Sears Craftsman garden tractors

The reports, as CPSC published them

1. Hurt, care not known

   Made May 28, 2017 · , sent to the company Jun 29, 2017 · , published by CPSC Jul 14, 2017

   The product, in the report: Sears Craftsman T 2500 lawn tractor

   Sears Craftsman T2500 lawn tractor The accelerator pedal is almost fully perpendicular to the ground and about 6” above the foot rest. A foot cannot be put into position to press the pedal in a controlled manner without threatening an orthopedic injury (unless you have [REDACTED] size 26 feet!). The alternative is to balance the foot on the top edge of the pedal where there is no control of speed. This, of course, creates a danger of a runaway lawn tractor with the mowing blade engaged. Thankfully I have not had a safety incident yet but have suffered leg cramps and a sore ankle from the unnatural position. I have owned the tractor 1 year and hoped I would somehow become used to it but it is no better. I contacted Sears about this and got no reply. Perhaps if the foot rest were built up 3 inches or so a normal foot could be rested on it and get some angle on the pedal, but really the pedal should have been set at a less perpendicular angle, just as automobiles have been for at least 75 years!

   Model

   T 2500

   Bought from

   Sears, Indiana

   Bought

   Apr 12, 2016, about then

   Where

   South Bend, Indiana: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Unspecified

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Unspecified

   As this report names them

   Brand Sears Craftsman, made or sold by Sears Holdings Management Corporation

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Injury, Level of care not known

2. First aid

   Made Mar 1, 2016 · , sent to the company Mar 9, 2016 · , published by CPSC Mar 23, 2016

   The product, in the report: Husqvarna produced Sears Craftsman Lawn tractor: Model Number 917.986410, Serial Number 021715A007147.

   I purchased a Husqvarna produced Sears Craftsman Lawn tractor from Sears in April of 2015: Model Number 917.986410, Serial Number 021715A007147.

   The tractor was used through the summer and fall of 2015 to maintain our 1.5 acre yard, and accumulated approximately 35 hours of use as measured by the installed hour meter.

   The tractor began to develop a problem with sticking in forward gear late in the mowing season. Sometimes it would just keep moving forward until the reverse pedal was lightly tapped or the brake applied and then the tractor would come out of gear and stop. At first the problem seemed random and infrequent, but it later became apparent that the issue was degenerative in nature and becoming quite severe. It finally got to the point where the tractor would stay in forward or reverse with the operator’s foot off of the pedal, and that the tractor would not stop moving in either direction even when the left brake was applied. The only way to make the tractor stop was to repeatedly, and sometimes desperately toggle back and forth between the forward and reverse pedals until the tractor stopped moving. The tractor does have a cruise control installed on the unit, but in all cases where the tractor was stuck in gear it was checked, and it all cases it was not active. Obviously, this caused issues with operating the tractor and on several occasions it drove me into low hanging branches on trees and bushes in the yard. My injuries were slight consisting of only scratches to the face and arms. I always wear eye protection while mowing.

   I called Sears service and requested that the tractor be repaired under warranty, since it was less than 1 year old. The earliest service date was late December and the tractor was idled until it could be repaired. In late December the service technician inspected the tractor and rapidly came to the conclusion that the transaxle was sticking. He explained that the newer “plastic” transaxles could not be repaired and had to be replaced as a unit. A replacement part was ordered.

   The same technician returned in mid January to affect the repair. He replaced the transaxle and showed it to my wife explaining that the shaft had rusted, and that when the shaft rusted it caused the transaxle to lock up. He asked her if I had ever washed the tractor. She explained that I had washed it several times using the clean out port on the mower deck and the clean out adapter included with the tractor from the factory, and that I had cleaned it out in accordance with the Owner’s Manual. He explained that you should never wash the tractor regardless of what the manual said because the shaft would rust, the axle lock up and the tractor would stick in gear just as it had done. He then related several stories to her of other tractors he had worked on with the same problem, and the same root cause. Relating about how other owners were similarly injured. The tractor should only be cleaned using a leaf blower and that it should never be allowed to get wet.

   Clearly the tractor has a design flaw and fails in an unsafe manner. Inherent in its use is the fact that it will get wet, from cleaning, from rain, from dew, or just from the wet grass clippings. The device should be able to withstand repeat moderate wetting without any failure, let alone a failure that keeps the tractor in gear even when the operator’s foot is removed from the pedal. And if moderate wettings cause failure, than the failure should be a safe failure where the tractor ceases to operate rather than remaining in gear, endangering the operator. From my cursory inspection of the parts, it would appear that the problem could have been solved by about a dime’s worth of chrome or Zinc-chromate plating on the shaft. Any rust resistant coating would have substantially reduced the probability of the failure mode. The failure mode is completely predictable and testable given the speed at which my tractor rusted and failed with only very moderate use and wettings. The defect, which seems to be relatively prevalent in the field according to the service technician, should have been easily observed in product usage testing and could have been avoided and corrected by proper material usage. [REDACTED]

   Model

   Sears Craftsman Pro model 917.986410

   Serial number

   021715A007147

   Bought from

   Sears

   Bought

   Apr 3, 2015

   Where

   Pewee Valley, Kentucky: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Age 55, Male

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Unspecified

   As this report names them

   Brand Sears Craftsman Pro, made or sold by Sears Holdings Management Corporation

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Injury, First Aid Received by Non-Medical Professional

3. No one hurt

   Made May 3, 2014 · , sent to the company May 12, 2014 · , published by CPSC May 27, 2014

   The product, in the report: My Sears Craftsman Riding Lawn Tractor LTX1000, model # 917.272420, part # 184900 purchased in 2001.

   My Sears Craftsman Riding Lawn Tractor LTX1000, model # 917.272420, part # 184900 purchased in 2001 new from Sears and owned by me this entire time developed a leak in the gas tank. The tank is plastic and it developed four small cracks at the corners of the tank just above the mid line where the two sections are joined together. The cracks appear to be caused by the stress of vibrations coming through the frame the tank attaches to.

   As a result of the cracks, gasoline would slowly leak from the tank. I discovered this because the mower was stored in a section of basement beneath my bedroom. I went to bed one night smelling gasoline fumes. I checked the mower the next day, but could not see any evidence of direct leakage (the cracks are partially hidden by the chassis and dirt that attached to the leaked gas). When the problem continued after several mowings and refillings of the tank, I measured the tank level after filling it, then again when I mowed a week later - I could then see the level in the tank had dropped about an inch. An internet search turned up other consumers with similar tank problems. I removed the tank, cleaned it, and the cracks were immediately apparent.

   I consider this to be a very serious issue because my mower (and other persons’) are stowed in basements and garages. Those areas often have hot water tanks. If the gas leak created enough vapors, they could be ignited by the burner on the hot water tank. In addition, if the crack opened rapidly while the mower was being operated, gasoline could leak around the engine and catch fire, causing serious harm to the operator. If this was a car’s gas tank leaking, I am sure regulatory agencies would be all over it. There is no difference. A gasoline leak is a gasoline leak.

   I know parts wear out, but ones that are crucial to safety must either carry a warning to inspect them for failure or be recalled and replaced. Inspecting a mower’s gas tank is not something most people would even think about doing. I certainly didn’t. My previous Sear riding mower lasted 25 years and its tank never leaked.

   I contacted Sears for a replacement part and notified them of the situation. They said they would take it seriously and gave me free shipping and 10% off a new tank. Personally, I think they should issue a recall. I have their email replies to my emails if you want them.

   There is YouTube video posted by me showing the tank problem. It is located at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dPxstHd-RI

   Model

   Sears Craftsman LTX1000 model # 917.272420, part # 184900

   Bought from

   Sears

   Bought

   Apr 1, 2001

   Where

   Oak Ridge, Tennessee: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Unknown

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Self

   As this report names them

   Brand Sears Craftsman, made or sold by Sears Holdings Management Corporation

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Incident, No Injury

4. No one hurt

   Made Aug 16, 2011 · , published by CPSC Sep 8, 2011

   The product, in the report: Sears Craftsman VT4000 (917.288570) lawn and garden tractor (Serial # 051211A011459) - specifically the Front Lift Link (Part #195270)

   The Front Lift Link (Part #195270 on the rotary mower deck of a Sears Craftsman VT4000 (917.288570) lawn and garden tractor broke at the point where a hole had been factory drilled through the Front Lift Link. This part is located below the tractor engine and thus cannot be seen by the operator during operation of the mower. A piece of this part subsequently fell to the ground and was hit by the rotary mower. There are at least five points of impact on the part from contact with the rotary mower blade. It did not leave the deck as projectile. If it had left as a projectile, it would have been dangerous to people and property. A washer on the piece remains missing. It may have fallen to the ground or may have left the mower deck as a projectile. Sears has replaced the part, but it has the same factory drilled hole as the original part. This hole is tl8 inch in diameter and is countersunk on both sides and passes through the center of the diameter of the 3/8 inch rod. Thus, this factory designed and built part has a weakness for no purpose. If it were a solid rod, it would be stronger and reduce the chance of future failure. Ironically, this would also reduce the work and cost to make the part.

   Model

   VT4000 (917.288570)

   Serial number

   051211A011459

   Bought from

   Sears, Washington

   Bought

   May 31, 2011

   Where

   Sequim, Washington: Home/Apartment/Condominium

   Who was involved

   Unspecified

   The reporter’s relation to them

   Unspecified

   As this report names them

   Brand Sears Craftsman, made or sold by Sears Holdings Management Corporation

   How badly, in CPSC’s words

   Incident, No Injury

CPSC’s disclaimer

Sources