Strengths Looks nice and I like the handles on the side to hold on to when mowing the bar ditch. Kohler engine is great!

Weaknesses Bolt that holds the PTO clutch on the engine crankshaft has broken off two times. When this happens the costly crankshaft has to be replaced. It has been in the repair shop since Oct. 5, 2006. It is now June 5, 2007 and I still do not have it back yet. Cub Cadet has not been any help at all on getting my mower back and will not give me a new one. Cub Dealer talks badly about Cub Cadet mowers. Sorry Dealer in my opinion. Turned them into the BBB and they never responded to them either. Also has bad vibration on the deck that no one seems to be able to fix yet. Should get it back this week. I hope!

Overall I like the mower but if you have problems with it, look out. Don't know why I bought a mower just to have it set at the only repair shop within 60 miles. Cub needs to do a better job of picking their repair centers. Cheapest is not best!

Strengths Walk thru seating, easy oil/filter change,fuel filter,large gas tank with good visual fuel level, deck wash, easily removed deck but(be careful and be sure PTO is in place and secured or the wires for the electronic PTO put apart), great even cut, love the reverse mow feature.

Weaknesses Drive belt tension spring has fallen off twice (lucky to find it) when mowing up a slight incline, requiring deck removal to replace the spring. Really seems to struggle on inclines. Black smoke at startup.

Overall Good mower, but I feel you need to be mechanically inclined to keep it going or it would be in the shop a lot. I've spent a lot of time under this mower

Strengths Has hose connection for washing under deck. Got a free cover to keep the hunk of junk covered.

Weaknesses Uses more belts than fuel. It does not need any other weeknesses, I get about 20 hours for every belt I put on, and putting belts on mine is a pain in the A_ _. The belt guards are too close to the pulleys and I have to remove the pulleys (after removing the whole blaim deck), just to get the belts on.

Overall Mows well for until about 20 hours, then I just feed it another belt. Stay away from YELLOW mowers! I'll go with Orange next time!

Strengths Lot's of options for the money, the deck wash system is a nice feature, The quick connect on it is the same style as the oil drain quick connect. The Hydrostatic trans works smooth, easy access controls, seat is comfortable, cool steering wheel, greasable spindles are nice, some other mowers have had lots of trouble with spindles. The deck seems well made, I like the primary and secondary air filter on the 19HP Kohler. The Bagger picks of leaves very well and the cut is clean. The dealer explained everything and really took there time to show the mower and lets you test drive the mower.

Weaknesses A little noisy, engine is rough on cold starts, but smooths out quickly, head lights stay on like a GM automobile, really not many weaknesses for a good residential tractor.

Overall So far I feel good about my decision to buy this tractor, I strongly recommend you buying a Cub Cadet from a dealer, not a retail store. This mower has a 3/5 year warranty, I have only 15 hours on mine so far, best 15 hours of fun and work at the same time in a long time. But iv'e always enjoyed working in the yard. Plus the Cub Cadets just look good, and they really look like quality, quality always shows.

Strengths mowes perfect

Weaknesses ride along and it starts knocking for no reason had oil .Gragage kept. still has all power but sounds alful. to it to the shop he seems to think it has a crushed lifter. anyone has any ideas?

Overall great mower i would buy another.

Strengths I love the LT 1042. I had another Cub and it was 17yrs old when it died. The tractor is comfortable and has the best durability for the money. Trust me I looked at 17 different mowers all MTD, John Deere, Husqavarna, Dixie, Just to name a few. The most tractor for the money and quality was the LT1042 for size mower that I needed. Cub has 3yr front to rear warranty and 0% for 24 months when you buy from a actual dealer not a authorized sales cener.

Weaknesses Relay for PTO drive is notorious for up and dieing with no waraning the blades just stop and the PTO switch is still engaged. Now all you do is take the old one to a dealer and they will swap it with no questions. MTD has a tendancy to turn a few bad seat pans so the fenders are not smooth and the tractor seat pan and fenders appear to have ripples in them. WATCH FOR THIS CLOSLEY DON'T BUY ONE UNTIL IT IS FIXED.

Overall With the warranty and the financing I don't see where anyone could go wrong. Cub will stand behind it's product no matter what and there is no hassle if it breaks they come pick it up and fix it and return it along with brining you a temporary mower while yours is away. (Cub Cadet Dealer's Only) YOU CAN'T go wrong with a Cub.

Strengths Looks good. Price. "0" interest for 1 year. Mower deck cleaning system is a good addition. Mulch included.

Weaknesses Engine runs erratic and stalls after 20 minutes of use. I have completed all corrective actions and had the tractor serviced twice and the problem has not been corrected. I believe the problem is vapor lock. The service people take exception to my evaluation.

Overall Service on the tractor is terrible. If you don't mind shutting the tractor down every 20 minutes for a cooling off period of 30 minutes, the cut is good. The cooling off period is for the machine and operator.

Strengths a lot of mower for the dollars.

Weaknesses After 120 hours the transmission seems to be overheating. I have to let the machine cool down for a half hour to get another 20 minutes of mowing time after initial meltdown. Cub Cadet does not have a service manual available online to help the owner make small repairs on his own. The only service facility is over 50 miles away in Sarrasotta FL. They are sold all over the country but not serviced at many places.

Overall I really like the machiune but I am upset over the lack of service outlets. My machine thru a clutch last year (loose bolt at driveshaft end) and now it has a transmission overheating problem. MTD makes the Cub Cadet, John Deere and Toro models (to name a few) so it would appear to a homeowner that all small garden tractors available are about the same. Getting rid of a Cub Cadet for a John Deere would be no improvement in the service category.

Strengths Excellent service from my local dealer. I liek everything about the machine except the PTO/belt problem I mention below.

Weaknesses PTO shuts down constantly, belts damaged on a regular basis if you cut on settings, 4, 5 or "high" (that's three out of 6 settings that don't work).

Overall I've had the 1042 for two months and it's been in the shop 3 times. The deck keeps shredding belts (sometimes after only a few minutes of operation) and the PTO overheats and stops working. I cut on dry days, and no longer use the bagger out of fear that it's too much for the poor machine. I was told the mower is not meant to cut on the high settings, which is strange, as it should be able to cut on whatever settings it has or it shouldn't have those settings. It's going back again today, and I don't want it back again.

Strengths The LT1042 is incredably easy to use The Hydrostatic trans is amazing simple. That coupled with the PTO electric blade engagement are a breeze. Other helpful features: large (3.5 gallon) gas tank, digitial hour dispay, easy view gas tank level, reverse mowing option.

Weaknesses Turning radius is a bit wide and rear drive is a bit jumpy.

Overall I love my LT1042. I have been satisfied with the quality of its work and the reliablility of the machine. I was able to test drive it before purchase which was a plus. It is a smooth riding machine, that feels right. Be sure to get the Kohler engine!