Craftsman 625 Series Briggs & Stratton 21” multi-cut

by Seth
(Fernley, Nevada)

I have always been impressed with the quality of the Sears Craftsman line of products until one incident recently. About two years ago I bought a Craftsman 625 Series Briggs & Stratton 21” multi-cut lawn mower and have been disappointed.


As always, Briggs & Stratton engines are great. As claimed by them, it easily starts on the first pull every time, provided you give the carburetor three priming pumps as recommended. The engine runs strong and quickly tackles my lawn if I use it only as a side discharge mower and not a rear bagger. Unfortunately this is not always practical for me.

With the rear bagger installed, the mower quickly clogs well before the bag is full. This in turn causes the mower to stall out endlessly. To compensate for this I am always stopping to clear the bag opening. This easily doubles the time I have to spend mowing thus adding needless time to task.

Another issue with the mower is the weak and flimsy wheels. They always appear to be loose even though they are not. If they receive any kind of a side load they appear as if they are going to break off. To be fair though, this has not happen yet after two summers of use and they don’t seem any worse than the day it came out of the box.

I will not be going out to buy a new mower anytime soon as this one does get the job done. I would thou, highly recommend investing in a higher end model of the Craftsman line. On a scale of 1 to 5 this mower gets a 3 in my book.

Comments for Craftsman 625 Series Briggs & Stratton 21” multi-cut

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Oct 21, 2014
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
NOT VERY SMART
by: Anonymous

WITH THE COMENT OF "MEXICAN MADE" YOU MUST BE SOME LOW LIFE WHITE PERSON, RIGHT?

Oct 21, 2014
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
NOT VERY SMART
by: Anonymous

WITH THE COMENT OF "MEXICAN MADE" YOU MUST BE SOME LOW LIFE WHITE PERSON, RIGHT?

Apr 12, 2014
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Doesn't run unless the OIL cap is OFF ???
by: Ed B

Had this mower cleaned up for the summer (new plug, Cleaned the carb/Bowl, etc) starts up for a second or two then shuts off. Mechanic took it back and said it runs fine if you leave the OIL cap OFF ??? Have you ever heard of this ? A friend of mine says it sounds like a bad Gasket and/or rings. Any ideas ??? Thanks

May 27, 2012
Rating
star
Biggest piece of CRAP I ever owned!
by: Velos

I had an old Sears lawn mower that lasted me for 15 years!

This new one I got however is a HUGE piece of shit! I took the first one back after 30 days because it broke last year and after much bitching they gave me a new one.

I've now had this "new" one for 1 season (last year) and this year this mower is being a bastard as well.

I just spend half the day tearing it apart to find out WTF is wrong with it. Everything that I can get to seems just fine. Air filter looks NEW. Plugs look NEW. Fuel filter looks fine. I even swamped out the gas and oil just to make sure. I clean everything up since I had it half apart.

However their are certain part of the engine I can not get too! I thought I had every tool known to man around here, but they have some kind of "special" screws and/or bolt heads on these now MEXICAN made mowers that even *I* have never seen before and I have all kinds of "special" screw drivers and sockets from when I was an aircraft mechanics.

I think the real problem here is the old Briggs and Stratton mower engines USED to be made in the USA but around 2 years ago they moved the factories to MEXICO. If I knew at the time that they moved the factories to Mexico I never would have bought the lawn mower!

I live around the corner from a lawn mower repair shop. I guess I will have to take it in and see how much it will cost me. If it is over 100 buck to fix it than I will just say screw it and buy a NEW mower.

From what I can see most of you really hate this mower and I might just buy a new one anyways and say myself the trouble.

Apr 04, 2012
Rating
starstarstarstar
Good for Me
by: Anonymous

I've experienced the bogging down of the engine and came to realize that it is caused by the buildup of grass in the cutting area (duh). If you are using the bag, it clogs faster, especially when your grass is really long. I only use the bag 2-3 times per season, and mulch the rest of the season and if the grass is too long I just walk a little slower and have no problems. If you want no problems at all, side discharge and rake the grass. Keep the blade sharp and you reduce your problems even more. If you want to change the oil, do it before or after the season when you've run your tank dry anyway, or if you have heavy use run it dry near to when you want to change it...you don't have to completely fill the gas tank for it to run. Mine starts on the first pull every time, and one year I forgot to change the oil and it still runs like a champ. I'm sure it's not the best mower you can buy, but it's the best I've gotten for the price. And yes, the wheels always feel like they are about to break, but after 4 years of abuse, they haven't...bought spares just in case...$20 each

Nov 07, 2011
Rating
starstarstar
need new air filter, what kind do i need
by: eric

cleaned out the air filter but lost the filter..... not sure which one to buy, anyone know??

Oct 09, 2011
Rating
star
21" 6.25 Piece of Junk
by: Anonymous

I have already had this in for repair twice - sent more than $600 on ths junk. The control cable is always stretched so engine wont stay on. Gas change is a real pain. JUNK Never wil I won another sears mower

Aug 19, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
the 6.75Horsepower model
by: Anonymous

I have an older 6.75 hp and I think its great,I just wish I could find another one in good condition.I had a helper go over a 4 foot retaining wall a couple of years ago,and finally had to do some re-welding on the rear wheel mount plates and replace the plastic wheel supports this year. I think this is one of the best mowers they came out with.Even out lasted a hondaI bought 4 years ago.
TOO BAD THEY DON'T MAKE THEM LIKE THAT ANYMORE

Jul 04, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
START SOLUTION
by: Anonymous

Check the oil, low oil will keep it from starting ALSO CLEAN THE PLUG.

Jul 03, 2011
Rating
star
HELP
by: Anonymous

this crappy lawn mower wont starttt! well it starts and then atomatically stops, i dont know what the problem is and i called my dad to ask, he was of no help, what are some possible problems and solutions!? because i NEED to get the grass cut today and dont have the time or money to get a new one?

May 26, 2011
Rating
star
Warranty
by: Anonymous

I had my lawn mower less than one year and it would not start. I ran it dry in th fall as per the instruction manual. I put in new gas in the spring and it did not start. They blamed old gas and would not honour the warranty.

Will not buy from Sears again!

May 19, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Spark plug boot - shorts out electrical
by: Anonymous

My Craftsman mower is three years old and hasn't started well since new especially when trying to start after a refill of gas when the engine is warm.

Took it to my friend who is a Sears technician and he asked if it had a metal spark plug boot. Yes it did, he replaced it with a plastic boot and it starts fine now , just the way it should.

Good luck,

Daniel

Aug 21, 2010
Rating
starstar
Height adj lever slips
by: Anonymous

I've been having the same problem as the poster from June 19, 2010 with my problem being the front adjustable lever slipping out of the slot from the mower deck.

Engine works fine, but it's really annoying when you have to go extra slow and always keep an eye on the front lever because it slips out so easily and will drop to the lowest setting which results in scalping the lawn.

Does anyone know if Sears has a recall on this design flaw. I've already seen 2 others posting this same issue.

Jul 24, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Starting problems
by: Anonymous

I had starting problems with my 3 year old 625, first I checked gas flow it was good, checked primer it was good lots of fuel, checked plug it was good replaced it anyway, checked spark it was not good. Problem turned out to be corrosion on the magneto and fly wheel, I cleaned it off with light sand paper. First take off the red cover, than the fly wheele (be careful this exposes your oil tank) you now can check your mag and fly wheele for corrosion, I took off the mago and cleaned everything.
I put it all back together and pulled the cord three times and it started right away. Total time for repair about 1 hour and two beer.
Hope this helps.

Jun 19, 2010
Rating
star
Unusable
by: Anonymous

Lesson learned - push a new mower around your lawn before putting oil and gas in it. I mowed for 10 minutes with this thing and the rear wheels kept on coming out of their height adjustment slots. The slightest sideways motion would cause this to happen. And then the mower would fall to its lowest position and the blade would bind on a root or a rock.

These rear wheel adjustment mechanisms are a bad design. They could have used heavier gauge metal with bigger tabs to keep these adjusters firmly entrenched in thier slots. But with this mower with every spin I did at the end of a row they would pop out.


Jun 12, 2010
Rating
star
After 2 years
by: Anonymous

Starting my second year with the 625. The throttle cable has stretched. It is now very difficult to start. The spark plug cable is flimsy, and I can see that it had broken inside the boot.
I will never buy another product from Sears

May 06, 2010
Rating
star
my 625 series craftsman lawn mower
by: Anonymous

Ugh! That is just the beginning. Last year my lawn mower died on me, I had it for many years and I loved it. So I went to Sears to buy a lawn mower and was told this was a good one. Well, I take care of my stuff but with this one, it doesn't seem to matter, the rear bag gets clogged much sooner than bag is full which takes ten times longer to do your job. It has not turned on for me at times. I check everything and it is all good but wont' turn on. The wheels are flimsy and have almost fallen off. I have tightened them and now it just seems like they are going to fall off but don't. Either way it shouldnt' do this. The first three mows I can honestly say it started easily but the amount of problems I have already had and it hasn't been long tells me this is not going to last too long. If it is out of commission more than I need it, I might as well just return it because it would be cheaper and less stress to pay someone else to do it.
So I guess what I am saying is let for another brand or higher level lawn mower.
Good Luck!

May 01, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstar
Getting there . . .
by: Anonymous

My Craftsman 625 lawn mower starts easily and
runs well. The only problem I've had is that grass and pine needles collect under the drive
pully's black plastic cover so much so that the
stop/start lever can't engage. I notice that
the air filter gets dirty easily and has to be
tapped clean and blown out often. I'm used to older mowers where the speed can be controlled with a throttle lever, but this engine runs at one
speed, thus affecting any potential economy an owner might achieve at slower speeds. Sometimes
the wheel height adjustment levers get caught in
brush/low branches and they change their position
at which I placed them earlier. Other plastic items don't often fit well into their places, but
this isn't, after all, a Honda!

Mar 27, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Piece of junk
by: Anonymous

I've had my lawn mower for less than 3 years and have had nothing but trouble with it. It will start easy the first time, but, once the engine is warm I can pull the cord till the cows come home and it won't start.
The wheels are flimsy and the front wheel drive is pretty weak, I end up pushing it much more than I would like.
I already need a new bag as the seams inside weren't sewn properly and the grass gets in between the two layers.
As soon as I can afford a new lawn mower I will get something different. I have always bought my lawn mowers from Sears, until now.

Oct 27, 2009
Rating
starstarstar
My Craftsman 625 Series Lawn Mower
by: Anonymous

PROS
- It is much easier to self propel this lawn mower forward than to use all your strength pushing it.
- Enjoy the choices to convert it from bagging to discharging.
- It has the flexibility to use it for mulching, rear bagging, and also side discharge.

CONS
- Needs a power propel feature to mower with it backwards and not just forward
- Problem with draining out the oil and gas


This is a review of my push lawn mower and how I rate it as a product. There are both pros and cons with owning this lawn mower but let me give you my cons first.

I first rate this lawn mower with a score of three, for one thing it needs a power propel feature to mower with it backwards and not just forward. I wish it would self propel backwards because it requires a good deal of energy to push backwards as well as forward, especially up and down the small hilly areas in my yard.

Also draining out the oil and gas is a task. When you want to change the oil you have to drain out or run out all of your gas and then tilt the mower on its side and let the oil drain out. When you want to change the gas and add fresh gas you have to tilt the mower over on its side and let it run out, instead of having a drain on the bottom of mower. When you do this the oil spills out through other components on top of the mower, thereby causing a mess and perhaps a dirty air filter.

The pros of this lawn mower are the power propelled feature that it has. It is much easier to self propel this lawn mower forward than to use all your strength pushing it. I also enjoy the choices to convert it from bagging to discharging. You have the flexibility to use it for mulching, rear bagging, and also side discharge.

Aug 21, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
My experience - Fair
by: Anonymous

Yes I have the same problem as the original poster as it clogs and stalls out and you have to keep emptying the rear bag even when not full. I have had it for about 3 years and forgot what allcame with it but would love for the cutgrass to shoot out the side at when using only the mulcher I can't even get across the yard before it clogs.

Jun 06, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Sears craftsman 625 mower - pulley problem
by: Anonymous

I've had a Sears Craftsman 625 for around a year. The first time mowing this year, the belt came off and even though I replaced the belt with a brand new one of the same size, it pops right off when I pull the starting cord.

The pulley looks strange... It appears to be two discs that pinch the belt at a funny angle. Perhaps it is broken and is actually supposed to be one part, like most pulleys.

I am not impressed with this mower. I wish I had the money to get a Honda, my friend uses them for his landscape maintenance business and wow are they amazing. And they bag wet grass like nothing I've ever seen.

May 02, 2009
Rating
star
Sears Lawn Mower
by: Anonymous

I also purchased this items and used it perhaps 4 times and it will not start...Sears is the the store it use to be...

Apr 17, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstar
A little loud and vibrates but maintenance is a breeze
by: Florence

I like my Craftsman mower because it's versatile. I can use it to cut and bag the grass for a clean finish with the grass catcher bag or use the side mulcher door.

The best thing I can say is the unit came pre-assembled in the carton. For someone like me who doesn't understand machines, what a relief to simply unfold the handles, add the engine oil, gas and be ready to mow. There are separate units for the oil and gas so you do not have to premix anything to get it started properly. One lesson learned be sure to push the primer button as specified and make sure you don't overfill the oil or you will experience a smokey start!

The 21-inch base cuts a fair size path, which reduces my cutting time. The high wheels on the back make it easier to push the mower since this model is not self-propelled. The height is adjustable too, if you are like me and let the grass grow for a while between cuttings! I've not had any problems trimming three to four inch heights but anything higher seems to stall the engine.

The Briggs and Stratton engine is a little loud and vibrates but maintenance is a breeze. To change the oil simply tip the unit to the side and let it empty in a pan. This is a great feature, no messing with an oil drain plug. The spark plug was easy to change if you buy one pre-gapped like I did. The air filter is conveniently located on the side and should be changed or cleaned every year or if you use it frequently the replacement parts are not very costly.

I've had my mower for over a year and on a scale from 1 to 10, I give it an 8.

Apr 12, 2009
Rating
star
NO SUPPORT
by: Anonymous

I picked up the same mower. It has been used twice (lightly in a very small yard) and now it won't start. Sears won't take care of me because it has been over 90 days. I won't purchase another product from Sears.


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