CRAFTSMAN Mower- need info

[roxyreauxx]

Hi. I just purchased a home and found several Craftsman items in the garage. I am having trouble finding out what one is. The previous owner told me it was a mower, but it is huge. It looks like a bush hog or something like it. It is black or maybe dark green and says Craftsman 33" on it. It has handles like a tiller but a big deck on the front. Can anyone help me? Where do you find parts for it? Thanks!

[Redneckn]

Are there any kind of model or serial numbers on it? If you have some kind of model number, you can go to Sears.com and order parts for it. Also, there should be Sears parts center in your area.

I can give you all kinds of info, but I will have to have a model number...

[mbricker]

Roxy, did you find out what kind of mower you have? From your description, it sounds a lot like a Troy-Bilt WideCut mower. They have been sold under the names Bolens and Cub Cadet as well, that I know of. So I wouldn't be surprised if Sears also sold them with the Craftsman name.

Most Troy-Bilts came with a deck that is capable of bagging, mulching, or side discharging. A few have been sold with a mulch-only deck. Self propelled with either 3 or 4 speeds forward, plus reverse. Handle fairly steep slopes if the operator is physically fit. The steering is by brute force, not separate drives for each rear wheel like commercial walk-behind mowers. Really they are easy to guide on a fairly level lawn, but driving across a slope will work you. The 2 blades overlap, unlike most multi-blade mower decks. Therefore the blades have to be timed to prevent them from striking together.

Overall a capable mower for areas too large for a push mower and too small for a rider. Some commercial users including myself run Troy-Bilts on a few lawns.

Keep in mind that even if your mower is made by Troy (which is now owned by MTD), Sears is well known for specifying manufacturing changes so you have to get parts from them.

Let me know what you find out about your mower. PM me if you want. Mike