Brand new Craftsman T4400 poor assembly, questions

[CubbaCudet]

I made a post a while back about which LT to buy to replace my Cub Cadet SLTX -1050 and this forum has been extremely helpful.

I ended up getting the Craftsman T4400 (please don’t shun me on a Cub Cadet forum )

They delivered it assembled even though I told them I wanted to assemble it. And of course, problems found.

Correct me if im wrong but isnt the gas tank supposed to haev some sort of bracket to keep it from moving? I can wiggle it up and down, left and right with one finger. This cant be how it should be. It’s going to bounce around and crack.

Here's a video if you can see it here:

https://imgur.com/a/8bqjpFT

Bracket.jpg


The picture with the blue circle shows what looks like a gray bracket that SHOULD have some sort of bracket attached through those screw holes to hold the gas tank securely.

And then the other thing is, there is ZERO grease on the steering wheel gear (see picture). This can’t be right.

No grease.jpg

So my concern is, if the guys at the store did a poo-poo job of these things (even the wires to the battery terminal were loose), what else did they not do? Forgot to put grease in the zerk fittings? What if there are things I can’t check anymore because it’s now assembled and I cant reach areas that would have been accessible prior to assembly? Do I return it an get another one? My fear is if they failed to do these basic things, is this tractor now a danger to use for the more important, moving parts?

I tried to question the delivery guys but they claimed they spoke no english and drove off.

Thanks for your help

[evhevh]

I don't think the steering is supposed to have a grease fitting or be lubricated at all.

https://www.messicks.com/catalogs/MT...ering/steering

[Ozcub]

You may find a grease nipple underneath the tractor , trawl the internet for a parts manual for that tractor it will show you whats what
I would not use it until you can confirm the fuel tank mounting
What language do they speak in Ohio

Here you go
https://support.craftsman.com/hc/en-...ts-for-my-tool

[evhevh]

I also doubt the place you bought it from installed the fuel tank. They are usually installed at the factory.

[CubbaCudet]

Originally Posted by evhevh

I don't think the steering is supposed to have a grease fitting or be lubricated at all.

https://www.messicks.com/catalogs/MT...ering/steering

How did you find this!? I was going bonkers trying to search for it. Thanks! It's strange though, isnt it? Metal on metal and no lube? Not even dry lube?

[CubbaCudet]

Originally Posted by Ozcub

You may find a grease nipple underneath the tractor , trawl the internet for a parts manual for that tractor it will show you whats what
I would not use it until you can confirm the fuel tank mounting
What language do they speak in Ohio

Here you go
https://support.craftsman.com/hc/en-...ts-for-my-tool

Thanks for the info. Maybe the gas tank is supposed to be loose like that?
The diagram below doesnt look like theres a bar or bracket to hold it in place, but wow, I find it REALLY strange the tank would be allowed to float like that!

Tank.jpg

[Ozcub]

Maybe a bit of that Duct tape you have might do the trick

[evhevh]

Don’t feel bad about buying the Craftsman. It is made by MTD so think of it as a “red” cub.

My cub has the exact same steering gear as yours. I just make sure and use my blower on the tractor after each use and blow out that area to keep it clean. So far it has stayed pretty much grime free.

I recently worked on a 1995 White (brand, not color) lawn tractor made by MTD. It’s gas tank was also not mounted. I created a bar to hold it in place.

It also looks like your tractor has the K62 transmission which can be drained and filled. A great option to keep it running for years.

https://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tra...man-t4400.html

[CubbaCudet]

Originally Posted by Ozcub

Maybe a bit of that Duct tape you have might do the trick

Ha! Good idea. Brand new lawn tractor wrapped with duct tape. Love it

[CubbaCudet]

Originally Posted by evhevh

Don’t feel bad about buying the Craftsman. It is made by MTD so think of it as a “red” cub.

My cub has the exact same steering gear as yours. I just make sure and use my blower on the tractor after each use and blow out that area to keep it clean. So far it has stayed pretty much grime free.

I recently worked on a 1995 White (brand, not color) lawn tractor made by MTD. It’s gas tank was also not mounted. I created a bar to hold it in place.

It also looks like your tractor has the K62 transmission which can be drained and filled. A great option to keep it running for years.

https://www.tractordata.com/lawn-tra...man-t4400.html

Thanks for the information. VERY helpful. Isn't it strange though that its not mounted? The engineers literally had to say, "Nah, don't mount the container holding flammable liquids that is only 4 inches from a hot engine."

I heard the Cub Cadet XT2 GX54D is literally the same as the Craftsman T4400, just with minor differences. I wonder if the Cub Cadet would also have a floating gas tank? Now that would be fun research.