The $___ Craftsman ZTS 7500 Gamble: Was It Actually Worth It?

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Back in October, after purchasing the Memory Lane property, one thing became immediately obvious:

We were going to need equipment.

The property had sat largely unmaintained for years. We have heard estimates anywhere from 5 to 10 years, but honestly we do not know the exact history. What we do know is the grass and overgrowth were completely out of control.

Before we could even start reclaiming the property, we hired someone to brush hog large sections of it just to gain access.

Since buying the property, we have been searching for both a tractor and a mower capable of helping maintain the land. We still have not found the right tractor yet, but about two weeks ago we stumbled across what looked like a great deal online:

A Craftsman ZTS 7500.

The seller originally listed it as being in working condition and the price seemed right, so we jumped on it.

Then came the message.

Shortly after we started talking, the seller informed us he discovered the cutting deck was no longer engaging.

Most people probably would have walked away.

We renegotiated the price instead.

We consider ourselves fairly handy and assumed there was a decent chance we could fix the issue ourselves. Worst case scenario, we figured we would at least learn something along the way.

Diagnosing the PTO Problem

Once we got the mower home, troubleshooting started immediately.

We went through all the obvious possibilities first:

, Seat safety switches
, Brake switches
, Control arm switches
, PTO switch

Everything appeared to be functioning correctly.

That narrowed the Craftsman ZTS 7500 PTO problem down to two likely possibilities:

1. A wiring issue preventing power from reaching the PTO clutch

2. A failed PTO clutch

The problem was getting access underneath the mower.

We really did not want to remove the entire cutting deck just to investigate further, so we purchased a mower lift similar to this one:

MoJack Hydraulic Lift on Amazon

Overall, we would rate the lift around a 7 out of 10.

The lift itself works well and makes getting underneath the mower dramatically easier, but we discovered our mower was near the upper end of the lift’s capacity. We had to position the mower in exactly the right spot for it to lift properly.

We also were not fans of the wheel bar setup. The wheel bars would not easily slide in with the mower in place, and the retaining pins supplied by the manufacturer kept popping out while positioning the mower.

To solve the issue, we replaced the original pins with stronger cotter pins.

Knowing what we know now, we would still buy the lift again, although we may eventually upgrade to a higher capacity model so we can safely lift heavier equipment in the future.

Still, for anyone regularly working on mowers or doing zero turn mower repair, a lift like this is extremely helpful.

The PTO Harness Nightmare

Once underneath the mower, we attempted to disconnect the PTO clutch wiring harness.

That turned into its own battle.

No matter what we tried, the connector simply would not separate. We were genuinely concerned we were going to rip the wiring out of the harness completely.

Eventually, we decided it was smarter to call in someone with more experience before damaging something unnecessarily.

Thankfully, after just a few minutes, he was able to disconnect the harness safely.

From there, we tested the PTO clutch itself.

Good news:

The PTO clutch was perfectly fine.

The actual issue turned out to be a short in the harness caused by a burned up diode.

The Part Nobody Makes Anymore

At that point we assumed we would simply order a replacement wiring harness and be done with it.

Wrong.

After researching the part number, we discovered the harness was discontinued and apparently no longer manufactured by anyone.

So instead of replacing the harness, we decided to repair it ourselves.

We ordered the below replacement diodes:

Replacement Diodes on Amazon

The replacement diode worked perfectly and solved the electrical issue immediately once installed. We would easily rate the diode repair solution a 10 out of 10.

While I was already working on the electrical system, I also replaced the PTO switch as preventative maintenance:

PTO Switch on Amazon

The PTO switch fit and functioned exactly like the original OEM switch. Installation was straightforward and we had no complaints at all. We would rate the switch a 10 out of 10.

To complete the repair, I used a butane soldering iron similar to this one:

Butane Soldering Iron on Amazon

We would rate the soldering iron around an 8 out of 10 overall. During this particular repair we had a little trouble getting it fully up to temperature, but we have used it successfully on previous projects without issue.

One major advantage of a butane soldering iron is the ability to work where electrical power is unavailable, which is extremely useful on rural properties and equipment repairs.

Honestly, the repair itself only took a few minutes once the problem was isolated.

After soldering in the new diode and replacing the switch, the PTO engaged immediately.

Success.

Was It Worth It?

Absolutely.

Because we bought the mower for so little money, we would absolutely make the purchase again.

But older equipment always comes with risks.

Whenever buying used equipment, especially older mowers and tractors, we strongly recommend doing a full maintenance service before putting it into regular use.

We have no idea when the oil, filters, belts, or other maintenance items were last replaced.

Better safe than sorry.

Projects like this are exactly what Memory Lane is about.

Sometimes older equipment just needs patience, troubleshooting, and someone willing to fix what others give up on.

There is something satisfying about taking a machine many people would scrap and putting it back to work again.

And with the amount of grass waiting to be cut at Memory Lane, this old Craftsman is definitely going to earn its keep.