I have been really giving this one some honest thought. In 1997 I bought a 96 Craftsman 19HP B&S TwinCool Hydrostatic AT 46" LT with lawn bagging kit etc. for $1000.00 --- (it had been used commercially for less than one year but I didn't have the $ to worry about that - I needed a LT help cut my 10 acres. (I didn't have any tractor at that point) It was a medium grade model with non-cast iron front axles, no super-duty tranny, drive or oil filter. When I tell you that this LT has seen some time on the greens, I am simply not kidding. It cut everything from bushhogging duties (with grass 5' tall) down to regular lawn maintenance (and everything in between) - simply great engine.
It held up and kept going. I have only had to perform regular oil changes (tons), carb rebuild once, engine top-end rebuild - gasket replacements once, deck and drive belt once. It is still strong as an ox. I hear all of this BS about cast-iron axles but this plated/pressed steel axle has BEEN THROUGH HELL and shows no signs of wear and tear. Then I go and spend nearly 3x for a brand new showroom GT and am left wondering if that was the smartest choice for me.
I really like my GT5000, but sometimes I feel I got carried away with the shiny red paint and big tires!
--- No really, I like my unit --- I just wish I got more replies on my thread "What can my GT5000 really do?" ---- I guess my point with all of this is that simply --- sometimes you do get a great deal on a great machine and sometimes things break down on the most expensive models. I guess I didn't get a bad model the first time around and after thousands and thousands of hours on that 96, it still runs like a top and will cut through anything. No buyer's remorse here --- just some silly ramblings...
Thanks

Andy
It held up and kept going. I have only had to perform regular oil changes (tons), carb rebuild once, engine top-end rebuild - gasket replacements once, deck and drive belt once. It is still strong as an ox. I hear all of this BS about cast-iron axles but this plated/pressed steel axle has BEEN THROUGH HELL and shows no signs of wear and tear. Then I go and spend nearly 3x for a brand new showroom GT and am left wondering if that was the smartest choice for me.
I really like my GT5000, but sometimes I feel I got carried away with the shiny red paint and big tires!
Thanks
Andy