Craftsman Professional  Lawn Mower 33 Inch Self-Propelled 12.5 HP Non CA

I like a tight lawn, and doing it with my previous 21" Husky was a long morning. This mower has been everything I could hope and then some. Mowing time is cut to less than half of what it was. Cut quality is top notch, clean up is a breeze. Pair this with the bagger and your lawn will look amazing in no time. One gripe -- the design seems to have changed since the docs were printed and the spindles no longer have zerk fittings. Minor quibble, but hey... Five stars for this mower. It's a beast and I love it.

I like it. It cranks well and has plenty of power. The light is great and allows me to cut in the cool of the evening. i like to tie a rag on the right handle and keep the blade going and switch hands on the steering. it is a great excerciser. good walk and my grass is done. Backed by sears, can"t do any better, get you one you will be happy, great bang for the buck. i am a blue collar wage earner, simple redneck here in central alabama. i am shooting you straight, War Eagle!

excellent in every way

Great mower when it works. I have a 1.5 acre lot with a slope on part of it. The mower handles it well but I have had all the same issues as others. Broken cables; dead battery; throwing belts; and now a cracked frame. All within the first two seasons. Sears Service has been good coming out and fixing including a complete rebuild with a new frame the last time but I'm afraid I'm going to be on a first-name basis with them. Obviously, some design issues here and the service guys know it...I think they are getting good at replacing cracked frames on these machines.

I would agree with CurbAppeal's review since the same thing happened to my mower. I have an acre lot with some hills and bumps but nothing a mower labeled PROFESSIONAL could not handle. After about 30 hours of use (1 year for me) the drive belt kept popping off. This year there was some grinding noises due to chassis flex and then finally after about 60 hours of use the sheet metal that was holding the rear axle ripped and the axle came off. Do yourself a favor and spend a little more money on a quality machine. I wish I would have.

I have had this mower for almost 1 1/2 years and no problems except that the drive/ brake cables are junk.  I have replaced each drive and brake cable at least 3 times.  Sears sent a repair tech who shrugged and said they all do it...."bad design".  Also seems a little shy on power for 12.5 horses.

I too initially had problems with the belts falling off with in the first 5 minutes of use.  I know a bit about mowers and took a look at it figuring it would be a simple fix.  The belt was impossible to reach on my own and for the price of the mower I should have to be fixing it in the first time I use it so I called for the repairman.  They couldn't come out until 3 days later so I had to wait for them to fix it.  Once the belt was fixed, I came home and started cutting the grass.  This time I made it 10 minutes in then the belt came off once again.  I called them and told them about the problem and they told me they were going to send me another brand new one.  Two days later I received a brand new one and have not had one issue with it at all and I've had it for about 4 months.  Now it fires right up every-time and cuts great with no issues.  Clearly the belt thing is an ongoing problem but I will say they were very friendly and eager to fix the problem.

I have only put 20 hours on my mower so I can't speak for its durability just yet... That being said, this is an awesome mower.  The 33" cut makes short work of any lawn.  Deck height is quick and easy to change.  It could run a little bit faster but the speed is not that bad.  the handles are easy to operate and it is easy to steer.  It always makes a clean cut.  Just remember... it is a Briggs & Stratton so it's days are numbered vs spending 3 times the money for a comparable mower with a kawisaki or Kholer etc...

The mower deck is junk. The cables are junk. The battery dies every time. I spend as much time fixing the mower, adjusting the blade timing as I do mowing. I have had to replace every belt and 2 cables and blades in 1 year.  It's a great frame but the mower deck is a joke.  They call it professional grade, I cannot imagine any landscaper being happy with this product unless they have alzheimers.

I purchased this unit a little over 2 months ago, I actually look forward to mowing the lawn. I have had absolutely no issues with it. Defiantly change oil after first 2 hours as manual suggests and the deck wash is OK but I prefer to tip it back and clean it thoroughly. This mower defiantly gets the Tim Taylor 3 grunt award. Love it!