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Craftsman CTX line


sammiefish

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I saw this article... I'm wondering if these are Simplicities... (B&S) ... Georgia and NY manufacturing certainly sounds like it. http://www.wreg.com/marketplace/auto/sns-rt-us-craftsman-tractortre7bm014-20111222,0,7306600.story
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Looks to be a Conquest sibling http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_07125006000P?keyword=ctx9500&sLevel=0&redirectType=SKIP_LEVEL&prop17=CTX9500
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It appears to have the same front deck bracket that mounts to the front axle as my prestige. So it would pivot with the axle, but I doubt it will have full width rollers. They more than likely can easily be added.
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How unfortunate that the public will buy a Simplicity from Sears but not from a Simplicity dealer :( Although this will boost revenues for Simplicity it will add to lost sales at their dealerships...
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Actually it would boost revenues for Briggs Power Group LLC. I don't believe there is an individual Simplicity company anymore. The new Simplicity tractors feautre parts integrated from the Murray and Snapper lines as well. What is bad for the dealers, is that for the last couple decades the Simplicity Brand was built as a dealer exclusive product, differentiated by quality, and briggs is working to wipe away that image. Whats worse for dealers, is that people can buy them much cheaper at Sears, and most purchasers will still be unaware they even have a Simplicity tractor. They will likely purchase their parts from Sears, rather than a Simplicity dealer.
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quote:
Originally posted by RayS

[img]/club2/attach/RayS/craftsmanctx.jpg[/img]
Well it looks like they lost the yellow seat, deck and crappy decal. I like it.
Wonder if they painted black because its the "Black Sheep" of the family?:D:D:D Not a bad looking tractor though, however it will show the dirt like a black car. I doubt Sears will be a big mover of these high end machines.The only real advantage of buying fom sears might be sears credit services, but then again who would really want to charge a several thousend dollar tractor to a 25% credit card? I thought their Husquavarna garden tractors( big ones with bolt on rear wheels) were not too bad for the price, but a tech was telling me that they have problems with the frames fracturing and breaking where the trannies bolt on. Lawn tractors are just not what they used to be. Even the Conquests like my wifes are kinda tinny. At 1000 hours the front end is totally worn out. I found out that Simplicity now sells a $300 upgrade/repair kit to fix these weak front ends. I assume they have corrected the deficiency in the newer models.?
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I agree. Modern day junk spin off. People who bought Simplicities in the 1960 era up to late 1990,s seem to be a different breed of people who could afford to buy top quality without too much strain on the budget.Now days a lot of people want the best price and most of the time cheaper built throw away tractors . All of you have heard it before ,when my neighbors see what some of these old simplioities will do they are amazed. Lets just keep the old ones running and put the new tin to shame. Twenty years from now some of these simplicities will be 70 years old and still cutting grass ,pushing dirt and blowing snow
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As I stated previously about the Sears Prestige people go to places like Sears to buy lawn tractors, not garden tractors. The Prestige version didn't go over that well and not sure the Conquest verion will either unless they make it cheaper yet. I buy the Simplicity for the job the deck does mowing with the roller system and sure wouldn't buy a cheaper version without it.
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Maybe...but has a vertical engine like the plastic "lawn" tractors at Lowes, K-Mart, etc... (by the way Chris I love your Homesteder...Our verticals are OK, the're not even in the same league as the ones I'm b--chin' about) I just dont like when the big box stores try to package/sell there big lawn tractors as Garden Tractors ngr2 They're glorified riding mowers---Thats it, and in 5 to 10 yrs they'll be in a dumpster. sorry...I'm a tractor bigot & my home town was hurt when our Allis Chalmers plant closed down...it was our biggest employer
quote:
Originally posted by Chris727
Greg, these tractors do have steel hoods.
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I agree with you entirely. I see no way that these are in same league as the older built units up to the sovereign and sunstar units. I have a relative who sold Simplicity up to late 1990 and as far as sales it dropped dramatically with some of the newer lighter weight aero look units. I know some may disagree but I which they would get back to a updated small diesel as option or v-twin horizonal shaft engine in a Landlord or Sovereign based lawn or garden tractor. Why do we see so many low hour newer units for sale? Makes me wonder. Do I want to buy one ? Probably not
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Heres my Prestige. Owned now for 10 years still runs strong. Will take the same attachments as my three Sovereigns tractors with correct hitches. Out mows any of them. The Sovereigns that I have, have new engines in them with less than 20 hours. Diesel 7790 has around 650 hours. Prestige has a vertical shaft 20hp Kohler Command with hydraulic lift with a little over 500 hours. Vertical shaft or horizontal shaft doesn`t matter much they all use a belt to transfer power to the transmission.
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AS with anything there is always a few exceptions. Simplicity did the big "verticals" right...I've seen Front End Loaders on that tractor with 4 wheel drive too. was very impressed......(but I still hate MTD, Sears, Murry, etc...)sm01 My point in the begining was to buy Simplicity not Sears...then I rambled onto my "plastic/verticals" rant...|)^:D
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B & S is out to make money period. They want to cut costs and I wonder what the Simplicity line will look like. I hope they learned a good lesson with that Allis Chalmers fiasco. Kind of sad when you look around and see the number of garden tractor lines that aren't being built any more. Ariens, Power King, Bolens, Ford, Gravely, the good Cub Cadets to name a few.:(:(:(
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If the Allis Chalmers deal is not going well, then is the Sears version getting cheaper in quality, performance. If you cut the price, undersell Simplicity dealers then this could hurt the factory in the long run . As far as outmowing one simplicity version over another simpicity I have a lot rolling and flat area to mow and not particular hurry to see how quick I can do the job. My 3314V with a 48"deck does a fantastic job . Bought it new April 1971, just past it 4oth birthday. Rebuilt deck with bearings ,blades,belts, the whole bit three times in 40 years. The 14 horse still runs very strong and never being rebuilt ,with just past 2300 hours on the engine.
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I'm going to open up a can of worms here, but I think the Command engines, might be better than the old cast-iron engines. The cast briggs tend to suck too much dirt, get sludge in the pan, and cannot operate on steep slopes without shortening the engines life. The newer engines have pressure lube with oil filters, also low oil shut down systems. I pulled the vangaurd off my '98 landord, and with 250 hours there was no sludge whatsoever in the sump.
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quote:
Vertical shaft or horizontal shaft doesn't matter much they all use a belt to transfer power to the transmission.
True. But blasphemy to a Purist!!:D:D
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Theres no doubt that engine technology has improved, but no sludge is more from improvements in oils and air filters since the 60-70's tractors. I think some of these vert.shaft engines are powerful/awsome engines...I was misunderstood by the owners of GOOD vert. engine tractors like Ray, Built on heavy frame for use with heavy attachments, much like the old Simplicitys I use the "vert.engine" phrase to describe the newer MTD types when in reality its not the engines so much as the "tin pan" frame they sit on or the variable pitch drive pully that slips when the belt gets wet (Hydros are ok) or the 12" of clutch travel on the vari-pitch system too, or the mower decks with more mount hardware than 3 simplicitys, or the creeky cheap steering system...but the engines are the BEST part of an MTD, Ranch King, Husky, murry, etc I should change my rant from the cheap new "Plastic/Verticals" to the cheap new "Plastic/Tin pan framed" riding mowers.........sm01sorry for carrying on...againsm01:D
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