Free 1992 Craftsman II LT4000 12.5hp OHV 38" 5 speed Lawn Tractor (aka Bush I)

I picked up this 92 Craftsman II, LT4000 with the bagger for free.
The machine was in descent condition, however when I first got it, the machine was locked up. It turned out the brake was rusted frozen and the belts were frozen onto the pulley's. I spent under $50 to get this machine into full operational order. I have named it Bush I, because it was built and sold in 1992 in the USA while President Bush I was in office, (to give you an idea of how old it is). Also the original Tecumseh 12.5hp OHV Gold engine was replaced at somepoint by the original owner with another Tecumseh 12.5hp OHV engine, except it's a 1998 engine, has the backup pull starter and a fixed Jet carb. The engine runs great and has a ton of power, in fact when I first got the tractor going I found that If I put it in 5th gear with out the deck, it would lift off and the entire front end would do a wheelie taking me a good foot off the ground!
Excellent shape for a 25 year old machine that sat for who knows how long.
Repairs I made to get it going.
Replaced coil on engine, other coil was bad no spark.
Replaced ignition switch, it was shot.
Removed brake soaked it in oil/WD40 for two days. The two bolts that hold it to the trans were frozen.......
...........

[@grant.m.ball0603]

Cool man

[@erikarabie]

This is memories of summers at my grandparents in Louisiana in the early 90s. I would hang onto the back while my pawpaw cut an acre

[@thunderray1987]

I just bought one of these 90's LT4000's for $300! A nice lawn tractor, it's only got one little spot of rust and it runs great too!

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

That's a good buy. Should serve you well for a very long time and if the engine or transmission ever give out on you there's tons of them still out there, to keep them going. They're solid units, I hope you enjoy it, I know I enjoy mine.

[@thunderray1987]

@@Mr_Tecumseh Thanks, I'm glad to know there's still parts out there and I plan on enjoying my lawn tractor! It's my first riding mower, I just got so sick of pusher style mowers and had to upgrade! Afterall, I work 12 hour shifts at Home Depot and I need a break from all the walking I do, lol.

[@lukecoburn3163]

I got one I paid a hundred bucks for it I love it

[@harryjoe860]

Just got one of these for free runs great

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

Not surprised, I've gotten 16 of these free in the last decade. They all ram great. They have really good engine's and the machines are built well.

[@harryjoe860]

@@Mr_Tecumseh it runs good but it is kinda jumpy, I assume the belt is worn or not tensioned right

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

@@harryjoe860Yea, that I don't know. I've never really had one jumpy on me. But the belt has one tension setting, loose or tight, once you let the brake up taking the slack off its at tight, no adjustment to how much tension it gets. But it could very well be the belt. At this point the belt is probably 25 years old, parts of it may be worn out so it's jumping every time it gets to the worn spots on the belt. You can look under at it and see, you can see it better with the deck off. If it looks all worn out or cracked, definitely replace it. Hopefully it's the belt and not the transaxle going. If you switch to another gear and it isn't jumpy than you know it's the Trans, if it's jumpy in all gears it's probably the belt.

[@Junkboy888]

Nice, I just bought a bagger just like yours, for $100 for one of my craftsman, the bagger came with a Free LT400 like this one, but a 6 speed.

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

Junkboy888 Free shit is always the best, especially when it's nice like that. 6 speed nice, I like the 6 speeds, that means the location to shift is over on the wheelwell correct. I prefer it their, easier to shift. I picked up a 6 speed trans that fits that tractor for 10 bucks. But one of the two bolts that holds the break mechanism was frozen and it broke trying to get it out (common). I could still drop the gears into the other case and make it a 6 speed, but at the moment, I don't have time too for that extra gear. Any pulley smaller than the stock one on the trans will also increase speed, just don't go to small unless you wanna fly around like a mud mower. The peerless Trans were pretty well bullit proof. Now they actually put transmissions onto Sears tractors with plastic cases, junk. MTD makes Sears products now, they are the worst. These silver machines were made by AYP joined with husqvarna. Those older LT4000's were great Tractors, some of the last really solid built ones. The suburbans going back 10 more years, were the true classics. But what Sears sells today is pretty much all junk compared to these older units.

[@sheamiletomileto4063]

Fearless was the motor from this LT 4000 motor from a generator?

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

@@sheamiletomileto4063 No, Generators usually use horizontal engines with a special tapered shaft. This is a vertical with a normal shaft that was used mostly on bigger machines, like Tractors. The original engine was a 12.5 Tecumseh which probably blew or crapped out and the original owner most likely purchased a direct replacement engine brand new, same size and brand for this tractor at the time it was put on. Thats what everything points too because finding another Tecumseh like that of the exact same size and hp used in 98 would have been tough, also the cleanliness of that engine also tells me it must have been new at the time of installation, everything fits and connects to perfect for that engine to have been removed from some other machine so it would have been a new replacement engine set specifically to go on here. I'm glad they stuck with a Tecumseh, their relatively rare on these machines and the recoil starter as backup is super rare. Try and buy a Tractor new now with a backup recoil or even get one for the engines they use now. Not happening. On this machine you don't need a battery to start or operate this machine, thats a really big deal if the battery were to die and you were far away from any kind of jump or charge. Just pull that rope and your on your way.

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

@Austin Smith Ive had over 15 of these in the past 10 years. As you can see they made one with a Tecumseh, 1 in 10 had it, Tecumseh's are actually my favorite engine and it was the only one I had with a Tecumseh, so I grew fond of it. Not sure if you watched the video all the way thru, but as I said in the video, that wasn't its original Tecumseh, it was 6 years newer than the machine, however their are more LT4000's with Tecumseh's on KZbin, if the Hood says 12 or 12.5 OHV, it has the Tecumseh, because Briggs did not offer a 12hp OHV on these machines, also if you look up that tractors model on the sears website, the parts diagram shows the Tecumseh engine it had, so yea, Tecumseh was offered. At any rate having one with a backup recoil start was nice and its rare. You don't need a battery to start that tractor, you could be anywhere, if your battery is dead, you can start the thing with a pull of a rope. The LT4000 is a dime a dozen, it was my jump off point into lawn tractor's. Their still a great machine to this day, they were built solid, despite what engine is on it. The Briggs I/C (flathead) your talking about wasn't just in red, it came in black and other colors too, disagree with you on it looking better with red, I think they look better with the black, been around the block a few times, do this for a living. The also put Kohlers on LT4000'S, but I've never had one with it thankfully and they have had plenty of different horsepower engines in them. The current one I have out their has a 14.5hp OHV Briggs, my biggest one had a 19hp Briggs opposed twin. So the LT4000 came with many different options on them. 38" decks, 42" decks, etc and so on...

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

@Austin Smith The LT4000 is a good tractor to learn to repair on, their as simple as they come. Master one of these and you can tackle almost any lawn tractor. Most of the LT4000's I got came already running or nearly running. I have one right now sitting out their and I know it runs and drives, because I drove it too its current parking spot. Its gonna be a minute before I get to that one, got bigger fish to fry. Their great tractors, many are over 30 years old still running and cutting, had more of that model than any other tractor by far.

[@hoovercamaro]

Ours came from Sears with a Briggs and Scrap iron

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

Most did. That one was a fluke.

[@RX7MAN27]

I have same tractor easily swapped a used turbo cooled 😂 13.5 hp cuz I blew the original one and was back rolling in no time

[@frankrusso5997]

Can you help me I’m trying to put my mower back together the deck that is. And I don’t know what length of belt too get either

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

Belt replacement: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jmbFhXmtmppqo5o

[@jasonburks5911]

I have a craftsman 2 12hp lawnmower i changed all safety switchs new battery and soliod and key switch and can't get it going could it be wireing

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

Check the fuse. Disconnect the plug from the engine, jump start the engine directly from the starter. If it starts from their you know the starters okay. Plug the harness back in see if it stays running. If it doesn't you still have an issue some place, a short, bad switch, etc. If you still cant figure it out, bypass all of it and hardwire it. Straight from the key and solenoid to the coil, done.

[@themanthelegend7048]

How hot does the hood get? I see it exhausts on it.

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

TheMan TheLegend I'll touch that area after a good long run and let you know................... (Answers a stupid question with a stupid answer).

[@themanthelegend7048]

Fearless I didnt know it was a stupid question. I just got that same mower for free and put a 12.5 hp Briggs on it with a muffler that would do the same. I was curious if I should order the proper muffler.

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

TheMan TheLegend My bad, I thought you were fucking around like a lot of people on youtube do. That muffler has a deflector in the front where the opening is forcing the exhaust down, otherwise the hood would have turned black. That area still gets hot from the heat of the muffler but not that bad, it has become slightly discolored over time. It doesnt effect anything and the area of the hood that you pull to open still doesnt get hot, so its not an issue. If your going to stick a muffler right up against the hood make sure the muffler has a deflector on it forcing the exhaust down or the hood will turn black. If you can use the correct muffler you should, if you can just buy the deflector cover for the muffler, try ebay or Briggs. Go on the briggs site enter the model and check the parts diagrams for the different muffler deflectors or type in muffler deflector on the web. That was a replacement engine, they should have stuck the original muffler back on I don't know why the original owner didn't, maybe it was too rotted away to use. But for me its just a cosmetic issue a little dicolored in that spot, but not black. It doesnt effect anything and I can still open my hood like normal when I need to without getting burned or obstructed or any other problem so its not much of an issue.

[@maryhaskins2186]

TheMan TheLegend f

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

I would get the correct muffler. A few reasons are its quieter and it wont discolor the hood. As far as heat goes, no its not an issue, only that area where you see exhaust get's hot and I have never had to touch that area right after running it. The area where you lift the hood up, does not get hot. A lot of older tractors just use a muffler like that. Their is supposed to be an exhaust pipe and muffler that goes down. Their cheap enough used so go for it. But otherwise the muffler on now does not effect the function of the tractor in any way.

[@randomthingsasmr4063]

Just got offered one in really good condition for $200 is it worth it?

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

If its fully functional, yea worth far more than all the crap they make now.

[@RX7MAN27]

Even if there’s issue buy it a classic and they are pretty simple to fix and I’m not a mechanic like that 200 and a little love and your rollin

[@logankadin4922]

Was it given away, I imagine

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

I do mention that in the video several times, if you watched it. Yes, it was given away free, its not the first, it wont be the last. I've had 4 come and go already almost identical, although this was the only one that had a Tecumseh with a backup recoil starter on the engine, which I really like about it because I've already had that battery die and had to start it using the rope. Battery or no battery, that machine will run, drive and operate.

[@88ranchok]

Hey what I had a b & s Flathead

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

Like this? kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5aZZ5qag5uahbs That Tecumseh unit was a one model only LT4000 with a Tecumseh, all others had Briggs it was a rare bird.

[@fordinlinestraight]

How do you find or like the 12 5 Briggs I just bought one

[@robertclark4929]

Tecumseh junk.

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

Just so you know, all of these Tractors have Transaxles made by Tecumseh and the majority are still working. In fact when it comes to mud mowers, the Peerless made by Tecumseh is the first choice among guys building mud mowers. Tecumseh junk and yet theirs billions of snowblowers still out their throwing snow with Tecumseh's. Compared to some of the crap being built now, Tecumseh is looking better and better. One of the few Craftsman Tractors that had a backup recoil starter where a battery wasn't required and its a Tecumseh, go figure.

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

Let me let you in on a little secret. The new Briggs Inteks on lawn Tractors now. The ones that have been out the last 10 years or so, junk. Far worse than any Tecumseh. Those Inteks throw rods like its their job, literally. I have about a dozen of them in a pile out their. The majority of them had clean oil within range, all grenaded. The average life span on them is 5 years, than pow, out the block she goes. Its that high quality Chinesium their using.

[@garagekeys]

I just bought one in good shape, running and cutting for $65

[@Mr_Tecumseh]

Their tractor engines were never the best, but they made the best snowblower engines by far. Anyway I have an even better LT4000 now. I think you'll like it check it out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5aZZ5qag5uahbs