Beat up and Rotted out Lawn Tractor. Can we save it? 1996 Craftsman LT1000 Turbo Cool 

Nice work on that deck repair. Can’t even tell where you put the bondo. 👍🏼

35:00 Whoa! I’m so glad you found that method for us! Way better than any method I’ve seen so far for removing wheel bushings! Thanks, Kyle! 👍🔨

I like that you made the deck work on this despite some repairs and the 3/8 drive extension was a good video to find to knock out those bushings ill remember that in my journey also , hope you got decent money for it

Pricing - here on Cape Cod $600 sounds about right. Given the cosmetic condition but the added bonus of the bagger I think you’re right there. Personally I’d do all the cosmetics and try for $800, but I get that it’s probably good to have multiple price points for different budgets and uses.

Thanks Kyle that is an awesome tip for removing the bushings!!!!!!

That blade engagement was EPIC!🤣 Learning to weld also here, just got a stick welder from Ebay so hopefully I can get it💪🏾 Deck turned out awesome!!! $625

would go for $400-$500 in central NJ. bagger is a big plus

$500-$600 down here! $700 price is less than 5% of a Professional model Skag/Exmark/Ariens Zero-Turn!!! Zero's are OUTRAGEOUS NOW DAYS.

I was hoping you were going to cut more of the donor deck to use as your patch not sure if it was solid. Probably would have cut down on your welding repair time. The best stuff if you’re doing any kind of direct to metal body putty is the short hair fiberglass it will stick better last longer and prevent rust. It is sold right next to the regular bondo. I believe the bondo body filler is not for direct to metal. Your videos inspire me to get on another project so thank you.

Kyle I dont think that is an LT1000. I have basically the identical tractor. Mine is a 1996 with the hydro drive (Hydro Gear) and 42 in mower deck that I bought new with bagger from Sears in Nov 1996 (build date 9.26.96 - just a month after yours). The engine broke its connecting rod in 2005 and I replaced the engine with a new B&S 15.5 at that time. In 2020 during the pandemic I replaced the tractor's frame which was badly cracked in the front where the front axle mounts - probably from years of using it to plow snow in the winter - and rebuilt the entire tractor to near new condition including replacing the hydro drive's leaking axle seals which are a total pain requiring splitting the gear case. I was lucky enough to find someone selling a junk tractor that had the same frame. My tractor does not have the louvered hood that yours does and the hood hinge setup is different in that it is spot welded to the steel part of the hood. Paul

Nice job.

I’m pretty sure that circular hole in your lawn was from Tiny Aliens landing overnight and you just didn’t see it until you ran right over it. 😂

I wish I lived where you do. I have a perfectly good running Craftsman LT1500 mower, but the deck is broke and can't be used. So, it's either mow my yard( all totaled about 3 lots) with a push mower. And for a 70 year old man with a bad heart, it's a job trying to get it done. I can do it, just takes a few days to do it. A rider would really help a lot, but I don't have the money to get the thing fixed. So, what I got, is what I got.

$500 all day long here in Tennessee, I mean cheapest junk mower at home depot is 2k plus taxes.

Not a bad looking nearly 28 year old classic craftsman Lt mower that you are going fix up Kyle by the creek

Turned out nice

The only thing I would suggest is a thin coat of Bondo or fiberglass on the under side of the deck to keep it from wearing through or rusting through.

The model number beginning with 917 indicates that the mower was manufactured by Roper Corp. (American Yard Products)

You maybe could have used fbergless to attach those hood mount hindges, then no bolts would show. Great work though!

If you want to know the age of a Briggs & Stratton engine look at the numbers. There is a model, type and code number. The first two digits of the code number is the year of manufacture.

Any thing free is a win and worth fixing or parting out in my book The older units are in high demand now in my part of Texas 😊

At 17:38 it looks like you’re getting 17.8v, probably at max throttle. I thought max would normally be around 14+v. Is that normal? Did it go down after the battery was completely charged?

Kyle here in Byron/ Warner Robins Georgia & Surrounding areas the way you got it here it would anywhere from $150.00 to $250.00 & after what you did it would sell for anywhere between $500.00 & $800.00

I would say 5 to 600$ because he bought a battery and bought a couple other things plus the bag and obviously the mower itself

They sell a very inexpensive plastic welder on Amazon I have had a lot of success with. I use different types but for the structural stuff I use the one that melts metal staples into the 2 pieces of plastic and hold them together. 65 Ford on RU-vid has a great tutorial on different plastic welders. They can really make a hood repair strong and look great.

both those decks were quite rough, theirs two types for craftsman 42 inch decks, some are rod engagement others are cable engagement I ran into that problem on a lt1000 I bought last year it originally had a rod engagement deck someone before me install a cable driven deck then they realized the problem, so they moved the pully tight and screwed it down to the deck what I had to do to resolve the problem as change the rod engagement lever to a cable driven engagement lever otherwise I'd have to find another deck

I would have switched the hood with the green one. It’s an old mower and someone would not care what it looks like as long as it works.

Loving your videos, what do you record with?

Love your videos, but you're hell on a starter. When I rebuild a carborator even I hit it with carb cleaner on the start up.

You should of sprayed your exust and pipe wit black heat resistant spray paint like what i done on my efco 162 chainsaw year 2004 and my organ strimmer exust year 2003 all my machines well care for

That was a great video 📹 Kyle!!!!! Question... where do you get those seat covers? And about how much? I really those!!!!

great video, do you have a LT1000 Deck for sale?

I’d think you can get $750. New mowers with no bagger are like $2500 from Home Depot or Lowe’s

kind of groovy. But still such a young buck.

Here in mn we'd probably pay $500

Its ok

were do you get the tractor seat cover? Art

Hi Kyle I'm a tractor flipper in CT as well. I would expect to sell that for $425 what area are you from?

Maybe €500 a starting up landscaper for hus new business

you should have just welded the hood

where I live maybe 3-4 hundred -- you would never get 6 where I live

Looks like the one I got for free .I think its a lt4000 1995 13.5 briggs flathead .It is my first attempt at working on one. Do you know the color to get for it? I think it has a dana transmission ,might be more reliable than a hydro ,I guess. I am going to try and fix it the, engine is running nice.Dont know if the trans works yet.

500 in cleveland

make £500 -£600 in England .. hi, from England

That thin metal deck will vibrate quite a bit, which will cause bondo to crack into pieces. It won't last very long. 😒😒👎👎

I would say $450.00 to $500.00

😂

i wouldnt by nothing from you

u literally sucked insulation right in the carb when u first fired it up smh