We just had the Sears repair guy out last week to fix our Craftsman lawn tractor.
Three years ago the John Deere tractor mower we owned for 12 years to mow 2.3 acres, failed. Limited on what I would spend for another mower, I ended up getting a Crafstman at the Sears store near me (before it was closed a year and a half ago) for cash.
It was a monster lemon of a machine that literally broke down in the middle of my first mowing. The transmission drive cable came loose and rendered the hand controls useless. Turns out the mower was a repainted cheap-end Husqvarna. 'Craftsman' simply private label repackaged it in their name. Had a 'Sears repair service' come from 3 hours away to service it - and he became a regular feature for the ensuing two mowing seasons. The mower was more powerful than the metal in the chassis could properly handle and the vibration literally 'shook' loose every nut, bolt, belt and fastener as it mowed. Notwithstanding it did not mow or cut the grass as nicely as the Deere did that we once had.
The resonant frequency of the engine vibration literally cracked the pylons and the rings holding the mower deck to the bottom of the chassis and the deck fell off by the beginning of season 3. Well, the Sears Service guy no longer worked for Sears and the closest repair service guy to me was a 5 hour drive away and required me to bring the mower to him. I have no trailer, so that option was a non-starter.
So... I did what I should've done three years ago - I ponied up the dough and bought a John Deere. It's like going from a Dodge Gremlin to a Lexus. This season's mowing has been a joy and the grounds never looked better.
What was interesting to learn in this ordeal was that Craftsman was simply stamping their name on other name brand products that were cheaper or Chinese junk in the era of Lampert.