Executive Summary: Unfortunately not enough Sears Customers were interested in spending this much on a premium Craftsman tractor and this model has been discontinued.
You have been asking for a Craftsman tractor that will mow slopes and hills. This is it! The CTX 9500 Craftsman Model 25006 has automatic traction control and differential lock. What does that mean to you? If you are going up a hill and one of the rear wheels start to loose traction this transmission automatically will transfer power to that wheel. When the going really gets tough you can step on the Diff Pedal with your foot and BOTH wheels get full traction. No more getting stuck in ditches or dips or slopes. If you are brave enough to go up it, this new Craftsman will take you there all the while giving you a superior cut and ride. (Please follow safety instructions in the manual) The 25006 has a better motor than the Craftsman 28861 Garden Tractor and this new motor starts just like your car … just turn the key. There is no choke position or separate choke control for you to mess with.
Is this the right mower for you?: This is arguably the best two-wheel drive lawn tractor on the market today particularly when you compare the price to similar tractors from John Deere and Simplicity. It has a heavier transmission than most “Garden Tractors” 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 electric deck height, 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. While this is not Craftsman’s biggest tractor it has all the features that make it a “luxury” model. There is no other mower out there for the price if you want the best.
This is going to be a very long review. There are many points to over why this style of tractor is different than the current lawn or garden tractor you now have. This tractor is more expensive than you are used to, but I will show you why it is actually a better value over time.
Brand/Manufacture: Craftsman / Briggs & Stratton
Model/Series: Garden Tractor
Item Number: 25006 (49 State) NA (CA Version)
Buy Here:
Store Pickup: Delivery:
Street Price: $5399.99
Basic Quality: (Cheap, Good, Best, Premium, Don’t Buy) This is Craftsman’s Premium Quality. All other Craftsman’s are less quality.
Type: (Riding Mower, Lawn Tractor, Yard Tractor, Garden Tractor, Estate Tractor, Sub-Compact, Zero Turn, Stand-On) This tractor handles most attachments.
Compare it to: John Deere X500 54 in 24 hp, Simplicity Conquest, (The Simplicity uses the same frame) Cub Cadet (MTD) does not make a tractor at this time that is equal to the CTX9500. The 3000 series Cub’s have been discontinued. Husqvarna and Ariens don’t make a tractor this heavy. Husvarna does have a riding mower of the same caliber available in Europe.
Pros:
Cut quality is outstanding
Floating Deck feature ensures no scalping
Easy Deck removal
Strong, easy to use steering
Cons:
Bigger than you are used too
Lift/Height controls takes some getting used too.
Retail Price: $6749.99 Check The Best Sale Price Here:
My Review:
Warning! If you buy this tractor, it will be the last one you will have to buy for many years. If you have a house with a larger lawn and plan on staying there for quite some time, this may be the last tractor you will buy.
In my opinion you will easily get 1500 hours of trouble free use out of this tractor with normal maintenance. That’s mowing four hours a week, 26 times a year for almost 15 years! Try that with any other lawn/yard/garden tractor on the market. (Many of the cheap lawn tractors are designed for only 250 hours of use) Take the cost of a typical lawn tractor and the cost of this tractor and you can quickly see that the Craftsman Premium is really a better value!
I want to apologize to Sears for these pictures. This tractor was just taken out of the crate and the Sales Associates did not get a chance to wipe the dust off the tractor before I took these.
The deck is not a “free floating” deck like you now have. The height of cut is set electrically with gauge wheels and these wheels ride on the turf. This allows the deck to ride on the turf and follow all the contours of your lawn. It gives a superior cut compared to the free floating design on other brands. The only disadvantage is you will have to replace the gauge wheels every few years.
This deck does not have the full length roller across the back of the deck like some of the other Briggs made tractors. These full length rollers give you a “striped” effect when you mow but are just extra parts to wear out for most of us. The striping rollers don’t give you the superior cut that gauge wheels do because don’t they follow the ground contours as well on a rough lawn.
The entire tractor is metal. There are very few plastic parts to crack or fade. The entire hood is metal and in my opinion the steel is as thick as the deck of your Craftsman or Husqvarna push mower. Some of the other brands are using more plastic than metal parts now-days.
This lawn tractor will mow in reverse. This tractor has a removable reverse lockout key! If you don’t want the operator to mow in reverse you can remove the safety key. They can mow normally, but not in reverse. This is a great feature when training inexperienced users!
People who buy this lawn tractor know what they are buying and this is just what they want. Loyal Craftsman owners have been asking for a tractor of this caliber for quite some time. This tractor has all the features you asked for. Solid, dependable, easy to use, easy to steer, traction control, ground hugging deck……….
This article was first published at TodaysMower.com

Craftsman Premium 25006 Transmission Filter Cover. You don’t need to change this, but it’s nice to know it’s there.
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: Deluxe seat, nice placement of the controls. The forward/reverse is done with pedals but the top speed is set with a lever on the fender. This is a great feature because you can set the forward speed for an even cut.
One of the best features of this mower is how quickly you can remove the deck. Lower the deck, remove four spring clips. Pull the handle on the front of the tractor and turn the front wheels. Slide the deck out. This is so simple a task that you will be removing the deck just so you can use the tractor for other yard work.
Power For Mowing: This tractor has plenty of power for all types of mowing every week. This Briggs & Stratton Professional engine has electronic fuel management. It has no choke lever and starts just like your car.
Reliability – New to 3 yrs: This tractor is serviced by Sears. Since it is made by Briggs & Stratton I expect no issues with the build quality. 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 uses “low effort” steering. Get on it and turn the wheel. The steering is easy and very responsive. I really like the heavy duty steering on this tractor. The tie-rod and steering linkages are MUCH stronger than what’s on your current tractor. The ball ends are heavy duty and everything is built strong. One of the many overlooked features is the stops on the front axle. When you turn the wheel all the way, there are steel blocks that reinforce the front axles so you will never bend the front end tie rods or steering parts.
This tractor weighs over 300 lbs more than your typical garden tractor. With this extra weight traction and steering are much better than you are used to. The ride is better too.
This tractor has the best traction of all the Garden Tractors on the market in this price range. The automatic traction control and differential lock gives this tractor the ability to go where no other garden tractor can. If the rear wheels start to spin just slow down and the automatic traction control sends more power to the slipping wheel. This tractor will go up hills you never dreamed of with your old tractor. There are other brands of tractors that have this feature, but they are all more expensive than this Craftsman.
Here is a video of a Simplicity tractor with the same transmission this CTX 9500 has. They are comparing it to Cub Cadet’s best shaft drive tractor: httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOBBKNUc2vE As you can see there is no comparison for traction. Again this Craftsman Premium uses the same transmission as the Simplicity (The Craftsman has a better deck)
Mow – Mulch- Bag: This tractor uses Briggs best 52 inch deck. This deck was designed about 3 years ago and has been getting very good reviews for quality of cut, mulching and bagging. It is a stamped deck so you will not have to spend the extra money for a additional blower for the grass catcher. With this tractor/deck you set the height of cut using a switch on the dash. You can also raise the deck for transport and doing other tasks using a lever on the tractor.
Specifications, Features, Benefits
The rest of this article is taken from the retailers website. Specs subject to change.
Type: Premium Garden/Estate Tractor
Maximum mowing area per hour (acres): 2.3 acres at 5 MPH
Recommended for moderate slopes? Yes
Excels in mowing around obstacles? Does Well
Will Mow In Reverse? Yes
Manufacturer: Briggs & Stratton
Brand: Craftsman
Engine Power: 26 hp*
Displacement: 724 cc.
Manufacturer: Briggs & Stratton Professional
Cylinders: V-Twin, cast-iron liners
Type: EFI, OHV, oil filter, Pressurized
Charging System: 15 amp regulated
Battery: DieHard
Choke/Speed Control: Automatic car type starting
Fuel Tank Capacity: 1.5 U.S. gal.
Transmission: Tuff Torq K66 with traction control and differential lock
Transmission Control: Direction – pedal; speed – lever
Cruise Control: Yes
Forward Speed: 0-6.1 mph
Reverse Speed: 0-3.0 mph
Chassis: 10 ga.
Front Tires: 16 x 6.5 x 8
Rear Tires: 23×10.5 x 12
Front Axle: Cast Iron
Hood Material: Steel
Hourmeter: Yes
Tool Tray: Yes
Cupholder: Yes
Headlights: Yes
Translucent fuel tank or Fuel gauge: Yes, Real fuel gauge on dash
Deck washout port: Yes
12-volt outlet: Yes
Steering: 2-wheel steer easy-steer
Turning Radius: 18 in.
Uncut Circle Radius: ? in.
Spindle Bushings: Metal, greaseable replaceable
Seat Back Height: Deluxe
Fore-aft Adjustment: 5 in. while seated
Seat Suspension: Two coil springs
Deck Lift System: Lever
Mower Cut Height: 1.5 in. to 4 in. electric adjustment
Cut Height Increments: infinite fingertip
Preset Cut Height: Yes
PTO clutch: Electric
Mower Deck
Type: Side discharge
Mower Cutting Width: 50 in.
Blades: 3
Mower Deck Material: 12 ga
Mower Wheel Adjustment: Infinite
Mower Level Adjustment: Exact
Mower Drive System: In-line belt, electric PTO
Mower Attachment: 4 point, one handle, quick attach
Mower Drive: Belt Tension Spring
Mower Wheels Rotate For Deck Removal: No, But deck slide out easily
Dimensions
Wheelbase: ?-in.
Overall Length: 89-in.
Width without mower: ?-in.
Width with mower: 58-in.
Width with mower: (deflector raised for storage) 53-in.
Height: 49-in.
Weight: 908 lb with mower, no fuel
U.S. Warranty: 2 year limited, 3 and 5 year optional protection plan
Joe McCleskey
With respect to the CTX 9500 Attachment Lift Lever, mine also did not move up & down when the lever was moved up & down. I believe that the two outside chains (imediately in front of the rear tires are shipping restraints. I removed them & now the deck goes up & down as the Attachment Lift Lever is moved up & down. Some what misleading as using the electric height control works just fine with these two (restraint/shipping?) chains in place. After removal of these chains the electric height adjustment works just fine whether the lever is up or down.
Gregg Teeters
I bought the tiller attachment for the CTX9500 and on page 10 of the operating manual it states Note: Recommended accessories Rear Wheel wieghts and front counter weights are recommended. I have the Rear wheel but CANNOT find the front counterweight……
Paul Sikkema
@Gregg, The front weight carrier is the same as the Simplicity 1694155
http://www.mowersdirect.com/Simplicity-1694155/p6574.html
. You can mount either the 33 lb or 50 lb suitcase weights to that. Model 1691319 and 1692939. You can get these through a local Simplicity dealer or mowersdirect.comDell Wallace
Just wondering where to get replacement blades. Do you know a source. I need the immediately.
Thanks
Paul
Hi Dell, Well, the only place open today is searspartsdirect.com. You will need the model number from under the seat to get them. They have expedited delivery.
The other place that will be open tomorrow is your local Simplicity dealer. It’s a 52 inch Simplicity Broadmore painted black. Bring a blade with you so the dealer can compare it to the ones he has on the shelf.
Paul Sikkema
@Vic, Oops, it’s 3.6 gallon
Joe
Paul, I am very interested in the CTX9500 25006, but they are not in any stores, I would much rather see one before I spend $4000 or $5000. Is this temporary or is this the way Sears will do business? Do you have contacts that mighty be able to answer my question? I live in southeast MI
Paul Sikkema
@Joe, I want to remind you that Sears has a 30 day return policy on tractors. If you decide to buy it sight unseen and you find out it’s not the tractor for you…just return it.
Now, I am talking about the Sears Full-Line Stores: Sears places tractors in stores based on the sales history of the store. If the majority of the sales at a particular store are for the Lawn and Yard series tractors…..they won’t put the CTX in those stores. For example my local store wasn’t large enough to get the 30 hp Craftsman Professional last year. In fact, as far as I know there were only 3 stores in Wisconsin large enough to have them on display.
This year my local Sears had sold enough tractors last year that they were allotted the 25006. And,…. a customer ordered a 25005 early in the season, changed his mind after the tractor arrived at the store, so now they have that one on display also.
I was invited over to Minneapolis, MN in April to try out the 25007.
The Sears Hometown stores have their own criteria for what stores get what tractors. Since most of these stores are franchise stores and not actually owned by Sears…the store owners decide what tractors they will have in stock.
Sears is not the only store that does this: Our local Sam’s Club is finally getting Optical. The store I shopped at when I lived in Illinois had one 20 years ago.
Josh Little
Paul, Do you know if there is a listing of all the grease zerks on the tractor? I found one on each front wheel, four more on the front frame, one on the underside of the tractor, and three on the mower deck. Am I missing any?
Paul Sikkema
@Josh, Give me a day to get the answer from Craftsman. There appears to be a dealer repair manual(for Simplicity dealers) that shows those points but it is not available to us at this time. I am going to see if Craftsman can get the manual and post it on managemylife.com for us.
Paul Sikkema
@Josh, Here is what I got from Craftsman:
After further investigation into your question, here is what I found out.
The only real grease fittings on the tractor will be the front spindles, the axle center pivot, and the wear plate at the back of the front axle. As an FYI, the front wheels are ball bearings & there are no fittings there (sometimes we get that question). The idler pivot arm for the transmission belt also has a grease fitting.
We are working with our supplier to change the manual to show a grease zerk location page.
Thanks,
Gary Lalla
Manager – Craftsman Brand; Lawn & Garden
Josh Little
Thanks Paul! I really appreciate your help!
nick
Paul so the front wheel bearings are maint. free? thanks nick
Paul Sikkema
@nick, yes they are sealed ball bearings. No maintenance (or greasing) required.
nick
Paul’ do you know what trans is in the jd x-500 series tractor with the 48″ deck ? thanks nick
Paul Sikkema
@nick, Deere doesn’t say, but the general agreement is it is a Tuff Torq K71 or K72 or some form of it. It may be a K66 Either way it is rated as a heavy duty trans and it does have a differential lock.
It varies from the Craftsman Premium 25006 that has a K66 with automatic traction control and differential lock. The 25007 Craftsman has a K71
tony
the jd x500 modles have a k58 trans
Bob Mac
Hi Paul, Just an update on the CTX-9500 26hp/52″ tractors on clearance I’m watching as some local Sears stores. One store has it “on sale” for $5,499 and the salesman & mgr know nothing about discounted/clearance pricing. The store I’ve talked with several times said the current clearance price for their floor model is $5,399 and they would do another -15% = $4,589, add the $669 5-year protection plan = $5,258.
While running errands over the weekend I happened to pass a Sears Hardware/Parts center. I dropped in and inquired if they had any 25006’s on clearance and they said they did have one in their storage shed. They said it was a floor model all last summer and they did put fuel in it and allow interested customers to test drive it in a small corral area and only has a few hours max on the engine and its never cut grass. Their offer to me was 40% off list, $6,700 -40% = $4,079 and the 5-year based on the discounted price would be $629. The manager called a district manager and got him to ok another $200 plus 10% off the 5-year plan if I wait until this weekends friends/family event, so thats; $3,879 plus $566 5-year protection = $4,445 Total, plus they would throw in free delivery! Good news is my wife is starting to think its a great deal !! Stay tuned, Bob
Bob Mac
Hi Paul, I finally realized the CTX-9500 25006 26hp/52″ model MSRP is $6,799.99 but the everyday selling price has been all along at$5,499! So the floor model I’ve see as on clearance and sold as is for $5,399 is only marked down $100 because of a missing cutter shield. So there is some truth to what one manager told me that he hasn’t been told teh line is discontinued and there are no “discontinued/clearance” sales going on. The CTS line-up has been removed from Sears.com but a manager said they are still in the system for ordering new and they said I could get a new unit for $5,399 less friends and family 10% less another 5% if I open a Sears credit card, so $4,700 w/out the protection plan. So $4,445 including the 5-year looks good and I many jump on it after looking at it this coming weekend.
Paul Sikkema
@Bob, The “normal” sale price is usually 20% off. Shop Your Way Rewards, Sears Card incentives, Family and Friends, etc., gives you more off depending on the sale. 40% off is a really, really good price. If you want the tractor that’s the best price.
Sears like all the nation wide retailers does not always have the same sales or discounts in every store. A lot of these big retailers may have too much inventory in one particular warehouse and they will run special deals only for that warehouse’s servicing area. Plus with Sears, Sears.com, Kmart.com, Sears Mall Stores, Sears Hometown Stores, Sears hardware stores, The Great Indoors, Kmart and MyGofer all run different sales at different times.
Many of the big grocery chains with loyalty programs now give you “special, personalized” deals when you shop based on your buying habits. Expect big hard lines retailers like Sears to start doing the same thing (through programs like Shop-Your-Way Rewards)
The CTX’s are pretty much gone, but Sears has at least 8 different warehouses spaced around the country and one or two of them may have some sitting there yet. Plus inventory at individual Hometown stores is not listed in the general inventory lists. I know one Hometown store that still has two Revolutions in stock.
Bob Mac
Hi Paul, Got an update on the CTX 26hp/52″ I’ve been considering. My initial motivation with replacing my 15 year old Craftsman garden 22hp Kohler/46″ was to save time mowing my 55k sqft which takes me between 2-3 hours depending on mow direction, bagging or not and if I let it go 2 weeks since last cutting. Also the parts list on my current tractor has more and more obsolete items. I started researching zero turns then saw the CTX floor model at my local Sears which is when I stumbled on your todaysmower.com blog.
The zero turns I’ve been looking at have been priced $5550+ (Kubota, Exmark, Huskavna, etc.). Your recent article on New 54 inch Craftsman ZTL 8000 Zero Turn got my attention (<$3k ?)
Well long story short back to my update. The CTX new floor model price I had until yesterday was $3,850 plus $566 for the 5-year warranty. Yesterday I called to see if the price was reduced further and the manager said 40% off MSRP ($6,799) is the best I can do. Then he put me on hold for a minute then came back on the line and said his new spring lineup arrives next week and he needs storage space, if I purchase the CTX this week they can do $3,044.88 less another $152 which = $2892.88 if I open a sears charge. Plus the 5-year warranty would be $567 he mentioned doing 10% off that.
I think the CTX is a steal at that price but concerned my mowing time will not be cut in half like it would with a zero turn. If I get a zero turn I would keep my old lawn tractor to tow my attachments.
The Tim Allen in me says get the CTX but a new zero turn toy is pulling at my time strings. I would need to purchase a bagger for both.
Thoughts?
Bob
Paul Sikkema
@Bob, any zero-turn less than $5000 will not mow any faster than the CTX in a straight line. The only advantage is mowing around obstacles. A lot of the zero-turns say they will go 6 or 7 mph, but of the ones you mentioned the ExMark is the only one that will mow that fast. (I am assuming you are looking at a new Kubota and Husqvarna. The Husqvarna, Craftsman – 4 to 5 mph. The Kubota – 5 mph)
An ExMark, Kubota bagger is over $700, the Husqvarna bagger $500
Speed: When you get above 5 mph your lawn has to be smooth or the zero-turn needs a suspension seat or they are a very rough ride. The CTX has a better ride than the zero-turns. A lot of women complain they need a sport bra to use a zero-turn
Many owners say the deck under the CTX will mow faster than other tractor decks.
The CTX will mow faster than your old one. The 26 hp motor will power through your bi-weekly growth.
I’d buy the CTX. If it doesn’t work out sell it for what you paid for it and buy $6000 plus zero-turn.