch: Electric
Mower Deck
Type: Side discharge
Mower Cutting Width: 54 in.
Mower Deck Material: 10 gauge reinforced
Mower Wheel Adjustment: 4-position, tool required
Mower Level Adjustment: Exact
Mower Drive System: In-line belt, electric PTO
Mower Attachment: Quick attach EZ-Off
Mower Drive: Belt Tension Spring
Mower Wheels Rotate For Deck Removal: No
Dimensions
Wheelbase: 53-in.
Overall Length: 90-in.
Width without mower: 42?-in.
Width with mower: 62-in.
Width with mower: (deflector raised for storage) 44-in.
Height: 52-in.
Weight: 1173 lb with mower, no fuel
U.S. Warranty: 3 year/unlimited hours
Optional Attachments
So I get my tractor today and the electric deck lift is somehow broken. I can see that it want to turn the screw on the deck but it doesn’t!!!
@Randy, Take a close look and see if there is a loose screw or nut on the lift screw. If it all looks good call 1-800-4MY-HOME and get a tech out right away to fix it.
I posted a picture of the deck height screw in the article above to show you what a good one looks like. It will be in the middle of the article.
That’s exactly what mine looks like. The problem is that the screw doesn’t turn. It wants too because I can see the stress it is putting on the mechinism but something is stoppin it!!!!
@Randy, Try disconnecting the screw from the bracket it is trying to move. Raise the deck up place it on a block of wood. Then try to move the whole bracket and rod. If you can find the binding part and loosen it or mabe all it needs is some grease.
It appears that the snow blower attachment has a manual adjustment for the up and down motion of the discharge shute, at least in some pictures. Does anyone know if this is true?
@Randy, I’m pretty sure it’s a cable system with a lever up by the dash.
I noticed that the 2 stage snow blower has a shute adjustment for left and right when hooked up but what about an adjustment for up and down??
@Randy, Yes the CTX 95000 Model 25007 has a hydraulic lift. No heavy lifting on this tractor! Cool!
Nope….not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the Chute itself, I don’t want to have to get off the tractor to adjust the up and down of the chute so as not to blow snow 30 feet in the air, I want to be able to shoot snow at a level adjustment or 30 feet in the air!!!
@Randy, Got it! Bercomac makes a “Berco Electric Chute and Deflector kit for Berco snow blowers” but Sears is not carrying it at this time. Any Lawn and Garden dealer that sells Simplicity, John Deere or Husqvarana is usually a Bercomac dealer so they can get the kit for you. Berco themselves does not show the accessories on their site.
Here is a guy who “upgraded” his Berco Chute controls Youtube
I will probably just get the kit from Sears that is made for this tractor #64428 – Will I have to remove the snow blower frame to use the mower deck or can I leave it attached? I will look into an electric deflector as a seperate item.
@Randy, Yes, you will need to remove the quik-attach mower deck to install the snow blower. The snow blower is a very heavy duty unit and uses a full length sub-frame under the tractor.
Thanks Paul but that’s not the question I asked. I want to know once the snow blower frame is attached can I put the mower deck on or do I have to remove the snow blower frame to use the mower deck?
@Randy, Yes you will have to remove the snow blower frame, dozer frame, or the tiller frame to reattach the deck. I am not sure about the slip bucket or the Johnny Bucket.
Best price and getting better. Started out at $6499.99. Paid with Sears credit card and got 5% off plus some $25.00 online garden discount. $6500.00 – $350.00 = $6150.00. Then the tractor went on sale 3 days later for $6175.00 I called and told them that I wanted the same $350.00 off the $6175.00 price but they offered $300.00 so I took it. $6150.00 – $300.00 = $5850.00. Then I noticed that they charged me $70.00 for delivery and it was supposed to be free. So I went to the store and they gave me the $70.00. Now we are at $5780.00. So what happens next??? Well they couldn’t deliver on time because they said they had a problem with the delivery and had to order a new tractor, I told them that was very inconvienent and aske for a discount. She offered a $100.00 gift card….$5680.00!!!! and I still don’t have a tractor but I’m saving money every day!!!!!
Another question on deck height:
1. The hydrolic button raises and lowers the entire deck, couldn’t that in a sense be used to determain deck height off the ground for cutting purposes?
2. Electric cut height….does that acutually control how high or low the blades are INSIDE the deck???? Or does in move the deck up and down as well?? The manual is not very clear.
3. Anti Scalping wheels??? I can see that these wheels will prevent the deck from actually hitting the ground but it seems that I could use these wheels to control cut height as well.
So many ways to adjust deck height but what is the correct method to make them all work together???
Thanks for any replies!!!
@Randy,
1. Yes, but the deck is not intended to be a floating deck. You will get a very uneven cut if you set your cutting height this way.
2. The blades don’t move up and down inside decks. The decks are designed for optimum airflow and lift above the blades so this would not work. The electric height raise and lowers the entire deck. When cutting the deck rides on the rear deck wheels.
3. The anti scalping wheels keep the deck from digging into the ground on very uneven lawns (like the bottom of a ditch) They are not intended to run on the ground all the time like the old 110 deere decks. If you could lower them enough they would wear out quickly. Decks that use these wheels for cutting height (like the New Holland 60 and 72 inch decks) have long shafts with holes to set the height. It is a semi-permanent setup and doesn’t allow you to change the height for different parts of your lawn. (My wife mows the dog yard shorter than I mow the rest of the yard.)
The correct way to set the cutting height is to use the switch on the dash. As you move the switch look at the height indicator on the right side of the deck. That indicator will tell you the cutting height in inches. When you want to go haul firewood or drive over a curb or tree root use the hydraulic lift to get the deck up out of the way.
Is there a manual anywhere for the CXT9500 that can be seen online? Also what about a manual for the snow blower attachment?
@ Randy, Go to managemylife.com. Click on the manuals tab. Type in 107.25007. You can view, download and print the manual there.
I hope I’m doing the right thing, I have a lot of people telling me that I should have bought a Deere or a Kabota or even a Cub. They say that Craftsman/Simplicity are low end budget models with high prices. It’s not too late for me to cancel my order but for some reason I feel compelled to get this tractor over all the others!!!
@Randy, Plain and simple, it’s a Ford/Chevy thing. If you buy a Chevy all your friends will tell you “You should have bought a Ford.”
The CTX series are not low-end budget models. Cub Cadet does not have a mower that compares to this one. (The Cub GTX2100 compares to the Craftsman 25005 and Deere X320)
The X530 John Deere and the Kubota GR2010G the closest match to the CTX-9500. I marked the better features in bold
Weight: Deere 801 lbs. Kubota 871 lbs. Craftsman 1173 lbs.
Engine: Deere 24 hp (iTorque), Kubota 20 hp Craftsman 30 hp. The Briggs Professional in the Craftsman has automotive style starting (just turn the key)
Transmission: Deere Differential lock, Kubota HST Hydrostatic, Craftsman Differential Lock and Automatic Traction Control
Cruise: Deere Yes, Kubota Doesn’t say, Craftsman Yes
Truning Radius: Deere 22 in, Kubota Doesn’t say, Craftsman 18 in
Speed: Deere 7.2 mph, Kubota 6.2, Craftsman 8 mph
Seat: Deere 14 in, Kubota 14 in Craftsman 18 in
Deck: Deere Belt Drive, Kubota Shaft Drive, Craftsman Belt Drive
Frame: Deere Welded, Kubota 5/16 U-Frame Craftsman 10 ga Welded
Rear Wheels: Deere 24×12-12, Kubota 23×10.5-12, Craftsman 24×12-12
Hood: Deere Xenoy, Kubota Xenoy, Craftsman Steel
Steering: Deere Power, Kubota Power, Craftsman Power with Tilt
Lift: Deere Hydraulic, Kubota Hydraulic, Craftsman Hydraulic
Cut Height Increments: Deere .25 in, Kubota .25 in, Craftsman infinite
Mower Deck Material: Deere 0.135 in, Kubota .120 in Craftsman 0.135 in
Deck Size: Deere 54, Kubota 48, Craftsman 54
Price: Deere $6899, Kubota Don’t know, Craftsman $6499
Thanks Paul,
Very nice. I was wondering if you would be interested in making a chart that would compare models of similar type so we could see at a glance which models have the better features? The better features would be highlighted in bold like you did for your reply to me.
@Randy, There are hundreds of comparison sites out there and this site is different… My goal is not to tell you which tractor is best… but to help you find the best tractor for you.
Each lawn, each person’s needs are different. I can mow my 1 acre lawn with 50 trees in 22 minutes with a certain 42 inch mower but I doubt if 1/2 of my customers could drive it. It’s the best mower on the market. But if you can’t drive it without years of practice, why should I recommend it. But there is another mower that can do it in less than an hour and 95% of my customers can drive it. It’s not the best mower but it’s the best mower for them.
I had the same peer pressure…everyone for acres around me has JDs. Over the course of the last few days quite a few of them have arrived at my place, 6-pack in tow, for a gander. All have left impressed after their seat time and considering you can get the unit for just under $6k during recent sales and discounts.
For the record, I was having a bit of buyer’s remorse during the long wait to receive my unit. Now that I’ve used it for the last five days (12.3 total hours of use on the clock) I couldn’t be more satisfied. There’s good bang for the buck here.
Ok seems easy enough to take the mover deck off but what about putting it back on?
@Randy, Here is a video on removing and installing the deck of a Simplicity (it’s the same as the Craftsman CTX)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EHu99WXdKo Copy and paste that link into your browser.
Thanks for the replies to my first post. Now I have another question.
I want to get the snow blower attachment but I don’t know how hard it is to install, and does the whole thing have to be removed to put the mower deck back on?
@Randy, Yes, you have to remove the deck and attach a sub-frame under the tractor for the snow blower or blade.
The deck on the CTX 9500 is one of the easiest to remove. The sub-frame is also relatively easy to install.
Don’t forget, the snow blower is built a lot heavier than what you are used to. It needs a tractor of this caliber just to handle the weight of it.
I have the 2012 CTX9500 30HP tractor being delivered on Wednesday 5/2/2012.
After watching all the vids on the snow Blower and other vids, I am wondering what the difference between the electronic deck adjustment and the hydrolic adjustment is. Do I have both?
@Randy, The electronic deck adjustment sets the cutting height.
The hydraulic lift raises the deck for transport and is used to raise and lower the snowblower, dozer blade, tiller and other attachments
I just received my unit three days ago and Mr. Sikkema is correct, but know that the hydraulic lift is rather limited in it’s range. I expected it to raise the deck much higher than it actually does. A bit disappointing, but not a deal breaker in the least. I can measure the exact range this evening and post back.
The electric deck height does give ample range. It’s only downfall is that the deck height gauge pointer sets a good amount above the actual gauge so accuracy is effected when viewed from the seating position. Again, it’s a somewhat minor issue and shouldn’t be too concerning.
@Nathan, There are 2 bolts that hold the indicator on the deck but I didn’t look to see if you can loosen them and adjust the indicator to give you an accurate reading. You may want to try loosening the bolts and see if there is some play in the holes. Be sure to measure your cutting height by lifting the discharge chute and measuring from the blade edge to a flat surface like your driveway.
I agree with the amount of lift. I would like to see the whole industry develop a line of tractors that mow at 4 1/2 to 5 inches and still lift the deck up out of the way but, there is a fine line between getting the deck up out of the way and still keeping a low center of gravity on the mower. Some manufactures like are getting this done by putting the engine in the rear.
The lift does raise and lower the snow blower, blade and other accessories well.
could be a nice tractor, but must see before buying. How can one but anything without seeing. Sears never has the newer models on display. whould like to see all ctx models at sears to compare like cub cadet or john deere does……rick
@Rick, I agree that I would like to see the tractor before I buy. That said, Sears has 1500 full-line stores and another 1500 or so Hometown stores so it’s hard for even a company that big to have all four tractors displayed at all the stores.
The Cub Cadet and John Deere dealers are independent dealers. They decide what models they will have on display. Your Lowes and HD won’t have all of the tractors they sell either. Only a sample.
Most mall stores will have the 50 inch model on display. It is a good representative model. The large full-line/hi-volume sears stores will have all 4 displayed. My local store has the 50 inch but I have travel 125 miles to Minneapolis to see them all (I am going April 17)
If you want it, buy it. You have a 30 day money back guarantee if you don’t like it. The only money you would be out would be the delivery charge if you had it delivered.