I'm wanting to replace my 1998 Craftsman Lawn Tractor with Kohler Engine and Hydrostatic transmission with fender control. It has been a great mower. The mower still has some life and I will be giving it to my adult son. I'm looking at used mowers to replace it.
In talking with a mower repair guy, he said that the transmissions on the "newer" Craftsman mowers have plastic parts that wear out after a few years. He said to avoid transmissions that have a black (plastic?)case and find one with the traditional silver metal case. I also saw about 70 negative reviews on the newer transmissions at one web site. The owners were saying pretty much what the repair guy said.
Does anyone know when Sears started using this type of transmission? I've been looking on Craigslist at mowers, but without going and looking at the mowers and see what the transmission looks like, I have no idea the type of transmission they might have.
So, I'm looking for a way to "screen" mowers. Buy before a particular year? Avoid certain models? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.