Troy-Bilt review: do not waste your money on this product! 64

I agree 100% I also bought one these so called troy bilt mtd model # ltx 2146 2003 that has 213 hr that I payed $2040.00 for at lowes that now needs a new transmission that will cost another $400.00 not to mention that two of the wheels have broke the center out of . I should have taken the money I spent on this junk and fixed my ten year old craftsman mower and I would of had something that would have lasted another twenty years

I can't keep the drive belt on my Bronco mower deck and there are also no adjustments to the pullys for belt tighting. Has anyone else had this problem and how can i fix's the problem?

My troy bilt is the biggest piece of crap I have ever owned. Fours years old & last summer the crankshaft went out. the blades turn constantly, The center of the front wheels broke out. I had a small engine mechanic look at it & he pretty much said you wasted 2000.00. My old mower purchased from Penneys 20 years ago was way better than this junk ever thought about being. I also tell people NOT to waste their money if I see them looking at theses mowers. Weedeaters are NO better.

Troy Built is junk. Purchased tractor mower, used it 3 times and 3 times it broke. The belt breaks off. Bought the extended warranty from Lowes. Lowes exchanged the mower the first time. Brought another one home just like the first, used it and the same thing happens, the belt broke. Warranty repair said it was out fault! Expensive warranty did not help. Paid to repair. Used it again and the belt breaks again, This is a brand new mower that we have paid over 1, 000.00 for. Stuck with junk! Don't throw your money away.

Most people assume that all mowers are the same and that statement is 70% true.Considering probably about 70% are built by MTD including White, Bolens, Troy-Bilt and yes even the beloved Cub Cadet and the dirty little secret Toro riding lawn tractors.But forget what you may have heard this group does NOT include the John Deere LA 100 series you see sold at Lowes.These mowers are built by John Deere in a John Deere factory in Greenville Tenn.However this is not John Deere's premium mower, they are built to compete with these other brands.But what most don't know is you can purchase an X 300 John Deere's premium series for about $2, 900.00 that has a 4 year waranty.It is true you get what you pay for.ie.Yugo/Toyota

we own a super bronco we have had it a little over a year we have put 2 sets of blades on it and 3 belts.no one seems to know why it breaks the belts so often .our last belt only lasted 3 hrs after we put it on and at $40.00 a pop we can't keep doing this

Mark of Athens, GA July 8, 2009

Troy-bilt Super Bronco Lawn Tractor 46" AutoDrive Riding Mower / Tractor with Cruise Control

"I mow about 2 acres, and have used this tractor now aprox 9 times. The drive belt has come off three times, and now shredded, the deck belt came off twice, the plastic drain pet ### for the engine oil leaks. Troy-bilt would not stand behind the product and were rude on the phone. The Lowes I bought it from has had it now the last two weeks, and says they will make it right, short of refunding my money. When I bought this, I didn't know MTD had bought out Troy-bilt, and that this was actually an MTD product. All things considered I will never buy another MTD product again regardless of who's name they slap on it.

In addition, when the drive belt comes off going downhill, the tractor runs off to high speeds, this is very dangerous. I would be willing to sign on for a class action suit, I've seen many other complaints on the net with these exact same problems, with this exact same product. They need to be stopped from pushing this junk off on unsuspecting consumers.

I mow two acres. I bought this piece of crap at Lowes and bring a belt with me everytime I mow. The belt lasts approximately two hours. What a mistake.

I've had nothing but problems with Troy-Bilt products ever since it was bought out by MTD. I have an old 70s Horse and although I have burned through two engines and a few oil seals it still performs like a champ. The new Pony is a piece of crap, as is the Bronco lawn tractor.

I have also recently had problems with the drive train. It died in the middle of mowing last evening. I suspect it slipped a belt but the drive belt (not the deck) seems very difficult to access. If anyone can help with this please contact me at ikc1- at-juno-dot-com

I had a Pony, 42", 17.5 hp, until this morning when the freeking block cracked, it is 2 years old

I have a 2006 super bronco that I bought new 4 years ago. I have not had a problem with it. every year I do the
normal maintanence on it . It is not a comercial tractor just an every day home user. If you are trying to cut 1 foot tall
grass, you do get what you pay for!

I have a 2007 Troy Bilt Super Bronco and I have never had a problem with it. I also have to agree with Happy Man, every spring it cranks right up. No Problems or complaints here.

Bought my 06 Bronco 4yrs. ago, No problems except the Mower Deck rotting away (completely!) The spindle/ blade dropped out of the deck while mowing, Big mess! The mower is kept outside, under cover and cleaned every time its used (Fl. every 5 Days) Having a hell of a time getting the correct mower deck. But has been worth th 1K spent originally. Used the "Original Manuel" to find parts online.

Have a Super Bronco I bought in 2007. The mower decks needs aligning every time I mow. The drive belt has broken twice and is a nightmare to replace. Would never buy another Troy-Bilt

I have a Troy Built POny at Lowes. It is a 2007. Like all others, I have had nothing but problems. I have fixed the transmission twice. The belts break easily. The blades go bad quickly. The spindle is now broken. I went to Lowes this past weekend and told them that I would never buy a Lowes mower again. They are pieces of crap. I am not usually this ugly, but they know they have an inferior product and continue to sell these pieces of crap. STAY AWAY FROM THEM. I would love for someone to file a class action law suit. Its obnoxious that a company is able to sell this bad product. And I get really upset when people say what do you expect for $1000. I like what James posted about this. You expect it to work, otherwise, under the $1000 say this piece of crap breaks down all the time and will cost you twice as much to repair in three years.

The only Troy-Bilt equipment I ever owned was built by the real Troy Bilt in Troy, N.Y. Immediately upon seeing the newly styled (re:phony) "Troy-Bilt" equipment showing up at home centers instead of authorized Troy-Bilt dealers, I knew something was up. With just a little investigation I quickly found out that MTD had bought out Troy-Bilt and I immediately knew that that was the end of Troy-Bilts quality, as MTD only puts out only one grade of product, and that grade is junk, regardless of whose name is on the outside of it. I have a neighbor that bought one of their phony Troy-Bilts a few years ago, and it lasted a little over a year before the hood mounts broke. He ordered the necessary parts, and it only took the bozos at MTD a little over a year to ship him his parts, and then only after he called them numerous times inquiring as to where they were. He also has had belt issues, and I've seen the deck belt on his flopping around and wondered how it even stayed on the unit. He's replaced the belt and says that it's the proper length, so I can only surmise that it's sloppy engineering that caused such a poor design. A note to the people that are wearing out blades. DO NOT buy any oem blades. The blades you want to buy are Oregon blades. I use them on my Scag 61" commercial mower and they hold up even with my abuse, so they'll surely work for you. One more note regarding belts. DO NOT use automotive belts, as they are not designed to withstand the angled twisting that a mower deck puts them, and they will wear prematurely and jump off the spindles. I purchase all but one of my belts (the 116.5" one which they don't carry) from Tractor Supply. They are every bit as good (and more likely better) as oem belts for a lot less money. Bottom line:DON'T BUY TROY-BILT JUNK-IT'S A WASTE OF MONEY.

We have had our 2006 Troy bilt, Super Bronco 13AX60TG766, since Oct 2006. It is a super piece of crap. We break around 6 deck belts a year. Our yard is less then a acre. When this mower was less then six months old we had it checked out using their warranty and were told we were the problem and our yard must be to big and to rough for it.

Don't know about the rest of you, but I purchased a 2006 Troy-Bilt Pony, 42", automatic from Lowes, new for around $1300. I live in Florida on almost 2 acres. The season is long here, and the grass grows fast. I cut at least twice a week in the summer and once in spring and fall. The mowers is used in the winter some, but a lot less for those 2 months. I have put on hundreds of hours on this mower, and have had no problems whatsoever! The regular maintainence like oil/filter, air/gas filter is done seasonally. I have replaced the blades 3 times in 6 years and the belts only twice. I did have to replace the battery this spring, and put inner tubes in the original tires, which are still fine. I replaced the fuel lines, due to the crap ethenol gas, and now use an additive. My rider starts every time, runs flawlessly, and has never broken down for any mechanical reason. I cut grass 8-10 inches tall if I have to, with no problems, on the highest setting. I go over it again at a lower setting and the job is done. I tow utility trailer, fertilizer spreaders, etc. all year long. This mower has been worth every penny. Troy-Bilt or MTD, feel free to contact me for proof of this.

you got lucky is my only answer to that. My belt broke after 9 uses on low dry grass! lowes is supposed to be repairing it but i done went and bought a craftsman. father had 1 ten yrs and all he did was change oil and plugs. not even belt and blade maintenance. troy aint troy no more!

my brondrive belt broke after 10 uses. its being " fixed" by lowes right now. after reading how bad it is, ive already took it as a loss. bought a craftsman yt3000 for 1399.00 and its 50 times better everything! at least the dand bulbs will stay in the bezel. a troy built bronco isnt worth 300 bux unless you make a go-cart outta the motor or sumtin. but the drive belt! thats the hardest thing to fix on this thing and got to use it 10 times...way to go MTD and lowes to for selling it still.

I have had my Bronco rider since 2005 and the only problem i have had is the transmission, replaced 1 and in need of another now, works fine in reverse but lurches and grinds in forward. No other problems except for simple maint. issues ( blades and 1 belt) that was broke when i hit a stump and everything stopped suddenly. I wish the tranny was able to be opened so that the spindle could be welded rather than spend $300 on a new one.

Mine is 3 years old, and I' purchased mower deck blades 5 at a time for about $5 each, and not from Lowes at very inflated prices. Drive belt went out once and purchased not from Lowes.
Now the mower runs all the time, regardless of lever position. Drag brake wears through mower belt in a few minutes. There is no way to adjust anything on mower deck.

Agree with most of the above, it is a piece of junk.

I can'nt keep a belt on mine.I've had at least 5 on it .I just bought last year from Lowes.

Has any one had a blade speed problem . Replaced PTO BELT also Deck Belt and since speed of blade are not high enough for good cut. When blade speed is high and you can hear hummimg of blade that good but mine the lower you lower deck humming stop and blade speed slows down cant figure it out any help out there Tazviii

I bought a Bronco 2 yrs ago it has less than 10 hrs run time on it, It has to set last summer due me having a cast on my hand. Went to start it and gas gushed out of the Carbeuter, I cannot find a new one anywhere, nor can if find a repair kit for Walbro courage 20.
What a pc of junk . Don't waste money on any mowers that Lowes sell.

I purchased a 2006 Troy-built Super Bronco at Lowe's and have not had any problems at all . I have replaced the blades every other year, and while I had the deck off this year I replaced the belt, although i DIDNT NEED TO. I mow 4 acres about every two week and have not had any problems break downs. I do my own maintenance and replace the plug, oil and filters every spring. And I do not dog it, It is a mower, not a tractor. I purchased a trailer for it and haul wood, and rock in it occasionally. and have even drooped the deck to its lowest point and used it to level high spots on occasion. I guess its like cars, there's lemons in everything, but for me I have no complaints.

I live in florida (northeast) and we pruchased a 2006 troy bilt lawn tractor from lowes. The soil here makes us go thru blades like water, but i`m aware of that. I changed the air filter, fuel filter and oil. But other then the deck starting to rot here and there i`m pretty satisfied with what we got and the abuse we put this thing thru. I also had to change the battery a couple of times, but the battery tender is helping that problem. I also use it to brush hog the sides of my home and i also used it once to tow our mid 1800s farm wagon into my garage on the back of a small yard trailor. I`m sorry to hear of the problems everyones having, but this one has paid for itself many times over and im pretty happy with what we got.

For some of you Sears Craftsman fans. as you know, hopefully. Sears has never made anything. They submit a set of specs and the item is bid on, and awarded to the lowest bidder. In 2011 the model 28034 was made by Briggs and Stratton, in 2012 it is made by MTD. The Craftsman LT series -MTD. Craftsman YT3000, 4000 and 4500 with "Turn Tight" is made by Husqvarna. The Craftsman Premium Series Garden Tractor is made by Briggs and Stratton. So beware what you buy, do your research and read all reviews. Sears does spec their items to meet a certain level, as other like Home Depot and Lowe's do not.. Contracts are bid on and awarded for any particular item, whether it be a washing machine, dryer, range. refrigerator or lawn equipment. And it varies from year to year, on who the product is made by,

The Troy built Bronco is crap! Brought one used for 400.00 and have invested about another 300.00 in it . Today after having the main belt replaced I was told there is no fix for aligning the belt and to only cut at levels 3, 4 and 5. Started cutting at level 3, and the piece of crap stopped running before I could finish my acre. I wish I had done the research before I invested .

I live in Smyrna, Delaware and purchased my Troy-Bilt J609 Bronco auto drive riding lawn mower in May of 2004. I also purchased the grass catching unit for a total cost of $1600. I have a one half acre lot that I mow seasonally. I change the air filter, fuel filter and oil, oil filter, and both spark plugs every spring. The Bronco came with the Briggs-Stratton 18.5 HP twin cylinder engine. Last year (2011) I needed to replace the PTO and Drive belts for the first time. I have noticed the belt problem when the cutting deck is lowered from the setting of 5 to a setting of 3 the blades slow down. This could be due to the angle of the belt to the pulley alignment, so I live with the deck height set to 5 to maintain the life of the belts and avoid striking a lawn sprinkler head. The oil drain cap was constructed of plastic, so in 2005 I replaced it with a short length of black steel pipe that will screw into the engine crankcase, and a natural gas line ball valve will screw on to the end of the pipe allowing me to drain the oil clear of the mower chassis and the ball valve is constructed well enough to resist vibration opening it, so the fear of losing oil while operating the mower has never occurred in the past seven years. My neighbor owns a 2003 Bronco riding mower and last week (July 2012) his transmission went out. This has me contemplating taking action to add Unirex N3 grease to my sealed transmission to prevent the same fate. The transmission is a sealed unit, so the two options are to take it apart or to drill a small access hole into it to add the grease. Troy-Bilt / MTD says that it is a sealed unit and it should be fine, but I remember when the auto makers sold air filters that would last 100, 000 miles. (Yea, right). The access hole has my vote right now, but I will research the size and option not to introduce metal shavings in to the rear transmission. A simple inspection plug similar to the rear pumpkin plug on a car would have saved a lot of headaches for mower owners. Has anyone else added an inspection / fill plug to their transmission? Other than having to replace the battery back in 2009, all has worked fine for me on my Bronco.

I bought a TB 42'' auto trans. rider in 2-09 for a good price at Lowes, let it set for a yr and a half before using, my old Craftsman would not quit running.used the TB for the first time in June of 2011, have replaced the cheap blades once, the starter Bendix keeps sticking, yesterday the main drive belt came off, after looking at it, no wonder it is worn and cracked, almost in half, in several places. my old Craftsman only needed one set of belts in 12 yrs.I agree it's a China piece of junk. I had to replace the blade engagement cable after only 12 hrs of service, it was frayed and broken.the safety switch that keeps the mower from running, when placed in reverse broke two weeks ago. the manual does not describe how to replace the main drive belt, it say's take to dealer...it may not last a couple of yrs...don't buy one it's a money pit..

What people need to realize before purchasing Troy Bilt equipment is that Troy Bilt isn't Troy Bilt any more. It's just more MTD junk, just like most of what you see for sale at the big box stores. The name was bought by MTD years ago when the real Troy Bilt (as in Troy, N.Y.) went out of business. They are now just throw away pieces of equipment that in most cases aren't even worth wasting money on to have repaired. If you want equipment that's going to last, you're just going to have to bite the bullet and purchase decent commercial grade, otherwise it'll be loose belts, unavailable parts, and continuous repairs till the unit finally dies forever.

I have had my Bronco for one year now and it seems to throw the deck belt at least once every time I mow. Yesterday it threw the belt six times! Today I have been surfing the internet looking for a fix but it looks like the only fix is to buy a Deere. I would not recommend this mower to anyone. It seems like the belt issue is an old one yet Troy Built has done nothing to address the issue. I own other Troy Built products like my generator, trimmer, and push mower, and I am pleased with them, just not the Bronco.

I have a 2006 super Bronco that has not had any problems hardly at all its sat outside for five years through Ohio winters this year went out put oil fuel little charge to the original battery for 2006 hit the switch fired right up drive belt and Dec belts are both the originals blades originals tires originals everything left on that tractor is originals now with that said I know 10 acres of a hilly and rough terraian and have jump belt one time which was operator error I'm not bragging on this mower but it has definitely been a very good tracker it also has pulled numerous trailers and Lawn sweeps

bought a troy pony it is the biggest piece of junk i have ever owned. can not cut a small yard without it throwing the deck belt. bought the extended warranty at lowes when i bought the tractor every time i complained about belts they would take the tractor for a few weeks and send it back saying it was fixed. never was ! now the warranty is out and i have junk on my hands . not only ticked at troy built but also lowes as they knew that it was junk when they sold it . i tell every one not to buy troy built and warn them that lowes will lie through their teeth if it means a sale.

Wow! My 2006 Bronco rear end bit the dust last week and now I know why after reading these comments. I mow about one acre of flat lawn and I mow about 2 times per month eight months a year based on that I have about 112 mowings before it self-destructed. The rest of the mower is in good shape and I've had no belt issues except it is difficult to replace the drive belt but doable and I've replaced that twice. If your having problems at lower deck settings, like I was, I found a bolt on a pulley in the rear of the mowing deck that was not suppose to be tight. Once I backed off on bolt I was able to use all settings. Just took me awhile to figure it out. Guess I will be junking this out and reading my consumer reports next time.

I've spent more money on my Super Bronco that all my other previous lawn tractors combined. I've replaced (several times) the drive belt, the deck drive belt from the engine and the blades. Right now, the head gasket needs replacing, the differential/transmission has a knock in it and the deck drive belt has worn out again.

It's nice to read these comments when one is in the need of a new mower. However, we must remember that people are much more likely to comment when they have had bad experience. I too own a Troybuilt Bronco that I purchased in the spring of 2007 from Lowes. I notice that not many of these complaints provide their maintenance habits. I make sure to change my oil every season, check the air pressure in my tires often, spray underneath after each mowing and I use my grease gun as the manual suggested. I also keep mine in a garage. This is my first year to replace my battery along with a drive belt. My only complaint is that the pulley under the battery does not give enough space to place the belt properly. You have to look under the tractor and un-screw the nuts to loosen the pulley then the belt slides in perfectly. And yes, as the manual stated, I did need an impact wrench. What can I say? I am also female and happy Troybuilt customer!