same reason I got rid of my craftsman junk. YOu can't beat the hand tools and the old Craftsman mowers of 25 and 30 years ago were awesome too. Shows what you get when a big company outsources to save money. I bought a 20 hp 50" tractor thinking I was saving $1000's. However, the deck spindles had PLASTIC bearings and were SHOT after about 300 hours of operation. No grease fittings either although I don't really know what advantage grease would have on plastic in the first place. You mentioned the cost of zero turns. Check around. The prices of the home owner models have come down considerably. I am ASSUMING that you are using this mower for home owner purposes. I would hate to think you bought that Sears piece of junk to mow for the public. If you have a Tractor Supply Co nearby, they handle Cub Cadet which makes a reasonably priced Zero Turn. I believe Low's carries them as well. I memory serves correct. You can get on a Cub zero turn from one of these reatailers for around $2200. CHEAP for what you get. I would chalk you experience up with the Craftsman mower the same way I did, an expenesive learning experience!