Craftsman 6.75 HP Power Propelled Lawn Mower

by Pauletta Melago
(Willoughby, Ohio USA)

I purchased this Craftsman Model number 917.378490 power propelled rear discharge mower for $299.99 in May of 2003. The mower is now 5 years old. Every year it gets a tune up with a new spark plug and oil change. Last year I had the blade sharpened.


This year I needed a new V belt because the self propel feature wasn't working. The V belt was easy to install and my husband did it himself. All in all this Craftsman has been a reliable and good running mower now for 5 years. I would recommend it to anyone with a small to medium sized yard.

The Craftsman is easy to start. The primer is located in the front near the air filter. 6 or 7 pumps and holding down the control bar, a pull of the starter handle and you are off and running.

The drive control controls your speed and it's just a matter of how fast you want to walk behind the mower.

There are 9 wheel adjustments on the front wheels to allow the lawn to be cut from very short to around 5 inches.

This mower came equipped with a grass catcher. I use it rather then mulching because I empty the grass clippings in my garden for mulch.

For those people who want to mulch, the bag is easily removable and the mower comes equipped with a special mulching blade that recuts the grass clippings many times and reduces the size so that they will fall back into the lawn and not be noticed.

Comments for Craftsman 6.75 HP Power Propelled Lawn Mower

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Aug 12, 2014
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Drive belt
by: Helper

Mower worked very well until drive belt broke. I tried ordering a new one through Sears Parts and was told they are no longer made by supplier and they don't have substitute. What to do?? any suggestions?

Aug 12, 2014
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Drive belt
by: Helper

Mower worked very well until drive belt broke. I tried ordering a new one through Sears Parts and was told they are no longer made by supplier and they don't have substitute. What to do?? any suggestions?

May 13, 2014
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Right Front Wheel Locking Up
by: EEH

This was A Great mower Until Only The Left Front Wheel Was Propelling And The Right Front Wheel is locking Up And None of The Teeth Are Stripped At All....

Jul 29, 2013
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Best mower ever made
by: Anonymous

People obviously dont know how to use or take care oftheir stuff. Owned for 6 years now with a big yard. Mine has started on the first pull every single time I have ever tried. I change oil every other year. I just did a blade sharpen and replaced the sparkplug for the first time this year. Great product and I love the self propelled feature.

Jul 23, 2013
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Speed Control Assembly
by: Anonymous

I need to assemble the speed control since it came loose itself, any experience with this.

Thanks,

Dirk

Aug 15, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
GREAT MOWER
by: Finance Man

i bought my 6.75 rear wheel drive in 2002. I have never changed the sparks plug, air filter, or the oil. The only thing I have changed is the blade and still runs like new. Mine has never clogged unless the grass was to wet. It starts on the first or second pull every time. This is also the 3rd craftsman mower i have owned.
By the way, if your blade came off it was loose. And to the guy that oil spewing out every where, did you over fill the oil?

Jul 24, 2011
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
What are you guys doing wrong?
by: Anonymous

mmm, had mine for 8 years, done nothing but change the filter and clean after each use. Has always been used to but over an acre at a time. About to replace the belt for the first time. Sounds reliable to me not sure what you guys are doing wrong. Ha Ha

Apr 29, 2011
Rating
star
crap
by: Anonymous

don't buy this mower and don't buy anything from sears. my third use of it the oil started flying out everywhere. i filled the oil up but it got so bad i took it to sears only for them to tell me the only thing wrong with it was oil overfill....they wouldn't take it back so i am out three hundred dollars.

Jul 26, 2010
Rating
star
Worst of Five mowers
by: Anonymous

I've owned this mower for a monyh and used it twice. Other times I have borrowed one. I have had problems from the start. Always working at it, sent it back once and now it still has all the original problems or more. Out of five previous mowers this one is the worst I've ever owned, but I may just have gotten hold of the occasional lemon.

Jun 24, 2010
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
China VS US Built problem?
by: Old School Bob

Read a bunch of complaints about the Sears 6.75hp self propelled rear bagger (a mouthful). Anyway, I wonder if it has anything to do with where it was built?
I am getting ready to take the float bowl off my mower as there a is a fuel delivery problem. I purchased this mower in June, 1999 and have not done much at all. Until last week it started on first or second pull, EVERY TIME! I have replaced the blade three times (sharpening until not use-able)replaced the spark plug twice and the air filter 4 times. I have changed the oil off and on, but not as regular as I should considering the use it gets. Until this fuel issue I have had NO PROBLEMS AT ALL! It has mowed not just my yard, but did our sons yard for about 2 years before I got tired of having to go get it back. I have used it to mow heavy weeds along the ditches bordering our place in Brighton (the fenced grass portion is 8500+ sq ft). The only real complaint I have - I'm 60 now and this is a heavy mower. But that is why it is self propelled.

So is it the place where it was built (or at least the majority of parts)? My mower was built in the US (Tecumseh built - out of biz in 2007 or 08 as they could not compete with the overseas folks).

So before you condemn Sears, remember it was us that wanted the CHEAPER products (us as in consumer).


May 26, 2010
Rating
star
Don't buy this mower
by: Anonymous

Not a good product. I only have about 3000sft to mow and have had this product for 2 years.

The self propel feature is rather worthless (and this is a heavy mower to push around) and major clogging problems with the bagging attachment.

Sears sucks.

Mar 18, 2010
Rating
starstar
There's something wrong with your system
by: yankee2

Yes, I've got one, but it's a question: why do so many bad reviews give this mower 5 stars? Review after review pans it, saying it either won't start or the bag clogs, or both, but then gives it 5 stars anyway! Perhaps the average lawn jockey is not that bright?

In any case, I just reviewed it. I've had mine a couple of weeks, and have used it only twice. Already I've had trouble starting it, and I DO understand the complaints about clogging. My previous mower was a very similar Craftsman, which gave me very little trouble in 14 years. This one is not nearly as good, however, maybe not even good enough to keep.

I don't think it deserves more than ***, but since I'm already dissatisfied so soon after I bought it, I'm going to give it just a ** rating. Lawn mowers are not rocket science. All I ask, really, is that they work.

And BTW, the previous review I gave, though I searched the page hard for one, did not let me give a star rating. I notice that whole, contiguous series of reviews have them, then suddenly they ALL stop. Could that be because other people are not getting that feature too? I see that this one DOES, however, but do you really mean "rate this PAGE," or "rate this MOWER?"

Could THAT be the source of all the bad reviews that give high ratings??? Are people rating your web site (i.e.page), when they should be rating the machine under review? Or do you really mean to ask people to rate your web page? If so, that's very confusing.

Jul 20, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
SHAME SHAME..
by: Anonymous

I'm with Vinny; all the products I have purchased from Sears have been a bunch of junk ,I recently purchased a stove and frig, I have had nothing but problems with both items ,call sears they sent out a repair person 4 times and the problems never got solved.Sears would not back up their appliance's so I will never buy anything from them again. And calling them a dollars store is to good for them I have found many useful item at the dollars store for a buck....Yes Sears at one time was a very respectful store which my grandmother and mother trusted fully,but they have sure changed shame on you SEARS....

Jun 17, 2009
Rating
star
do you work for them???
by: CousinVinny

You must work for sears??? I have the same mower and it has been problematic. at this point I consider it down right dangerous. My first experience with it was the blade flying off and cutting a wheel partially and just missing my legs.
Sears won't repair it cause I brought them back the blade bent???
Sears sucks, they are a disgrace anymore, many, many years ago they used to be a fine store, now I consider them a more costly dollar store...

Jun 17, 2009
Rating
star
do you work for them???
by: CousinVinny

You must work for sears??? I have the same mower and it has been problematic. at this point I consider it down right dangerous. My first experience with it was the blade flying off and cutting a wheel partially and just missing my legs.
Sears won't repair it cause I brought them back the blade bent???
Sears sucks, they are a disgrace anymore, many, many years ago they used to be a fine store, now I consider them a more costly dollar store...

May 02, 2009
Rating
starstarstarstarstar
Changing the Oil
by: Anonymous

where is the oil plug?

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